Light, healthy, and nutritious, Mexican Quinoa is an easy-to-make dish that comes together in under 30 minutes. It’s made in just one pot where all the ingredients come together to make a medley of flavors.
Trying to include quinoa in your everyday diet? Then here I have some more recipes for you that you can try – Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Shrimp Quinoa Fried Rice, Grilled Paneer Quinoa Salad, Cilantro Lime Quinoa, and Instant Pot Quinoa.
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About This Recipe
Mexican Quinoa is a delicious and fun Mexican twist on regular quinoa. It is light, healthy, nutritious, and comes together in one pot in under 30 minutes.
This Mexican style Quinoa is protein-rich, packed with veggies, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. This dish has some amazing flavors going on and is super easy to make as well.
Make this one pot healthy recipe using quinoa and vegetables. It has perfect Mexican flavors and is good for any meal.
All you have to do is throw everything in one pot, yes, even quinoa gets cooked along with the rest of the ingredients. Serve it as a main course for a light weekday meal or as a side dish with your Mexican themed meal.
This Mexican Quinoa is,
- One-Pot dish
- Vegan
- Dairy-Free
- Gluten-Free
- Protein Rich
- Easy & Quick
- Packed with Mexican flavors
Ingredients
Quinoa – It is great to include it in your everyday meals, as quinoa is rich in protein and dietary fibers. You will easily find it in your nearby stores. I used white quinoa but you can use whichever variety you like.
Saponin, a naturally occurring chemical coats every tiny grain of quinoa. It’s there to ward off insects, but it has a strong, unpleasant taste. Rinsing the quinoa gets rid of the saponin and thus its bitter flavor.
Rinse the quinoa properly with water before you cook it. I use a soup strainer to rinse it as its grains are too small they will wash off if you try to rinse it in a bowl.
These days, pre-rinsed quinoa is also available in the market. If you want to reduce your time in the kitchen, go for it.
Veggies – You can add as many veggies as you want. It is also actually a great way to include some veggies in your everyday diet. Here, I have added red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, corn, peas, and carrot.
Black Beans – Rinse the black beans properly before you add them to the quinoa. You can use a can or cook them at home using my easy Instant Pot Black Beans recipe.
Jalapeno – This is my fav ingredient that adds a Mexican touch to the quinoa. It adds a nice and spicy kick to the dish. You can adjust the quantity depending upon how spicy you want the quinoa to be.
Tomato Puree – Add in a little tomato puree for the tartness. I will suggest you add store-bought tomato puree for a better taste.
Vegetable Stock – To cook everything together, add in some vegetable stock. You can either make it at home using my Vegetable Stock Recipe or use a store-bought one.
Oil – Use a good quality olive oil to prepare Mexican quinoa. But in case you cannot find it, then you can use any vegetable oil too.
Seasonings – To enhance the flavor a little more, add in some seasonings such as salt, black pepper powder, cumin powder, and paprika. Cumin powder and paprika adds a perfect Mexican touch to this recipe.
Others – Apart from the above-mentioned ingredients, you will need onion and garlic, which together add a lot of flavors that no other ingredient can do.
How to make Mexican Quinoa?
Heat 4 tbsp light olive oil in a medium size heavy bottom large pan with a tight fitting lid.
Once the oil is hot, add 2 tsp chopped garlic and 1 cup chopped onion and fry till the onion turns pinkish color. Keep stirring occasionally. It will take 2-3 minutes on high heat.
Add 1 cup of quinoa to a soup strainer and rinse it well with water. Slightly rub the grains while rinsing to get rid of all the saponin, the coating over the seeds which make them bitter. If using pre-rinsed quinoa, skip this step. Add the rinsed quinoa to the pan and saute for 3-4 minutes, until it absorbs the oil. Keep stirring gently.
Add 1 chopped Jalapeno pepper (or according to your taste), ¼ cup chopped bell peppers, ¼ cup frozen peas, ¼ cup frozen corn, ¼ cup cubed carrot, and ½ cup cooked black beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. If using canned beans, rinse them before adding them to the pan.
Add 4 tbsp tomato puree, salt to taste, ½ tsp black pepper powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, and ½ tsp paprika along with 1 and ¼ cup vegetable stock and mix everything gently. Cover the pot with the lid tightly and cook the quinoa on low heat till done. It will take 20-25 minutes.
Once the quinoa is cooked and all the water is absorbed, remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa gently with a fork. Serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make it in a slow cooker, add all the ingredients in the pot of the cooker. Cover the lid and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
You can always experiment and add in your favorite veggies. You can select from Carrot, Beans, Corn Kernels, Green Peas, Capsicum, Red, and Yellow Bell Pepper, Mushrooms, Broccoli, Baby Corn, Green Onions, Spinach, etc.
If you are not a Quinoa fan, you can substitute it with Brown Rice, Broken Wheat, or even CousCous, or may make the authentic version with some White Rice.
Storage Suggestions
Mexican Quinoa will last in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. Reheat it in a pan or microwave before serving again If you feel it has become a little dry, sprinkle a little water or broth on top while reheating.
It can be easily be frozen. Transfer it to a freezer-safe box and freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to eat, thaw it on the counter for 4-5 hours and then microwave until warm
This recipe is great for meal prep too. Divide it into meal prep containers, refrigerate, and use as planned.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this as a Mexican quinoa bowl. You can top this dish with Guacamole, Salsa, with lots of Shredded Cheese and Sour Cream. This Bowl is a full meal in itself and needs no other things to go along with it.
You can serve this topped with a sunny side up egg or fried egg for breakfast.
Use it as filling for taco, quesadilla, or burrito.
Make it into a casserole. Transfer it to a baking tray and top with shredded cheddar cheese. bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese melts.
To make Mexican quinoa totally vegan and dairy-free, top it with avocado or guacamole, vegan cheese, and aioli sauce.
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Recipe Card
Mexican Quinoa Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon light olive oil
- 2 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 chopped Jalapeno
- ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
- ¼ cup chopped yellow bell pepper
- ¼ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup frozen corn
- ¼ cup cubed carrot
- ½ cup black beans (rinsed)
- 4 tablespoon tomato puree (use 3 tbsp tomato paste if tomato puree is not available.)
- 1 and ¼ cup veg stock
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Heat 4 tbsp light olive oil in a medium size heavy bottom large pan with a tight fitting lid.
- Once the oil is hot, add 2 tsp chopped garlic and 1 cup chopped onion and fry till the onion turns pinkish color. Keep stirring occasionally. It will take 2-3 minutes on high heat.
- Add 1 cup of quinoa to a soup strainer and rinse it well with water. Slightly rub the grains while rinsing to get rid of all the saponin, the coating over the seeds which make them bitter. If using pre-rinsed quinoa, skip this step. Add the rinsed quinoa to the pan and saute for 3-4 minutes, until it absorbs the oil. Keep stirring gently.
- Add 1 chopped Jalapeno pepper (or according to your taste), ¼ cup chopped bell peppers, ¼ cup frozen peas, ¼ cup frozen corn, ¼ cup cubed carrot, and ½ cup cooked black beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. If using canned beans, rinse them before adding them to the pan.
- Add 4 tbsp tomato puree, salt to taste, ½ tsp black pepper powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, and ½ tsp paprika along with 1 and ¼ cup vegetable stock and mix everything gently. Cover the pot with the lid tightly and cook the quinoa on low heat till done. It will take 20-25 minutes.
- Once the quinoa is cooked and all the water is absorbed, remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa gently with a fork. Serve hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!