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
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-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- 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
Did you make this recipe?
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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