One-Pan Mexican Quinoa (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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THIS FAIL-PROOF ONE-PAN MEXICAN QUINOA IS THE PERFECT WEEKNIGHT DINNER, READY IN JUST 30 MINUTES. IF YOU LOVE MEXICAN FOOD, THIS IS YOUR RECIPE!

If thinking about black beans, juicy tomatoes, crunchy sweet corn, and creamy avocados makes you drool, you are in the right place!

I made this Mexican quinoa the other day. The sky was so blue and the sun was finally warm enough that Dan and I decided to eat in the garden.

I didn’t have much time to cook. I needed something I could throw together in a few minutes. Something that I could easily pack to bring outside. Something warm and spicy, that will fill me up with goodness.

Nothing better than some Mexican flavors combined with some protein-packed quinoa.

What I love about this Mexican quinoa is that:

• It comes together in just 30 minutes. And it honestly takes less than 10 minutes to prep: the rest is about you waiting for it to cook!
• You can cook everything in one pan, which means less washing up.
• It’s perfect on its own for a plant-based meal, but you can eat it’s delicious as a side dish too.

Plus I have a confession to make: 

I am not a big fan of leftovers. This means that if I have enough time, I much rather have fresh meals every day.

But from time to time, I put together recipes that are perfect to eat even a couple of days later and still taste amazing. And this Mexican quinoa is one of them!

Believe it or not, you can meal prep this in advance and it’s even better if you let it sit in the fridge for a day or two, as the flavors get time to melt together.

A winner!

How to cook Mexican Quinoa

The great thing about this recipe is that there isn’t much prep time and chopping. You just have to crush the garlic, dice the avocado, rinse the beans and you are pretty much ready to go.

You will need:

• Quinoa
• Water (or vegetable broth)
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Cumin
• Black Beans
• Corn
• Chopped tomatoes
• Jalapenos 
• Avocado
• The juice of 1 lime
• Fresh cilantro leaves

First, you need to saute the minced garlic in a bit of olive oil with the cumin, then add the black beans, corn, chopped tomatoes (or tomato sauce), jalapenos, and quinoa. 

After a minute add the water (or vegetable broth) and bring to a boil. Then cover, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, you can dice the avocado.

Then remove from the heat, and let it rest, still covered for 5 minutes. Resting allows the quinoa to become nice and fluffy, whilst absorbing more flavors from the other ingredients. 

Before serving, add the fresh chopped cilantro, and diced avocado. Plus a juicy lime wedge on each plate to add a bit of tanginess.

I prefer to eat my Mexican quinoa warm, but it’s great cold as well, especially in the summer.

Extra tips to make Mexican Quinoa

Quinoa

Believe it or not, there are over 100 types of quinoa. I used white quinoa for this recipe, but a mix of any type of quinoa is good. Just check the cooking time of your quinoa and taste it to make sure it’s cooked throughout. 

Also, when I normally cook quinoa I use 1 part uncooked quinoa and 2 parts water. But, as this recipe contains 1 can of tomatoes, you need less liquid to reach the perfect consistency. Which is why I use 1 part uncooked quinoa and 1 part water.

Water or vegetable broth?

I normally use water when I cook my quinoa, but if you want to add a bit more depth of flavor, vegetable broth is a great alternative. 

Do you need to rinse Quinoa before cooking?

The reason why most recipes mention to rinse quinoa before cooking it is that quinoa grains are coated with a substance called saponins, that can taste a bit soapy or bitter to some people.

If you are sensitive to it, then keep rinsing your quinoa. Plus, a lot of quinoa sold these days has been pre-rinsed. Checking your package can help you save time. 

But if you are not sensitive to saponins, you really won’t notice a difference. So if you are in a hurry, and can’t be bothered to rinse your quinoa, just throw it in the pan.

Want to know how I found out? One day I didn’t have time to rinse my quinoa, and I just cooked it! To me, it tasted as good as when I did. Since then, I stopped rinsing my quinoa, which saves me a good few minutes and a strainer to wash.

Spices

I used cumin in this recipe, but you can substitute it for dry coriander (also known as cilantro and a Mexican favorite). Other great spices to use in this recipe, depending on how spicy you like your food, are chili powder or paprika.

How to meal prep Mexican Quinoa

I love using quinoa in meal prep recipes. It keeps its consistency well for a few days in the fridge.

If you want to meal prep this Mexican quinoa recipe, simply follow all the steps and once ready, store it in airtight meal pre containers, like these ones.

If you are planning to keep quinoa in the fridge for over 2 days, you should not add the diced avocado. It’s better if you add it the night before eating it, or simply slice it on top in the morning, to avoid it going brown.

If you follow this step, you can keep this quinoa in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Can you freeze Mexican Quinoa?

Yes, you can cook this quinoa in advance and freeze it. Whenever you need it, just thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can either eat it cold or warm it up for 30-40 seconds in a microwave. 

Is quinoa Mexican?

Not really! Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America. And believe it or not, it was first used to feed livestock. It’s only about 3-4 thousand years ago that we (humans) started to consume it.

OTHER QUICK RECIPES YOU SHOULD TRY

Print Recipe

One-Pan Mexican Quinoa

This fail-proof one-pan Mexican quinoa is the perfect weeknight dinner recipe, ready in just 30 minutes. A flavorful recipe for Mexican food lovers!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Healthy Mexican Quinoa, Mexican Quinoa, One-Pan Mexican Quinoa

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 314kcal

Author: Sara @ Gathering Dreams

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water (or vegetable broth)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (15-ounce)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (15-ounce)
• 1 cup corn (frozen, canned or roasted)
• 1 jalapeno sliced
• A pinch of salt to taste
• 1 lime cut into wedges
• 1 avocado
• Some chopped fresh cilantro leaves

US - Metric

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan or skillet to medium-high heat.
• Add the minced garlic and cumin and stir frequently, for about 1 minute.
• Add the drained and rinsed black beans, chopped tomatoes, corn, chopped jalapenos and quinoa and stir well. After about a minute add the cup of water, and season with salt.
• Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for around 20 minutes (until the quinoa is cooked).
• In the meantime, dice the avocado.
• After 20 minutes remove from the pan from the heat, and let it rest, still covered for 5 minutes.
• Add the fresh chopped cilantro, and the diced avocado and stir well.
• Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

Serving size

If you are going to eat this Mexican Quinoa as a side, this quantity can easily serve 4-6 people. But if you are going to eat this as a main (like we do), this quantity serves 2-3 people max.

Water or vegetable broth?

I normally use water when I cook my quinoa, but if you want to add a bit more depth of flavor, vegetable broth is a great alternative. 

Spices

I used cumin in this recipe, but you can substitute that for dry coriander (also known as cilantro and a Mexican favorite). Other great additions are chili powder or paprika.

Can you freeze Mexican Quinoa?

Yes, you can cook this quinoa in advance and freeze it. Whenever you need it, just thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can either eat it cold or warm it up for 30-40 seconds in a microwave. 

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 11g | Sugar: 1g

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know if you liked it in the comments!

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