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?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
This was very tasty. I did as others suggested and added taco seasoning and I am glad I did. I only added about a tablespoon; next time I’ll add a little more. I did not put in the jalapeno because I didn’t have any, so I added a little cayenne pepper. I threw in a couple handfuls of spinach, but I left out the corn. We are trying to eat more green vegetables. I will be making this again. We are having the leftovers tonight and I can’t wait.
Great flavors! We adapted based on what was in the cupboard ( no jalapeño, used green chilies, no roasted tomatoes used fresh tomatoes diced on top with the cilantro) and the flavor profile is delicious!
wow… so creative…
This is a regular rotation in my house now! I add (shredded) chicken and omit the corn to make this more macro-friendly.
I also add homemade taco seasoning, as this is otherwise a bit bland. (1 tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp of: garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes.)
I love this meal because you can eat it as a bowl, or throw it into a burrito, or even over salad. It’s versatile and makes a ton to eat on throughout the week.
Delicious and healthy! Thank you!!
This is a family favorite. We’ve tried it with the lime juice, Avocado and Cilantro. But our favorite is just a handful of spinach, chopped well.
This was excellent! I ended up adding 2 cups broth total (the mixture kept getting g too dry before the quinoa cooked), then mixed in cooked ground chicken at the end. My picky hubby even loved it and said I’m making him a believer in quinoa. Thank you!
We are on a Plant-based diet. After eating the Mexican quinoa, I’ll never eat tacos any other way. Absolutely delicious.
This is a great recipe that I’ve been making for a few years now. I add onion and red pepper at the start of the recipe and serve with brown rice, corn tortillas, iceberg lettuce, grated cheese and I also have a little extra creme fraiche. Love it.
Insanely good!
Looks so delicious
Can you use rice instead of Quinoa?
It is delicious. Is this recipe vegan??
Thank you!
This is so tasty, healthy and lightweight for n your stomach. I paired this with some blackened salmon and it was delicious
Love this recipe!! I modified it a bit for my family’s tastes – added onion to step 1 and left out bathe jalapeño. Also left out the corn. Served it with avocado and lime juice and added a small spoon of green salsa to mine for some heat. Hubs prefers it without the lime juice. Thanks so much for the recipe!
This tasted great!! I added white onion and bell pepper to step 1, then green onion to step 2. This required more vegetable broth. Makes more than enough for leftovers.
I can’t believe I found this recipe over six years ago and still make it to this day. I do like to top it with cheddar cheese and sour cream, but it’s delicious even without.
My family and I love this recipe. This is my 4th or 5th time making it in the past 6 months. A go-to comfort food that is a success every time.
I love this, even my husband likes it. I’m looking to make this for a large for a group but I’m wondering if anyone has done this in the instant pot? How long?
I’ve been making this for a few years, and I never get tired of it. So good.
I loved this dish! I added green frozen peas as well I loved how easy it was in one pot. Thank you so much