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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Just made this for dinner tonight. Husband (omnivore) & vegetarian son loved it as much as I did! Will definitely make it again & again. I followed the recipe exactly except used dried cilantro instead of fresh. Wouldn’t change a thing!
I made this last night and it was SO good! Usually when I make “healthy” dishes they always seem very blah and I end up very unsatisfied, but this was packed with flavor and kept me full through to morning! Plus, now I have lunch for the next few days 🙂
Oh sorry also red quinoa.
MAJOR KEEPER!!!
WOW!!!! AMAZING!!! We added vegan meatless glutenfree meat substitute and 1/2 teaspoon of extra seasonings ea. and it was AMAZING!! Try wrapping in corn tortillas oh my God! Thanks so much A new favorite!
This was so amazing! It turned my friend onto quinoa! It’s so flavorful but it tastes really nutritious at the same time. Thank you for the recipe!!!
Just wondering. Quinoa usually cooks 2 to 1 with liquid. So is there enough liquid to cook the Quinoa all the way to tender, (not mushy but not crunchy)?
Yes, there is enough liquid, but please feel free to add more as needed to fit your preferences.
Can you make this in a pot of you double the recipe? I’m not sure if it wil all fit in the pan I have
I recommend using a shallow pot. By using a deep pot, the ingredients will not be completely covered in liquid and will not be cooked appropriately.
I am newbie to this website and this is the first recipe have I tried… and WOW, it was so delicious and easy! The only change I made was omitting the cilantro. This makes a huge portion, but the leftovers were great cold as a salad, and wrapped in tortillas with some cheese for easy burritos.
Made this last night – delicious. Had to substitute regular tinned tomatoes, but added a bit of smoked paprika for extra flavour. Easy peasy! Lots of leftovers, so we will have some with tortillas tomorrow night.
This was so easy and flavorful! I didn’t have vegetable broth so I used Chicken broth, also used canned jalapenos since I haven’t upped my pepper hotness to use fresh but I plan to in the future! Also used a spice blend including the above mentioned spices plus more-Penzey’s Southwest Seasoning.We all loved it especially topped with cheddar cheese and green onions-very colorful!
Update-I have now made this dish 5 times! I use ground turkey if I want meat in it-Now one of my top favorites! You have turned me on to quinoa! Amazing since I’m Italian and raised on pasta! This is SO DELICIOUS!!! Love your site Chungah!!!!
Love how simple and healthy this is!! Adding it to my Real Food Meal Plan next week.
This is my first time cooking quiona and this turned out great and really satisfies my Tex Mex cravings.
I’m not sure my family will go for this without meat. Could I brown 1 lb. of lean beef and add to it and not mess up the recipe? I’d love for them to have the protein of the quinoa and beans. Thank you!
That sounds like a great addition! But you would have to adjust the other ingredients (particularly the amount of liquid) to compensate for the added ingredient.
Great, thank you!
Hi, Has anyone tried to freeze this (before adding the avocado)?
Thanks,
Lauren
This was delicious! I added olives and the jalapeño’s that I used was sweet and hot in a jar…This was beyond delicious! Thanks for sharing.
I had always wanted to try Quinoa and this sounded like a very simple and delicious recipe. And it is!!! I love it! So delicious and filling! I am hooked! The avocado and the lime give it a yummy twist too! Thank you!
Wow!. Your pictures are fantastic, can’t wait to try out the quinoa and the salmon.
Made this last night…so easy and so delicious! Thank you for sharing it!!!
As a homeschooling SAHM, I’m always looking for easy recipes that I can reheat for a quick lunch. I make this one all the times and serve it over shredded green cabbage. Have also brought to a couple of gatherings, and everyone loves it. Trying your one pot chili mac and cheese tonight in cold Boise! Thanks so much 🙂
I made this for lunch today and it was awesome!! This will definitely be added to my “quick and easy” recipe repertoire! It literally took less than 10 minutes to get everything in the pot, then I left the kitchen to work on other things until it was ready. A few notes on my own cooking experience: it took my quinoa closer to 40 minutes to cook to the right consistency, but that’s no big deal. I just kept an eye on it until the germ rings appeared and most of the soupiness had evaporated. Also, I added some chopped red pepper and green onions at the end to add some cold and snappy textures, along with some feta crumbles (because pretty much every dish anywhere is made better by adding a little cheese 🙂 ). Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!