A simple, nutritious, super easy one-pan Mexican quinoa, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or lunch meal prep!
I don't know about you, but it seems like I have less and less time during the week to prepare healthy dinners. Between raising a 9-month-old, working full time and volunteering, it's hard to find time to grocery shop, much less make dinner every night!
That's why I love this one-pan Mexican quinoa--it's filling, nutritious, loaded with veggies, and yummy! It has all my favorite Mexican flavors, like avocado, black beans, jalapeño, cilantro and lime. Even the older girls loved this recipe, and it's so hard to get them to eat their veggies, so you know that makes it a winner in my book. Plus, clean up is super easy since there's only one pan to wash!
I also love that this Mexican quinoa recipe is super-versatile. Dairy-free? Just leave off the sour cream and cheese garnishes. Vegetarian? Perfect! Eat the dish as-is. Meat eater? You can add shredded chicken, or pork carnitas to make it even more filling. You could even wrap this in a tortilla for a burrito or use it as a chip-dip as an appetizer. The options are endless!
How To Make One-pan Mexican Quinoa
This Mexican quinoa recipe is super easy, and comes together in under 45 minutes, perfect for a weeknight dinner or meal-prepping on Sunday.
First, chop your veggies and rinse and drain the quinoa. Next, toast the quinoa in the pan and push it to the side to sauté the onion in olive oil until it's translucent. Add the garlic and jalapeño, and then add the vegetable broth, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, black beans and spices. Bring everything to a boil and then cover and simmer until the quinoa is cooked through. Remove the quinoa from the heat and stir in your lime juice, cilantro and avocado, and top with shredded cheese and sour cream, green onions and lime wedges and serve!
Why stop at Mexican quinoa? Make it a Mexican-themed dinner and serve this with tortilla chips, my homemade guacamole and a classic margarita! If you made this recipe, I'd love it if you left me a comment and a review!
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One Pan Mexican Quinoa
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 31 minutes
- Total Time: 41 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
A simple, nutritious, super easy one-pan Mexican quinoa, perfect for weeknight dinners or lunch meal prep!
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 2 tomatoes on the vine, seeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 limes (1 ½ limes juiced, cut remaining ½ lime into wedges)
- 1 medium avocado, pitted and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- Shredded Mexican blend cheese (optional)
- Greek yogurt or sour cream (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse and drain quinoa.
- Add quinoa to the pan over medium heat and toast until quinoa dries and begins to smell nutty, about 5 minutes.
- Push quinoa to the side and add 1 tablespoon olive oil; add diced onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and jalapeño to the onions and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add vegetable broth, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, black beans, cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir to incorporate all ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until quinoa is cooked and liquid fully absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, cilantro and avocado just before serving.
- Garnish with Mexican-blend shredded cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, green onions and lime wedges.
Notes
Storing: This dish keeps well in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, and can be reheated or eaten cold. When storing leftovers, place the quinoa in a Tupperware or glass container, cover with plastic wrap (so the plastic wrap is touching the surface of the quinoa, so as not to let any air in) and then cover with a tight-fitting lid. This will help prevent the avocado from browning.
Adapted from Damn Delicious.
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