Name: Easy Chicken Quesadillas with Black Beans and Corn
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8 flour tortillas; 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (canned, leftover, or rotisserie); 1/2 cup black beans (rinsed and drained); 1/2 cup whole kernel corn (drained); 1/2 cup green onions (sliced, optional); 1 cup thick and chunky salsa (plus more for serving); 1 cup shredded Mexican-style four cheese blend; sour cream (for serving, optional)

These easy chicken quesadillas are stuffed with black beans, corn, salsa, and melty Mexican-style cheese, all folded into a flour tortilla and browned in a skillet until crisp. You can use canned chicken, leftover chicken, or a rotisserie chicken from the store, and with a few cans opened and drained, supper is on the table in about 30 minutes.

Easy chicken quesadilla with black beans and corn cut open on a plate

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Easy Chicken Quesadillas with Black Beans and Corn
Serves: 4 servings
Main Ingredients: flour tortillas, chopped cooked chicken, black beans, whole kernel corn, green onions, thick and chunky salsa, shredded Mexican-style four cheese blend, sour cream
Why You'll Love It: Easy chicken quesadillas filled with black beans, corn, salsa, and melty cheese. Cooked chicken and a few pantry cans make this a quick supper for busy weeknights.

I first made these on one of those days when everybody in the house had somewhere to be, and they were the perfect answer. We inhaled them, and I made another batch for my lunch the next day. If you like a little heat, my buffalo chicken quesadillas are another easy one to keep in your back pocket.

Ingredients for Chicken Black Bean Quesadillas

Ingredients for chicken quesadillas: flour tortillas, salsa, black beans, corn, chicken, and shredded cheese

Chicken: I used canned chicken this time, which isn’t like me at all. I usually keep leftover shredded chicken or turkey in the freezer for recipes like this one, and rotisserie chicken works just as well.
Black beans and corn: Plain canned black beans and whole kernel corn are all you need. Drain them really well so the filling doesn’t get watery.
Salsa: Use a thick and chunky salsa. Thin, runny salsa soaks into the tortilla and makes it soggy.
Cheese: A shredded Mexican-style four cheese blend melts beautifully and holds everything together, but cheddar or Monterey Jack work too.
Green onions: The recipe calls for them, but more than one person in my house would turn their nose up at them, so I left them out. I love them, so add them if your family will eat them.

You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.

Helpful Tips Before You Start

Open and drain everything first. Once the first tortilla hits the pan, things move fast, so have the chicken, beans, corn, salsa, and cheese lined up by the stove.
Keep the heat at medium. Higher heat browns the tortilla before the cheese has a chance to melt.
Don’t overfill them. A light layer of filling on one half of the tortilla keeps the quesadilla easy to flip and keeps the filling from sliding out.
Hold them in a warm oven. If you’re making the whole batch before anyone sits down, keep the finished quesadillas on a baking sheet in a low oven while you cook the rest.

How to Make Easy Chicken Quesadillas

Drained chicken, corn, and black beans in bowls

1Drain the Cans

Open the chicken, black beans, and corn, drain them well, and set them next to the stove so you’re ready to go.

Chicken and corn sprinkled over a flour tortilla in a skillet

2Add the Chicken, Corn, and Beans

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and lay a flour tortilla in the pan. Sprinkle chicken and corn over one half of the tortilla, then top it with a spoonful of black beans.

Black beans added over the chicken and corn

Salsa spooned over the quesadilla filling

3Top With Salsa and Cheese

Spoon a little salsa over the filling, then finish it with a handful of shredded cheese and some green onions, if you’re using them.

Shredded cheese sprinkled over the filling

Folding the tortilla over the filling in the skillet

4Fold and Brown

Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side over medium heat, until the tortilla is lightly browned and the cheese is melted. Cut it in half and repeat with the rest.

What to Serve With Chicken Quesadillas

I serve these with extra salsa and a dollop of sour cream on the side. For a fuller supper, add a bowl of copycat Chipotle guacamole and some tortilla chips, or a big scoop of easy Texas caviar that you can stir together while the skillet heats up. A fiesta taco salad makes a nice side when you want something fresh on the plate.

If you’re having folks over for a game, cut the quesadillas into wedges and set them out with a bowl of cream cheese salsa dip.

More Easy Weeknight Suppers

When you need supper on the table quickly, these are a few more of my go-to recipes. You can find even more in my quick and easy dinner recipes.

Chicken Quesadilla FAQs

Can I make these ahead of time?

They’re best right out of the skillet while the tortillas are crisp. You can get a head start by chopping the chicken and draining the beans and corn earlier in the day, then keep everything covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook.

How do I reheat leftover quesadillas?

Warm them in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes per side. The microwave works in a pinch, but the tortilla will turn soft instead of crisp.

Can I use a different kind of chicken?

Yes. Canned chicken, leftover baked chicken, shredded turkey, and rotisserie chicken all work. Just chop or shred it into small pieces so it spreads evenly over the tortilla.

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