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    Home » Recipes » Turkey

    Terrifically Tasty Turkey Quesadillas

    December 23, 2020 By Sara McCleary Updated November 9, 2021 - This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    Turkey Quesadillas are a fun and easy mid-week meal idea to feed your hungry family. Filled with turkey, vegetables, and black beans. Serve simply with a salad on the side and some lime spiked sour cream.

    Turkey is often overlooked in Australia, especially compared to its popularity in the USA. It is a wonderfully lean alternative to chicken.

    I may have used leftover turkey from my smoked turkey with orange maple butter recipe, but the butter was long gone by the time it ended up in these turkey quesadillas.

    Why do I say these are fun and easy? Well, do what I do. I put a portable cooktop in the middle of the table with a frypan. Place all the ingredients out and let everyone make their own. Saves me slaving over a hot stove.

    Sara xxx

    turkey quesadillas in a bowl with sauce

    Ingredients

    turkey quesadillas ingredients
    1. Turkey: Leftover turkey meat, or use poached, or barbecue/rotisserie chicken.
    2. Cheese: Use grated cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a combination of the two.
    3. Lime: Lime juice for the filling, add a splash of lime juice to the sour cream and extra wedges to serve.
    4. Green Onions/Scallions: Finely sliced, you could use red/Spanish onion if you prefer.
    5. Black Beans: Not all canned black beans are created equally, especially here in Australia. The brand I prefer is La Costeña.
    6. Tortillas: You can use corn or flour tortillas, it is up to your taste and size preference.
    7. Capsicum/Peppers: I used a bell horn pepper to change things up. You can use your preference of green, yellow, or red capsicums/peppers.
    8. Coriander/Cilantro: For those that hate coriander/cilantro leave it out. Otherwise use fresh.
    9. Corn: Fresh corn off the cob is the optimal way to go. You can use can if it is more convenient and what you have on hand.
    10. Sour Cream: Used as a side, optionally add a squeeze of lime or some lime zest.
    11. Ground Coriander: Part of the spice duo that flavour the filling.
    12. Ground Cumin: The second half of the spice duo for the turkey quesadillas filling.
    turkey quesadillas in a bowl with sauce and limes also on the table is sour cream, salsa, hot sauce and corn chips

    Recipe Walk Through

    ingredients in a glass bowl
    adding turkey to the filling

    Place turkey, black beans, corn, capsicum/peppers, fresh coriander/cilantro, and spring onions/scallions in a large bowl.

    mixing spices into the filling
    mixing ingredients in a glass bowl

    Add ground cumin and ground coriander to the bowl and mix well. Add a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt. Mix well, taste and adjust as needed.

    layering tortillas with cheese

    Place some grated cheese on top of a tortilla.

    Then layer a good amount of the filling.

    putting filling on the tortilla
    adding final layer of cheese on top of the torilla

    To finish the layering of the quesadillas sprinkle with some more cheese.

    Having cheese under and above the filling helps keep the stuck quesadilla together as the cheese melts.

    Place another tortilla on top of the filling.

    placing top tortillas on the quesadilla
    cooking quesadillas in a fry pan
    flipping quesadillas over in a fry pan

    Put the quesadilla in a non stick fry pan over medium heat. If yo wish you can add a little oil to the pan, this will make the quesadilla crispier.

    The idea is to cook the quesadilla over a medium to low heat. You don't want the tortillas burning before the cheese has had a chance to melt and the filling cook.

    Flip the quesadilla over once it has browned on one side. Continue cooking until it is golden on the other side. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream, salsa, and salad.

    turkey quesadillas in a dish with sauce and lime

    Printable Recipe

    turkey quesadillas recipe

    Turkey Quesadillas

    Recipe Author: Sara McCleary
    Turkey Quesadillas are a fun and easy mid-week meal idea to feed your hungry family. Filled with turkey, vegetables, and black beans. Serve simply with a salad on the side and some lime spiked sour cream.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 55 mins
    Course Light Meals, Main
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 4
    Calories 545 kcal

    Special Equipment

    • large mixing bowl
    • chopping board + sharp knife
    • large nonstick fry pan

    Ingredients

    • 8 tortillas | flour or corn
    • 500 grams (2 cups) cooked turkey | shredded or diced
    • 425 grams (1 can) canned black beans
    • 1 cob corn | corn removed from the cob
    • 1 bell horn pepper | alternatively use capsicum/pepper of choice
    • 3 green onions/scallions | finely sliced
    • 2 tablespoons fresh coriander/cilantro | chopped
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
    • ½ lime | juiced
    • 80 grams (1 cup) grated cheese | cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a combination of the two.
    • extra lime wedges to serve
    • sour cream, salsa, and hot sauce to serve

    Instructions
     

    • Place turkey, black beans, corn, capsicum/peppers, fresh coriander/cilantro, and spring onions/scallions in a large bowl.
    • Add ground cumin and ground coriander to the bowl and mix well. Add a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt. Mix well, taste and adjust as needed.
    • Place some grated cheese on top of a tortilla.
    • Then layer a good amount of the filling.
    • To finish the layering of the quesadillas sprinkle with some more cheese.
      Having cheese under and above the filling helps keep the stuck quesadilla together as the cheese melts.
    • Place another tortilla on top of the filling.
    • Put the quesadilla in a non stick fry pan over medium heat. If yo wish you can add a little oil to the pan, this will make the quesadilla crispier.
    • The idea is to cook the quesadilla over a medium to low heat. You don’t want the tortillas burning before the cheese has had a chance to melt and the filling cook.
    • Flip the quesadilla over once it has browned on one side. Continue cooking until it is golden on the other side. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream, salsa, and salad.
    • Serve with garden salad, extra lime wedges, sour cream, hot sauce, and salsa.

    Notes

    GENERAL COOK’S NOTES
    All oven temperatures are for a conventional oven, if using fan forced lower the temperature by 20 Deg C (70 Deg F).
    All measurements are Australian tablespoons and cups. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified;
    • 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
    • 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
    • 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
    • 4 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon
    • I use the below unless specified in my recipes;
    Herbs are fresh | Vegetables are of a medium size | Eggs are roughly 60 grams in weight (large) 
    NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW IS A GUIDE ONLY

    Nutrition

    Calories: 545kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 39gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 641mgPotassium: 793mgFiber: 12gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1297IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 265mgIron: 6mg
    Keyword black bean quesadillas, fun family meals, leftover turkey recipes
    Did You Make This Recipe?I do a happy dance when people share how they went. Tag me on Instagram or Twitter @bellyrumbles & #bellyrumbles

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    photo of Sara McCleary, Founder, Belly Rumbles culinary travel blog

    Well hello there! I’m Sara McCleary a food photographer, creative recipe developer, and avid traveller (when the World isn’t in a pandemic).

    Welcome to Belly Rumbles, my slice of the Internet.

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