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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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!