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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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!!