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.
Ever since I’ve first tried quinoa, I absolutely loved it! I usually use it to make salads (mostly with tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and parsley) and sometimes we also eat it as a side dish. Oh and in the winter, I love making a quinoa soup with tomatoes and kale. I really gotta post this recipe (it’s actually my mom’s) on the blog in the coming months. It’s sooo good! But first, I’ve the recipe for this one pan Mexican quinoa for you guys. It’s incredibly healthy and I absolutely LOVE making it one busy weekdays. The recipe is super simple and ready in only 25 minutes!
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 red 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. 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 them for 20 minutes.
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. And don’t forget to add some avocado on top. Yummy!! 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 hope you like this one pan Mexican quinoa as much as we do around here! Look out for more vegan one pot recipes in the next weeks. I’m planning to put together a massive roundup of vegan one pot meals soon. In the meantime, you can check out my creamy Asian one pot pasta (it’s made with coconut milk and red curry paste) or my recipe for one pot spaghetti with kale, broccoli, tomatoes, and tons of other veggies. They’re both so easy!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Sina – xx
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
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 3 cups canned diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can black beans
- 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. 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.
In your recipe, you never mention when to use the broth or the quinoa. I assumed separately, but you might want to clarify.
Hi Sarah, I just had a look at the recipe again. It’s in the second step. You just add the remaining ingredients at once (including the quinoa and the vegetable broth). Super easy! And then later on you add the lemon juice, the green onions, and the parsley. Hope you like this recipe. We make it all the time. :-)
We love this recipe!! Making it for a second time right now! We do add one cleaned (no seeds or membrane) to the onions and garlic. I am curious if there is a certain kind of Quinona you recommend? Am new to quinoa and noticed tricolor, white, red — suggestions?
Omg this is so good 😊 it’s a Keeper👍🏼👍🏼
In your first lost of ingredients you mention diced tomatoes. When I started making it it says crushed. Which is it?
Hi Heather,
Sorry for the confusion and thanks so much for letting me know! I used diced tomatoes for the recipe, but I’m sure it would work with crushed tomatoes as well. Hope that helps and you like it. :-)
Hi, I don’t like corn. Otherwise, this dish would be great for me. Can you recommend a good substitute?
Hi Sandy, It’s still great without the corn. :-) You could just use more bell pepper instead. Hope you like the recipe!
I’ll give it a try tonight. Thanks!
I used sweet potato as a substitute and although it doesn’t seem like much of a substitute it sure as hell tastes good!
I made this tonight and am not sure if the consistency is right. My family liked it, but it was quite mushy. Is it supposed to be like that? It’s hard to tell from the picture. I didn’t have crushed tomatoes so used diced tomatoes instead. Not sure if that changed it?
Hi Ali,
Did you maybe still have too much liquid? I don’t think the tomatoes changed it much. I’m glad you guys still liked it. :-) The consistency should be like a vegetarian chili. Maybe that helps.
(1) 15 ounce can of black beans yields about 1.5 cups, do you actually use (2) cans to get 3 cups of beans or just the (1) 15 ounce can in this recipe?
Hi Allison,
I’m so sorry for the confusion! I didn’t mean to write 3 cups in the recipe, this must have been some problem with my recipe plugin. Just deleted it. I only used one can of black beans. :-)
Hope you like the recipe!
It still says (~3 cups) ;)
Now it should be gone for good! :D Thanks!!
Looks amazing! What temp are you suppose to cook it for the 20 minutes at? I don’t see that listed.
Hi Tanith
I cooked it on high heat. :-)
You cook this in high heat for the 20 minutes?
Hi Brianna,
Yes, 20 minutes on high heat covered with a lid. :-)
Hope you like it!
Im wondering about the beans. 1 15 oz can is not 3 cups. Should I use two cans?
Hi Veronica,
I’m so sorry for the confusion! I didn’t mean to write 3 cups in the recipe, this must have been some problem with my recipe plugin. Just deleted it. I only used one can of black beans. :-)
Hope you like the recipe!
Without the lid? I thought the recipe said cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes?
Oh sorry for the confusion, Tania! I meant 20 minutes on high heat covered with a lid. :-)
Ok good, that’s what I did, it was delicious, thank you for this uncreavtive persons dinner. Lol. Thanks a bunch
So glad you liked it, Brianna! :-)
We made this for dinner last night and my hubby and I absolutely loved it! I served it with guacamole and fresh cilantro. Thank you!!
Should the quinoa already be cooked when you add it or no?
Hi Victoria,
No, you add the quinoa uncooked. Super easy! :-)
Hope you like it!
We are in a family dinner menu rut. Looking for new recipes, I made this tonight. We have never had quinoa before, but I really wanted to try some to see what it is like. This dish was very quick and easy. The flavor was good and spicy. This is definitely a must try recipe! Thanks!
I love black beans because it’s healthy. your recipe easy to make! thanks you!
Do you drain the beans and tomatoes
This was fantastic! I added a tablespoon of Chile powder. I cooked it on medium high for 20minutes. I never lifted the lid to stir. I served it in deep fried taco shells with lettuce, onions and tomatoes. This will become part of my rotation. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe!
Hi Sina. My wife and I just made this. You show prep time as 5 minutes. It took us closer to 20 minutes. We found to chop two peppers, one onion, one cup of parsley and two green onions along with opening all of the cans needed, took a bit longer than 5 minutes? Do you have tips to speed the prep time along?
What a great recipe! So easy and quick and sooo delicious thank you! A great quick meal through the fall and winter months!
Are we supposed to use Cooked black beans?
Hi Hilda,
Yes, you need cooked black beans. :-)
My daughter and i made this recipe tonight. It turned out so delicious! Whole family enjoyed it. Thanks!
I cooked this in my crockpot. I left the last 3 ingrediants until i got home and added them then.
This was an amazingly delisious meal which i will be preparing again. For those that are not to good with quinoa sub for lentils if you dont like corn sub for chick peas or frozen peas. Thanks so much Sina for this recipe
How long in crockpot and at what temperature? Thanks
Just made this and it is delicious. Except for the quinoa and avocado everything else is allowed on Weight Watchers Free style.
This looks amazing! do you have any idea of the calorie content per serving? Thanks!
Are you supposed to drain the beans? I used canned corn instead of frozen so I definitely drain those but wasn’t sure about the beans
Hi Eve,
You should definitely drain and rinse the beans.
Hope you like the recipe. :-)
I made this last night for me and my non vegan boyfriend….I will definitely be making it again. We both loved it!
Made this last night and I am eating the leftovers for lunch right now! This was SO GOOD. One of my favorite dishes is Mexican rice, and this is a fantastic healthier version. Followed the recipe to a tee, except for using a white inion instead of a red onion (red onions give me heart burn) and it was very easy and delicious!
Wow. This looks awesome and easy clean up. Thanks for the recipe Sina
You have step one as being on “high heat” but you don’t say what temperature it should be at for step 2. Mine burnt.
Really enjoyed this dish. The flavours were good and so easy and quick to make. Thank you so much.
Delicious! The whole family enjoyed this dish. We used the leftovers to make nachos the following night. Great dish for a busy weeknight ❤
Really enjoyed this dish as a newly vegan chef looking for a hearty meal. My few tweaks would be to use half of the onion especially if adding green onions and turning the heat to low when you get it back up to a boil after adding all of the ingredients together so that it doesn’t burn. A few optional extras I decided to put in after I plated was cilantro and a deseeded chopped serrano for kick. Also a dollop of a vegan sour cream compliments the dish nicely.
Hi, have you served this dish cold? I’m trying to get some meal prep ideas for my boyfriend who cannot heat lunches
Many thanks
Erin
Hi Erin,
Yes, it’s also great cold. :-) It’s more like a salad this way.
Let me know how you guys liked it!
Sina
This recipe was totally amazing! I will make this every week from now on. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Delicious recipe, I will make this again for sure.
Delicious! I subbed fresh tomatoes and fresh corn and increased the liquid a bit. A little jalepeno green sauce vs the red pepper flakes made it perfect for us. Thanks!
This recipe is fantastic! This was the second time I made it. Perfect as it is! I did add about a dozen chopped Kalamata olives. Also for better color and less sodium I rinsed the black beans. This makes more like 8 servings.
I made this last night for my lunches this week and it was soooo good! I completely forgot the lime, but it was still delicious without it. My boyfriend is super picky but he still enjoyed it as well! :)
Hi , any suggestions in making in an instapot?
Hi Sherie, I actually got an Instant Pot version on the blog as well. Here’s the link: https://veganheaven.org/recipe/vegan-burrito-bowl-with-quinoa/ I make this all the time and we love it! Hope that helps! :-)
It looks delicious. I wish this were in front of me right now.
Hi Sina,
Are the canned tomatoes drained, and how many ounces do you recommend to make three cups?
Hi Kay,
No, the canned tomatoes are not drained as you need the liquid for the recipe. Hope you like it. :-)
And you need a 28 oz can of tomatoes. Just forgot to mention that in my previous comment.
Hi! Can prep this recipe and freece it?
Looking forward to trying this! Have you ever tried it with any other grains? I’m a huge fan of farro, but I wonder if it would take too long to cook it?
Loved it! Turned out perfect!
I tried this recipe and it is an absolute winner! Will guaranteed make this again :) thank you!