How about breakfast for dinner tonight? I’m so excited to share these simple breakfast quesadillas with you, finally! They’re way more fresh than standard diner fare, but just as satisfying.
These breakfast quesadillas are stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs, melt-in-your-mouth pinto beans, fresh herbs and gooey cheddar cheese, all of which contrasts so nicely with the crisp, golden exterior. These delicious high-protein quesadillas come together in about 25 minutes.
As much as I love the flavor combination shown here, I should mention that this recipe is quite flexible. If you’re in a big hurry, you can skip the herbs. If you’re looking for a lighter meal, I think you could get by without the cheese. Want to switch cuisines? I like the idea of mozzarella, basil and marinara instead of salsa.
Breakfast Quesadilla Serving Suggestions
Be sure to serve these quesadillas with salsa or classic pico de gallo.
Homemade guacamole wouldn’t be a bad idea, either. (Is guac ever a bad idea? Trick question.)
More Recipes to Enjoy
More egg dishes with Mexican flavors to try:
- Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos
- Huevos Rancheros
- Austin-Style Migas
- Chilaquiles Verdes
- Spinach and Black Bean Breakfast Quesadillas
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! Your feedback is so important to me.
Simple Breakfast Quesadillas
- Author:
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 quesadilla 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
This easy breakfast quesadilla recipe is so delicious! Serve these protein-rich quesadillas stuffed with scrambled eggs, beans and herbs for breakfast, brunch or dinner. Recipe as written yields 1 folded quesadilla; multiply as necessary. You can make 2 at once in a large skillet.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- Hot sauce, like Cholula
- Pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup cooked pinto beans or black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeño (optional)
- 1 medium (8″) whole grain tortilla
- ½ cup (packed) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- Salsa or additional hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
-
To prepare the eggs: In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the hot sauce and salt until they are well blended. Add the beans and set aside.
-
To cook the eggs: Melt the butter in a medium-sized skillet (either well-seasoned cast iron or nonstick) over medium heat until it’s bubbling. Pour in the egg mixture and cook, stirring often, until the eggs are just set, about 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl to pause the cooking process (the eggs will finish cooking in the quesadilla). Stir in the green onion, cilantro and jalapeño.
- To cook the quesadilla: In a separate, large skillet, warm the tortilla over medium heat, flipping occasionally. Once the pan and tortilla are warm, sprinkle one-half of the cheese over one-half of the tortilla. Top the cheese with scrambled eggs, then top the scrambled eggs with the remaining cheese.
- Press the empty tortilla halve over the toppings. Let the quesadilla cook until golden and crispy on the bottom (don’t stop cooking too soon!), about 1 to 2 minutes, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning the tortilla. Flip it and cook until the second side is golden and crispy.
-
Immediately remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board. Let it cool for a few minutes to give it time to set, then slice each quesadilla into 2 slices with a very sharp knife. Serve immediately, with your favorite salsa and/or hot sauce on the side.
Notes
Make it dairy free: Use olive oil instead of butter and omit the cheese.
Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free tortillas.
Tortilla recommendation: My favorite brand is Stacey’s Organic, which is available at Whole Foods, Natural Grocer’s and my local health food store (I store them in the refrigerator or freeze them if I know I won’t be able to eat them within a couple of weeks).
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Cassie Thuvan Tran
Oh yummy yum yum! I used to eat quesadillas on the daily in middle school. I’m thinking about creating vegan quesadillas very soon–all I have to do is find a really good tortilla brand to use!
Laura
You’re speaking my language, Kate! My fiance and I both love Mexican food, and eggs. I look forward to trying this one. It would also be great for a girlfriend brunch. :)
★★★★★
Kate
Good luck!
Belinda
Kate,
Can you make these ahead and freeze or have them as a grab and microwave at the office?
Kate
I haven’t tried freezing all my recipes. You would likely lose the crispy, but I do know my breakfast burritos freeze well!
Genevieve
Hey Kate! Do you have any guides on how you cook your Pinto or black beans if you use the dry ones?
Kate
Great question! I typically, almost always used canned. But, here is an article that might help. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/how-to-cook-dried-beans.
Gaby Dalkin
YESSS! It’s the perfect breakfast for taco lovers (aka ME)!
Kate
Right?! Let me know what you think :)
Cindi
I follow your blog and make so many recipes of yours that I love. Thank you! One thing that always surprises me is that you don’t make your own tortillas. They are so very simple to make (flour, butter, water!) and taste so much better than any store bought tortilla I have ever tried. It is such a shame to put your delicious food with store bought tortillas. Just a thought. Happy to share my recipe with you. Thanks again!
Kate
Something I should think about for sure, Cindi!
Lee Ann Roberts
It’s not a quesadilla without the queso! You could use less cheese, but I would never leave it completely out.
Kate
Cheese is a key for sure!
Mary
I was coming here to say this same thing!
April
These were really good! You may want to edit your recipe instructions though.. I think you forgot to put a step in for when to add the pinto beans :)
★★★★★
April
Oh !!! I should’ve read it better. I see it in the first step. LOL! Sorry about that!
Kate
Beans are to be added in step one :) I hope this helps!
Carissa Nelson | Spoonful of Easy
Yes! Breakfast for dinner doesn’t get enough love — I really like this twist and love that it comes together fast. Plus I bet the fresh herbs really takes it up a notch.
Kate
I agree! I can go for breakfast for dinner all the time. Thanks for your comment! If you would like to leave a star review, I would really appreciate it.
Carissa Nelson | Spoonful of Easy
You bet!
★★★★★
Katie Kelly
Two of my favorite things combined! This looks so good, definitely a great way to start your day.
Kate
Thank you!
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite
I’ve actually never tried breakfast tacos or quesadillas before…but I’ve been wanting to! I bought all the ingredients to try these this weekend :)
Kate
What did you think?!
Sherry
I loved this recipe!! And more importantly, my husband loved it, asked for seconds!! I’d tripled the recipe. And one change…I used Better Bean Cuban Black Bean, did not drain them. They turned the eggs into a cooked ground beef color, but that didn’t detour from the taste. Thank you for this excellent recipe!! Oh, and I served it with guacamole.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad it was enjoyed by all, Sherry. I really appreciate the review.
Claudia
We made these on the grill for lunch today, and they were divine. Definitely a staple here from now on.
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful! On the grill, delicious!
Kristie Saumure
We loved it – turned out perfectly. We didn’t change a thing!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful, Kristie! Thanks so much for your review.
Jacqueline Meldrum
I never thought of having quesadillas for breakfast, but these look awesome Kate. I am definitely up for trying these for breakfast. Min you I would eat them for lunch and dinner too! Sharing!
★★★★★
Kate
Great for all meals. :) Thanks, Jacqueline for the review!
Lauren K
I made these last weekend, but chopped up and added leftovers from your portobello poblano fajita recipe instead of the green onions and jalapeno. It was awesome! They were so filling that I had leftovers the next day, which warmed up nicely in the microwave.
★★★★★
Kate
That sounds delicious, Lauren! Thanks for sharing. I appreciate the review.
Natalie
I completely cheated and used the panini press!
Easy recipe that took my Saturday morning breakfast up a notch, thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
Ha! If gets them crispy, then it’s not cheating. :) Thanks or sharing, Natalie!
Cheryl Belnap
This was so yummy! We love the service you give to all of us in sharing recipes. We did buy your book which we love also. Question: Do you find it offensive when people tweak your recipes and write about them in the comments? My guess is no as it’s so helpful to other people to see what other things can be done but on the other hand you’ve worked hard to create these yummy dishes and I could see how changing the recipe might bug someone. I do tend to be someone who loves to take recipes as a basis and then experiment on my own.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Cheryl! I like to hear what other readers do with the recipes. It’s fun to see variations and that people are taking their spin on it. I’m really glad you liked this recipe!
bill
Always the BEST!
By the way, what is that salsa on the side in the picture?
Is that home made or bought. Looks good as well!
bill
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Bill! Thank you for your review. This one is actually a store bought. But my best red salsa recipe would be a great option! https://cookieandkate.com/2018/best-red-salsa-recipe/
Bill
Great! Thank you.
I didn’t realize you have a phone app.
Buying now…
★★★★★
Julie
This was delicious!!! I actually didn’t have any vegetables on hand so I just made it with eggs, salsa, garlic powder, S&P. It still was amazing. Thank you for the idea! And I love they way you write your detailed and specific instructions. Thanks Kate!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoy the recipes. I appreciate the review!
Maryanne Weintraub
How can the breakfast quesadilla be so high in calories and sodium. Seems some miscalculation perhaps? Thanks
Kate
Hi Maryanne, it’s only an estimation. Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, or the source of nutrition data. We strive to keep the information as accurate as possible, but make no warranties regarding its accuracy.
Clare H
Excellent lunch for the kids – quick and nutritious.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Clare! I’m glad you loved it.
Marlena
This was delicious. I sweat some onions in the pan since I didn’t have green onions and then used some salsa (not chunky) instead of hot sauce (didn’t have hot sauce). This was a wonderful recipe with spot on flavor. I have never mixed sauce in with eggs before cooking. No more boring eggs. Well done!
★★★★★
katy james
So good! I used cannelini beans-such a good breaky!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review, Katy!
Angela
Hi Kate! Your quesadillas looks so appetizing!! Can the eggs be skipped though?
Kate
Sure! I have a great 10-minute quesadilla recipe too you may want to reference.
Bonnie
Loved these! Simple and delicious! Thank you
★★★★★
Ne
Perfect recipe. Easy, fast and very tasty. I didn’t have scallions or cilantro. I used diced red onions, vegan shredded cheese and corn tortillas. Squeezed some lime. Next time will also experiment with some avocado/guac and vegan sour cream.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing!
Karen
Great recipe, I made this for brunch this morning and am already sharing the recipe! I was looking for a non-boring breakfast recipe. Thank you!
★★★★★
Nika
I made this with mozzarella instead of sharp cheddar cheese. It was so yummyyyy!
★★★★★
Tiana
I really liked this recipe. I didn’t use any herbs because I didn’t have any but I can only imagine it would make it even better! I also used smaller tortillas and they worked great, just use your discretion for the amount of filling so it doesn’t fall out when you are cooking the quesadilla!
I’ll probably make the recipe again this week!!
★★★★★
Leah Horton
Really healthy and delicious breakfast, I made this the other day and my family asking for more of this. This happens so rarely thank you very much.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Leah!
Rolando
It was perfect for brunch and kids loved it! Thank you!
★★★★★
Andréa
Kate,
I really love this easy food with a lot of easy ingredients!, you’re a life saver Kate!, but I really wish there was a video on this so I could be really sure of what I’m doing, but either ways I love this recipe.
Geraldine C Scott
thank you for the recipe. I love quesadillas,and I’m going to try this.
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Geraldine!
Demoree Martinez
Great recipe. Trying to spice up my breakfast routine and found this recipe. Taste pretty good!
★★★★★
John K
Made these this morning after church on my outdoor flat-top griddle and they were a HUGE hit! They go so fast on a propane griddle too! Mine is only 22 inches wide so I had to move the eggs to the bowl while I did the tortillas but if a person has a 36 inch or larger they could probably do all at once. You could also do these for a crowd and just serve the egg mixture and cheese with some salsa and have the warm tortillas on the side.
BTW: followed these up with mint basil Mojitos! :-)
★★★★★
Adrienne
I was in a breakfast rut after months of staying at home. This is just what I need to get me excited about breakfast again. Super easy and very forgiving if you don’t have all the ingredients (like cilantro or green onion).
★★★★★
Kate
Yes, these will get you excited about breakfast! Thank you for sharing, Adrienne.
Jane
We tried these tonight for the first time and loved them. This recipe is a keeper and we will definitely be making them again.
★★★★★
Anita from Vancouver, British Columbia
Yummy and simple breakfast option for dinner!
★★★★★
Rafia
This was surprisingly delicious and so easy, thank you
Sarah
I doubled the recipe for the two of us and used a couple tablespoons of homemade salsa to cool the egg mix in place of the onions, cilantro and jalapeno (since those ingredients were already in the salsa). I then realized I had too much filling for just two quesadillas (using uncooked flour tortillas), so I rolled it all up like four fat taquitos and cooked them in two batches in my round air fryer at 390 for 6 minutes per batch. So good! You converted me to a breakfast quesadilla/burrito person, thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
I love this idea for lunch with my toddler! He’s been very anti-meat lately, so I am trying to offer him other sources of protein. Question though, when the recipe calls for “cooked beans” is there an additional step one I open the can? Or does “cooked” just mean the “pre-cooked” beans from the can?
Kate
Yes! That is what that means or if you make yours from scratch, then just that they are cooked.