Inspired by the bold flavors of Mexican cuisine, this protein-packed Mexican Quinoa is your new weeknight craving that’s ready in just 35 minutes using a single pan! Bursting with smoky spices, black beans, sweet corn, and fresh lime, it’s a versatile side that pairs perfectly with tacos, fajitas, or enchiladas.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Olive oil – Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for softening the onion and jalapeno.
- Onion – I’ve used yellow onion, but white onion works too. Red onion can be added for a touch of sweetness.
- Jalapeno – Remove the ribs for less heat or leave them in.
- Garlic – Minced garlic cloves add the best depth of flavor.
- Beans – Canned black beans are great for this Mexican-inspired dish. Make sure to drain and rinse the beans before adding to the rest of the ingredients.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes – The perfect addition to add a kick of spice and loads of smokey flavor.
- Corn – I’ve used frozen corn kernels, but you can use leftover corn from making Instant Pot Corn on the Cob.
- Quinoa – The key ingredient for this dish. White quinoa is the most popular and allows the colors of other ingredients to shine through, but you could also experiment with red quinoa, brown, black, or a tri-color blend.
- Broth – Vegetable broth, chicken stock, bone broth, or water as the main cooking liquid for cooking the quinoa.
- Seasoning – A classic combination of spices and seasonings that you’ll find in Mexican dishes, such as chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Lime juice – Freshly squeezed for a bright and zingy flavor.
- Cilantro – Freshly chopped cilantro mixed in just before serving for a pop of color and fresh flavor.
- Avocado – Slices added as a garnish to your assembled Mexican quinoa.
How to make it
Step 1
Saute the aromatics
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion and jalapeño with a pinch of salt and pepper; and cook until softened (about 4–5 minutes).
- Stir in garlic until fragrant (30 seconds).
Step 2
Simmer the quinoa
- Add drained black beans, tomatoes, corn, quinoa, broth, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and salt.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.
- Simmer until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed (about 25–30 minutes).
Step 3
Garnish and serve
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Stir in lime juice and cilantro; and season to taste.
- Top the assembled Mexican quinoa with avocado slices and serve warm.
More ways to cook quinoa
Skip the stovetop – your rice cooker and Instant Pot deliver perfectly fluffy quinoa with even less effort! Learn how with these two methods below:
- Cook Quinoa in a Rice Cooker: Simply rinse, add liquid (1:2 ratio), and use the white rice setting. Let it steam, then fluff!
- Cook Quinoa in an Instant Pot: Rinse, then cook damp quinoa with water/salt on Manual (1 min high pressure + 10 min natural release). Fluff and serve!
Tips and tricks
- Rinse the quinoa -This removes saponin – a natural coating that can leave a bitter taste. Even pre-rinsed quinoa benefits from a quick rinse, just swirl it in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Cook in bone broth – Boost flavor and nutrition by cooking your Mexican quinoa in bone broth instead of water – it adds rich depth and extra protein.
- Easily double – You can make as little or as much as you’d like, as long as your skillet is large enough to hold all of the ingredients. There is no need to adjust the cook time.
- Frozen corn – I’ve used frozen corn so that they don’t turn overly soft from the simmering. If you decide to use fresh corn or leftover corn on the cob, only mix it in towards the end of the recipe.
Variations
Customize this Mexican quinoa to your liking with these easy variations – boost protein, adjust the heat, swap grains, or load up on veggies!
- Protein boost -Add carnitas, shredded chicken, or shrimp to this Mexican quinoa for a delicious boost of healthy protein and to transform this dish into a standalone meal.
- Extra heat -Add in 1 chopped chipotle pepper and include 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce from the can, as I’ve done in this Mexican Street Corn Salad.
- Long grain white rice – If you don’t enjoy quinoa, but want the same flavors of this dish, consider making it with rice instead. You can check out my Mexican Rice recipe for full details.
- Spanish quinoa -Use saffron in this recipe if you want a Spanish quinoa twist.
- Vegan Mexican quinoa – Use vegetable broth instead of bone broth to make this Mexican quinoa.
- Add more veggies – Sneak in more veggies, such as saute diced carrots, or green bell pepper along with the onions. You can also add frozen peas.
Serving suggestions
Make a complete meal by pairing this quinoa with your favorite Mexican-inspired recipes, or try these pairings instead:
Storing
Store leftover Mexican quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can reheat it in the microwave until warmed through.
To freeze, let the quinoa cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or freezer-safe resealable bag. Freeze for up to 1 month and thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to reheat and enjoy again.
Erin’s wine pairings for Mexican quinoa
- This is a Mexican-inspired dish, after all, which means that you shouldn’t overlook Mango Michelada, Grilled Pineapple Margarita, or a Paloma.
- That said, if you’re more of a wine fan, it’s best to stick with herbaceous, more fruit-forward white wines with high acidity, like Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.
More quinoa-based recipes
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Full Recipe
Mexican Quinoa
Inspired by the bold flavors of Mexican cuisine, this protein-packed Mexican Quinoa is your new weeknight craving that’s ready in just 35 minutes using a single pan! Bursting with smoky spices, black beans, sweet corn, and fresh lime, it’s a versatile side that pairs perfectly with tacos, fajitas, or enchiladas.
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Serves 6 people
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 1 jalapeño (chopped (ribs removed for less heat))
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 15-ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 ¼ cup vegetable broth (or chicken stock or bone broth or water)
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Kosher salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 1 lime (juiced)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 1 avocado (peeled, pitted and sliced)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and jalapeno and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until softened, 4-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the black beans, tomatoes, corn, quinoa, vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin, paprika and salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then cover the skillet and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the quinoa is fluffy and the liquids are mostly absorbed, 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with the sliced avocado and enjoy.
Notes
Storing
- Store leftover Mexican quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can reheat it in the microwave until warmed through.
- To freeze, let the quinoa cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or freezer-safe resealable bag. Freeze for up to 1 month and thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to reheat and enjoy again.
- Rinse the quinoa – This removes saponin – a natural coating that can leave a bitter taste. Even pre-rinsed quinoa benefits from a quick rinse, just swirl it in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Cook in bone broth – Boost flavor and nutrition by cooking your Mexican quinoa in bone broth instead of water – it adds rich depth and extra protein.
- Easily double – You can make as little or as much as you’d like, as long as your skillet is large enough to hold all of the ingredients. There is no need to adjust the cook time.
- Frozen corn – I’ve used frozen corn so that they don’t turn overly soft from the simmering. If you decide to use fresh corn or leftover corn on the cob, only mix it in towards the end of the recipe.
- Protein boost – Add shrimp or shredded chicken to this Mexican quinoa for a delicious boost of healthy protein and to transform this dish into a standalone meal.
- Extra heat – Add in 1 chopped chipotle pepper and include 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce from the can, as I’ve done in this Mexican Street Corn Salad.
- Long grain white rice – If you don’t enjoy quinoa, but want the same flavors of this dish, consider making it with rice instead. You can check out my Mexican Rice recipe for full details.
- Spanish quinoa – Use saffron in this recipe if you want a Spanish quinoa twist.
- Vegan Mexican quinoa – Use vegetable broth instead of bone broth to make this Mexican quinoa.
- Add more veggies – Sneak in more veggies, such as saute diced carrots, or green bell pepper along with the onions. You can also add frozen peas.
Nutrition
Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 406mg | Potassium: 502mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 433IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!
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