Vegan black bean quesadillas inspired by Brazilian cuisine with a quick mango chimichurri sauce. These quesadillas are crisp and crunchy, packed with lots of flavor and so easy to make! It’s the the perfect filling vegetarian or vegan meal for any time of day.

When I was younger I used to eat a quesadilla for breakfast pretty much every morning. Well I called it a quesadilla but I really just slapped some vegan cheese on a tortilla and popped it in the microwave for a minute or two. It was quite the revelation when I realized you could make quesadillas on the stove. It was also pretty ground breaking when it occurred to me you can put other things in a quesadilla, not just cheese. And you can eat them for any meal. My childhood was a wild time.

Well, I’ve come a long way from microwaved quesadillas, and I think this Vegan Brazilian Black Bean Quesadilla may be the best one yet. This recipe is certainly not an authentic Brazilian recipe, but it’s inspired by the flavors of traditional Brazilian black beans with white vinegar, lots of garlic and similar seasoning.

What You’ll Need to Make Vegan Black Bean Quesadillas

Black beans: I use one can of black beans for this recipe. Make sure you drain and rinse the beans in a colander before adding them to the skillet.

Onion and garlic: This is the base for our black beans and help add more flavor and aroma.

Green bell pepper: I love the crunch that green bell pepper adds to the black beans. If you don’t like green bell pepper, you could substitute a yellow or red pepper instead.

Cumin, paprika and oregano: This is the seasoning for the black beans and helps to add more flavor while they cook.

Soy sauce: This may seem like an odd ingredient, but it adds this delicious savory umami element to the black beans. You could also use liquid aminos as a substitute.

White vinegar: A splash of vinegar at the end really helps bring out the flavor of the black beans. I use white wine vinegar but any white vinegar will work. I also like to wait to season the beans with more salt until after I’ve added the vinegar, because acid tends to enhance saltiness.

Tortillas: I always use large flour tortillas for my quesadillas, but corn will work to they just won’t hold as much filling.

Cheese: I use a shredded vegan mozzarella cheese, but if you are not dairy free or vegan, just use your favorite dairy cheese.

How to Make the Best Black Bean Quesadillas and Mango Chimichurri

Step 1: Make the Mango Chimichurri Sauce: I like to do this step first because the chimichurri sauce can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until your ready to serve the quesadillas. It’s simple to make, just combine some cubed mango, minced jalapeño, olive oil, honey, lime juice, chopped cilantro and a pinch of salt in a resealable container. Set aside until ready to use.

Step 2: Make the Black Beans: The black bean filling comes together real quick over the stove. Just sauté your onion with a pinch of salt in a bit of olive or avocado oil before stirring in the garlic, bell pepper and spices. The key is not to over cook the bell pepper so it maintains that crunch. About 3 minutes should be good. Next, stir in the black beans and soy sauce. Just cook until heated through then stir in the vinegar.

Step 3: Assemble the Quesadillas! For each quesadilla, lay one tortilla flat on the counter and add a layer of cheese followed by a layer of black beans. Add a little oil to preheated skillet and slide in the tortilla. Top with another sprinkle of cheese and place the second tortilla over top. Cook until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Use a spatula to flip and repeat for the other side. Serve your quesadillas fresh off the griddle topped with mango chimichurri and sliced avocado!

Tips for Success

• Make sure you don’t overfill the quesadillas or it will be very hard to flip. It’s also important that you cook them for long enough on that first side before attempting to flip. Just keep lifting up the tortilla to see if it’s beginning to brown.
• If the cheese isn’t melting at the same rate as the tortilla browns, just cover the pan with a lid or sheet of foil while it finishes cooking.
• For non-vegan black bean quesadillas, use dairy cheese instead of vegan cheese.

More Recipes to Try

• Greek Crunchwrap Supreme
• Vegan spinach artichoke grilled cheese
• Vegan lemon artichoke flatbread with za’atar
• Vegan cauliflower macaroni and cheese

Made this recipe? Tag @wanderingchickpea on Instagram!