When you think of air fryers, quesadillas might not be the first food that springs to mind - this simple recipe will change your perception quickly! Crispy bean and cheese quesadillas make an uber-fast Mexican lunch or dinner, sure to become one of your favorite air fryer recipes.

We're not ones for having extra kitchen gadgets kicking around and taking up space, which is why it took us a long time to try an air fryer. It was well worth the wait, and now we reach for our air fryer to make more meals than we use our stovetop or oven. 

Can quesadillas be made in an air fryer? 

Yes, of course, you can!

Although making quesadillas in an air fryer isn't exactly conventional, we were thrilled to discover that this recipe works so well. 

Why make a bean and cheese quesadilla in air fryer machines? It's a swift way to get your quesadilla tortillas perfectly crisp and your grated Mexican cheese blend melted much faster than in an oven or stovetop. 

Follow our simple and easily adaptable 10-minute recipe below and learn how to cook a quesadilla in your air fryer to crispy perfection!

Air Fryer Quesadillas - Hot & Ready in Less Than 10 Minutes

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Prep Time

8 minutes

Cook Time

2 minutes

Ingredients

• Two large corn or flour tortillas

• 4 Tbsp refried beans

• ½ c. Mexican cheese blend, grated

Optional Add-Ins

• Fresh guacamole

• Sour cream

• Greek yogurt

• Salsa

• Pico de gallo

• Fresh cilantro, chopped

• Green onions

Directions

1. Place one tortilla on a flat surface, like a large cutting board. Spread the refried beans over half the tortilla's surface. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the beans, and fold the tortilla in half. If you're adding green onions or pico de gallo, toss them on top of the cheese now.

2. Repeat the process with your second tortilla.

3. Place the tortillas in the basket of your air fryer and cook for ~8 mins at 350°F, or until the cheese quesadillas are crispy and golden with melted cheese. Open your air fryer and flip the quesadilla halfway through the cooking process to evenly heat and brown both sides.

4. Remove the cheese quesadillas from the air fryer.

5. Serve immediately and enjoy with your favorite fixings - sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, and salsa make fantastic dips!

Homemade Quesadilla - Nutrition Information

Per serving: 1 quesadilla

Calories: 310 kcal; Fat: 14 g; Cholesterol: 30 mg; Sodium: 544 mg; Carbohydrates: 32 g; Fiber: 3 g; Protein: 13 g.

Cheese Quesadillas - FAQ

What's in a quesadilla?

Trick question - you can put virtually whatever you want in a quesadilla! We kept ours vegetarian and straightforward by including a grated cheese blend and refried beans, but you can add meat and all sorts of extras to your 'dilla.

The one non-negotiable is cheese, as it's the glue that holds the whole thing together. 

Here are our favorite quesadilla ingredients:

• Lettuce or spinach
• Chopped fresh tomatoes
• Bacon
• Cooked chicken, beef, or pork
• Sauteed sweet bell peppers
• Mushrooms
• Chopped sweet or green onions
• Fresh salsa or pico de gallo
• BBQ sauce
• Caramelized onions
• Thinly chopped broccoli florets

You can also try sweet quesadillas with peanut butter, honey, and bananas - the sky's the limit with quesadilla options!

Are quesadillas vegan?

Our simple quesadilla recipe is vegetarian, not vegan, though it can quickly adapt for those on a plant-based diet. 

Try a meltable vegan cheese blend and skip the sour cream or Greek yogurt for dipping to make a vegan quesadilla!

Are quesadillas healthy?

Quesadillas are relatively healthy if you keep them well-balanced. Keep your cheese portions small, and use refried beans for a lean vegetarian protein that's full of fiber. 

Up the fiber even more by adding fresh veggies, like chopped tomatoes and peppers, which also offer a load of essential minerals and vitamins.

What type of tortillas should I use for quesadillas?

It’s entirely up to you!

If you want your crispy quesadilla to have that authentic Mexican taste, use corn tortillas. White, whole wheat or gluten-free flour tortillas are all great options and will give you slightly different results. 

Keep the size of your tortilla in mind when you build your quesadilla - if you're working with smaller tortillas, don't overstuff them to avoid making a sloppy mess in your air fryer. 

If you're feeling extra inspired, make your own corn tortillas at home with masa harina, water, and a tortilla press. They're pretty quick to whip up and taste far better than the store-bought options!

Air Fryer Tips

Air frying 'dillas is pretty simple, but there are a few tricks we picked up along the way that might make your first time easier. 

Sometimes, the tortillas may lift away from the fillings at the beginning of the cooking process - check on your tortilla after a minute or two, use a spatula to press the tortilla down, and continue cooking. 

You'll always want to flip your quesadilla halfway through its cooking time, around the 4-minute mark. Though air fryers cook from both the top and bottom of the food, the results are crispier this way, and the cheese melts super evenly. 

Storage Tips

Make two quesadillas and keep the second for later, we say! You can store leftover quesadillas in the fridge for up to 2 days and either enjoy them cold or quickly reheat them in the microwave or stovetop skillet. 

We don't recommend freezing your quesadillas, as the tortillas get soggy as they thaw. You can absolutely use frozen tortillas to make quesadillas, though - just allow them to thaw or defrost in the microwave before you assemble them!

Final Notes on Air Fryer Quesadillas

These quesadillas are surprisingly good straight from the air fryer, and as you can easily adjust the ingredients, it's simple to please even the pickiest eater.

Treat yourself and follow this simple recipe to make delicious air fryer quesadillas for the whole family.

Once you try a fryer quesadilla, you'll never go back!