Agile in the kitchen

Black bean and shrimp quesadilla

On a white textured background, the edge of a wooden cutting board and a round cork pot holder are to the left. In the middle a black, matte plate with a quesadilla cut in thirds, three red plum tomatoes and a pile of green rocket leaves.
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Create a new tradition at your next taco night by adding these black bean and shrimp quesadilla to your repertoire. Re-fried beans, spicy shrimp and cheese, these quesadillas will be everyone’s favourite in no time.

Serve your soft shell quesadilla with shredded lettuce and a dollop of sour cream.

In a frying pan, a folded quesadilla, with a baked top
Quesadilla in the frying pan

Substitutes

If you do not have black beans at hand, then you can use any other kind of bean, or bean mix you have at home.

I often use dried beans and make a big batch of them to freeze, see below. But you can also use canned beans. An even quicker way to get these quesadillas going.

If you prefer to make them vegetarian, you can omit the shrimp. Sprinkle some chili flakes on the shredded cheese before folding them to keep the spiciness of the dish.

In a frying pan, an open tortilla bread with black beans, scampi and shredded cheese, ready to be folded into a quesadilla
Black bean and scampi quesadilla in the making

Freezable

I often cook a kilo of dried beans at the time. Leaving them to soak over night and then cook on low heat for a few hours the day after. I leave them in their cooking sauce and freeze them in smaller batches. That way I always have cooked beans ready for any recipe.

For the re-fried beans in this recipe, I often do not get any leftovers, but if I do, I would freeze them in an airtight container for no more than three months.

Variations

I have a similar recipe for black bean and shrimp taco, this time using hard taco shells rather than soft tortillas.

If you prefer beef instead, do not forget to try my taco minced meat with my homemade taco seasoning.

For other uses for your black beans, try my black bean salsa or why not cook up a hearty bowl of black bean soup.

On a white textured background, the edge of a wooden cutting board and a round cork pot holder are to the left. In the middle a black, matte plate with a quesadilla cut in thirds, three red plum tomatoes and a pile of green rocket leaves.
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Black bean and shrimp quesadilla

Create a new tradition at your next taco night by adding these black bean and shrimp quesadilla to your repertoire. Re-fried beans, spicy shrimp and cheese, these quesadillas will be everyone's favourite in no time.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time33 minutes
Total Time48 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Cheese, shrimp, tortilla
Servings: 4 portions

Ingredients

  • 4 small flour tortilla
  • 200 g shredded cheese
  • 400 gram cooked black beans
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 150-200 ml water
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 200 g fresh shrimp
  • 1-2 tsp chili flakes
  • Oil to fry

Serve with

  • Sour cream
  • lettuce shredded

Instructions

  • Cook black beans with spices and water for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more water if it gets dry too quickly.
  • Mash with a fork or the back of a spoon, or a potato masher to desired consistency.
  • Cook for another 10 minutes. Add more water if it gets too thick.
  • Heat oil in a pan.
  • Add shrimp and crushed chili.
  • Fry quickly on high heat until shrimp are pink. About 4-5 minutes.
  • Take off heat and add to a bowl to avoid shrimp cooking in the remaining heat in the pan.
  • Place the tortilla on a chopping board and dress it on one half with re-fried black beans, shrimp and shredded cheese.
  • Fold in half and add it to the frying pan you just used to fry the shrimp. Fry on one side until golden for 3 to 4 minutes, flip over and fry on the other side.
  • Slide back on to cutting board and cut into three slices.
  • Enjoy with a side of refreshing sour cream and shredded lettuce.

3 responses to “Black bean and shrimp quesadilla”

  1. Spicy shrimp taco with re-fried black beans – Agile in the kitchen

    […] with a twist? How about my taco mac n’ cheese, using my own taco seasoning mix. Or make these black bean and shrimp quesadillas at your next taco […]

  2. Black bean salsa – Agile in the kitchen

    […] this black bean salsa with my shrimp and re-fried beans tacos or as a side dish to shrimp quesadillas. Or if you prefer, add some rice to the salsa and make it a dish on its own with a wedge of lime on […]

  3. Taco minced meat – Agile in the kitchen

    […] For other Mexican inspired recipes, try my black bean and shrimp taco or my black bean and spicy shrimp quesadillas. […]