Chorizo Black Bean Quesadillas
These easy, 5-ingredient Chorizo Black Bean Quesadillas are filling, flavorful, and a satisfying protein-and-fiber-packed lunch or dinner. The black beans are hearty and full of fiber, the chorizo adds protein and tons of flavor, the salsa makes it saucy and delicious, and the melty cheese sticks everything together inside the crispy tortilla. I’ve been really into making these lately and my whole family loves them! Not only are these Chorizo Black Bean Quesadillas easy to make and full of flavor, each quesadilla is just 313 calories, 22 grams of protein and 20 grams of fiber, or 9 WW Points! To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app, click here.
Recipe Notes
- Chorizo: For this Chorizo Black Bean Quesadilla, I used raw, uncooked chorizo that came in links, similar to this Premio Fresh Chorizo (I use my store brand). I took the casings off the links and cooked the sausage into crumbles on the stovetop like ground meat. Since the nutrition facts for all the raw chorizo I found were based on the cooked weight, I used the cooked weight in this recipe. Plus, I know a lot of the time it’s easier to find chorizo as cooked links rather than fresh/uncooked. So, if you’re able to find raw chorizo, I highly recommend using that. If you cook 2 links worth of raw chorizo (casings removed) you’ll likely have a little more than the four ounces you need for this recipe. If you can only find the pre-cooked kind you can just chop it up small.
- Salsa: I suggest using a chunky salsa rather than a super runny one so that it doesn’t leak out, but either will work. I used a roasted tomato salsa because I just love that flavor, but feel free to use your favorite brand!
- Tortillas: You’ll want to use a low calorie or low carb 8-inch tortilla if you’re interested in keeping similar WW Points or nutrition info. I love the Mission Carb Balance tortillas and buy them frequently, so I definitely recommend those if your local stores have them! The La Banderita Carb Counter Tortillas are also great.
- Make Ahead/Leftovers: This recipe makes four Chorizo Black Bean Quesadillas, but if you don’t plan to serve that many at once, it’s easy to cook the chorizo and then build and heat up the quesadillas as needed. My husband and I both work from home so this is an easy recipe I can make us for lunch and have enough left over to make the remaining ones the next day!
More Tasty Lightened Up Handheld Recipes
Looking for more tasty, lightened up handheld recipes that are perfect for lunches? Check out my Easy Chicken Quesadillas, Buffalo Chicken Smashed Tacos, BLT Sandwiches with Garlic Aioli, Crispy Chicken Caesar Sandwiches, Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas, Honey Mustard Chicken Wraps, Spicy Chicken Sandwiches, Quesadilla Burgers, Baked Beef and Bean Tacos, Cucumber Sandwiches, Caprese Sandwiches, Open-Faced Greek Steak Sandwiches, and many more in the Sandwiches. Wraps, and Handhelds section of my recipe index!
Chorizo Black Bean Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 4 lower cal/carb 8” flour tortillas , (I use Mission Carb Balance Soft Taco Flour Tortillas)
- 4 oz shredded 2% milk reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup drained and rinsed canned black beans
- 8 tablespoons salsa, (I used roasted tomato flavored salsa)
- 4 oz cooked chorizo sausage, crumbled or chopped small (see notes above)
Instructions
- To build each quesadilla, place a tortilla on a clean dry surface like a cutting board and sprinkle a ½ ounce of the shredded cheese over half of the surface of the tortilla. Add ¼ cup of the black beans in a single layer over the top of the cheese and follow with two tablespoons of the salsa. Add one ounce of the chorizo on top of the salsa and then sprinkle another ½ ounce of the shredded cheese over the top. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling to form a quesadilla. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make the remaining three quesadillas (or store the remaining ingredients separately if not serving all four at once).
- Lightly mist both sides of the quesadilla(s) with cooking spray. Bring a large griddle pan or skillet to medium heat and place the quesadillas on the pan (you may have to work in batches). Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the underside of the tortilla starts to turn golden, then flip and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes until the underside is golden and the cheese inside is melted. Cut each quesadilla into triangles with a knife or pizza cutter and serve.
Notes
313 calories, 33 g carbs, 2 g sugar, 16 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 22 g protein, 20 g fiber, 1259 mg sodium (from myfitnesspal.com) Weight Watchers Points Plus:
8 per quesadilla (PP calculated using a Weight Watchers PointsPlus calculator and the nutrition information)
