This one pan Mexican quinoa with black beans and corn is super easy to make, packed with protein, and so comforting! It’s the perfect dinner recipe for busy days! I love eating it with fresh parsley and avocado.
This easy Mexican quinoa is incredibly healthy and I absolutely LOVE making it one busy weekdays. The recipe is super simple and ready in only 25 minutes! We make it all the time!
Ever since I’ve first tried quinoa, I absolutely loved it! I usually use it to make salads and sometimes we also eat it as a side dish. For a salad I mostly use tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, mint, and parsley.
And in the winter, I love making a quinoa soup with tomatoes and kale. It’s actually my mom’s recipe and it’s sooo good!
This One Pan Mexican Quinoa Is:
- vegan and gluten-free
- super easy to make (25 minutes is all it takes!)
- a great weeknight dinner for the whole family
- packed with nutrients thanks to the quinoa and the black beans
- super flavorful
- healthy
One Pan Mexican Quinoa – What You’ll Need
You don’t need any unusual ingredients for this vegan one pan Mexican quinoa. Except for the bell peppers and the other fresh ingredients (parsley and lime), you might even have everything in your pantry waiting for you.
You’ll need:
- quinoa (big surprise here! Haha!)
- black beans
- frozen corn
- 1 red onion
- garlic
- 2 bell peppers (I used an orange and a red one)
- paprika powder
- cumin
- fresh lime juice
- chopped parsley
- vegetable broth
- canned diced tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- red pepper flakes (optional)
As always, you can find the full ingredient list and the recipe instructions in a separate recipe box underneath the text section.
How To Make This One Pan Mexican Quinoa
The recipe is super simple. You basically just sauté the onion and the garlic and then you add the rest of the ingredients and cook everything for 20 minutes.
STEP 1: Heat some oil in a large pot or pan and sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes or until it becomes translucent. Then add the garlic and the bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.
STEP 2: Add the rest of the ingredients except for the lime juice, the green onions, and the parsley.
STEP 3: Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat. Stir once in a while to make sure your Mexican quinoa is not burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.
STEP 4: Then stir in the lime juice, the green onions, the parsley and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Serve with avocado on top.
Recipe Notes:
- For an extra boost of vitamins and iron, I usually add lots of fresh parsley. I always buy a huge bunch and then I just use the leftovers for green smoothies in the morning. Add it just before serving so you don’t lose any vitamins. And don’t forget to add some avocado on top.
- Quinoa has so many health benefits and I love how easy it is to prepare. The one pan Mexican quinoa is also great as some kind of salad or quick lunch. So you can just take the leftovers to work the next day or save them for a picnic.
- I usually cook my one pan Mexican quinoa between medium and high heat. As the temperature varies a bit, make sure to check once in a while that your quinoa is not burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan by stirring with a wooden spoon. If so, lower the heat.
- This recipe works best with a non-stick pot.
- Do you want to make this Mexican quinoa in your Instant Pot? No problem! I’ve also got an Instant Pot version.
- I’m not the biggest fan of fresh cilantro, so I used parsley instead. But feel free to use cilantro for an even more authentic version.
- Make sure to rinse your uncooked quinoa using a fine mesh strainer before adding it. This way you will get rid of all the bitter flavors.
Do you want to make this Mexican quinoa a bit spicier?
Are you a fan of spicy food? Then add some chili powder or jalapeños to the Mexican quinoa. Or stir in some hot sauce before serving it.
Can I freeze the Mexican quinoa?
Yes, no problem! Quinoa freezes really well. So you could even double the recipe and freeze some for later to have an easy dinner ready when life gets busy.
More Delicious and Easy Vegan Quinoa Recipes You Might Like:
- Vegan Burrito Bowl with Quinoa (Instant Pot)
- Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa
- Quinoa Soup with Kale and Tomatoes
- Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers (Slow Cooker)
- 23 Healthy Vegan Quinoa Recipes
I LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS!
I hope you like this one pan Mexican quinoa as much as we do around here.
If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
One Pan Mexican Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 bell peppers, chopped (I used an orange and a red one)
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked and pre-rinsed
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 3 cups canned diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon paprika powder
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- juice of one lime
- 2 green onions
- 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- red pepper flakes
- 1 avocado, to serve
Instructions
- Heat some oil in a large pot or pan and sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes or until it becomes translucent. Then add the garlic and the bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes on high heat.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except for the lime juice, the green onions, and the parsley.
- Cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes. As the temperature varies a bit, make sure to check once in a while that your quinoa is not burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan by stirring with a wooden spoon. If so, lower the heat.
- Then stir in the lime juice, the green onions, the parsley and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Serve with avocado on top.
Notes
- For an extra boost of vitamins and iron, I usually add lots of fresh parsley. I always buy a huge bunch and then I just use the leftovers for green smoothies in the morning. Add it just before serving so you don't lose any vitamins. And don't forget to add some avocado on top.
- Quinoa has so many health benefits and I love how easy it is to prepare. The one pan Mexican quinoa is also great as some kind of salad or quick lunch. So you can just take the leftovers to work the next day or save them for a picnic.
- I usually cook my one pan Mexican quinoa between medium and high heat. As the temperature varies a bit, make sure to check once in a while that your quinoa is not burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan by stirring with a wooden spoon. If so, lower the heat.
- This recipe works best with a non-stick pot.
- Do you want to make this Mexican quinoa in your Instant Pot? No problem! I've also got an Instant Pot version.
- I'm not the biggest fan of fresh cilantro, so I used parsley instead. But feel free to use cilantro for an even more authentic version.
- Make sure to rinse your uncooked quinoa using a fine mesh strainer before adding it. This way you will get rid of all the bitter flavors.
This meal was absolutely fire! I love the simplicity of it as well as the fact that it can be modified according to your taste and/or mood. Thanks for this. The girlfriend also loved it a lot.
I made this for a work morning tea and had so many people ask for the recipe, It really is a quick easy dish to make and very tasty
It is actually delicious. I have eaten it chilled from fridge and warm of course from microwave. It is completely good for lunch, dinner, or when I’m in rush and I haven’t eaten anything all day. It is refreshing and satisfying. Sometimes I add lots of kale and/or spinach after the onion, before the bell peppers. I like to see greens in my food. I have tried both separated paprika or chilli powder, and it tastes good; careful with the amount of chilli powder haha. As well different spices. I have cooked this meal several times since Summer 2019. No regrets, and I do recommend it a lot.
Delicious and simple! I cut the recipe in half for myself and it came out great!
This was delicious. I added a few more spices, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. of oregano, 1/2 tsp. chili powder. I also served chopped cilantro on top and ate it in flour tortillas. Had plenty to share with my neighbor and leftovers for me and hubby.
I’ve made this numerous times and it is so amazingly tasty. SO GOOD!
Note: Also very lean!