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Leftover Turkey Quesadillas with Black Beans

Put that leftover Thanksgiving turkey to good use and make these Leftover Turkey Quesadillas with Black Beans... because no one wants to cook anything complicated the day after Thanksgiving! Such a great way to use up leftover turkey!

leftover turkey quesadillas with black beans

If you're like most people, you make wayyyy too much turkey for your guests. This is because there is so much other good food at the Thanksgiving table and no one has room for turkey.

There are a lot of creative leftover turkey recipes, such as making sandwiches and paninis with turkey and cranberry sauce, or putting turkey into a soup or a chili. (By the way, leftover turkey would be PERFECT instead of chicken in this Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup with Black Beans.)

And while all that sounds good, who wants to actually spend time cooking the day after Thanksgiving?? Didn't we just do that all day yesterday?

So this Turkey Quesadilla recipe is the perfect solution to all leftover Thanksgiving turkey recipes problems. You can make these on the stove-top, or follow these instructions for making quesadillas in the air fryer.

leftover turkey quesadillas with black beans

Related recipe: Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

How to make Leftover Turkey Quesadillas with Black Beans:

It really couldn't be simpler. Assemble the ingredients (cheese, cooked shredded or chopped turkey, black beans) on one half of a large tortilla, fold in half, and cook over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes per side, taking care not to burn the tortillas. 

Or follow these instructions for air fryer quesadillas (basically, cut the tortilla in half, and air fry each triangle at 370F for 2 minutes per side). But check out that recipe for the tastiest quesadilla sauce!!

Cooking tips:

  • If you shred the turkey meat the night before when you are putting it away, you don't even have to get a bowl dirty for this quesadilla recipe
  • If you want, you can spice things up by adding a bit of taco seasoning or turkey rub, such as this one, to the leftover turkey. Or you can just use Pepper Jack cheese to kick up the spice level a bit
  • Normally I would get all purist on you and tell you to shred your own cheese to avoid pre-shredded cheese that might have anti-caking chemicals added to it. But it's the day after Thanksgiving and you just want to look for some Black Friday deals on Amazon. So give yourself a break, feel free to use pre-shredded cheese for this turkey quesadilla
  • The great thing about this quesadilla is that you can make as many as you need, this recipe scales up easily. Just make sure to have about ½ cup of shredded turkey meat, a scant ½ cup of black beans, and a ½ cup of shredded cheese for every quesadilla. That's simple to remember
  • A 15-oz can of black beans typically has 1.5 cups of drained black beans. So if you use just under a ½ cup of black beans for each quesadilla, you should be able to make 4 large quesadillas using 1 can of black beans

Related recipe: Ground Turkey and Black Bean Baked Tacos

What to serve with these Turkey Black Bean Quesadillas:

Serve these quesadillas like you would any other quesadilla: with your favorite salsa, guacamole, avocado, or sour cream. If you want, you can dip these quesadillas into leftover cranberry sauce. The sweet and savory combination is delicious, I promise.

I got you covered for the salsa and guacamole recipes though, if you would like to keep things more traditional. You should absolutely try my Roasted Peach and Tomatillo Salsa. It's slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and slightly spicy, just like a salsa should be. 

And my easy guacamole recipe is also a classic. It's from my Turkey Burgers recipe.

leftover turkey quesadillas with black beans

Looking for other easy recipes with black beans?

Oh, and if you're still looking for Thanksgiving recipes, may I recommend a few favorite Thanksgiving dishes?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment below and don't forget to save it on Pinterest for later!

leftover turkey recipe: quesadillas- pinterest graphic

leftover turkey quesadillas with black beans
Print Recipe
4.71 from 24 votes

Leftover Turkey Quesadillas with Black Beans

Make these quesadillas with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and black beans. Your taste buds and family will thank you.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American, Tex-Mex
Servings: 4
Author: Kate

Ingredients

  • 2 cups turkey meat - , light or dark, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon taco seasoning or your favorite barbecue dry rub - (optional)
  • 1 15-oz can black beans - , drained and rinsed
  • 4 large wheat tortillas - (10-12 inches)
  • 2 cups shredded cheese - , such as Monterrey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Cheddar

Instructions

  • Optional: In a medium bowl, mix together the taco seasoning or dry rub seasoning with the shredded turkey meat.
     
  • Place a tortilla in a large skillet. Add ½ cup shredded turkey, a scant ½ cup drained black beans, and ½ cup shredded cheese evenly on one half of the tortilla. Carefully fold tortilla over, and cook for 3-5 minutes per side over medium heat. Hint: use a large turner/spatula to carefully flip the tortilla over the middle, taking care not to lose any fillings.
     
  • Repeat with the other tortillas. Slice each quesadilla into 3 pieces and serve with sour cream, guacamole, or salsa.
     
1

Nutrition

Serving: 1quesadilla | Calories: 457kcal (23%) | Carbohydrates: 38g (13%) | Protein: 33g (66%) | Fat: 18g (28%) | Saturated Fat: 8g (40%) | Cholesterol: 91mg (30%) | Sodium: 985mg (41%) | Potassium: 207mg (6%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 1g (1%) | Vitamin A: 400IU (8%) | Calcium: 291mg (29%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)

The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.

 

 

 

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