Air Fryer Quesadillas are a wonderfully quick and easy supper alternative for hectic weeknights. Stick with the conventional refried beans and cheese, or create your own filling mix. The air fryer makes the tortilla wonderfully crisp and the cheese melts to perfection.
Love quesadillas? You HAVE to try making these in the air fryer. The outside tortilla becomes wonderfully crisp and the cheese melts flawlessly every time.
I often "cheat" when it comes to cooking quesadillas and drop them in the sandwich press for a low effort meal. But after I tried them in the air fryer there was no going back. It's so much better!
You can fill your air fryer quesadilla with whatever you wish. I usually have a can of my favourite refried beans on hand so I can prepare them on those hectic nights when the last thing I want to do is cook. But don't believe you're confined to beans and cheese.
What You'll Need
If you want to create classic bean and cheese quesadillas in the air fryer, here's everything you'll need (all measurements included in the printable recipe card below)...
Refried Beans Flour Tortillas Cheddar Cheese
How To Make Air Fryer Quesadillas - Step By Step
Place tortilla on a level surface, then spread refried beans over half of the tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of the beans, then fold the tortilla in half. Repeat with the remaining tortilla.
Place the tortillas in the air fryer basket and cook on 180C / 350F for 8 minutes, or until the quesadillas are crisp and golden and the cheese is melted, turning halfway. You'll want to check on your quesadillas in the first few minutes of cooking and if the tortilla has raised slightly away from the contents, press it back down with a spatula.
Ingredients
Did I mention these are totally customizable? If you don't have some of the fillings, change it out for what's on hand.
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10-inch whole grain tortilla
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Shredded cheese
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Spinach Shredded chicken- to amp up this quesadilla, use the buffalo chicken from this recipe!
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1 teaspoon olive oil
Optional Add-ins
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Diced bell peppers
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Smashed black beans
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Sweet potatoes
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Corn
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See recipe card for amounts
Instructions
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Follow the steps below to create delicious air fryer cheese quesadillas!
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Preheat air fryer to 350F. Lightly brush olive oil onto one side of the tortilla (or spray with olive oil cooking spray).
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In the basket of your air fryer, insert the tortilla, oil side down. Spread a layer of half of the shredded cheese, cover with spinach and chicken and finish with the other half of the cheese (this helps the tortilla hold together)!
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Fold the tortilla in half, producing a quesadilla and heat for about 8 minutes (turning the quesadilla midway through cooking to ensure both sides are uniformly cooked).
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Serve with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream (or plain greek yogurt)!
Substitutions & Variations
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To make gluten-free: Use a gluten-free tortilla.
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To make dairy-free: Use dairy-free cheese.
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To make vegan: Use dairy-free cheese and a plant-based protein (such faux chicken, crumbled tempeh/tofu, or black beans).
Read Also: Ranch Style Beans: Ranch-Style Beans Ingredients And Variations
Tips For Making This Recipe
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I notice that at times the tortilla might lift away from the ingredients when it's cooking at the very beginning. If this happens, gently press it back down with a spatula and continue cooking.
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Make sure you flip halfway. This ensures the entire quesadilla becomes crispy.
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The quesadilla is ready when it's crisp and golden and the cheese is melted.
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Feel free to use your own choice of fillings for this recipe. You may need to alter the cooking time appropriately.
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The amount of your fillings may be more or less depending on how big your tortillas are.
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Feel free to double or quadruple the recipe. You'll only need to cook in batches.
How To Store & Reheat Quesadillas
Storing Quesadillas in Refrigerator
- Ensure your quesadilla has thoroughly cooled before storing. Transfer it to a sealed jar and refrigerate for no more than five days.
Storing Quesadillas in the Freezer
- For freezing, slip your quesadillas into a Ziploc bag and store them frozen for a maximum of three months.
How to Reheat Quesadilla in Air Fryer
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The ideal way to reheat a quesadilla is to use an air fryer since air fryers utilize circulating dry heat to cook the food, which means the quesadilla will be crispy on the exterior and yet soft and melty on the inside.
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How to reheat Quesadillas in the air fryer: Air fried the quesadillas for 2-3 minutes at 350°F (175°C), check the quesadilla and add more time in 1-2 minute increments if needed to ensure it’s warmed through and crispy.
