The ultimate quick and easy comfort food: Black Bean Kimchi Quesadillas! Crispy tortilla, gooey melted cheese, black beans, and spicy kimchi come together in the most delicious way. An easy weeknight meal, anytime snack, or perfect party appetizer that can be made in 15 minutes. A Korean-inspired recipe that is beginner-friendly and customizable!
Why Kimchi Quesadillas?
When you need an easy snack or quick meal, a cheesy quesadilla with kimchi hits the spot. Crispy, cheesy, tangy, and spicy. And so easy to make! With mashed black beans for extra fiber.
The combination of kimchi with melted cheese makes this especially good. In Korean cuisine, kimchi and cheese are a popular pairing. Kimchi brings acidity, spice, umami, and crunch. Cheese adds richness and creaminess. Together, they balance each other perfectly.
More recipes with kimchi and cheese: Kimchi Rice Balls with Cheese, Budae Jjigae (Army Base Stew), and Cheesy Kimchi Fried Rice.
As Korean American chef Roy Choi has shown us through his Kogi food trucks, Korean and Mexican cuisine taste so good together. An unlikely fusion food combination that is packed with flavor.
Best of all? Everything comes together in 15 minutes with simple pantry ingredients. Makes an easy lunch, lazy weeknight dinner, and the most satisfying midnight snack. Crispy golden tortillas with gooey cheese, satiating black beans, and that spicy kick of flavor from kimchi.
Satisfy those late night cravings and use up that jar of leftover kimchi in the fridge! One of those minimal ingredient recipes that you can make anytime, anywhere. The ultimate savory comfort food!
Ingredients
- Kimchi. A traditional Korean dish that is spicy, tangy, and full of fermented flavor. Look for Napa cabbage kimchi at Korean grocery stores or Asian markets.
- Cheese. To offset the saltiness of the kimchi, I recommend mozzarella cheese or Monterey Jack cheese. They taste mild and melt beautifully. Or, use a combination of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Even TexMex cheese blends work great. They contain a combination of cheeses with additional spices or peppers. *Pre-grated cheese in a bag makes this extra easy and convenient.
- Tortillas. Flour tortillas crisp up well. I recommend 6-inch tortillas. For a gluten-free option, use 100% corn tortillas.
- Black Beans. Add canned black beans to reach all your fiber-maxxing goals. Black beans are packed with fiber, antioxidants, folates, and are good for your heart and gut health.
- Butter. Adds richness and creates a crispy texture. Can also be swapped with a little cooking oil.
How to make Easy Kimchi Quesadillas
- Prep the kimchi. Transfer the kimchi to a small bowl. Using clean kitchen scissors, snip into small 1/2-inch pieces. If the kimchi is very juicy, lightly squeeze out excess liquid.
- Prep the black beans. Drain and rinse the black beans in a fine mesh sieve. Measure and transfer 1/4 cup of black beans to a medium bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, gently mash the beans until they are 50% mashed. The black beans should stick together but also maintain their integrity.
- Assemble. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp butter and melt butter, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Place a tortilla on the large skillet. Add grated cheese, mashed black beans, chopped kimchi, and a little more cheese on top. Add the 2nd tortilla on top.
- Cook until crispy. Cook quesadilla until they are golden brown, crispy and the cheese has melted. Press with the spatula so everything sticks together. Flip carefully and check both sides for even browning. Turn down the heat to medium-low if the tortillas brown too much or the pan starts smoking.
- Serve. Transfer to a cutting board. Let the quesadillas rest for 2-3 minutes, so the cheese can cool slightly. Cut into wedges. Transfer to a plate. Optional but recommend: add a dollop of sour cream and pico de gallo if you have it (optional, but recommended). Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
PRO Tips
- Snip kimchi with scissors. A Korean kitchen hack. Kimchi is quite juicy and messy when chopped on a cutting board. Instead, transfer kimchi to a small bowl and snip with scissors.
- Don’t overload with kimchi. Although it’s tempting to add a lot of kimchi, you only need a little bit. The flavor of kimchi is quite potent.
- Cook on medium heat (not high!). To prevent burning the tortillas. The cheese also melts better with a slow, even heat.
- Add enough cheese. You will need more than you think. Cheese shrinks when heated and there needs to be enough to balance the flavor of the kimchi and keep everything sticking together. Make sure to add cheese in layers!
Optional Add-Ins
An easy recipe to use up the odds and ends after Taco Night or a Burrito Bowl party. Some suggestions:
- Salsa. Jarred or homemade salsa makes a great addition as a dipping sauce.
- Pico de Gallo. Jarred or homemade pico de gallo adds chunky freshness.
- Sour cream. Creamy and rich.
- Corn. Canned corn (drained) or fresh corn tastes great.
- Jalapeno. Fresh jalapeno slices or pickled jalapeno is a great addition.
- Avocado. Or guacamole.
- Shredded lettuce + tomato. Add on top for freshness and crunch.
- Beans. Use canned black beans that have been rinsed and drained. Or refried beans.
- Meat. For a meatier quesadilla. You can also add whatever meat you used for taco night: pork carnitas, ground beef, diced chipotle chicken, etc. Or, add chopped up bacon, sausage, spam, or rotisserie chicken.
FAQ
More recipes with Kimchi
- 20 Easy Recipes with Kimchi (coming soon)
- Kimchi Jjigae (Beginner Friendly)
- Kimchi Cheese Fries
- Kimchi Bacon Pizza
- Queso Fundido with Kimchi.
- Kimchi Udon Noodle Soup
If you love Korean food, be sure to check out my Beginner’s Guide: 10 Easy Korean Recipes.
If you love kimchi, check out the Kimchi Recipe archives, Kimchi Anthropology, or Kimchi Fermentation.
Black Bean Kimchi Quesadillas (Crispy + Cheesy) recipe
Equipment
- Large skillet *non-stick or stainless steel
- Spatula
- Kitchen Scissors *for cutting kimchi into small pieces
- small bowl
Ingredients
- 2 6-inch flour tortillas
- 1/4 cup kimchi
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese or Monterey Jack cheese *or TexMex cheese blend
- 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter *can be swapped with cooking oil
Optional Garnish
- Pico de Gallo
- Sour Cream
- cilantro
Instructions
- Prep the kimchi. Transfer the kimchi to a small bowl. Using clean kitchen scissors, snip into small 1/2-inch pieces. If the kimchi is very juicy, lightly squeeze out excess liquid.
- Prep the black beans. Drain and rinse the black beans in a fine mesh sieve. Measure and transfer 1/4 cup of black beans to a medium bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, gently mash the beans until they are 50% mashed. The black beans should stick together but also maintain their integrity.
- Assemble. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp butter and melt butter, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Place a tortilla on the large skillet. Add grated cheese, mashed black beans, chopped kimchi, and a little more cheese on top. Add the 2nd tortilla on top.
- Cook until crispy. Cook quesadilla until they are golden brown, crispy and the cheese has melted. Press with the spatula so everything sticks together. Flip carefully and check both sides for even browning. Turn down the heat to medium-low if the tortillas brown too much or the pan starts smoking.
- Serve. Transfer to a cutting board. Let the quesadillas rest for 2-3 minutes, so the cheese can cool slightly. Cut into wedges. Transfer to a plate. Optional but recommend: add a dollop of sour cream and pico de gallo if you have it (optional, but recommended). Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t overload with kimchi. Although it’s tempting to add a lot of kimchi, you only need a little bit. The flavor of kimchi is quite potent.
- Cook on medium heat (not high!). To prevent burning the tortillas. The cheese also melts better with a slow, even heat.
- Add enough cheese. You will need more than you think. Cheese shrinks when heated and there needs to be enough to balance the flavor of the kimchi and keep everything sticking together.
