Easy Egg Breakfast Quesadillas with Pinto Beans

Shake up your breakfast routine with these Easy Egg Breakfast Quesadillas with Pinto Beans.

By using pinto beans AND eggs you get an easy high protein breakfast made with simple ingredients.

These are a great way to start the day when you want a quick, filling and nutritious breakfast!

Melty cheese, creamy pinto beans, crunchy peppers and eggs together in a crispy tortilla for breakfast is a scrumptious way to start the day, just like my breakfast tacos recipe.

I love adding pulses like white beans and chickpeas to my favourite dinner recipes like this One Pot Marry Me Butter Beans and this One Pan Roasted Chicken with Chickpeas.  But, I wanted to shake up my breakfast by adding delicious, protein-packed pinto beans to these easy egg quesadillas!  They have a creamy texture and mild flavour so it makes adding them to a breakfast recipe like this a breeze.

Pinto beans are grown right across the Canadian prairies, specifically in the southern part of Alberta close to where I live.  Pulses like pinto beans add a delicious texture to these egg quesadillas and are fabulous for increasing daily values of protein, fiber, iron and magnesium.

Why you’ll love these pinto bean breakfast quesadillas

• Perfect for busy mornings!
• Packed with over 30g of protein AND 7g of fiber per serving.
• Easily adaptable to your tastes!
• Make these gluten-free by using your favourite gluten-free tortillas.
• An easy breakfast idea the whole family will love!

Ingredients

Pinto beans: you’ll need 3/4 cup cooked pinto beans to add a dose of protein and fiber

Eggs: eggs are a classic breakfast ingredient which provides an excellent dose of protein and Vitamin D!

Seasonings: use salt, pepper, garlic powder and hot sauce to season the quesadillas

Spinach: fresh chopped spinach adds a great dose of veggies to this recipe

Canola oil: locally produced canola oil is the perfect pairing for this recipe; it is flavour neutral, and heart healthy so it’s perfect for this recipe

Bell peppers: I like to use a bit of red bell pepper for some crunch and colour; however you can use whatever colour of bell pepper you’d like

Tortillas: I like to use whole wheat tortillas to up the fiber in this recipe but you can use flour tortillas or your favourite gluten-free tortillas

Shredded Cheese: use one type of cheese or mix a few! Make sure to use a type of cheese that melts well. I like cheddar cheese, monterey jack and pepper jack cheeses.

Garnishes: serve with lime wedges, Greek yogurt or sour cream, hot sauce, salsa and/or avocado; choose your favourites!

How to make this easy breakfast quesadilla recipe

Step 1: Add eggs to a bowl with a few dashes of hot sauce and ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Whisk until well combined and set aside.

Step 2: Add 1/2 tbsp canola oil to a medium non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the pan is warm, add the pinto beans, diced bell peppers and garlic powder and cook for 4-5 minutes to soften. Next add the spinach and cook, stirring often until wilted.

Step 3: Turn the pan to medium-low heat and add the whisked eggs. Cook, stirring often until the eggs are just set about 4-5 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pan to a plate or bowl and set aside.

Step 4: Next add in 1/2 tbsp canola oil to the same pan over medium heat.  Add one tortilla to the pan, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese in a single layer, followed by the cooked egg mixture, remaining shredded cheese and the second tortilla. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on one side, flip the quesadilla and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on the second side.

Step 5: Transfer to a cutting board and let cool for a few minutes before cutting into triangles using a pizza cutter or very sharp knife. Serve with lime wedges, Greek yogurt, hot sauce, salsa and/or avocado; choose your favourite toppings!

Expert tips to make these easy breakfast quesadillas

• If you only want to make one serving just make half of the recipe, using 3 eggs and one tortilla.  To make the quesadilla, cook the egg and pinto bean filling first. Then, add the tortilla to the pan and layer the cheese, cooked egg mixture and the rest of the cheese on one half of the tortilla. Then, fold over and cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.
• Make these gluten-free by using your favourite gluten-free tortillas!
• If you prefer you can use cooking spray instead of canola oil just be sure to spray the frying pan very well.
• Make this breakfast go further by serving with a side of breakfast potatoes or breakfast sausage.
• Replace the spinach with other greens like thinly chopped kale or swiss chard.

How to meal prep these breakfast quesadillas

For the fridge:

• Prep and store the fluffy scrambled eggs filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to make the quesadilla, follow the instructions on how to cook the quesadilla in a pan below.

For the freezer:

• Cook the pinto bean breakfast quesadillas fully and then allow them to fully cool. Cut the quesadilla into half and lay on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Then, wrap the quesadilla halves in plastic wrap or parchment paper and store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.  Put the quesadillas into the fridge overnight to thaw and then warm up for breakfast the next morning in a skillet on medium heat for a few minutes each side or in the oven / toaster oven at 350F for 5-8 minutes or until warmed through.

Common questions

Can I use a different kind of bean?
If you don’t have pinto beans on hand, a great ingredient swap would be black beans or white beans like cannellini, Great Northern or white kidney beans.

What if I don’t have canola oil?
You can swap the canola oil in the recipe for extra virgin olive oil if preferred.

How to store these breakfast quesadillas

Cooked breakfast quesadillas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one day, any longer and the tortilla can become soggy. It’s best to reheat in the oven at 350F for 5-8 minutes or in a frying pan on medium-low until heated through and crisped up again.  See above for meal prep tips for both fridge and freezer options.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Alberta Pulse Growers for sponsoring this recipe. Thank you for supporting the brands that I support. All opinions are my own.