One Pan Mexican Quinoa
Wonderfully light, healthy and nutritious. And it’s so easy to make – even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan!
Despite my daily 3-mile runs, all the morning donuts have finally caught up with me. So Jason and I made a pact to lighten up our diet before our Cabo trip in 6 weeks. But instead of eating bland, boring salads, I decided to make a fun, healthy quinoa dish that we would both really enjoy.
And that’s exactly what this quinoa dish is. With a fun Mexican twist, this dish is chockfull of so many amazing flavors, from the tangy lime juice to the hint of spiciness from the chili powder and jalapeno. And not only is this healthy and nutritious but it’s also unbelievably easy to make. Simply throw everything into the skillet and that’s it. Even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan, really letting the flavors soak in.
Now who said healthy food has to be boring?
One Pan Mexican Quinoa
Wonderfully light, healthy and nutritious. And it’s so easy to make – even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan!
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
- Serve immediately.
Notes:
Adapted from Cook Like a Champion
Did you Make This Recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious.
I have been making this often for several months. SO quick and easy and incredibly tasty and delicious!!! Can increase spice level or not. Terrific for last minute meals. It is a regular in our house. Much appreciated
This has been my go-to quinoa/easy/fast/delicious/re-heatable recipe for at least three years! Thanks for a great recipe!
Holy Cow , this is amazing. Added “Monkey and Me” Cilantro Lime Sauce, because I had some leftover and no other fresh cilantro. I want to eat it every day for the rest of my life!!! Also it is zero Weight Watchers Points on the new purple .
Pat, how can it be zero points with the olive oil and avocado?
Excellent. It’s one of my favorite go to recipes. Thank you
Easy. Fast. Nutritious. Delicious. Simples!
great easy recipe!
what is serving size though?
An amazingly simple to put together yet absolutely delicious dish!! Great for a weeknight meal and will definitely make it again! Thank you!
So many good reviews and they aren’t exaggerating!! I make this at least once a week, and often double it… Which makes a LOT, but somehow it’s never enough. We love to throw leftovers into a tortilla over spinach or arugula and make burritos for lunch. I share the recipe with everyone.
I made this for guests who are eating a plant-based diet these days and it was a big hit with everyone! It was also delicious the next day, eaten cold as a quinoa salad with a squeeze of fresh lime to wake up the flavors.
This is my all-time favourite recipe… ever! Honestly, if I had to pick one meal that I’d eat every day for the rest of my life, this would be it. This is the recipe that I always use to introduce my friends and family to damn delicious! Super easy to make, beautiful colour presentation, and the flavour is perfect. A Mexican fiesta in your mouth! I’ve also made this to bring as a hot appetizer to potlucks. Instead of scooping into bowls, you serve it up with taco chips – the zesty lime taco chips are amazing with this recipe. As a meal or as an appetizer, you can’t go wrong! The only thing I change, is I use handfuls of cilantro instead of just 2 TBS (love my cilantro!) and I skip the cumin because it’s not for me. Easy recipe to tweak to your personal preferences! You can’t go wrong!
made this recipe last night, and it was a hit! my grandmother absolutely loved it and told me that i NEED to make this every week. i love these recipes and the family does too. they are very flexible, quick, and easy!
We love this recipe. We toss a whole can each of corn, kidney beans, black beans and then two 10.5 cans of rotel tomatoes. We make this into mini burritos for my two year old. One of her favorites!
I live by myself and cooking is not my forte. This has made it’s way into my regular meal-prep rotation fast and easy to make but also super tasty… I love it!
I like to make potatoes wedges and make this into a nacho type thing… the potatoes being the “chips” and the quinoa being the chili.
So flavorful and easy! I added an extra cup of veggie broth and it was amazing. The family agreed to put it in our rotation, and wished we had tortilla chips. Very versatile.
This is one of our go-to super easy, super good, super quick recipes. A few years ago, I decided to slowly but surely start eliminating as much meat from my diet as possible. This recipe was one of the first I stumbled across, and it has become one of my absolute favorites. My husband refers to it as “the yummy quinoa with the beans and corn and avocado in it” and he actually requests it from time to time! I like to meal prep on Sundays to have quick microwaveable meals during the week. This recipe holds up really great – even the avocado! – and I usually will make 6 meals instead of 4 if I divvy it up evenly and add another protein. We love it!
I like this recipe, but you should add to rinse the quinoa first! Not all is pre-rinsed and some people react badly to the saponin, as well as it will taste bad
Looks great, so colorful.
Omg! So yummy! I follow the recipie to a T and we get several meals out of it. Even my 2 year old loves it. I just love the fact that it’s basically a complete meal that happens to be vegan and iss soo delicious! Good job to the chef.
This dish was absolutely delicious, and very filling. I added mushrooms and onions. The sour cream was excellent on top.
So delicious!!! The lime juice at the end adds the perfect zing. My son added some hot sauce, too. Will definitely add this to my dinner line up.
I’ve been making this for years, love it so much. But I definitely have to use twice the amount of broth. I also feel like the chili powder taste is really strong? Still, super yummy, and it will remain part of the rotation.
SO easy to make and SO delicious! One of my new favorite recipes.
GREAT dish
I Love it. Made it 2x already. Mski g again today. THANKS
Great flavour and very easy! However, I thought that 1 cup of broth was not adequate for cooking 1 cup of quinoa (and the can of tomatoes didn’t include much liquid). Am I missing something? I added 2 cups of broth, and it worked out fine!
This is a hit in my house for flavor and ease of making. I love how fast it is to prepare but the flavors are top notch! It’s great that it is customizable as well, my husband hates avocado so I add cheese to his and my daughter cannot have cheese so she gets his avocado!
Made this today and it is so good!! Very easy to make with wonderful flavors. I’m glad I have enough ingredients to make a 2nd batch!
My husband discovered this recipe for me a few months ago. I make a double batch on Sunday and love having it ready to go for lunch meals. A few times, I’ve used jarred salsa in place of the jalapeño and canned tomatoes. I also use Better than bouillon instead of veggie broth. On occasion I do add rotisserie chicken but mostly enjoy it on it’s own. Lately, I’ve been enjoying it as nachos or tacos. Thanks for the recipe ! It is in fact #damndelicious !
This is an easy recipe! I substituted garbanzo beans for black beans and rotes for the tomatoes and jalapeño because I didn’t have the right ingredients. It was delicious!
My daughter sent me the link for this recipe, and it has been my favorite ever since! I am a flight attendant and pack my food for a 3 day trip. This travels well, even after freezing, and is a delicious side, or stand alone dish, (it’s even great cold). I always bring extra for the rest of my crew, and pass along the recipe. They always love it, and I’ve received many thanks and pics of their take on this simple but amazing dish!
I love this meal.!! Was ganna cook it again tomarrow night but not sure if I should make as a side or entree, mainly because I don’t know what entree or any dish to make to compliment the meal. Any advice ?? What do you guys use?
Try it with chicken breasts baked with salsa and topped with cheese! Yum!
This dish is amazing! I love it as-is or when I don’t have jalapeños, I used canned diced green chilies. Also! For those of you who like more savory-ness: we had cheddar cheese to ours. I take a snack size Tillamook cheese packet and stick it down into my bowl and let it melt. Then, I stir it all together. It’s heavenly!
Best quinoa recipe around! Have been making it for years! highly recommend
Love this recipe. I’ve been making this for a couple of years and it is always great. If I’d try to make this in a slow cooker, do I still use a cup of broth or reduce / increase the amount of fluids?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Thanks so much for this simple, delicious, and flavorful recipe. I love how quick you can throw this together. Easy on the pocket book too!
This was fantastic. Made it as a side to some shrimp tacos. I substituted the seasoning with a 1/4 pack of Trader Joe’s Taco seasoning because it had bot Cumin and Chill in it. This dish got me crowned “The bets cook in the family”
This is so easy to make and tastes so good it is addictive.
Wow this is very good. I went a little too intense on the stock, using Better than Bullion which I should have diluted a bit more. It took more like a cup and a half of stock to cook. This is simple but delicious–the flavors blend beautifully. Lime juice is key; fresh avocado is great. Used red pepper flakes instead of jalepeno , because no jalepenos at market. Cons: easy to make it too salty with the canned beans and stock and tomatoes. ours did not need any salting. This is going on the family staples list–everybody loves it
I found this recipe about a year ago and it has become a staple in our house. We are not vegetarians so I generally start with some ground beef and an onion with the garlic and jalapeño. Recently I was out of cilantro, but had some day old Pico de Gallo so we topped it with that. It was AMAZING! I highly recommend toping it with pice es Gallo, avocado, and sour cream. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
This is a favorite recipe, used as a side dish or the main meal, depending on what you add. I like adding raisins (that have been soaked in hot water to soften) for a sweet with the spicy. I also make it with different spices, so sometimes more mexican flavored and sometimes more middle eastern. It’s a great starting off point for meeting your flavor cravings of the moment. Thanks.
I make this all the time and add some sliced grilled chicken on top. I keep sending it to my health-conscious friends who don’t know how to make their quinoa taste good
My husband is not a quinoa fan, but he loved this. What a great recipe. I sprinkled a little Daiya cheddar on top, and remembered to run and pick some cilantro from my garden just as we sat down to eat. Definitely making this again when my kids come over.
The husband is not such a fan of quinoa, but really loved this! Great recipe! We were sitting down to eat when I remembered to run outside and pick some cilantro from my garden. Looking forward to making this again when my kids come over.
MAKE THIS RECIPE! It was my first time making quinoa, I’m a fairly new vegetarian (it’ll be a month next week!) and wow I am so impressed with this. My husband loved it — asked if we could make it again soon — and he’s not even a vegetarian or vegan!
I have been coming back to this recipe for years. I have probably made it a few dozen times for family, friends, roommates, etc. and it is always a hit. This quinoa is loved by vegans and meat eaters alike! I can’t believe how easy this recipe is, especially given that it tastes so wonderful!
This has seriously become one of my favorite go-to dishes. Yummy, cheap to make and incredibly filling. This one’s a winner!! Thank you so much for sharing it, Chungah!
This is delicious!!! Thank you! I fixed it today, as I am in a new path to eating plant based foods!! This recipe was fast, easy and super tasty!
This is easy to make and it’s so good! I had to use beef broth instead of vegetable broth (store shelf was empty). Also used diced jalapenos from a can because I forgot to get fresh ones. Other than that, followed recipe to a ‘t’. It makes a lot and it’s very filling. Thanks for sharing this. I will make it again!
So simple and so delicous!
I had to review this dish. It is so simple and of course, delicious! Its a great side or even a meal in itself when you are in a hurry! I can’t stop eating it.
This was really good. :). I subbed black-eyed peas for the black beans (was serving black bean burgers, and needed a non-beany side to go with…), doubled the chili powder and cumin, sautéed some diced onion with the garlic, added a little ground chipotle for smoky heat— delicious! It was a little dry after cooking, though, and I added about 1/4 cup extra veg borth before serving. A keeper— thanks!
I’ve been making this recipe for years and it never fails to disappoint. I could honestly eat it every day! So simple and quick, and packed full of flavour.
I love this recipe. Has anyone tried to convert it to the Instant Pot? I just got one and would love to try that.
This recipe is a real winner. I’ve made it several times now and it’s always a hit. Thanks for sharing!
ware you sure it’s only 1 cup of water and 1 cup of quinoa? Usually when you make quinoa it is 2 cups water 1 cup quinoa.
It is 1 cup quinoa and 1 cup vegetable broth. Please note that the tomatoes should not be drained – the liquid from the tomatoes are also needed for this one pot meal. 🙂
Can you add fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes?
You can, but they do have a higher water content than canned tomatoes and less tomato juice, so it might end up more watery and less flavorful. As always, please use your best judgement when making modifications and substitutions.
This dish is super easy, budget-friendly and a family favorite! It’s full of flavor. We serve it with chips and Mexican shredded cheese topped with sour cream too. It’s a keeper in my recipe book!
I’ve made this about a dozen times now as an easy, delicious weeknight dinner. I’ve also started adding some chrizo sausage, right at the beginning, and it gives the whole dish an extra bit of savoury flavor.
One thing I want to flag for others is that both my wife and I don’t love adding the avocado right at the end. The pot and all the ingredients are so hot that it ends up cooking the avocado a bit and you lose that nice cool creaminess and get more of a mushy quality. I’d recommend keeping the diced avocado at the table and almost treating it like garnish. That way everyone can add them at the perfect time to their own bowl.
This is ABSOLUTELY one of my favorites! I make it every couple of weeks and take it to lunch in my mini-crockpot and life is good. 🙂
Oh that’s awesome!
I’ve made this recipe so many times, I love it! One question. What is the serving size? It doesn’t actually say what the serving size is.
Hi Caitlin! You would have to divide the full amount by 4 servings to get the serving size. Hope that helps!
One of my favorite dishes. Easy to make, not much chopping involved and simply delicious- thanks
I made this las night and it was wonderful. Lately I’m trying to switch to a plant-based diet. Would love to see more plant-based / vegan recipes. This is my favorite cooking website.
Thanks for your feedback, Ann Marie! Most of our recipes are also easily adaptable to a veggie version.
I have all ingredients except cumin. Can you suggest a substitute or will just omitting it change taste much??
So many great comments…..I really want to try this tonight and I can’t go to store.
You can omit the cumin if you don’t have it.
I’ve made this before and always love it. But I’m making it for someone who is gluten free. Is this recipe gluten free?
Lizette, this recipe is not specifically tailored to be gluten-free.
Lizette, quinoa is naturally gluten free but you can check the package to make sure. All other ingredients in this recipe are also gluten free unless they have been affected by cross contamination.
Looks great ! I haven’t had quinoa in a while ! 🙂
It’s a good one!
made this, it was great.
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Great food photos. It looks so good.
Is this vegan? I see that it’s posted in vegetarian, but it doesn’t say anything about being vegan, and I don’t see any obvious non vegan ingredients. I just want to be absolutely sure.
Yes, it is vegan. 🙂
Just came across this randomly, and made it this evening.
It was delicious!
Thank you so much
Awesome!
I love this recipe and make it all the time it’s my favourite I normally freeze some for later as well but today I was wondering if I could bottle it instead off freeze anyone else so this.
Is it really 400 calories a serving? And 20g of fat? It seems high when looking through the ingredients!
Wow!!!! No way one of my favorite Mexican dishes!!! I was nervous about it because I have never made def quinoa before. But MAN…. it’s awesome!!!!!!
Awesome!
Can this be done ib the Instant Pot?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
This one is really good. Unlike other posters who haven’t actually tried it yet still leave a comment (never understood that one), I have tried it many times and love it. It’s a great one dish meal and is on my list of regular dinners I make for the family. I like to to top it with a little grated cheddar cheese as well. Thanks for a great recipe!
This is seriously damn delicious and that lime juice really sets it all off!! I was looking for something vegetarian I could make with quinoa that didn’t require me running to the store, and am so glad I found this!
I made some substitutions and doubled it, but still is a killer dish that I can’t wait to have for lunch every day this week. I didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes, so instead used a giant fresh heirloom tomato I had just picked up at the farmer’s market. I also didn’t have fresh garlic, so improvised with garlic salt, and used bell pepper instead of jalapeno. I finished it off with shredded cheese and some Tabasco—YUM. I kept the avocado out and will add each time I eat a portion. I think next time I’ll sprinkle in some raw red onion after heating for a crunch.
Thank you so much for putting this on the internet!!!
Thank you so much, Tyler!
I love, love this recipe! We eat it often and I love that it makes a great freezer meal. I make this for new parents all the time. We eat it as a burrito filling. Thanks for the great recipe!
So versatile! Love it!
This has always been my go to meal prep dish! So tasty and reheats perfectly!
So great to hear!
I recently went vegan and can say its made me enjoy cooking. It seems like the dishes aren’t overly complicated and but are tasty. This meal was so easy to make but incredibly delicious. I can’t get over how simple this was to make. I just sent it to several of my friends. Thank you! Looking forward to looking through the rest of your recipes.
That’s awesome! Thank you!
I know this is an old recipe but I have to say: I’ve tried a few recipes on the site and thought they were okay but this one really blew me away! So much flavor and so simple to make. I was very pleasantly surprised when I took the first bite and will absolutely be adding this to my usual rotation. Thanks for sharing such an easy but incredibly tasty meal! This definitely makes me want to explore more of the other recipes now 🙂
Thank you so much Lidia! So happy you enjoyed it!
This is one of my go to favs! One question though. You say it serves 4. What do you consider a serving size? Thanks!
Unfortunately we don’t have exact serving sizes, but looking at the ingredient list, I would assume one serving should come out to about 1 cup. I hope that helps!
How many does this serve? I’ve never made it, and I want to make it for my family of 4 plus take it to small meeting, approximately 7 ladies. I probably should double, right?
This recipe yields 4 servings.
I made this in my instant pot. 1 min on high-pressure and natural release 10 min. Then I used it as filing for tacos instead of meat. Wow! I was very impressed. I will make it again for sure.
I love that you made this in the Instant Pot!
I love this recipe and my kids love it too. It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten them to eat quinoa. I usually throw a couple of cups of rotisserie chicken in at the end to make it more of a complete family meal. Make sure you have all of your ingredients ready to go because it’s just that quick.
wow grate post thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for sharing this! I first made this as a new wife and wanting great tasting and healthy recipes for my husband and I. He loved it and so did I. It is a time friendly recipe that has wholesome goodness in it. Thank you so much-if their were reviews for this I would give it a 5 star. I have made it several times and shared it with friends & has changed some of the flavors to our preferences.
Love this recipe. Very satisfying. I was describing it to my daughter who lives across the country and she exclaimed that she had made this recipe several times. Great minds think alike.
I’ve been making this recipe for about 2 years. It’s one of my beef-loving husband’s favorite meals (mine, too), and it doesn’t need any meat – it’s fabulous! We’ve served it to family and friends who have asked for the recipe. THANK YOU.
I have had a bag of quinoa in my pantry for months. I had no motivation to do anything with it until I saw this recipe. I love that it cooks in one pan, without having to precook the quinoa. Thank you for the recipe! I will be making your Salmon with teriyaki and sriracha cream sauce tonight! Love your site!
Made this tonight and it was amazing. Only change I made was cooking the jalapeno and garlic in veggie broth instead of oil. Thinking I will take this for lunch tomorrow and try it cold with a little salsa added!
Just wanted to note that I’ve been making this dish for a couple years now and came back to check out other recipes! I’ve recommended this one to family & friends that love it. One thing I’ve done lately with it is wrap portions in tortillas to make burritos, sear the outside, and freeze them for quick lunches (wrapped in plastic wrap). Makes about 8. Just unwrap, wrap in paper towel, and microwave for 2 mins!
Absolutely delicious! Easy ingredients and quick preparation, plus there is plenty for leftovers. Thanks for sharing!
I just made the dish, but didn’t have any advocodo’s or veggie broth, it was still delicious great healthy meal, definitely will make it again
Hi,
Wonderful recipe! thank you! didn’t have a pepper the recipe calls for and added regular tomatoes. it still was amazing!Can you useRoast in this dish instead of quinoa? I have a ton of roast I’m looking to use up..
Yes, absolutely.
Thank you! We loved this receipe. I would like to make it for a dinner party. Could you please suggest a veg soup and sides to complete the meal?
My absolute favorite side dish is the garlic parmesan roasted potatoes. But please feel free to check out all of my side dish recipes here.
This was great!! I used a can of rotel and a pack of taco seasoning instead. Also didn’t drain the beans!! Perfect over tortillas or chips!!! Didn’t have to add salt or pepper. Perfect taste!
I found this lacked flavour and wasn’t very good at all, I’m sorry but I found it very plaim
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested and retested. But with a little bit more information, we can troubleshoot what went wrong to have a successful turnaround next time. Did you follow the recipe exactly as written without any substitutions?
This is a great recipe, but as I am cooking this.I will have to make another pan before the week is out. I love batch cooking quinoa and have been looking for creative ways to use the leftovers.
i wouldn’t change a thing about this meal. And i love to read more posts of yours on regular basis
Thank you! We loved this receipe. I would like to make it for a dinner party. Could you please suggest a veg soup and sides to complete the meal?
My absolute favorite side dish is the garlic parmesan roasted potatoes. But please feel free to check out all of my side dish recipes here.
Any ideas on what to sub for the avocados? Or just leave it out?
You can omit as needed. 🙂
I just became vegan a little over a month ago. A friend shared this recipe with me and this is the best vegan dish I have tried yet. This is one of my top dishes period. Great flavor, variety, and it’s healthy. You cannot ask for more. Many thanks for sharing your talents with us.
Very nice recipe, I’ve made it a couple of times as I am trying to incorporate more power foods into my diet and quinoa salads are starting to get to me. One thing I did differently the second time is to roast quinoa first before adding the vegetables. Loved the roasty flavor.
I did a search on my phone for “mexican quinoa” and this recipe came up first in the results. I needed look no further as I had all the ingredients on hand. I made this for my family tonight. It was really easy to make and everyone loved it. I served it with refried bean tacos, sauteed greens from our garden, and grilled summer squash from our garden. Thanks for the great recipe! I already printed it for our recipe file.
I added 2 mahi mahi steaks and it wad great!
*was
My favorite go-to meal when I was pregnant!
Added an extra jalapeno. Easy and so good!
Great recipe, I made it for my book club and everyone enjoyed it!
I made this tonight and everyone in my family, including our 15 month old baby asked for 2nds! I used fresh tomatoes from the garden, halved the broth, and used Happy Hals jalapeno sauce instead of a jalapeño. We also added a vegan cheese sauce . It was amazing and so easy! Thank you!
I doubled the recipe. Since I didn’t want to run to the store, I wound up skipping the jalapeno :(. But I used 1 can of spicy black beans, 1 can of pinto beans and a large can of non-fire-roasted tomatoes. Even with all of the substitutions, it came out great! This is a super easy and delicious recipe that I will definitely add to my rotation!
I made this in a pressure cooker at 5 min on high as someone else suggested. Came out great, thanks for the recipe!
A friend made this for me in the past and I loved it! Trying my hand at it tonight for guests and have some questions.. I’m hoping to use it to stuff bell peppers. Was going to bake the bell pepper shells, add as filling, and top with cheese then bake again. I would like to have 6 full adult servings and add ground turkey to 4 of them, leaving 2 servings meatless. I’m thinking 1 lb turkey cooked separate and mixed into a portion of this yield? Should I double the recipe to get as much as I want out of it? Would love any help on quantity of turkey and whether I need to double the recipe!
That might be best!
I added some ground Moose and extra liquid and this was a super hit for my family! Yeah for a healthy meal they want to eat
This was off the hook! Thank you! I added a wee bit of coriander seed to give it a bit more of a coriander flavour punch. It makes great leftovers too 🙂
This is SOOOOOOOOOOOO good! I didn’t have lime or avocado when I made it….delicious even without! Thank you!
A very bright colored recipe that makes it appetizing and my tummy hungry. It look delicious and i am going to tr this on weekend. I will definitely share my review after try this.
Thanks
Chungah
Hey CHUNGAH Lots of love to you.. Can’t wait to try this but i found i add extra spices every time i cook but definitely I will tell my wife to cook , I’ve been on a quinoa kick lately and I love the bright and bold flavors !
great recipe I loved it..cheers
This was absolutly delicious! I am trying to eat a lower fat plant based diet so I omitted the olive oil and just lightly sprayed my pan with olive oil cooking spray. I added fresh onion in with the garlic and jalapenos and added some taco seasoning I have premade. I will be making this many times in the future. Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe!
This is a regular meal now around our house! I’m actually simmering a triple batch right now!! Delicious, simple, and very easy to make.
I made this last night and it was easy, quick, and delicious. Loved all the flavors. I will definitely make this again. The avocado and lime on top really make the dish yummy. I threw in some spinach leaves just to get some more dark leafy greens in it. Healthy, Vegan, and delicious.
Are the juices from the can of tomatoes added to the pan?
Yes.
Thank you for this recipe! Made it tonight and the entire family loved it (that includes 8 and 9 year old kids)! After the first bite, my daughter asked (this is no exaggeration) when I would be making it again. It’s so rare to find a meal that’s as delicious as it is healthy!
I did add a little extra broth based on what some other reviewers had mentioned (1 1/4 c broth), and the texture of the quinoa was perfect.
I just love the recipe.Thanks!
This was the first dish I’ve made with quinoa that I’ve actually liked. Just made it tonight and will def be making it again. Delicious, thanks for the easy yummy recipes, you haven’t failed me yet!
Eating this right now for lunch, and this is not the first time I have made this recipe for work lunches. I make a double batch on Sunday, then portion it up for my husband and I to take through the week. My adds this time: 2 red bell peppers, an onion, and 2 zucchini. I didn’t have a jalapeno this round, so I subbed it out and used a can of fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles and a can of HOT Rotel. Then after I heat it up at work, I top it with a single serving size of guacamole! This is one of my favorite meal prep recipes for the week’s worth of lunches!!!
Great! I made it all in the rice cooker. I used sweet red pepper and some scotch bonnet pepper sauce in place of the jalepeno. Had it alone tonight. I can see leftovers working in a wrap. THANK YOU for posting.
This was SO good. Got approval from my quinoa hating bf. Served with a side of grilled zucchini, and it was a perfect vegan meal. Can’t wait to make it again,
I used this as a filling for cabbage rolls. Fantastic!
I absolutely loved this!!! I added two chicken breast that chopped and browned first. May I add I love all your recipes and I recommend all them time! Keep up the great work
Wow…I made this for dinner last night. This was my first attempt to make anything with Quinoa. It was so delicious…and super easy!
Thanks again for another amazing recipe. Love all of them, and was so excited to get your new cookbook for a Christmas gift from my kids….can’t wait to get cooking some of those soon!
OMG made this for dinner tonight (minus the oil as I am currently doing the Engine2 7 day challenge)
OFF THE HOOK DELISH! I put a serving over a bed of spinach & added a green onion…
THANK YOU! This is going on regular rotation ~ Woo-Hoo!
I cook for one, so cooking can be boring and a bit limiting. This looks simple to make and yum! I was hoping this would be a good lunch option. Do you have a guide as to how long will this keep in the fridge and/or if it is possible to freeze this.
Thanks 🙂
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I make a double batch on Sunday for my husband and I and portion it for our lunches. I reheats very well and is just and tasty on Friday as it was on Monday. In fact, I don’t make it to eat the same day…I purposely make this for a week’s worth of lunches. If it were just me, I would make a single batch and you have your work lunches easy.
P.S. I have frozen anything leftover on Friday night (so that means it stayed in the fridge from Sunday to Friday). I have reheated the ones that were previously frozen, and those were tasty too.
I should have stated I don’t add the avocado to this dish for a weeks worth of lunches. I top it instead with the single serving size of guacamole cups!
oh.em.gee this was definitely delicious! I made it as a meal prep for lunch this week for my husband and I and it is so flavorful. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Trying to make more healthy meals for my family in 2017. This quinoa recipe was delicious!! Thank you for sharing your awesome talents with the world.
A very well colored recipe that makes it appetizing. It look delicious.
I am so happy I stumbled upon this recipe. THANK YOU!! I didn’t put as much jalapeno and didn’t have fire-roasted anything, but…wonderful! It didn’t quite have the Mexican taste (b/c of my changes), but will be lunch tomorrow. Works out the kids don’t like it b/c we can make it spicier (and more for us!).
I love this recipe BUT how do i turn of that autoplay of the video to the right… super annoying. I can’t even make it stop.
My sincere apologies. We are currently in the process to fix these technical glitches. Thank you for your patience.
Just made this for lunch. My fiance and I really enjoyed it. It really is easy to make! There was very little prep (basically opening cans and cutting garlic) so there was very little dish cleanup involved.
And on top of that, most of its ingredients are shelf stable pantry essentials, so I didn’t have to go shopping to make this.
So often, I’m disappointed by promises of “quick” or “easy” recipes with unrealistic time estimates of how long it’ll take to make the recipe, but this recipe is certainly not one of them, which is quite refreshing. On top of that, it uses whole plant based ingredients – and is *actually* healthy! Not just another vegetarian recipe claiming to be healthy yet filled with refined carbs or other processed foods.
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. You’ve certainly earned another blog reader!
Just wondering what makes this dish healthy when the calories and fat are a little on the high side? I’m trying my best to eat healthier lately and reading labels is really throwing me for a loop at times! Thanks! (P.S. making this for dinner tonight!).
This has quickly became one of my favorite recipes! its been a hit with my family. So delicious! Thanks!
This is a great recipe, but as I am cooking this.I will have to make another pan before the week is out. I love batch cooking quinoa and have been looking for creative ways to use the leftovers.
i wouldn’t change a thing about this meal. And i love to read more posts of yours on regular basis.
Great Recipe. I have cooked this yesterday for my breakfast and it is really amazing and so yummy. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us.
I made a batch of this on a Sunday so that I could take some to work every day for lunch. It’s a good thing I’m eating it at work and not at home because there probably wouldn’t be any left! I put some in a thermos, with the avocados on the side and then mixed them in when I was ready to eat and it is still amazing. Like the last commenter, I didn’t have any jalapenos so I just upped the cumin and chili powder. For lunch I think it’s perfect as is, but I’m going to add some chicken and make it for dinner for my husband sometime soon. Like tomorrow, even though I’m eating it every day for lunch. That’s how good it is. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Made this for lunch today. Delicious! I didn’t have jalapenos or chili powder, so I upped the cumin and added crushed red pepper flakes. So good! Also added a little more corn, and used fresh tomato. Will be making again.
Made this for Christmas dinner as a side dish. In that respect, it makes WAY more than 4 servings. I doubled the recipe to account for my number of guests and it was SO much quinoa! That being said, the recipe is excellent and I’m happy to have leftovers! My tip: stir in some medium spicy salsa verde when reheating. My favorite is La Victoria. My guests all loved the quinoa and i say that as someone serving a vegetarian meal to a table full of midwestern, meat and potatoes carnivores 🙂
This is my go-to recipe and a dinner staple in my house. I like to rinse the quinoa before cooking and up the cilantro amount by double!
This is a great recipe, but as I am cooking this, I am having a hard time cooking the quinoa evenly. As I write this, it occurs to me to cook the quinoa separately and adding it later but that would defeat the one-pan concept. Any suggestions?
I just made this… I didn’t have fire-roasted diced tomatoes so I put regular tomatoes and few drops of liquid-smoke. I put water instead of vegetable broth…. soooooooo deliciousssssss…. next time I will make double!! thank you for the recipes 5 stars !!!!
I LOVE this dish. It is SO easy ! Sometimes I dread using quinoa because I have to soak, drain, and cook it before doing anything else. Here, one pan and done!! I added Tofutti sour cream but eventually want to try to make my own vegan sour cream I’ll add it to the list of things for 2017! Thank you!! Delicious!!!
I just made this and it’s to easy and tasty! I don’t think you can get fire roasted tomatoes in the uk so I used tinned plum tomatoes with some chopped up sun dried tomatoes mixed in. Yum!
This was soooo delicious! DH was recently diagnosed with Type II diabetes, so many things have changed in my kitchen. We’ve found that we both like quinoa, but I’m always looking for recipes that are flavorful, and not the same old “serve with quinoa on the side” type stuff.
We both loved this recipe! Poor DH has a serious food allergy to avocado, so I omitted that, but had some on the side for myself. Also cooked a couple of Aidell’s Chicken Chorizo Sausages, since DH wants meat.
This was a very tasty, healthy-carb meal! Since I’m only cooking for two, we’ll have the rest in a couple of days. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I tired this last night for dinner and OMG, I will have to make another pan before the week is out. Thank you very much for sharing.
Doesn’t look easy to make, but I must say that it looks very delicious, so I will give it a try. Hopefully I can manage to make it the way you described, and it works out.
Can you convert this recipe to be cooked in a crockpot?
It is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide. Hope that helps!
Well I couldn’t find quinoa anywhere around so I tried with rice, and I must say that It tasted amazing. Love your recipes and your ideas. Thanks for being so great.
I wasn’t good at cooking, but I’m getting better and better everyday, thanks to this website
I really love your blog and find a lot of inspiration here. I followed this recipe to a T and still was disappointed that my quinoa didn’t quite bloom properly. I understand it could have just been the manufacturer I purchased from, but changing the recipe to accommodate that wouldn’t make it a one-pot dish. As much as I love the convenience of one-pot dishes, the culinary expectations I consistently have may not live up to that. That said, I still look forward to future flavorful inspirations to try from your blog 😉
Loved this recipe! I’ve made it twice so far : )
Loved this!!! I had some leftover quinoa in the fridge so I reduced the broth level and it was excellent!
I love batch cooking quinoa and have been looking for creative ways to use the leftovers 🙂
adding instructions for those using the instant pot method. directions:
Press Saute and heat the olive oil. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring frequently until fragant, about 1 minute.
Add quinoa, 1 cup veggie broth, black beans, corn, and spices. (Optional spices: 1/2 tsp chipotle chili (ground), 1 tsp regular chili powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, and 1 tsp ground cumin.) Stir. Top with the tomatoes and juice.
Press Manual and cook for 5 minutes. Do a NPR (should take about 10 minutes).
thank you SO MUCH for this instant pot conversion!!!!!!! making now!
Cant deny the fact that i really love this meal. Seen my girlffriend made it sometimes last month, thats how i actually stumbled here, trying to figure out a way to surprise her that i can do it. ahah
Nice recipe its really amazing
Wow that was the amazing never had quinoa before. Another fantastic recipe. Loving your creations.
It was so delicious! My husband liked them as well. I will certainly make it again!
Very good dish! I didn’t have roasted tomatoes and just used regular diced potatoes it was still delicious. i wouldn’t change a thing about this meal.
This was fantastic! And because for some reason I was being a total space cadet, I completely forgot the corn and accidentally added the entire can of veggie broth and it still turned out great. However, I do live in Denver so I think adding extra liquid was actually a good thing. This is such a keeper!
This is so simple and genious! Love it! It is one of those dishes that can be made different every time and still taste good!
I was excited for this but it tasted very bland. I will retry this recipe in the future and double the spices 🙂
I added some elk meat to this and it was delicious! Absolutely delicious!
This looks great!
I actually added eggs to this dish and ate it for breakfast! It was delicious and extremely filling and a great way to start my day ☺️
You can never go wrong with an added egg! 🙂
Can you use rice in this dish instead of quinoa? I have a ton of rice I’m looking to use up
Yes, absolutely, but cooking time may have to be adjusted as needed. As always, please use your best judgment.
Wonderful recipe! thank you! didn’t have a pepper the recipe calls for and added regular tomatoes. it still was amazing!
This looks amazing – can you substitute the quinoa for brown rice?
Yes, but cooking time may need to be adjusted accordingly.
I’m planning on making this tonight for my family and I. My kids are 4, 2, and 1. Should I omit the jalapeño? Or does the spiciness cook out? They are kinda weenies when it comes to spice.
Yes, it may be best to omit – but as always, please use your best judgment.
Delicious! My wife just made this and it is awesome. This is our first try at quinoa and it turned out better than I thought possible. Thank you very much for this recipe!!! We will definitely be cooking this again. Did I say this stuff was great! WOW!
This is one of my absolute favorite recipes! Thank you! It is perfect for doubling and sharing and everyone that I have ever shared it with has loved it. I’ve started adding a diced zucchini for a little extra substance and when I am making it for kiddos I use 1/2 of the spices and then the adults can spice it up according. This recipe is a game changer! Do yourself a favor and double it right off of the bat!
I am going to make this soon but I have a question about the avocado. I live by myself which means that it will take me several days to eat it. Will the avocado turn brown and gross over the course of a few days? I’m thinking I should just top it with a bit of fresh avocado each time. Also, have you tried freezing the leftovers and does it still taste ok after? Thanks for the great recipe!
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating. And yes, I recommend using fresh avocado each time as they will brown over time.
Hope that helps!
You are amazing!! I haven’t been keeping up with the food blogs I follow lately – I’m gonna be very busy Pinning each and every recipe of yours I’ve missed!!
Wow! This was delicious, filling and easy to make. A real winner! And I am not a vegetarian!
I just made this and it is savory and delicious! Great recipe.
This is a fantastic budget-friendly, delicious, satisfying vegetarian recipe. My carnivorous family of boys ate every bite. Husband even said, “add this to the rotation.” (I substituted rice for half the quinoa just per our family’s love of rice.)
I’ve been using canned diced tomatoes instead of the fire roasted tomatoes listed in the ingredients and my quinoa is very wet and mushy because I always end up cooking it for more than 30 minutes to dry it. What am I doing wrong? I don’t seem to find organic, oven roasted tomatoes in Dubai. Help!
Bummer! You can try using less liquid as needed. Hope that helps!
I leave out the canned tomatoes and then just stir in chopped, fresh tomatoes at the end. Maybe this could help you.
Hi.. Can I use canned diced tomatoes instead of the fire roasted tomatoes?
Yes, absolutely.
Made this for dinner the other night and the husband and I both loved it! Neither of us typically like quinoa either, so this was a real victory for us.
Note: we aren’t big on spice, so we left out the jalapeno and it still had lots of flavor!
We’ve made this a few times, and it’s awesome.
Most recently, we doubled the avocado, lime juice and cilantro (+ salt) and mixed it up as a salad — then it served on top instead of mixed in. Turned out to be a very tasty variation.
I made this tonight – it was *so* *so* good! Great recipe.
Is there anyway you can tell me how much a serving is? I know that the recipe says it makes four, but I have left overs and my sister is counting her calories – and she would love to eat this as leftovers. Thanks!!
I would roughly estimate about 1-2 cups per serving.
Yummy!!! Easy to make. Full of flavor. I’m serving it with a grilled porkchop.
This is delicious and easy to make. It has a bunch of flavors. I sprinkled feta cheese on top and it really complemented it nicely. I’m serving it with a grilled park chip. I’m excited for dinner tonight.
We love Quinoa with veggies. Healthier then rice…
Being that my Hubby eats low Sodium. I’m going to put a can of No Salt, Mexican Ro-tel tomatoes in this.
Saute chicken breast , and put it over this Quinoa recipe..
Have you tried Chicken with this?
Thanks..
I actually have not but it sounds like a great addition!
Made this last night – very easy and very tasty as well! Thanks so much for the recipe – this will be a go-to meal from now on!
I cooked this over the with some salmon it was truly brilliant. Cant wait for next weekend. Nice and tasty.
Like everyone already said, this recipe was delicious! And so easy. But I gotta say you really missed an opportunity by not calling it Mexiquinoa.
Now THIS looks delicious and like something I can pre-make for backpacking trips! Thanks for sharing -Alicia @ http://www.girlonahike.com
I seriously make this every week. I have a bowl right then, and then portion off 3 more bowls for lunches at work. Lime juice keeps the avocado from browning, and it just reheats so well. <3 <3 <3 This recipe was the first one i stumbled upon a year ago and since then this has been my favorite foodie blog. love it.
I made this tonight and the hubby and I both loved it! I substituted mushrooms for corn – too much sugar for us – and it turned out great! Has a good kick to it and the bit of lime and cilantro was an amazing touch at the end.
Thanks so much for posting such a tasty, healthy, and easy recipe!
I sauted onions and red bell pepper with the garlic and topped it off with some white fish just after I added the liquids-was so yummy!
Do you drain the tomatoes??
Nope – there’s no need to drain the tomatoes prior to using.
I tried this dish on Monday and it was amazing! My husband loved it too. I forgot to mix in the lime juice and it still turned out really well. I have been telling all my friends about the dish since then. Thank you for sharing this delicious and healthy recipe. I cannot wait to try your other recipe’s. I was getting really tired of my regular quinoa dishes.
Delicious! Nutritious and easy to make. Thanks.
I noticed a brown rice question above and thought I’d chime in. I substituted 1 cup uncooked white rice for quinoa, same 20 minute simmer time, and the dish turned out great. Brown rice, however, would probably take much longer so I would pre-cook it before adding into the mixture. This dish lends itself very well to experimentation. Cheers!
This is delicious and very easy to make!! We added the avocado to our individual plates so we could keep any leftovers without them going bad.
Stumbled upon this recipe today while searching for inspiration. I decided to make quinoa for the first time and this was the perfect introduction for my family! My husband loved it, which says a lot! He and my 3 year old polished off their bowls! (and I polished off the pan). Will definitely be telling people about this recipe and will make again. Thank you so much! I changed based on what I had on hand (need avocado next time) and it came out delicious. Love that it is customizable and amazing 🙂
Looked great but didn’t get to cook through the quinoa – came out a bit crunchy. Is it supposed to be only 1 cup broth per 1 cup quinoa?
Yes, that is correct. But you are also using 1 (14.5 oz) can UNDRAINED fire-roasted diced tomatoes. The liquid from the tomatoes will also attribute to the liquid-to-quinoa ratio.
Am I the only one who hates these long, boring, drawn out stories that come before the recipe? Who freakin cares?! Just give us the recipe!
Jared, you can simply scroll down for the recipe. Easy peasy.
Be nice, Jared.
I made this recently and followed the receipe. It turned out great. I used red quinoa which made the dish rather dark. I will use white next time. Also, it took allot longer to cook the quinoa, about 45 minutes. I had to add a bit more chicken stock to keep it from getting dry. I did rinse and drained the quinoa well. I used the lime, cilantro and avacado as a garnish as I wasn’t sure my guest liked them. I served it with marinated grills chicken breast on skewers and corn bread . My hubby even liked it and normally considers quinoa trendy rabbit food. I would say it made 6-8 side servings. Thanks
Made it tonight for dinner and it was “damn delicious” one pan delight. Seriously it was. Very simple and oh so very Tasty…yes that’s tasty with a capital T 😉
I served mine with a dollop of mexican crema. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe.
This looks so good! However I’m not a fan of quinoa (I really wish I was). If I substituted it for brown rice and adjust the cooking time it should work, right?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
This is the best quinoa dish I’ve ever eaten or cooked. My previous attempts at different ways of cooking it were okayish, but this one was really tasty. I omitted the avocado as I didn’t have any. We love Mexican food & will definitely be eating this often!!
Does it have to have the cilantro?? I never use it and it tastes like soap to me.
Parsley would be a great substitute.
Spectacular and super easy!!! Used rotel tomatoes and added onions, zucchini and bell pepper. Sprinkled some cotija cheese on top. Best veggie meal ever!
Hi there,
this recipe looks amazing. I really don’t like tomatoes and wondered if you had a suggestion for a substitute or do you think i can get away without adding tomatoes?
Unfortunately, there will be a difference in liquid ratio if the tomatoes are omitted, which is crucial in a one pot recipe. With that said, I do not recommend omitting nor substituting.
OMG! This really was “damn delicious!” Thank you; I shared this recipe on my website.
I made this a couple of nights ago for myself and my kids, age 12 & 10, who aren’t necessarily picky eaters, but they tend to shy away from the “health” foods I cook–and they devoured this!! I did make slight variations (I know, I hate when people review a recipe and totally change it, but I was working with ingredients I had on hand!) I used chicken broth instead of vegetable, only about 1/3 of a jalapeño so it wouldn’t be too spicy for the kids, and I omitted the cumin and cilantro because I don’t really care for those. Instead of mixing in the avocado, I added it to my plate, and my kids added sour cream and cheese to theirs. We all really enjoyed this, and my kids were fighting over the leftovers the next day! I will definitely make this again!! Thanks for sharing!
Although the fiber is high, the protein is not. How about adding cooked ground turkey or lean ground beef?
Yes, absolutely.
Actually, quinoa and beans are a protien. You will be getting enough protien in this recipe plus fiber.
Love love LOVE this recipe!! This is one of the best Pinterest recipe I’ve tried. Healthy and delicious! Thank you so much for sharing with us!
Thank you for a great recipe! I wanted something warm, hearty & nutritious & this fit the bill perfectly! Using what I had in my pantry, and because I needed a double batch, I used one can black beans and one can kidney beans. I used one can diced tomatoes and one can rotel. It was perfect! Thank you!!!
This was so good!!! I left out the avocado as I already had one with lunch but I panfried some tofu seasoned with chilli powder, garlic, cumin and oregano and added it in.
Yummy and full of protein!!
This was the first time I had ever made quinoa. It was absolutely delicious! Even my 13 month old ate this. Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe!
We love this recipe. I have made it several times. Even my husband will eat this with no meat.
I made this for dinner and it was great. However, the next day the flavors seemed really intensify. My picky eater even loved it. Thanks for a winner recipe!
I have made this recipe sooooo many times now! So damn delicious! I like to add in onions and bell peppers in the first step! 🙂 Love love love your food!!!
Looks delicious. I want to make this for my friends baby shower. She is vegetaria. Can this be served as a cold dish?
I have actually found this best when served immediately but as always, please use your best judgment.
Making this dish for the second time tonight because it was such a hit with my boyfriend the first time! Love that the dish is tasty, quick and healthy. Definitely going to be making this all the time.
This ticks all the boxes!! One pan, healthy and delicious. Love it!!!!
I am making Chicken Enchiladas for Christmas Eve (about 10 guests) I have a couple of Vegans coming. Could I serve this a side dish to the Enchiladas AND an main dish for the Vegans? And should I double it?
Yes, absolutely! Doubling is completely up to you though – this recipe serves about 4.
My husband and I love this dish and have made it many times! It has so many great qualities- amazing flavor, one pan, fresh toppings (we add cut up cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and cheese), and the leftovers are great for lunch the next day. Thank you!
I have made this multiple times. It is always a hit!
I have leftover cooked quinoa on hand that I wanted to try with this recipe. Can I prepare this dish with cooked quinoa? I imagine I would have to alter the liquid… Thanks!
Yes, absolutely.
We liked this. I couldn’t taste the heat at all, and mine actually turned out almost too sweet for me, so next time I’ll be bolder with the spices. Keeping in mind I didn’t really measure…
This is really good! Made it tonight for my omnivore bf and we both loved it. I was worried when it was done cooking…afraid it would taste like a mooshy blob. But the corn and beans gave it a great texture. Delicious!
Absolutely delicious! 5 stars! I will be making this a regular dish in my house!
I’ve made this many, many times and it is a favorite with the whole family. Tonight my husband made it for us and it took forever for the quinoa to cook and the liquid evaporated too quickly. We realized he didn’t cover it while it simmered. I always do, but we realized it doesn’t expressly say to cover in the recipe (although it is covered in a picture.) Just wanted to mention it in case someone else makes that mistake. Thanks for a great go-to recipe.
You are so welcome! The recipe does actually include to say “cover” – I know it can be overlooked so I always recommend reading through a recipe in its entirety at least twice before cooking. Hope that helps!
Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
I made this on Tuesday and it was so good and easy, I wanted to make it again straight away. So, this time, I made some replacements to make an Indian variety. Subbed chickpeas for black beans, peas for corn, curry powder for chili powder, coconut oil for olive oil, added some onion and ginger at the beginning, omitted jalapenos, added a little Siracha, and lemon instead of lime at the end. Delish! (Next time I’ll add the frozen peas when there is only about 8 minutes of cooking time left and increase the curry powder a bit).
Now I’m thinking of how to make it Middle-Eastern (caramelized onions!), Thai, and Italian. Epic recipe!
Hi! Wondering if this dish freezes well? Planning to make a batch and freeze the balance for later.
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I’ve made this twice in two weeks! My husband loves it…my 16 month old loves it and I love that it is so easy! Thanks again!!
This recipe has become a staple for me and my fiancé. I love how simple and easy it is to make this quinoa, not to mention super healthy! It’s also quite budget friendly, which is always awesome! We do cook it a little longer than whats mentioned in the recipe. Either way, it is flavorful and delicious!
I made this for lunch today and it was absolutely yummy! It was ready in no time, tasted good and felt healthy. Thank you for the recipe. I am going to try more of your recipes.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I make it a couple times a month. 🙂 Are you still planning on releasing a cook book this fall? I’ve been looking forward to buying it!
The cookbook is scheduled to be released next Fall of 2016 🙂
I found this recipe the same day I found your Easy English Toffee. It looked good, and really adaptable, so I kept a copy.
I had most of the ingredients on-hand, which helped, and I had some others that needed clearing from fridge that I figured would work out just fine. That said, I threw in some ground turkey, a red bell pepper and shredded some kale into it, along with everything else.
And as far as canned corn, I know there’s concern with too much moisture, but I put the whole works in, liquid and all, and when the lid came off, I just turned the heat down a little and let the excess boil off.
In any event, it turned out great. Since it’s just the wife and me, it lasted for about three meals. We even used some of it for taco filling.
Another great recipe. Thanks!
I made this dish for myself and my 2 teenage daughters. Typically my kids are skeptical of anything that involves quinoa. However, they couldn’t get enough of this dish! It went over so well that it is going into our regular dinner rotation. Thank you for sharing this!!
How much is in a serving size?
I would roughly estimate about 1-2 cups per serving.
First time using quinoa and this recipe was easy and delicious! I did forget to rinse the quinoa, but it didn’t ruin it thank goodness. I didn’t have broth, so I used water. Probably made it a little bland but I added more chili powder and it tasted great to me! Thank you! Excited to have this for lunch this week!
One thing that should be mentioned is that quinoa should be well-rinsed before cooking.
Yes, absolutely! It is best to follow package instructions to prepare the quinoa as directed in the recipe.
This was great! Liked by husband, teen and preteen. I added a bit of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, and didn’t have avocado available, but the rest was the same. Thank you!
I’ve had this pinned forever and finally made it today. I only had regular diced tomatoes, but made everything else exactly as the recipe says and it is fantastic! Definitely going into my regular lunch rotation, and next time I will probably add some meat to up the protein factor.
This is so yummy. Making it right now for the second time in 3 weeks.
Would a can of coconut milk work in this recipe??
New to this blog and loving it.
Coconut milk sounds amazing but without having tried it myself, it’s hard to say how this will turn out. As always, please use your best judgment.
I made this tonight. It is so pretty in the pan. We enjoyed it but I think I would use a different canned tomatoes (my dh couldn’t tell though). Lots leftover for tomorrow, maybe with some cornmeal buns. Thank you! I looked at a lot of quinoa recipes last night and this was the one that stood out. Thanks also for the handy print feature, I’ll be using this recipe again!
Really good making this for the 2nd time …. my husband liked it and had no idea what is made of…served with corn tortillas and salsa.
This may have been asked but I didn’t go through all 380 comments…..if I want to double or triple this recipe for a party, does it work exactly the same? I am always nervous in doubling recipes that the liquid ratio or cook time won’t be the same. Have you tried it in bigger batches?
Stacy, this is just one of those recipes I do not recommend doubling. It may be best to make this twice.
I LOVE all of your recipes and this was no exception! It was just so amazing. We burned it a little the first time we made it so the second time we used a pot instead of a skillet, added a second cup of vegetable broth, and let it simmer for an extra 15 minutes. It was just so delicious! Great seasoning and textures. Its a weekly staple when we have a little extra to be fancy with quinoa.
Do I need to rinse the quinoa first?
Yes. Detailed instructions should be listed on the packaging.
I feed a marching band of about 100 quite often and this is one of my go to recipes when I am doing sandwich wraps for the kids and we have about 4 or 5 vegetarians in the group. It is as delicious cold as it is warm and is great wrapped in a tortilla with some fresh baby spinach leaves. I even have a couple of non vegetarians who prefer it over the chicken or tuna salad wraps I make as well.
Just whipped this up to serve as a side dish at a family cookout today – offering mild salsa on the side – WOWZA!! Guests love it!!!
I make this dish quite frequently and eat it for my lunches at work. I must say how much I love this recipe!!!! It’s so filling and so full of flavor and not to mention it’s easy to make! Thank you for this recipe! It’s so Damn Delicious!
I plan to make this for some carnivores…what do you suggest for adding meat? I’ve seen chicken and chorizo suggested, but when? Pre-cooked or raw?
This really depends on the type of meat used – so if you used crumbled chorizo, you can add it in the beginning. If you are using chicken, it may be best to add it in at the very end. But as always, it is best to use your own personal judgment.
This IS damn delicious. Awesome recipe and so easy. Thank you!
I whipped this up for dinner tonight, so easy and damn delicious!
Thank you for all your shares, you are SO creative AND you share…nice duo =))
Can you use white rice? or any rice to make this? just put it in there uncooked…does the timing need to be adjusted?
Depending on the type of rice used, cooking time will have to be adjusted as needed.
My family LOVES this dish! So fast, so easy, so delicious, so healthy, AND it makes enough for a little leftover at the end. This absolutely got me hooked on your site! Thanks!!!
Just made this for lunch today and my family wasn’t too impressed. It didn’t taste bad but the tomato flavor was just overwhelming so we couldn’t taste much else. It was easy to make though and didn’t take much time so I might make this if I’m in a rush but I will cut down on the tomato next time.
Yes, absolutely! If the tomato flavor is not to your liking, you can reduce the amount, to taste, for next time. That’s the beauty of home cooking! 🙂
I made this tonight and it was absolutely over spicy ( I may have put a little too much jalapeno but not sure) BUT when it cooled from the stove it tasted EXACTLY like chili but no meat and preservatives 😀 ((MEATLESS MONDAY)) We absolutely loved it and HEALTHY!! This made me taste fire roasted tomato’s for the first time and now I see a outstanding homemade salsa recipe too. Thank you for a healthy recipe and salsa 😉 😉 <3
Made this for dinner tonight! It was great! I put it up on my Facebook page! It’s really easy and I can make it with things I normally have on hand, except the avocado.
Made this tonight and was surprised at how simple and delicious it turned out! I added some yellow squash and used some fresh corn on the cob, as well as a little canned corn. I also added a few shishito peppers (just for flavor; they aren’t hot) along with the jalapeno and topped it off with a little shredded cheese, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and some fresh cilantro. I did add a bit more cumin and chili powder than the recipe called for, but I like a little kicked up flavor. The amount of liquid was perfect for cooking the quinoa. It’s my new go-to quick meal AND I have plenty of leftovers for lunch this week! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
OMG! I can’t believe I waited so long to make this. It’s absolutely delicious. I needed to let it cook a little longer than suggested in the instructions but it was so tasty. This is a perfect weeknight meal (I would have no excuse not to whip this up even after working a full day–so fast and easy)! Thank you for the recipe!
This this today without jalapenos because I don’t like spicy them. It was so delicious, even my picky 10-yr-old ate it. I also did a Peruvian chicken breast to complement. Wish I can take a picture for you guys to see it. Here is the Peruvian chicken recipe.
http://www.onceuponachef.com/2013/01/peruvian-style-roast-chicken-with-green-sauce.html
We had this for dinner tonight. I didn’t know quinoa could be this good! Me and my other half loved this! It will definitely be in the rotation, as we are trying to eat healthier. I have had a bag of quinoa in my pantry for months. I had no motivation to do anything with it until I saw this recipe. I love that it cooks in one pan, without having to precook the quinoa. Thank you for the recipe! I will be making your Salmon with teriyaki and sriracha cream sauce tonight! Love your site!
If I don’t like spicy, can I just take out the jalapeños and chili powder? Would that mess it up?
No, not at all! There’s plenty of fun goodies happening here, although you may want to include a little bit of the chili powder – I promise, it’s not very spicy! 🙂
I made this yesterday and loved it. Thank you for posting it.
what do you consider a serving in this recipe to equal 401 calories?
A single serving is roughly 1-2 cups.
I made this tonight and it tasted excellent and, best of all, was sooo easy! I am pleased beyond belief, and feel inspired to try other vegetarian meals now. Thank you for sharing!
Made this today for my daughter and me and it is the first time either of us have actually loved a dish with quinoa!! Awesome recipe!
The recipe sais to served immediately, but I was hoping to make it ahead for a BBQ. Would it still work well the next day served at room temperature? I haven’t cooked with quinoa much…
Yes, this can be served at room temperature.
If you’re going to make-and-take this dish, I would bring the lime juice, cilantro, … along with me and add them at serving time. Even at room temperature, I think adding the final ingredients on-site will make a big difference. Fun flavors, like the tangy lime and pungent cilantro, can be dulled when left to sit; the grain will absorb a lot of the flavor fairly quickly (similar to soy sauce and rice — if not consumed right away, the soy sauce is absorbed and much of the flavor is lost (although the sodium doesn’t go away).
Saw this recipe sounds amazing, just curios, u said serve immediatly, U see im going to a pot luck and it wont be served till 4hrs later. Can i still serve this, or any suggestions u can give me, we are feeding 16-20 grown men
Yes, this can still be served at room temperature.
I’ve never made quinoa before, but I bought a bag from Sam’s Club. I loved this recipe because it was really easy, and it was a good “quinoa first time user” recipe! I just wanted to tell you that I LOVE all of your recipes. You’ve got a huge variety, and I love your Asian dishes. I’m from Hawaii, and we eat Japanese, Chinese, and Korean dishes all the time, so I like seeing your take on dishes that are familiar to me.
A question: How exactly is quinoa supposed to taste? Is it like rice?
P.S. My husband and super picky toddler loved this dish!
Here is a great article on what quinoa tastes like: http://brownbagonline.com/quin-what-the-brown-bag-explains-quinoa/. They mentioned that “the taste and texture of quinoa is a bit like brown rice crossed with oatmeal. It’s fluffy, creamy, crunchy and somewhat nutty, all rolled into one”.
I just made this but skipped the avocado because the man doesn’t like it (stupid, I know!) and added sweet red peppers. It is seriously epic! Great recipe!
If I wanted to add ground turkey to this what kind of adjustments should I make to the other ingredients?
You may have to reduce the amount of quinoa to compensate for this addition.
If I double the recipe, do I have to cook it longer so the quinoa is thoroughly cooked or will it still be fine at 20 minutes?
Kat, I do not recommend doubling the recipe. One pot recipes can be a little finicky when altering the recipe like this so if you need to serve more, I recommend making it twice.
Thanks for sharing. It was delicious.
I have made this several times-my DH LOVES it! Thank you for the recipe.I also make many of your other recipes, too. Question on this one–do you think it can freeze well? (omitting the avocado) Sorry of someone has already asked this…there were many comments to read through!
Thank you-
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
It freezes INCREDIBLY well. This is my toddler’s favorite meal (with green pepper instead of jalepeno) and I freeze 6-7 single portions for him every time I make it.
I never comment on things, but this recipe has been hands down the most valuable one I have every gotten from the internet so I wanted to pay it forward. So many valuable nutrients in one pan for my picky vegetarian eater. THANK YOU!
Oooh, yummy. Thanks for the idea Chungah. We tried it and lived to write about it: http://www.thesegirlslovefood.com/2015/06/the-no-chop-quinoa-chili.html
We had to reduce the heat s bit for our developing taste buds. It was a winner!
I made this today and…wow! This dish is absolutely delish and sooo easy to make. I never thought that I would like Quinoa and boy was I wrong, I love it! Thank you for posting such a great recipe!
Just made this and it was delicious! Thanks for posting!
This sounds amazing! Any way that i could leave out the tomatoes?
You can certainly try omitting the tomatoes but the juices from the tomatoes are actually crucial for a one pan meal like this. You may need to adjust the amount of the broth as needed to compensate for this.
OMG AMAZING!!! My boyfriend and I just made this for dinner and dayuuuummmm it’s good. We didn’t have cilantro and I used lemon juice instead of lime juice but it was absolutely delicious! This will be a new staple of our apartment, thanks for the amaaaazing recipe! 😀
I’ve made this recipe 3-4 times now. It’s nice and filling, and my non-vegan friends love it. I add onion and chopped bell pepper to add to the veggie content, and I use red kidney beans since I can’t get canned black beans where I live. I also add oregano, cinnamon, and more chili. It’s perfect as a taco or burrito filling, as well as on its own. I make it in a large pot and find it usually takes about 35 minutes for the quinoa to be cooked.
just made this tonight. I have to say it was probably one of the best dishes I have ever had. I am not a vegetable person but I am really trying to eat more. This was a fantastic dish to do so. Thank you.
I made this for my boyfriend and I for dinner tonight. We substituted shredded chicken breast for the black beans, since he is allergic, and it was great! He was apprehensive about the “kwee-no,” but absolutely loved it! Awesome recipe!
Just made this and it is delish! Thank you so much for the recipe! I was thinking next time it might be fun to add some plain Greek yogurt. 🙂
Thank you – this is going on the Menu for this week. Looks fantastic, and easy, and healthy. Wow!
Made this for dinner tonight! It’s a Taste Sensation!!
I didn’t have avocado, but I did add some green onions chopped,
And some plum tomatoes….HoneyHusband loved it!
(The quinoa was still sort of crunchy, was it finished cooking, or is supposed to stay tiny and crunchy?) we liked like this and nobody died, so I’m thinking it went o.k..lol…
I’m so glad you tried this recipe! As for the crunchy quinoa – this may be attributed to a high heat source, toasting it a bit too much. You can try to reduce the heat a bit more for next time.
You need more than 1 cup of water I followed exactly I had to add another cup of water
The amount of water listed is correct as there are other sources of liquid present in this dish, like the can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes. But please feel free to add as much water as needed to suit your preferences. That’s the beauty of home cooking, right? 🙂
Omg I just cooked this for dinner and it was so good for something healthy. It has plenty of flavored and my husband loves it too! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
THANK YOU I’ve made this several times now and it is amazing. Love it.
Chungan! We made this tonight and marinated some boneless skinless THIGHS in a grill seasoning pack, cooked them on the grill and served the chicken on the bed of the quinoa dish. Very good! Also to everyone worried about the spiciness of the jalapeno-only include the jalapeno and none of seeds and the heat will be non-existent-this is what we did (although we love hot food so next time we will include the jalapeno seeds). Thank you for this healthy recipe-we are trying to be more conscience about our diet and this helps. We are also on a quinoa food-kick so I will be trying your asian-flavored quinoa dish too. From way up in Alaska thank you!! 🙂
Any good substitutions for tomatoes? I have an intolerance to them but the dish looks great. I wasn’t sure if there would be a difference in liquid ratio for the quinoa without the tomatoes.
Vicky, yes, there will be a difference in liquid ratio if the tomatoes are omitted, which is crucial in a one pot recipe. With that said, I do not recommend a substitute.
Seriously FABULOUS! Whole family enjoyed it. Def keeper 🙂 THANKS!!
I tried this a few weeks ago- turned out so delicious. I am someone who cannot handle spicy but the jalapeño, chilli and cumin were perfect. I found it kind of difficult to cook the quinoa inside the dish… It requires constant stirring to do it this way. Making a double recipe tonight so I will halfway cook the quinoa first to save my arms! Used parsley and lemon the first time because I am Italian and parsley works! It’s truly a healthy recipe because even if I splash more olive oil I don’t feel guilty. I love love this recipe. Thanks!!
Made this today for a family lunch. Delicious and will make again! Only changes I will make going forward – a bit more spice and much less lime (maybe depends on the size of the line, but mine was medium and it overpowered everything). So easy and love the one pot meal! Definitely a keeper and one to play around with for variety.
I just made this and it amazing!!!!!!!
The flavors are so intense. No salt or pepper needed to taste. Thanks. Will be sharing this recipe with friends. Greetings for Curacao!!!
The recipe is great and with a little cotija cheese on top i stuffed pablanos with this!
This Mexican Quinoa is AWESOME! I added some chopped onions & onion powder for additional flavor since I’m cutting sodium. I also added a dollop of plain Greek yogurt as a topping. So delicious and healthy. Yummmm!
This was delicious! And so simple! We loved this quinoa. The only changes I made was omitting corn and using plain water, only because I didn’t have these on hand.
As soon as they legalize marrying a quinoa dish I am leaving my husband to do just that. This was so simple to make and was SO DELICIOUS and I have to now figure out how to not eat the whole pan in one sitting.
I’m making this one soon for my family but, I’m going to add Chipotle Lime Kale Garden Fusions to supercharge it!
I just made this using red Quinoa. It lives up to Damn Delicious. We have a new meatless meal.
looks yummy but why is the fat count so high?
Avocados are high in fat, but it is monounsaturated fat, which is the “good” fat that helps lower bad cholesterol as long as you consume them in moderation.
Made this today and it was DELICIOUS! I didn’t have all the ingredients so I improvised a bit. I used roasted red peppers instead of tomatoes and just left out the corn. I am tripling the batch next time. Thank you!
I made this recipe a few months ago and loved it! We just picked up a bunch of red peppers and I’m wondering if this would make a good filling for stuffed peppers. Has anyone tried that?
That sounds like a great idea!
Don’t really like quinoa but thought I’d try this for a vegetarian guest. It was amazing! I served it on green chili corn tortillas (La Tortilla Factory). We made quinoa tacos. This is on my regular dinner rotation. Thank you!
This was awesome! Definitely a keeper. My one-year-old loved it too, and made a big mess eating it right up!
i just made this and it’s amazing!! I used the fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic added (in addition to fresh garlic). Definitely putting this in my regular rotation – my 4 year old and 17 month old loved it too!! Thanks for sharing!
Making this tonight for my Bible study group. Sounds delicious. For future reference, can this be made in crockpot? I love using my crockpot.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-converting-recipes-to-the-slow-cooker-189343.
Oh my gosh – this recipe is so good! I was looking for something quick to prepare, vegetarian, packed with protein, gluten-free, dairy-free, and delicious. This recipe scores on all counts. Thank you so much for sharing!
I love this recipe, it’s quick and delicious! But how can I get my quinoa to come out fluffy instead of mushy?
Thanks!
Victoria, here is a great article on How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa.
Will be trying this soon (uhm, like tomorrow, because I was already at the store today). I am ALWAYS looking for new Quinoa Recipes.
Since I’m not vegan, I used chicken broth & also used chipotle peppers since it’s all I had on hand & this turned out really nice. We have it at breakfast with a fried egg over the top or also as a burrito filling. Even by itself, the dish has great favors & loaded with protein & fiber!
cant wait to try this meal tonight. Have you ever put chicken in it??
I actually have not but many of my readers have added in their favorite proteins with great results!
I made this yesterday and It was delicious, no jalapeños because I didn’t have some,no cilantro because we hate cilantro but it was sooo good,thanks.
Thank you for the awesome, EASY recipe! I literally threw everything in, did some chores, it was done and its bomb. I have enough for the next couple days. Thank you!
Thanks for this awesome recipe! Made it tonight with just a few differences. Added a yellow bell pepper and was out of cumin so I used a tbsp of taco seasoning. This was a huge hit in our house and my picky eater had seconds!!!!! Thank you! Love trying all your recipes!
This is so good, but is it true? 400 calories and 14 grams of fat??? is that correct? How big is a serving?
Yes, the numbers are correct. And each serving should be anywhere from 1-1 1/2 cups.
I love the look of this and it sounds easy to do. My only problem is I work in grams. How many grams are in a cup? Could you convert the recipe to show ingredient amounts in grams please?
Liz, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can gooogle “cups to grams conversion”) to obtain such information.
Hey! So is it 1 cup of broth per 1 cup quinoa? I always thought it’s double the water for cooking quinoa.
Mel, that’s generally the guideline but it really does not apply here as there are other sources of liquid aside from the broth (ex. undrained diced tomatoes). But please feel free to add more broth as needed to fit your desired preferences.
This meal was so easy to put together and delicious! My husband and 2 kids (12 and 14) loved it, too!
This was so delicious! I made it for a friend and she requested that we add Turkey meat and make it a taco salad. I have never tried quinoa but always wanted to. Thanks for this recipe; it is now a staple in my menu!
Thanks for a lovely recipe. I stumbled upon your blog while looking for a recipe for zucchini fritters. I have made both those and the one pan quinoa and both were easy delicious recipes! Will try more of your recipes and keep an eye on your new posts. Keep up the great work!!
Ahh this sounds so good! And quinoa sounds much better than the cauliflower rice I usually make in mixed dinners like these. I find it gets a little mushy when it isn’t served as a side. Can’t wait to try this!
I LOVED this meal! It was so easy to make and tasted delicious…I’ve already shared the recipe with several dinner guests and other friends!
Like many other people on this chain, I LOVE this recipe (with some alternations for personal taste).
I did the first step w/ jalapeños, oil and garlic, but added two chopped chicken breasts, salt, pepper and chili powder. Then, I made the quinoa in a separate pan w/ chicken broth, more garlic, jalapeños, corn, beans, diced tomatoes and chiles. Added the chicken into the whole mix once the quinoa started to soften.
I left the avocado on the side as a garnish so it didn’t brown, soften or smoosh.
I see that this recipe makes 4 servings, but how much is 1 serving?
I would estimate anywhere from 1 to 1/2 cups.
I just made this dish and will definitely be adding it to my collection of recipes. It is flavorful, delicious, and by far the best quinoa meal I have ever had! Thanks Chungah!
I found you via pinterest blog and I think I will stay a while. I LOVE this recipe because I make lots of Mexican recipes and I love quinoa. Best of all, I have every single ingredient for this dish, can’t wait to get started. Looks amazing, I love colors/flavors/spices and all things Mexican (healthy without the cheesy/greasy stuff) and this is right up my alley! Thanks again!
Hi Chungah! I just discovered your site and am thrilled I have! I made this dish tonight and had to write and say how much my husband and I loved it! It was so damn delcious, easy and nutritious and satisfying. And, I am so impressed that mine looked as good as yours! I’m in Canada and we are having a cold snowy night so tucking in with this warm, spicy, hearty dish just hit the spot! I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes and receiving your newsletter. Wishing you much success! Xx
is this gluten free?
Kad, this recipe is not specifically tailored to be gluten-free.
Hi,
I made this recipe for me and my dad ( especially in order to show him how a vegetarian meal can be so delicious) and we both liked it !!!
Tks for sharing this recipe
xx
Can I just use regular tomatoes if I don’t have the 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes? I don’t like spicy and I don’t know if these are spicy or not but I also don’t’ have time to stop at the supermarket.
Will this be ok to heat in the microwave the next day for lunch?
Geovanna, if you are not a fan of spicy foods, it is best to use a can of diced tomatoes instead. The liquid in these cans are crucial for a one pot dish like this. As for reheating in the microwave – it should be just fine.
I am not sure what happened but it has been cooking to 1.5 hrs and is not done.
Something has clearly gone wrong if it’s still not cooked through at this point!
This has become one of my family’s favorite dishes. I don’t put a jalapeño but add additional pepper. Also added onion and half a green bell pepper with the garlic and OO at the beginning. Also have made it with black beans and kidney beans (at different times) and both were excellent. I always add chicken because we like it a bit more filling. I will try sausage at some point that sounds good too! Thanks so much for this great recipe!!
I made this for dinner last night and it is delicious – I did make a few substitutions based on what I had on hand and it still turned out wonderful. It is even better cold today for lunch with an extra squeeze of lime juice! Thank you!
Hi there, I found this recipe on pintrest the other day and made it today. Delicious! Thanks for a great recipe.
This is really good. The only thing I’d change is this: cook it in a 10-inch skillet. The recipe says “a large skillet,” without a measurement. I used a 12-inch skillet and had to add water to get the quinoa cooked. It just spread the ingredients out too far, not allowing the liquids to be in full contact with all the grain.
I’ll make this again.
Thanks ! That comment is invaluable, I too would have used my large skillet ( 12 inch ) and have the same problem with not having enough liquid. Then I would have added more and probably ended up with glue. I will use my 10 inch skillet. Recipe looks and sounds amazing so I’ve got my fingers crossed. Cheers. Rebecca
Ok, so I made it. I did not have avocados, so I went ahead without them. The FLAVOR… Every bite is full of flavor and excitement. Loved it! thank you for posting the recipe with a beautiful picture of the dish. The picture is what intrigued me and the recipe really awaken my appetite for quinoa 🙂 thank you.
How can this possibly have 14g of FAT in it?? that has to be wrong
Sudie, the numbers are correct. The amount of fat in an avocado tends to be underestimated. An average sized avocado (200g) will have 30g of fat, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil has 14g of fat.
I just made this and it was so good! I used just normal diced tomatoes because i could not find fire roasted. For this reason, I would add a bit more seasoning. I am just wondering, would this freeze well? Let me know! And Thanks for posting!!
I’m so glad you tried this recipes! As for freezing, unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I had this for dinner tonight and it is great and easy to make . Thanks for sharing .
Made this last night and have to say it was DELICIOUS!!! It was my first time cooking with Quinoa and I love it.
SO fantastic. I’m a college student with little time and energy for cooking, but this was so easy to make and tastes amazing. Thank you for this
Thanks for the recipe! Made this, couldn’t find black beans so I used a 5-bean mix instead. It was delicious! Very creative way of using quinoa 🙂
I’m extremely excited to try out this recipe! I was just curious if anyone tried making this recipe in a crockpot or if it would even be possible and how’d you go about doing it?
This dish smelled delicious! Unfortunately we’re not quinoa experts yet and the bulk quinoa we bought had no reminder to rinse the quinoa before cooking. So guess what? The quinoa failed to open and we had to throw it out. We’re on a cleanse and now the mood is pretty intense in the kitchen, to say the least, as we try to figure out something else to eat for dinner.
Is there a way you can add “rinse quinoa before adding” in your recipe? That might help others like us. Thanks!
Hi Tony – what a bummer! Yes, rinsing the quinoa is a must but even without rinsing, the quinoa actually should have cooked just fine and still “open up”. It would have had a bitter taste to it instead. I just wonder if something else might have gone wrong here.
I’ve made this recipe 3-4 times now, and it always takes more than 20 minutes for the quinoa to be cooked — closer to 35. I do make it in a pot, not a skillet, so that may be the reason. Maybe this is what happened to Tony?
Is this 401 calories per serving or 401 calories for the entire dish? Thanks! 🙂
The calories listed are for each serving.
Thank you very much! Do you know what the serving size is? It was not mentioned on the nutrition label.
I would roughly estimate about 1-2 cups per serving.
Okay! Awesome! Thank you so much! I have made this dish so many times now and it is sooooooo good! 🙂
i just made this…soooo good….i didnt have jalapeno so i used banana peppers…also my son hates tomato chunks so i used tomato sauce….love the colors and a different side dish…thanks so much !!!!
Just made this and have enough to last me for about 4 lunches. This stuff is DELICIOUS! I omitted the jalapeno because I used chunky rotel tomatoes instead which already have some spice in it, but man was it delicious. Definitely saving it for my recipe book!
Does this recipe freeze well?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
This was as good as it looked. I added chicken so I can have some protein and it was so delicious and filling! More recipes like this please! This was amazing.
I just made this and I love it! I didn’t have chili powder so I substituted with Sriracha hot chili sauce and it gave it that kick! I will definitely make this again! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Thanks for sharing!~
Just made this and it’s delicious! New to your blog and loving your recipes!
Thank you!!
We made this last night and were blown away. I woke up this morning already excited for lunch when I’m going to heat up the leftovers!
Made this according to your instructions exactly and for me it’s a hit!! Thanks for another way to use and eat quinoa!! YUM!
I tried this last night with the exception that I added onions. My hubby grumps if there’s no meat so he had left over fajitas & the quinoa beside it. It was very good, very flavorful & I’ll use it more often. This was my first try with quinoa & I enjoyed it. Family liked it but couldn’t get past the idea that it was a main course! LOL, so I guess it’ll be a side dish. Bet it’ll be good chilled today for lunch as a salad! Thanks!
oh by the way, you’re part of my new year resolution! I’m trying one of your recipes weekly…so far we tried the quinoa (yum) & the Salmon with sriracha cream sauce…ooooo!
This was delicious! I baked a couple haddock fillets and served this on the side. Love a nice, easy, healthy meal! I’m not a huge fan of the larger diced tomatoes, so I’ll probably chop them for 3-4 seconds with my immersion blender next time before adding them to the pan. But there WILL be a next time. Thanks for the recipe!
AMAZING! I’m really inexperienced in the kitchen and am shocked at how well this turned out. It’s definitely one of my new go-to meals!
Yum! I added an onion and chorizo at the beginning with the garlic. Delicious!
This recipe is amazing!! I added some shredded chicken breast. Not needed, but 100% damn delicious (: Hubby loved it and asked if I would make more lol
Thanks for posting!
Loved this! I didn’t have jalapenos so I just used more garlic, I also didn’t have lime or cilantro but I did have rotel with lime and cilantro so I just added a can of that, I think the extra tomatoes made it a little runny but it was delicious I crumbed up tortilla chips(multigrain) as well and my roommate added some low fat Mexican cheese, it was so good!
Quick, easy, damn delicious!
this was a massive hit with myself and my boys…… I just omitted the jalapenos (didn’t have any in) and put a pinch of chilli flakes in instead
I am on the Daniel Fast and this was a perfect dinner for me. I didn’t have any quinoa so I replaced it with Israeli couscous, Everything else I followed as per the recipe, oh, except for adding some green onion. It was very good Thank you!
We wanted to let you know we shared your delicious recipe on our 40+ Skinny Recipes To Start Your Year Healthy post! Check it out! Feel free to share on social media! Happy & Healthy New Year!
http://www.theshoppingmama.com/2015/01/40-skinny-recipes-to-start-your-year-healthy-including-desserts/
Catherine @ The Shopping Mama
I’ve made this twice now… but in my experience this dish is way more ‘wet’ then it’s displayed on the pictures.
I think I will have to use less then one cup of broth (250ml)…. any tips?
You can try reducing the amount of liquid for next time but I also worry that your heat source may have been set too high which may have hindered the quinoa to soak up all the liquid.
Just made this – darned delicious!! Cooked perfectly in wide pan. Ratio of quinoa to liquid was perfect. Love all your recipes.
Looks delicious! Do you drain the diced tomatoes?
There is no need to drain the tomatoes.
LOVE this recipe! I made steak fajitas for New Years Eve and paired them with this dish! It went together perfectly. I’m not big into spicy food, but this dish had just the right amount of spiciness. Thanks for the great recipe, the flavors are great. So easy to make too! I plan to add this recipe to my favorites. 🙂
Followed instructions, as written! Quick, easy, made with ingredients I always have on hand and FULL of flavor! Definitely a keeper!
I have never had Quinoa before but was attracted to the recipe because it was so colorful and looks delicious. However I’m not a big on spicy foods, would it ruin it if I left out the jalapeno?
Also I recently graduated college and I have recently started at my new job and finding it hard to eat healthy dinners and lunches, is this recipe freezable?
Michelle, it should be fine to omit the jalapeno or reduce the amount, as needed. As for freezing, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Good for dinner after hard working day… Yes, I love when I’m at work and my Redmond 4502 multicooker is cooking for me. It’s so fast and delicious, so unbelievable!
MY GO TO RECIPE WHEN I NEED DINNER IN A FLASH!
I cannot make this recipe without being hunted down for a link or copy- everyone loves it. It is fabulous and quick. I use frozen corn, and when I have time, home cooked black beans. It is packed with both flavor and nutrition.
I just made this for lunch after searching for hours for a recipe that sounded like what I wanted. It was as easy and delicious as stated even though I made substitutions for the corn and cilantro and used a serrano chili instead of jalapeno.
Just made this for dinner tonight. Husband (omnivore) & vegetarian son loved it as much as I did! Will definitely make it again & again. I followed the recipe exactly except used dried cilantro instead of fresh. Wouldn’t change a thing!
I made this last night and it was SO good! Usually when I make “healthy” dishes they always seem very blah and I end up very unsatisfied, but this was packed with flavor and kept me full through to morning! Plus, now I have lunch for the next few days 🙂
Oh sorry also red quinoa.
MAJOR KEEPER!!!
WOW!!!! AMAZING!!! We added vegan meatless glutenfree meat substitute and 1/2 teaspoon of extra seasonings ea. and it was AMAZING!! Try wrapping in corn tortillas oh my God! Thanks so much A new favorite!
This was so amazing! It turned my friend onto quinoa! It’s so flavorful but it tastes really nutritious at the same time. Thank you for the recipe!!!
Just wondering. Quinoa usually cooks 2 to 1 with liquid. So is there enough liquid to cook the Quinoa all the way to tender, (not mushy but not crunchy)?
Yes, there is enough liquid, but please feel free to add more as needed to fit your preferences.
Can you make this in a pot of you double the recipe? I’m not sure if it wil all fit in the pan I have
I recommend using a shallow pot. By using a deep pot, the ingredients will not be completely covered in liquid and will not be cooked appropriately.
I am newbie to this website and this is the first recipe have I tried… and WOW, it was so delicious and easy! The only change I made was omitting the cilantro. This makes a huge portion, but the leftovers were great cold as a salad, and wrapped in tortillas with some cheese for easy burritos.
Made this last night – delicious. Had to substitute regular tinned tomatoes, but added a bit of smoked paprika for extra flavour. Easy peasy! Lots of leftovers, so we will have some with tortillas tomorrow night.
This was so easy and flavorful! I didn’t have vegetable broth so I used Chicken broth, also used canned jalapenos since I haven’t upped my pepper hotness to use fresh but I plan to in the future! Also used a spice blend including the above mentioned spices plus more-Penzey’s Southwest Seasoning.We all loved it especially topped with cheddar cheese and green onions-very colorful!
Update-I have now made this dish 5 times! I use ground turkey if I want meat in it-Now one of my top favorites! You have turned me on to quinoa! Amazing since I’m Italian and raised on pasta! This is SO DELICIOUS!!! Love your site Chungah!!!!
Love how simple and healthy this is!! Adding it to my Real Food Meal Plan next week.
This is my first time cooking quiona and this turned out great and really satisfies my Tex Mex cravings.
I’m not sure my family will go for this without meat. Could I brown 1 lb. of lean beef and add to it and not mess up the recipe? I’d love for them to have the protein of the quinoa and beans. Thank you!
That sounds like a great addition! But you would have to adjust the other ingredients (particularly the amount of liquid) to compensate for the added ingredient.
Great, thank you!
Hi, Has anyone tried to freeze this (before adding the avocado)?
Thanks,
Lauren
This was delicious! I added olives and the jalapeño’s that I used was sweet and hot in a jar…This was beyond delicious! Thanks for sharing.
I had always wanted to try Quinoa and this sounded like a very simple and delicious recipe. And it is!!! I love it! So delicious and filling! I am hooked! The avocado and the lime give it a yummy twist too! Thank you!
Wow!. Your pictures are fantastic, can’t wait to try out the quinoa and the salmon.
Made this last night…so easy and so delicious! Thank you for sharing it!!!
As a homeschooling SAHM, I’m always looking for easy recipes that I can reheat for a quick lunch. I make this one all the times and serve it over shredded green cabbage. Have also brought to a couple of gatherings, and everyone loves it. Trying your one pot chili mac and cheese tonight in cold Boise! Thanks so much 🙂
I made this for lunch today and it was awesome!! This will definitely be added to my “quick and easy” recipe repertoire! It literally took less than 10 minutes to get everything in the pot, then I left the kitchen to work on other things until it was ready. A few notes on my own cooking experience: it took my quinoa closer to 40 minutes to cook to the right consistency, but that’s no big deal. I just kept an eye on it until the germ rings appeared and most of the soupiness had evaporated. Also, I added some chopped red pepper and green onions at the end to add some cold and snappy textures, along with some feta crumbles (because pretty much every dish anywhere is made better by adding a little cheese 🙂 ). Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
This receipe is amazing!!! A must try!!!!
THIS WAS AMAZING. Lovely paired with some chicken sauteed with cilantro, lime and garlic!
This is great! Seasoning is just right. I needed to increase my cooking time by a couple more minutes, to soak up more liquid, but I might not have had my heat set right. Tasted really, really good – hit all the right notes! Thanks so much!
I made this dish on wednesday and it was amazingly delicious and so easy. Thanks for sharing!
Tried this dish last night and it turned out so well! Thank you for the recipe!
i always rinse my quinoa before using to get rid of the bitter, soapy protective coating. I will drain it very well but will this make it thinner in texture? Hope not because this looks delish. I don’t see pre-washed quinoa in my area often.
Rinsing the quinoa will not alter the taste/texture of this dish.
Great recipe. The lime and cilantro adds great flavor. I also threw in some chickpeas. Easy recipe.
This recipe is great! It’s almost like a chili, with a few more Mexican flavors. I added chicken to make it a little heartier, but it’s a great recipe that can adapt to whatever you have in the kitchen. Thanks for posting!
I just featured this recipe on my blog and would love it if you checked it out 🙂
http://bigcitydreamsbyabby.blogspot.com/2014/11/mexican-quinoa-stew.html
I made this the other day. It was absolutely amazing!
Eating this now. Delish. It was too many carbs for me(diabetic) so I eliminated the corn and used fresh tomatoes and Kale, and used a little more broth and made it into a soup. Yum!
Really liked the quinoa! so tired of the pasta traditionally used in these stove top dishes. Thank you too for the nutritional values. Great for Weight Watchers calculations.
This was a very good meal, and a nice escape from the usual quinoa cooking drudgery. I’m a big fan of one pot meals and this can’t be beat. Thanks for sharing!
Made this for dinner last night. Added grilled chicken for the family. Excellent! My husband and I added diced red onion (just a bit) at the end with the cilantro.
This recipe has become one of my “regulars” and it’s easy to adjust… I like to cook the quinoa ahead of time and then it’s REALLY fast to throw together. I rarely have a ripe avocado around when I need it, but it’s delicious without it too. I’m trying to eat more plant-based meals and this one is a winner!
This looks so good! Approximately how many cups does this make? I’ve been making big batches of recipes like this for my dude and I for lunches during the week and need to plan out how much of this recipe to make! 🙂
I took out the avocado and used this as an empenada filler and it was amazing. The wrappers I bought at my local grocery store – you can find them in the frozen food aisle (I used Goya Discos) and baked them in the oven at 350 for 10 or so minutes. I then just used the avocado to make some guacamole dip for them and it really made the dish.
I just made this very good recipe. I used try-colored quinoa and organic non-gmo black soy beans. I thought I had picked up black beans but had picked up soy. It was still very good. I will make again.
Made this today, and oooohhhhhhhhh my! Delicious! I did add to the recipe–chopped an onion and a red bell pepper and started by sweating that, then went with the recipe. Also added a good bit more chili powder and cumin than specified, so season to taste! But wow, oh, wow. It is definitely going on my “favorites” list!
I have made this and every one that had it, loved it… I have even doubled the recipe…
This also works GREAT as a cold summer salad!!!!
Make the quinoa with the broth as usual. After it has been cooked add all the ingredients listed and chill overnight. You can serve once it is cooled, but I think it is better after things have had a chance to mix overnight.
***Save the avocado just before serving.
I also add some minced red onion for another pop of flavor!
This would be amazing as the filling for a supreme quesadilla! Then topped with a little quac and sour cream! I also love the suggestion someone else posted about serving as a cold summer salad with a bit of chopped red onion!
Thank you thank you thank you for the damn delicious recipes! Made last night and shared at work today with people who have never eaten quinoa. They loved it! Keep the recipes coming! 🙂
Oh my this would be soooo good with ground Italian sausage, served over a bed of mashed potatoes, and topped with stove top stuffing. Maybe even melt some Velvetta or melted queso over the top and sprinkle with pancetta. Good stuff there! Thanks.
Made this last night and it is amazingly delicious and easy! A new family favorite for sure!!! We actually put this in corn tortillas with spinach and salsa and bam: easy awesome healthy tacos! Thank you!
This recipe was GREAT! I have been getting so bored with quinoa and kind of hit a brick wall as far as how to spice it up a little.
And this dish is very easy to throw together, I did not have a skillet with a cover so I just used aluminum foil and it worked fine. Also, I could not find canned fire-roasted tomatoes that were plain, so I just grabbed the one that had garlic already in it and omitted the fresh garlic (something I don’t like doing!)
Highly recommend this one, the lime and avocado really finishes it off well.
=)
I make this once a week. However I did not have all ingredients so I used a can of Mexican style stewed tomatoes, 1/2 C med salsa and several dashes of Chipotle hot pepper sauce. For using what I had in my food storage, it was amazing!
This is wonderful! It is very easy and fast to fix! Yum Yum!! I have made it quite a few times since I got the recipe. It is my new “go to” recipe for a quick vegan dish.
Thanks!!
Made this a few weeks back for the boyfriend and I and we loved it! Super flavourful, easy to make, and had lots of left overs for lunch!
Wow. This is one flavor-packed dish! I’d like to tell you a story.
This morning, I was hanging at my boyfriend’s house and we were making plans to get groceries and make dinner together later. Then came the inevitable “What should we make?” conversation. So I browsed through my Pinterest food board and discovered this, which I had pinned a few weeks ago.
“Babe. How about “One-Pan Mexican Quinoa? Check it out.”
The boyf looks at the picture. His eyes get wide.
“Oh my god yes that looks amazing!”
Needless to say, it was a HUGE success! The flavors are outstanding (I followed the recipe to a T and I think it’s perfect), it was fast and simple to get the groceries and cook it, and we both loved the texture. So warming and tasty, but lighter than chili because of the lime and cilantro. It was also our first time cooking quinoa in a savory dish. Major win. Thanks so much for posting this!
Looks delicious and perfect for fall. I’m making this tonight!
Made this last night. Loved it and it fiilled the bill for a TexMex recipe here in Texas! The hubs and I are bariatric patients, so I’m always looking for a good recipe with good protein. Although these servings are way too much for us and the recipe is going to yield probably 6 servings instead of 4 ( just guessing at this point ) it is a keeper in my book. Will be taking this to work for lunches. The only thing I did was to wash the quinoa before adding it to my skillet. Great photo!
Amazing! My ultra-picky 3 and 4 year old ate it with a minimum of complaint and the hubby and I loved it. This is definitely going to become a regular dinner for us. Seriously delicious!
Great recipe!! We love Quinoa and I enjoy finding new dishes to make with it. Quick and Easy. This will be made again.
Thanks for a great recipe! It meets all three requirements:
Tasty
Healthy
Easy
Yayy!
This was so yummy! I didn’t have a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, so I used fresh tomatoes, some dried chipotle powder, and some liquid-y jarred salsa to make up for the lack of extra juice. It turned out well. I had fixed this as a side for shredded flank steak tacos, but I ended up eating this instead. I ate it wrapped in lettuce leaves with a bit of extra salsa and a dollop of light sour cream. Can’t wait for leftovers today!
this was absolutely delish! i appreciated that it took such a short time to make and that everything was in one pan. i added onions, bell pepper, and a pinch of cayenne to give it an extra kick
Although I had never tried this before, I made a double batch, because seriously, after reading the ingredients, how could it be bad?
Unfortunately, I’m allergic to raw fruits and vegetables. Avocado, in particular, is a bad one for me. However, if you cook them, I have no problem. Most recipes calling for avocado I have to either pass altogether or omit the avocado. In this case, I threw the avocados in towards the end. I didn’t want them to turn to mush while I stirred. OMG I’m a genius (unfortunately, I’m also really slow since I didn’t think of this until now)! Not only was I able to eat the avocados, but the avocados don’t turn brown.
So thank you for the recipe. It’s now my gateway drug to avocado nirvana.
This was delicious! I have recently discovered quinoa and this recipe was too good to pass up. My family LOVED it!!! I doubled the recipe because quinoa reheats so well and we are always looking for good lunch choices. My son (13 years old) went back for a HUGE 2nd helping. This goes into my FAVORITES! Thanks so much!
Made this tonight – DELISH!!! Even my 2 year old loved it.
Do you need to stir occasionally while it’s simmering? *yes I’m asking because I’m in the middle of cooking it but maybe someone else is wondering too
No, you do not need to stir.
I made this tonight and my family LOVED it! Even my picky 7 year old son. 🙂 thanks so much for sharing it! The flavors were great and it was very filling. One of our new favorites for sure! 🙂
Damndelicious
This is amazing! I was looking for an easy and delicious hot quinoa dish and this fit the bill. I did add ground turkey to incorporate some meat, used chicken broth instead of vegetable, and cheated with a taco seasoning packet. But sooo good!
Oh my goodness, yum! This can eaten alone, with chips, on nachos, in a burrito (a juicy burrito)…Thank you!! Totally enjoying my lunch right now!
Made this immediately after reading the recipe!!! Looks delicious! Still cooling off, but I tasted and is delicious!!! Thanks for such a healthy recipe! I’ll try more 🙂
Yummy! Love this recipe.
I made this tonight with a few modifications:
Added linguica, cayenne pepper, onions, green bell peppers, and green chiles. It was amazing!
I keep trying quinoa but just haven’t found a way I’ve enjoyed it until your recipe – its so yummy! My husband and I love it, I made it with veggie broth and topped it with some grilled chicken for an awesome weeknight meal. Thanks for making me like quinoa! 🙂
We had this for dinner tonight and it’s a HUGE hit!!! That’s saying a lot because my teenager doesn’t eat any veggies or anything that doesn’t include bacon. And it was soooo easy – love love love!
Oh. My. Wow! Made this today for my vegetarian daughter to take to school for lunch. At first glance I didn’t think the recipe was going to work; I had everything needed for it and decided to give it a try. Flavors are perfect together, and I think even my meat-loving boys will enjoy it. My kitchen is still filled with the wonderful aroma. I tried the recipe as stated. I did add a handful of green onions because my daughter loves those. And I used dried black beans that had been soaked, cooked, and kept in my freezer. What a great dish…so glad I saw it on Pinterest! Thank you.
I just made this last night when I needed something quick for dinner. I didn’t have any cilantro, avocado or jalapenos on hand, so I added a small tin of chopped green chilies and sauted 1/2 small red onion with the garlic to start. Had one ear of fresh corn in the fridge so used that. This was so good! I can’t wait to try it as written next time! Thanks for the great recipe:-)
(by the way, I find it odd that other people have said they have to add some kind of meat to make this a complete meal. Quinoa and beans are loaded with protein people, without saturated fat- love it!)
I love, love this simple and easy to fix recipe! I make it all the time and leftovers are used for lunch at work! So flavorful and perfect for vegetarians! So glad I found this recipe!!!
I love this recipe!!! I added chopped onions, bell peppers, and extra garlic. SO YUMMY! Thank you for this! I’m making it for a family who just lost 2 people within a week. Hopefully it’ll nourish their soul like mine.
Made this last night – so yummy! I’m a vegan but my friends loved it. It was pretty easy, although I doubled it and the quinoa didn’t cook evenly. Half of it was cooked after 20 minutes and half wasn’t. I guess I should have been stirring much more frequently. But yum, yum, yum. Great recipe! Will definitely make again.
Thank you for this recipe! I made it for myself to munch on for the 2 weeks my fiance was working up north in Canada and I FINALLY started to drop that dreaded “last 10 pounds” that seems nearly impossible to ever make happen.
I am finally reaching those goals and I have you to thank! Plus this tastes sinfully delicious (I, too, have a huge Mexican weakness!) I felt like I was getting away with something while eating it. I will make this over and over again!
We made this for dinner last night and it exceeded my expectations!! Included some fresh corn we just picked yesterday, and man – this was quick, economical, and tasted great. Will be adding this to the list of regular meals in my household. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi! I am new to making quinoa. I’ve been pinning your recipes all night and can’t wait to try them! Especially this one! I have a question about quinoa. In your recipes for the ingredients most of them just state quinoa. (Except for your Caprese Quinoa Salad, that states Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa). What type of quinoa is best to use? Doesn’t it come in different colors? Is there any flavor difference? Thanks so much! And thanks for sharing all your yummy recipes!
The type of quinoa to use is really based on personal preference. Sometimes I use the tri-colored one if I find it on sale and if that’s what I have on hand. It’s really up to you!
I just stumbled upon your recipe and made it for dinner last night. YUM!! Husband had TWO helpings and didn’t once complain that there was no meat. (We are trying to do one meatless dinner/week.) The only thing I did different was to saute some diced onion with the garlic and jals. I happened to have fresh corn frozen, but if I didn’t I think I would throw in some frozen bell peppers. This recipe is so versatile! Thanks for an awesome recipe and I can’t wait to explore your website more.
This has become a family favorite–even the boys come back for seconds, which is really a compliment/success!! We’ve been playing around with a few variations, based partly on choice and partly on necessity: every time we make it, we add a fresh diced orange or red pepper, and this time we also added a small yellow onion. The skillet I have on the stove right now has a few shakes of Vindaloo seasoning in with the cumin and chili powder. Also, we “toast” the spices slightly with the onion, garlic, and pepper before adding the rest of the ingredients. Lastly, we didn’t have a jalepeno tonight, so we just threw in a whole serrano from the garden that we’ll pull out before we serve. We always eat this dish with a side of salsa, avocado, and good-quality organic corn chips. Love this dish! It’s so fun to play around with.
I did make this and served it along with 10″ flour tortilla’s – “Awesome Flavors” – Damn delicious! – Next I’m going to work out a a cocktail to pair it with.-
Pingback: Day 30, 31 & 32 - Exciting News, Awesome Recipe and Dealing with Haters
I made this last night and it was sooooo good! My 10 year old son said it doesn’t even need meat. That was the fastest I have seen him scarf something down in a long time!! Thanks for posting this. I will be making it again!!!
This is the second time I’ve made this and it’s awesome! I did add a little chopped red bell pepper and onion to it because we love as many veggies as we can get. I liked this topped with plain greek yogurt and a few crushed tortilla chips and a drizzle of sriracha for a spicy kick.This is a seriously delicious dish!!!
Wow! Just wow. This is a fabulous quinoa recipe, I am adding it to my arsenal of weeknight, easy peasy meals. My boyfriend and I are HUGE fans of Mexican food and this has all the flavor and heat (I added some Cholula and hot smoked paprika) without the grease. This recipe makes enough for 4 BIG servings and reheats well (excluding the avocado) as leftovers. I also love that it is vegan but still quite filling. The only negative was that I scalded my tongue taking a first bite… it smelled too delicious to wait!
I made this with chicken tenders cooked in olive oil before I put it all together. I loved it!
I made this and it is AWESOME! My intense cravings for Mexican have always been a serious nutritional stumbling block… until now! I love this recipe.
Just cooked this recipes 20 mins ago and enjoying this! i’m even using as a taco filling with slices of avocado. This was wonderful. Thanks!
I just made this and it is seriously SO GOOD!!! I took out the avocado and stirred in some leftover shredded chicken from taco night and it’s AMAZING. Thank you for this bomb quinoa recipe!
I made a few adjustments – I left out the corn and added sliced black olives and my homemade taco seasoning. Plus, I ate it cold, as a salad. Very tasty! Thanks
I made this for dinner last night and it was AMAZING! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hey anyone know the nutritional breakdown of this.. like calories and such? thanks!
Who cares! It is very healthy, is full of
good grains and vegetable that make a healthy meal. I doubt if you have to worry about the number of calories.
Made this for lunch today, with a couple of minor modifications (out of necessity, and personal taste). It was delicious, and so easy!! I think I’m going to use leftovers to make stuffed peppers – just need to add a bit of cheese. I can also see it being used as a burger recipe if a binder is added.
I’m new to the world of quinoa. I’ve been on a cleanse for a couple weeks and constantly scouring the web/pinterest for new recipes. This one was GREAT! Super easy to make and you could really add/subtract where you want (with the exception of the veggie broth and can fire roasted tomatoes, which add more liquid). I added bell peppers, paprika and then tossed in some shredded chicken at the end. It was great. Husband went back for 2nds. Thanks for the one pot easy cooking night!
Just made this dish and loved it! So easy, delicious, and versatile! We didn’t have avocados so I left them out but did put in a little ground beef we had. I can see so many possibilities and I love that it’s one pan. So awesome, thanks!
Do you think the quinoa could be substituted with couscous? I currently have couscous on hand but no quinoa. Looks so good! Excited to make this tomorrow!!
Yes, absolutely! Although you may have to adjust cooking time/liquid as needed.
I used couscous & cooked it about 15 minutes & added some red wine and a little more water. So good! We will be having this again soon!!
I’m so glad the couscous worked out!
Your pictures are to die for! I’ve been looking for a recipe like this, and I can’t wait to try it!
tallvegetarian.wordpress.com
I am going to try this tonight, I’m out of quinoa so I think I am going to try brown rice as a substitute. I love mexian food so I’m sure it’ll be great
Thanks! And does the corn go in frozen or cooked?
The corn does not have to be cooked beforehand.
Do you think I could use water instead of vegetable stock for this recipe??
Yes, that should work just fine.
THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING. Super tasty – literally the flavor combo was perfect!!…easy and quick to make and very little dishes! Thanks! I hope you post more “one pot” dishes!
How is the amount? Have to feed 5 adults, 2 of which are men. Thinking about doubling it but sometimes that just messes things up.
Sue, as indicated in the recipe, this recipe serves 4. I recommend making adjustments you see fit to feed a family of 5.
I add chopped chicken breast, one green bell pepper and onion. All of her recipes rock!
I just finished cocking.
A vegetarian cocking dad, among a family of meat eaters.
They all look at my dish, knowing it’s the best dish served tonight.
Thankx
Guy
It looks yummy. I have never cooked with quinoa before so it will be exciting to try. Just bought a new skillet and this will be the first meal I cook with it.
Will i be able to freeze the leaftovers?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. I recommend using your best judgement for freezing and reheating leftovers.
Thank i will give it a go with freezing. I am eating right now (dinnertime here) and it is very tasty. I didn’t have enough corn so I added some frozen peas for the last few minutes
I’ve been making this for 2 years and I freeze lunch size portions all the time. This is good Hot or cold
Any idea how many cups per serving? And how many weight watchers points plus it would be?
Unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I do not feel comfortable providing nutritional information for my recipes. I recommend using online resources at your discretion to obtain such information. As for serving size, I would suggest 1-2 cups per servings.
Mine did not absorb all of the liquid so it is a little watery. Is this normal? How do I fix that?
Stephanie, make sure the lid is completely covering the skillet and that the heat is set to a very low setting.
Oh, this is great! I’ve been wanting to try quinoa. I’m so glad I found this recipe to spice things up a bit. Definitely trying this one! Pinned. Thanks for the creativity!!
This looks delicious! Do you think it could be prepared in a rice cooker?
Unfortunately, I have not tried using a rice cooker so I cannot answer this with certainty. It is best to use a skillet to obtain the best results possible.
So excited to have found this recipe (and your blog)! I have two kids, 1 and 3, and they both ate this up…plus it was so simple to make, perfect for week days when I forget to meal plan. Thanks!!
I just made for lunch and it is so goooood!!! I have been trying your recipes and always turned out great!! My next one will be chicken salad sandwich using greek yogurt. Thanks for those amazing recipes!!
I don’t have much experience with quinoa. Would this be okay served at room temperature?
Yes, it should be just fine.
Made this last week and really enjoyed it. There was only two of us, and it left a lot of leftovers for the week (had grilled chicken with it) which is perfect. Thanks for sharing!
I love the recipes but I wish you would include the nutritional info with these so we can see how it works for our dietary plans.
Unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I am not comfortable sharing nutritional information of my recipes. Please use online resources to obtain such information.
I’m confused (easily done). Is this a main dish or a side?? It looks really yummy and I want to make it, I’m just not sure what category it falls in.
Laura, this is really to be served as a main dish.
I made this earlier today for a party. It was a hit! Thank you a recipe that was easy and tastes as good as it looks! Check out my pic on my Instagram page: jalasgirl
Loved this recipe since I first made it !!!
“One pan” got my attention and the flavors & ease keep me coming back
Got the nurses I work with hooked on this recipe too
Thanks for sharing
Do you drain the tomatoes before adding or use the juices?
The tomatoes should not be drained prior to adding.
You’re absolutely right. Damn delicious 🙂
This was fab! I used normal tinned tomatoes, borlotti beans and I added half a pepper and a courgette (to use them up). really delicious so thank you!
Fabulous!!! Will make again and again!!!
I just tried this tonight, and it is so delicious! I ate the avocado last night so didn’t have it to add, but I added a heaping tbsp of low fat sour cream to a serving. It was awesome! I’m considering adding some chopped onion with the garlic to the next batch I make. Love your blog!
We made this tonight, and it is now one of my new favorites. So much awesome flavor punched into a healthy, easy and cheap meal!
Just made this and it was AMAZING!! So much flavor for such a light and healthy meal. Thank you for sharing
I made this dish this evening. Wonderful! Left the avocados on the side as one family member doesn’t like them that much and the rest of us mixed them in at the table. Very easy and I find that quinoa takes a lot to be flavorful in other dishes. Yet another winner.
I tried it, and I liked it! Thank you so much for this recipe. An absolute winner!!!
Sounds like an amazing recipe!! Where has this been my 17 years of marriage. My hubs is always asking for tacos and while I too like them, my general thought about them more than once a month is, enh! I could eat quinoa the way he could eat tacos, so this, THIS, yeah! Perfect idea. Why have I never thought of this, I don’t know, but thank you for thinking of it for me!
P.S. this is also going to be a great meal for my kids as I have 3 boys, 2 of them athletes. The potassium provided in this meal will be awesome for them to have the night before meets and games!
Okay, so this may be a stupid question…should the quinoa before adding to the pan?
Oooops. That was supposed to say, should the quinoa be cooked before adding to the pan.
Jamie, as indicated in the post, the quinoa should be uncooked before adding to the pan. That’s the beauty of this recipe!
Do you drain the corn and tomatoes?
If canned corn kernels are used, yes, they should be drained. But the tomatoes should not be drained – the liquid from the tomatoes are needed for this one pot meal.
This looks great- I love the idea of a new, healthy twist on Mexican food. Will have to keep this recipe in mind for Cinco de Mayo!
This is a great quinoa dish. I subbed the. Rotel tomatoes and added the other 4 oz in diced tomatoes! It was good! My husband had thirds!!!!!he said don’t lose this recipe!!!!!
I made this last night and ate it as a filling for corn tortilla tacos. TO DIE FOR. I suspect this will make it on the weekly menu from now on! Thanks for such an awesome recipe! 🙂
Finally got around to make this and it is very good, healthy too! Does anyone have nutritional numbers for this dish, thanks?
Peggy, I’m so glad you had a chance to make this! As for the nutritional information, you can use online resources such as Calorie Count to obtain such information.
Made this tonight and it was my first time making quinoa…LOVED it! It was soooo good. We’ll definitely be making this again in our home. Thanks for all your great recipes!
I made this for a family dinner this weekend. It was a huge hit and a great way to introduce quinoa to the family. Thanks for the recipe!
Just made this, very easy and very delicious. Added shredded cheese.
Pingback: Nourished Life Gratitude List 2014 – Week Sixteen | Thoroughly Nourished Life
Made this for dinner tonight and it turned out delish! I didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes so I used rotel hot tomatoes because we love spicy and added 1/2 a regular tomato. Didn’t add avocado because we don’t like it. Will be making again!
This was soooo good and usually I stay away from anything even a little spicy. My dad and my husband loved it, I added spinach to it and it was deelish!
Finally, I got my family to eat quinoa without staging a mutiny! I did add a bit of shredded cheddar cheese and rolled it into tortillas for yummy meatless burritos. Hey, whatever works, right?
I made this today, & it’s a winner! I made it exactly the way you wrote it, with the addition of some green onion that I had to use up, & it came out great! Thanks for a delicious & healthy recipe 🙂
I am not surprise you are getting so many enthusiastic responses on this recipe. I have been wanting to push myself to finally cook quinoa. This is the perfect vehicle. I like all the possible variations that others have been suggesting. It is so dang colorful too.
This made a delicious dinner for us last night! It’s such a simple dish but with great flavor. I added a dash of paprika to mine. This will go in our regular menu rotation!
Made this tonight and it is delicious! It is totally customizable to what you have on hand. The proportion of liquid versus quinoa is perfect! It must be delicious vegetarian, however I had one thin cut smoked pork chop I had to use and it worked beautifully. I didn’t have black beans so I added garbanzo beans, no jalapenos, so I added TJs jalapeno diced tomatoes, no corn, so I doubled the spices. Omitted the lime and added more cilantro You get the picture. This recipe is perfect! Thanks so much.
5 year later.
“This recipe is perfect!”
Yet you completely derived from the original recipe. lol
I made this last night for lunch this week. My husband had a bit of it for dinner last night and he loved it! This also provides about 70% of your potassium DV, which everyone knows it’s so hard to come by unless you’re constantly stuffing yourself with apricots, avocadoes and bananas! haha Great share! Thanks.
I am so glad I stumbled across your site this morning! Now I know exactly what I’m making for dinner tonight, and I don’t have to worry about my pencil skirt being too tight tomorrow 🙂
Consider me a new follower!
I’ll bet this is good served cold as stuffing in a whole tomato! Or even to east as salsa, with home-fried corn tortilla chips! I think this will be in the works in my kitchen tomorrow, too! Florida tomatoes are fully ripe and delicious now, and I’m craving just that sort of lunch! Minus avocado, though. Ew. :-]
This was so easy and delicious. I added grilled chicken to it and it made a complete meal. Next time I will wrap some up in a whole wheat flour tortilla. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers!! Thanks!
I’m in love with that top photo! So awesome! And this looks too good to be healthy, love that.
I made this for Supper last night and added chorizo and it was delicious ! Thank you or this recipe.
I am curious about what others would say about chorizo adding too much fat for an E meal. Sure sounds good though!
Oooooh, made this today and it is SOOOOO good! Like you I’m trying to lose a few pounds for an upcoming tropical vay-cay and need a change from salads. The only problem with this dish is knowing when to stop eating. I’ve had two servings and arguing with myself about a third!
Thanks for posting this delish recipe!!
One pan & Mexican… I love it! I need to lose a few pounds myself before June. This will definitely be on my dinner menu soon!
Made this last night. It was so delicious! We will put this on the “meatless Monday” rotation.
YUM! I’ve lightened up my diet this April and this sounds great!
Trish
Quinoa is love. A one pot dish equals a win. This gal is trying this stat!
One pan? I’m listening.
Could this be any easier? Love it!
This looks amazing!! I have been looking for mexican quinoa recipe to replace mexican rice but I totally love your version! 🙂
This looks delicious! I’m going to try this for dinner this week. I have always liked the texture of Quinoa but never know how to season it!
I’m always on the hunt for easy and delicious vegetarian recipes, and this is the next one I’ll be trying! Love the convenience of a one-skillet dish and all of the fresh Mexican ingredients. I bet the addition of any protein would be amazing too!
black beans are the protien and quinoa too!
This is definitely the opposite of boring healthy food. It looks so good! Wish I had a whole pan full right now. 🙂
You had me at one pan! This dish looks awesome – healthy has never looked so good!
If you don’t purchase ‘pre-rinsed’ quinoa, make sure to do so thoroughly otherwise it will taste like soap! A natural protection against bugs and other thing wanting to eat it.
Am going to try this tonight 🙂
Oh, no! I don’t think I have pre-rinsed and it’s all in the pot simmering now.. is it still ok to eat?
Alexa, it should be fine but there may be a bit of bitterness to it.
I just made this tonight and neglected to rinse the quinoa — guess I got lucky because there was no soapy or funny taste at all. Possibly depends on what brand of quinoa or where you get it? I’ll try to remember that next time…the package does say to rinse.
This dish was delicious and my whole family — even the picky one — ate it up! Served the avocado mixed with lime juice and cilantro as a topping, since I knew we would have some left and I didn’t want the avocado to go all weird. Will absolutely make this again!
I adore one pan dinners! This looks seriously delicious!
Oooh, I’m obsessed with quinoa lately but I’ve been getting bored with my usual salads. Definitely making this soon!
yummie! 😀
I have red kidney beans in my pantry at the moment, can I substitute this for the black beans?
Thank you
I haven’t made this yet (on the schedule for this weekend) but I would think you could use any variety of beans.
Yes, feel free to use any kind of beans you’d like – I just prefer black beans in recipes like these.
Do you think I can cook it today and serve it hot tomorrow for a dinner…… does it re heat well or go all soggy?
tahnks
Yes, you can reheat as needed.
Just make sure you wait to add the avocado and cilantro until you’re ready to serve!
What do you serve it with tortilla etc
You can just eat this on its own, like a rice side dish. I’m serving it up as a side to some shrimp tostadas.
I’ve used red kidney beans in a quinoa salad and it was just as good as the black beans.
Delish, Chung-Ah! I love that this is a one pot meal…so easy and healthy!
This looks like it would be great to make a big batch of for dinner and then pack for an interesting, fun lunch the next day! I’m always on the lookout for ways to keep my packed lunches exciting! pinned
Thanks for the inspiration.
Ah this sounds delicious! Eating healthily is so simple when you know how to make lovely dishes like this. I love quinoa, and this looks fantasmic! x
I haven’t cooked quinoa in a very long time, this recipe would make for a good come back to this super healthy grain. Look colourful and delicious!
Now this is some gorgeous quinoa!! You have the ability to take anything, put it into a skillet, make it look drop dead gorgeous, and make me want to dive in, pronto!
Can’t wait to try this, I’ve been on a quinoa kick lately and I love the bright and bold flavors!