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!
I add chopped chicken breast, one green bell pepper and onion. All of her recipes rock!
I just finished cocking.
A vegetarian cocking dad, among a family of meat eaters.
They all look at my dish, knowing it’s the best dish served tonight.
Thankx
Guy
It looks yummy. I have never cooked with quinoa before so it will be exciting to try. Just bought a new skillet and this will be the first meal I cook with it.
Will i be able to freeze the leaftovers?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. I recommend using your best judgement for freezing and reheating leftovers.
Thank i will give it a go with freezing. I am eating right now (dinnertime here) and it is very tasty. I didn’t have enough corn so I added some frozen peas for the last few minutes
I’ve been making this for 2 years and I freeze lunch size portions all the time. This is good Hot or cold
Any idea how many cups per serving? And how many weight watchers points plus it would be?
Unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I do not feel comfortable providing nutritional information for my recipes. I recommend using online resources at your discretion to obtain such information. As for serving size, I would suggest 1-2 cups per servings.
Mine did not absorb all of the liquid so it is a little watery. Is this normal? How do I fix that?
Stephanie, make sure the lid is completely covering the skillet and that the heat is set to a very low setting.
Oh, this is great! I’ve been wanting to try quinoa. I’m so glad I found this recipe to spice things up a bit. Definitely trying this one! Pinned. Thanks for the creativity!!
This looks delicious! Do you think it could be prepared in a rice cooker?
Unfortunately, I have not tried using a rice cooker so I cannot answer this with certainty. It is best to use a skillet to obtain the best results possible.
So excited to have found this recipe (and your blog)! I have two kids, 1 and 3, and they both ate this up…plus it was so simple to make, perfect for week days when I forget to meal plan. Thanks!!
I have been making this recipe for years, and I just thought I should leave you a comment 🙂
This recipe is delicious as written, so easy with ingredients you likely already have on hand, minimal dishes and minimal babysitting of the stove. This is a weeknight go-to for me, especially when I’m multitasking in the kitchen (preparing lunches or chopping veggies for the next night, etc.). So convenient and delicious! I have made it many times without the fresh ingredients, but definitely recommend adding the lime juice and avocado when possible. This recipe is hearty and healthy, and can also easily be used as a taco filling with all the vegan fixings if you’re looking for comfort food! Thanks for the yummy recipe!!
I just made for lunch and it is so goooood!!! I have been trying your recipes and always turned out great!! My next one will be chicken salad sandwich using greek yogurt. Thanks for those amazing recipes!!
I don’t have much experience with quinoa. Would this be okay served at room temperature?
Yes, it should be just fine.
Made this last week and really enjoyed it. There was only two of us, and it left a lot of leftovers for the week (had grilled chicken with it) which is perfect. Thanks for sharing!
I love the recipes but I wish you would include the nutritional info with these so we can see how it works for our dietary plans.
Unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I am not comfortable sharing nutritional information of my recipes. Please use online resources to obtain such information.
I’m confused (easily done). Is this a main dish or a side?? It looks really yummy and I want to make it, I’m just not sure what category it falls in.
Laura, this is really to be served as a main dish.
I made this earlier today for a party. It was a hit! Thank you a recipe that was easy and tastes as good as it looks! Check out my pic on my Instagram page: jalasgirl
Loved this recipe since I first made it !!!
“One pan” got my attention and the flavors & ease keep me coming back
Got the nurses I work with hooked on this recipe too
Thanks for sharing
Do you drain the tomatoes before adding or use the juices?
The tomatoes should not be drained prior to adding.
You’re absolutely right. Damn delicious 🙂
This was fab! I used normal tinned tomatoes, borlotti beans and I added half a pepper and a courgette (to use them up). really delicious so thank you!
Fabulous!!! Will make again and again!!!
I just tried this tonight, and it is so delicious! I ate the avocado last night so didn’t have it to add, but I added a heaping tbsp of low fat sour cream to a serving. It was awesome! I’m considering adding some chopped onion with the garlic to the next batch I make. Love your blog!