One Skillet Mexican Quinoa

, , , 56

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa- an easy one-pot meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Each serving has 20 grams of protein! (vegan + gluten-free)

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa- an easy one-pot meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. Each serving has 20 grams of protein! (vegan + gluten-free) | Making Thyme for Health

Do you remember when quinoa was just becoming a thing and everyone walked around calling it kwinoah?

Sigh…those were the good ‘ol days.

Quinoa was actually one of the first things I learned to cook when I realized that eating frozen pizza and faux chicken nuggets probably wasn’t the best way to approach a vegetarian diet. I was blown away that this tiny little grain (technically seed) could provide so many important nutrients like iron, fiber, magnesium, B-vitamins, AND all of the essential amino acids. From there I subconsciously made a goal to eat it at least once a week.

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa- an easy one-pot meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. Each serving has 20 grams of protein! (vegan + gluten-free) | Making Thyme for Health

Of course that didn’t sustain itself once I started the blog. I’m sure most of you wouldn’t mind seeing quinoa that frequently but I put pressure on myself to mix things up in hopes that it doesn’t get too boring around here.

Mexican food is an exception. Obviously.

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa- an easy one-pot meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. Each serving has 20 grams of protein! (vegan + gluten-free) | Making Thyme for Health

Speaking of which, we’re just a few weeks from Cinco de Mayo so if you have plans to stay-in and want to make something healthy-ish, this One Skillet Mexican Quinoa would be puurrfect! Because Cinco de Mayo is on a Thursday and I don’t know about you but I’m not about to get fancy on a weeknight and make enchiladas.

So this meal comes together in a flash thanks to canned beans and tomato sauce (all BPA-free, of course). You cook the veggies with the spices on the stove then pour everything in, cover with a lid and let it boil for 30 minutes. That’s all there is to it!

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa 263

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa

I like to serve it with a big dollop of homemade guacamole, fresh cilantro and crispy tortilla chips. Then I alternate between eating it from the fork and a chip as I go. That’s my way of eating chips in moderation.

I hope you guys love this recipe! If you give it a try please let me know by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa- an easy one-pot meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. Each serving has 20 grams of protein! (vegan + gluten-free) | Making Thyme for Health

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa- an easy one-pot meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. Each serving has 20 grams of protein! (vegan + gluten-free) | Making Thyme for Health

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa

Yield: 4 bowls

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Print Recipe
5
5 / 5 (6 Reviews)
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review »

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 bell peppers, cored and diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce (no salt added)
  • 1 and 1/3 cup water

Easy Guacamole

  • 2 avocados, pitted
  • juice of 1 lemon and 2 limes
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 small red onion

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Add the bell pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon oregano then stir everything together and cook for about 5 more minutes.
  2. Next add the drained and rinsed beans, rinsed quinoa, tomato sauce, and 1 and 1/3 cup water. Stir together then turn the heat to medium high and bring to a low boil. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for about 30 minutes, stirring intermittently.  When its finished the quinoa will be soft and most of the liquid will have absorbed.
  3. Meanwhile make the guacamole by mashing all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve the quinoa warm with guacamole, fresh cilantro and tortilla chips. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by rating the recipe, leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback! heart

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa- an easy one-pot meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. Each serving has 20 grams of protein! (vegan + gluten-free) | Making Thyme for Health
by Sarah on April 25, 2016  //  Dinner, Fall, One Pot, Quick Meals, Quinoa Recipes, Recipes by Season, Summer
56 Comments »