Mexican · Lunch & handhelds

Bean and cheese quesadillas

Name: Bean and cheese quesadillas
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 10 quesadillas
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 cups cooked pinto beans; 1/2 cup bean cooking liquid; 2 tablespoons pork lard or neutral oil, divided; 1/4 small white onion, finely chopped; 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 2 cups masa harina for tortillas; 1 1/2 cups warm water, plus more as needed; 2 tablespoons cool water for the salsa; 10 ounces Oaxaca cheese, pulled into thin strands; 8 ounces tomatillos, husked and rinsed; 1 serrano chile; 1 garlic clove, unpeeled; 1/4 cup chopped white onion; 1/2 packed cup cilantro leaves and tender stems; 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Fresh corn-masa quesadillas folded around thick onion-scented pinto beans and stretchy Oaxaca cheese, with a roasted tomatillo-serrano salsa.

About 1 hr 30 minTotal

About 1 hr 10 minActive

$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 10 quesadillas

Equipment

Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Best starting skillet
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the recipe’s diameter and preheating method, then checked material, heat retention, cooktop fit, weight, care, stable model identity, and exact destination. Kwilt has not cooked with this skillet.
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3: The 10.25-inch seasoned surface matches the recipe footprint and retains enough heat to create the crisp cornbread edge promised by a preheated skillet method. Trade-off: It weighs more than five pounds, the handles become hot, and avoiding rust requires prompt hand washing, drying, and light oiling.
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan with the recipe’s fat; the crust will be lighter but the crumb and flavor remain valid.
Sources
Lodge cast-iron material and care
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 10 quesadillas

2 cups cooked pinto beans
1/2 cup bean cooking liquid
2 tablespoons pork lard or neutral oil, divided
1/4 small white onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 cups masa harina for tortillas
1 1/2 cups warm water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons cool water for the salsa
10 ounces Oaxaca cheese, pulled into thin strands
8 ounces tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 serrano chile
1 garlic clove, unpeeled
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1/2 packed cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon lard over medium. Cook finely chopped onion until translucent, 3 minutes; add beans and their measured liquid. Mash and stir until thick enough to hold a furrow, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cool until warm rather than steaming.
Roast tomatillos, serrano, and unpeeled garlic in a dry skillet, turning, until blistered and softened. Peel garlic and blend with roasted vegetables, chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the measured cool water into a spoonable salsa.
Mix masa harina, warm water, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth and as soft as modeling clay. Rest under a damp towel for 15 minutes; knead in water by the teaspoon if the edges crack.
Divide masa into ten balls. Press one between plastic sheets into a 5-inch round. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons beans and 1 ounce cheese to one half, leaving a border; fold with the plastic, press the edge closed, and repeat.
Cook quesadillas on a over medium, turning several times, until browned in spots, cooked through, and the cheese melts, 7 to 9 minutes. Serve hot with roasted salsa.

MexicoMexican household and street cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Mexican quesadillas encompass regional corn- and wheat-based forms; this version follows the fresh masa branch, enclosing thick beans and melting cheese before griddle cooking.

Quesadilla conventions vary across Mexico, including whether cheese is assumed in Mexico City. This roster explicitly names bean and cheese; fresh corn masa and Oaxaca cheese keep it in the folded antojito tradition rather than the two-flour-tortilla sincronizada format. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Use fresh pressed masa rather than packaged flour tortillas and pair a restrained amount of thick beans with Oaxaca cheese so both named fillings remain distinct.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe

Keep recipes, plan meals, and build the grocery list in Kwilt.

Use the recipe here. Get Kwilt when you want the rest of dinner to stay together.

Get Kwilt for iPhone

See every recipe

Mexican · Lunch & handhelds

Torta ahogada

Guadalajara’s carnitas-filled crusty roll, partially drowned in a brothy roasted-tomato sauce with fiery chile de árbol salsa and oregano-pickled onion.

About 3 hr 35 min4 tortas