I love finding new ways to prepare my favorite foods. I've made a lot of things in my air fryer, from pizza rolls and dumplings to hash browns, but it struck me just how easy it is to make air fryer quesadillas the first time I made this recipe.
Think corn tortillas filled with refried beans, and melty cheese, and cooked until crispy perfection. You can switch it up every time, adding your favorite fillings and spices.
This simple recipe is ready in just 15 minutes, so it's perfect for when you're busy and you don't have time to cook a whole meal. Serve with your favorite dips and enjoy!
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Ingredients You'll Need
Get all the details on these simple ingredients in the recipe card at the post's bottom.
- Tortillas: I like to use corn tortillas, but flour tortillas or gluten-free tortillas will work as well.
- Cheese: Make sure to use freshly-grated cheese for best results. Sometimes store-bought grated cheese has cellulose, which is added to prevent the shreds from clumping together. This prevents the cheese from melting properly and that's why I try to buy a block of cheese and grate it myself.
- Refried beans: You can use store-bought refried beans, or make your own. For the homemade version, you'll need pinto beans (or black beans), onion, garlic, spices, and oil.
- Olive oil: You'll need it for cooking the beans and brushing the quesadillas.
How to Make Air Fryer Quesadillas
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and let it heat until sizzling. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then, add the garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the pinto beans, alongside salt and black pepper, and stir. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring until the beans are soft.
3. Blend the bean mixture using an immersion blender, and stir the lime juice.
4. Place tortillas on a flat surface and spread a few tablespoons of the refried beans. Sprinkle half the tortilla with shredded cheese and fold the tortilla in half. Press with the palm of your hand to flatten.
5. Pre-heat the air fryer to 350ºF (180ºC). Spray the basket with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Add the quesadillas and brush one side of the tortilla with olive oil.
6. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the tortilla is golden brown and the cheese melts. Serve the crispy tortillas right away!
Top Tips
- Cook in a single layer. Make sure to not overcrowd the air fryer basket for best results.
- Brush the quesadillas with oil. I've noticed that air fryer quesadillas can turn out dry without a brush of oil. This also helps them brown nicely.
- Flip halfway through. This ensures that the quesadillas will crisp up on both sides.
- Add your favorite fillings. The best part of this recipe is that it's super versatile. You can add anything you like to bump up the nutrition like chopped red bell peppers, crumbled tofu, etc. If you want to take this recipe to the next level, I suggest adding my tofu ground beef.
- Serve when fresh. Most air fryer recipes, and this one included, are best served right away, while they're still warm and crispy. The quesadillas soften after they cool down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftover quesadillas can be reheated in the air fryer quickly. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees f and add the quesadillas. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until warmed through.
Yes! When cooking from frozen, the cooking time will increase, depending on how powerful your air fryer is. But I would say you'll need to cook them for 10-13 minutes.
Yes, but make sure to freeze them before cooking for the best results. Transfer quesadillas to an airtight container, layering parchment paper between each layer of quesadillas to prevent them from sticking. Freeze for up to 3 months.
I like to use cheddar cheese, but you can use any cheese that melts well such as a Mexican cheese blend, Cheddar Jack, or Monterey Jack cheese. Other types of cheese such as brie, Colby jack, and provolone can also be used in this recipe.
Serving
Serve air fryer quesadillas with your favorite toppings and dips like guacamole, salsa, or sour cream! Top tortilla with fresh cilantro or pickled jalapenos for more flavor.
Storage
Let cool to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container and save in the fridge for 3-4 days.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
And for even more ideas, check out my 55 Best Vegan Air Fryer Recipes.
Air Fryer Quesadillas
Ingredients
Refried beans
- 1 tablespoon oil, for cooking
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup water or vegetable broth
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
Quesadillas
- 4 corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other type of cheese; use vegan cheese if needed)
- ½ teaspoon olive oil, for brushing
Instructions
Refried beans
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and let it heat until sizzling. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then, add the garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the pinto beans, alongside salt and black pepper, and stir. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring until the beans are soft. Blend the bean mixture using an immersion blender, and stir the lime juice.
Quesadillas
- Place tortillas on a flat surface and spread a few tablespoons of the refried beans on each one. Sprinkle half of the tortilla with shredded cheese and fold the tortilla in half. Press with the palm of your hand to flatten.
- Pre-heat the air fryer to 350ºF (180ºC). Spray the basket with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Add the quesadillas and brush one side of the tortilla with olive oil.
- Cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the tortilla is golden brown and the cheese melts. Serve the crispy tortillas right away!
(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)
Suggested Equipment/Tools
Notes
- Cook in a single layer. Make sure to not overcrowd the air fryer basket for best results.
- Brush the quesadillas with oil. I've noticed that air fryer quesadillas can turn out dry without a brush of oil. This also helps them brown nicely.
- Flip halfway through. This ensures that the quesadillas will crisp up on both sides.
- Add your favorite fillings. The best part of this recipe is that it's super versatile. You can add anything you like to bump up the nutrition like chopped red bell peppers, crumbled tofu, etc. If you want to take this recipe to the next level, I suggest adding my tofu ground beef.
- Serve when fresh. Most air fryer recipes, and this one included, are best served right away, while they're still warm and crispy. The quesadillas soften after they cool down.
Nutrition
Post photography by: Petranka Atanasova.
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