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?
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This was better than I thought it would be. I dont like kennel corn so i switched it out for just a little chickpeas, not even a whole can. Also, i made guacamole on the side which made it 10xs better.
This is awesome. We used chicken broth in place of veggie stock. I tossed in a few peppers and an onion & added a little different twist to the seasonings. GREAT base recipe!! SO SO GOOD.
I have been making this for several years now, for my vegetarian kids. I always double the recipe, and we will eat this until it’s gone. It is delicious ! Filling and you won’t miss the meat. I am on low sodium, so this is perfect. Add a little cheddar and tortilla chips, even better. I sometimes add a sliced zucchini to it before cooking, makes a nice addition, adding a veggie. Thanks for your delicious recipes!
We made this with the addition of mushrooms and bell peppers The seasoning was was great!
LOVE this recipe!! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve made this numerous times and it is so amazingly tasty. SO GOOD!
Great base recipe! I used chicken broth, added shrimp and omitted the corn.
I like it!!!
I have made this a lot, but am not making it for Parent-Teacher conferences at my daughter’s school. What is the best way to make this in advance and serve a day later? Serve Cold? Keep the avacadoes separate? Any thoughts are appreciated.
I always double the ecipe and reheat the next day. It’s just as good the next day.
super quick and delicious, even for an amateur cook like me. i subbed the tomatoes for salsa since that’s what i had on hand. just needed to add an extra cup of water/broth, but the result was still great.
Delicious
So easy and delicious..it is definitely on our ‘Must make again’ list. Served with a spicy crusted salmon. Fantastic. I didn’t have roasted tomato (which would have been even better) so only used regular diced tomato. Still, it’s keeper!
I made this tonight for me and my son as we like to do meatless Mondays and it was great! Followed the recipe exactly with ONE exception. As I’m dieting, I substituted the quinoa with cauliflower rice to make it lower calorie. We did add some low carb tortillas which made it even more of a meal. It had just the right amount of heat. I included Sriracha sauce and some cilantro lime garlic sauce on the side, but this was great on its own and those extras were unnecessary and went unused. Thanks Chungah for yet ANOTHER fantastic recipe!
I saw all the great reviews and was afraid that my expectaTions will exceed the result, but result was perfect, the reviews are so good because this dosh is amazing. I subbed black beans for white chickpeas (garbonzo) as I only had dry black beans and was too hungry so needed to cook this asap, I also did not have chilli powder so I used chilli flakes ans used chillies instead of jalapeño, I will go more spicy next time but That’s just me, otherwise the taste is perfect for everyone.
Thank you so much, this is a gem as I had been looking for a good quinoa recipe like forever and was fairly sceptical until I tasted it, so glad I went through with it now this is on my favourites list.
This is amazing i have to try this recipe
Amazing recipe!!! The only thing I did different was add the roasted tomatoes and roasted zucchini in after (while the quinoa was cooking I threw the. tomatoes and zuccini into the air fryer). I also used a black chick pea as I didn’t have any pre-soaked black beans on hand. Amaaazing! And guess what else we did, we threw it into a wrap and it was diiiiivine!! :). Thajk you for the recipe. I love that it;s one pot and also that we don’t have to cook the quinoa separately!
We make this recipe often! It is filling and is a great fall food.
SO good! I’m not a good cook but even I could easily handle this recipe. I cut the amount of the spicy ingredients but it was still a little spicy for me (I’m very sensitive) but so delicious. Next time I might try subbing in onion for jalapeño to tweak it for my needs, but I’ll def make this again!
Loved it! Easy a quick recipe!
This is a great, delicious dish! I am so happy to have found it and it is in regular rotation at our house (I’ve also shared it widely and it is universally loved :-). I add more lime juice and often add chopped red and orange peppers. As others have noted, easy to make and only one pan to wash is appreciated.
My husband and I have made this before, and tonight we are making it again! It’s so good even our one year old loves it!
Damn delicious!
Was looking for inspiration with quinoa, and found it in this dish. Easy to make and so tasty.
Its literally damn delicious
My 22 year old vegan son made me this recipe it was tasty and like chili and the quinoa added a nice flavor and texture.
Has been a family favorite got to for years now! We love it! I do add a couple tablespoons of jarred jalapeno juice and double the spices. Also green onions at the end is
This is very tasty and so easy to make!
Pure deliciousness! Didn’t change a thing . Next time I’ll put the avocado on the side because it’s not a pretty color for left overs.
I feel like I should leave a review because I eat this all the time! I keep all of the pantry ingredients on hand usually and it’s yummy even without the fresh ingredients. I try not to eat meat every day and this is one of my favorite vegetarian meals!
Very good.. but added more broth and had leftover chicken added some to it… amazing…
This is such a flavorful meal that is simple yet delicious!
Perfect as written, easy to mess with if you want, enjoyed by vegans and meat-eaters, and super easy with not having to watch it and one-pot cleanup. My favorite recipe, and favorite of those I pass it along to! This was my first recipe from Damn Delicious: gateway recipe for sure.
I used low sodium everything and replaced the jalapeños with a small can of diced green chilies. I also did not have chili powder so I used the same ratio for cayenne pepper. It was too spicy for some members of my family but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I tripled the recipe so I would have enough for two more meals (big mistake). Should’ve simply doubled as there is about 4 pounds of Mexican style quinoa sitting in my fridge atm. Definitely can’t have that over two meals on my own. Supe super super good. I’m actually really looking forward to the leftovers and hopefully I can give some to a neighbour! 5 Stars!
This pan quinoa was a hit with my family. Typically not everyone likes quinoa dishes but this one was the exception.
I’ve literally sent this recipe to everyone I know. SO GOOD!
My family thoroughly enjoys this recipe!
I typically cook a pound of beef, and season it, adding it to the whole mix. It helps it stretch and it it’s so yummy!!
Hello,
While the recipe did turn out pretty good as directed- please please please indicate in your recipe instructions to wear gloves before chopping the jalapeno. I had to learn the hard way since i’ve never cooked with one before.
best,
burning, tingling hands reader.
I can’t tell you how many times this recipe has saved me. Lunch or dinner made SOOOO easy with literally ONE pot. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I think I forgot to give this recipe the five stars it deserves (with my review I just gave). Please add five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amazing and easy! I’ve made this so many times. Sometimes I add diced and baked sweet potato if I happen to have some. It is so good! This is the only recipe I’ve found so far where I actually really enjoy quinoa. Thank you!
Making this tonight for about the 30th time over the last few years. I usually double the cumin and halve the chilli powder, as Australian chilli seems to be a lot hotter than American. I also leave out the cilantro to save money unless I happen to have some, and while it’s definitely a little less amazing without cilantro it’s still one of our favourite meals. Cheap, healthy and delicious. Can’t ask for more than that.
Joshua, the chilli powder referred to in US recipes is a blend (I learnt that the hard way after making a dish with 2Tbsp of cayenne powder!). You can either make your own blend (there’s some great recipes online, or buy the Masterfoods Mexican Chilli Powder Blend. It’s in a jar with the other Masterfoods spices and available at most Woolworths and Coles. Obviously you’ve already adapted this recipe to suit your tastes, but I thought I’d let you know in case you make other US recipes that contain Tbsp of chilli powder as you’d miss out on the flavour if you just use straight chilli powder.
Adding on to what Elle said, you can also find Old El Paso brand “Spice Mix for Chili” in Australian stores. This is what American recipes mean when they call for “chilli powder”.
I literally make this every week, I love it so much!
I tried making this recipe twice. The first time it took a couple of two a week to polish it off, forgetting the minced jalepeno. After including it (and fully cooking the black beans*) it only took us (2 people) to finish the pan in one night! It was so damn delicious!
I have made this at least 20x. I use taco seasoning in place of the individual spices and it is FABULOUS. I cannot get enough of this. I have added steak and chicken. All just fantastic.
You’ll need more stock or water, I’ve found, to cook down the quinoa but that’s nothing. I love this. Thank you, thank you!!
Cooked perfectly. Served first portion with tuna and jalapeño patties. Delicious and warmed up second portion the following day.
Scrumptious!! And, easy to make.
I love how simple, quick and healthy this is! I saute onion and bell peppers with the garlic and I don’t use jalapenos or cilantro and it tastes wonderful! I’ve even put ground beef in it for a heavier meal and it was delicious. This is a very versatile and forgiving recipe and one of my go-to favorites! Thank you!!!
Just made this during the quarantine. It was easy and delicious just like all of your recipes that I’ve tried! The only thing I omitted was the avocado (not a fan).
Lovely this. I used baked beans in replacement of the black beans too! Whatever I had in the house. Paired with a pan fried tuna steak it is delicious!
Delicious and easy too.
This recipe turned out perfect! I cooked some white onion and green bell pepper before adding the rest of the ingredients to the pan. It’s delicious on its own or wrapped in a tortilla with some cheese.
This is one of our go to recipes when looking for a fast and healthy meal. It has made its way into our monthly recipe rotation.
We haven’t had to change a thing except omit lime or avacado when not on hand, otherwise the rest of the ingredients are part of our regular pantry items.
Delicious and quick! My meat loving husband loved it as well.
I made this quarantine style, with what we had on hand. Baked beans instead of black beans, salsa instead of tomatoes, an onion instead of jalapeño. Pretty dang good—a little sweetness from the beans. ♀️ Better than a plain can of baked beans, guys!
Wow this was delicious! I couldnt find fire roasted tomatoes in the store so I substituted a can of chili flavoured stewed tomatoes. I didnt add beans because my fiancée doesnt like them. I also didnt add the lime juice or cilantro because I realized I didn’t have them. Still came out sooo delicious!! I topped this with ground beef that I had made separately (spiced with homemade taco seasoning). I feel like this might also be good with a dollop of sour cream on top! Will definitely make again. Loved that it was one pan and so easy. Thank you!!!
Delicious, easy and quick!
Looks great!
Just made with little different ingredient, great success! Thanks
Very delicious and easy to make.
Thank you
Thank you for this recipe it seems very delicisous I’ll try it
This recipe is very quick and easy to make! A plus side is that it adapts well to seasoning it however you like. The only change I would suggest is adding a tablespoon or so of light cream cheese on top – it really brings everything together!
So yummy. The avacado is the like the must needed garnish to sweeter up this salty/savory dish. I added a little bit
More garlic and adobo all purpose seasoning!
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
I made this for my son who is vegetarian. The whole family enjoyed this recipe. The changes I’ve made is… I sautéed green pepper & red onion with the garlic. I will definitely make this again! Thank you for sharing.
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?
When you split 1 tbs. of olive oil and a small amount of avocado into 4 different portions it 0’s out in points. If you eat more of it that just the 1 portion it may wind up being a couple of points, but not much more than 2 or so.
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. direc