One Skillet Mexican Quinoa
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)
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.
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.
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!
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
Yield: 4 bowls
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
My mom STILL pronounces quinoa KEEN-O-WUH. I can’t understand it with my frontal lobe.
This skillet looks amaaaaaazing! Everything I want in a Mexican-inspired dish. That guac is making my face water in all the right places. NEED!
So does mine, haha! You gotta love ’em. :)
I could face plant into this skillet of flavor jammed kwinoah – er quinoa! :)
Haha! Thanks Shashi! :)
Just pinned this!!! I have a Mexican quinoa casserole recipe I love making but I HATE heating up the oven in the summer so this skillet bake is perfect!
Thanks Liz! <3
Hi Sarah,
This looks really good! I am loving recipes that can be made then frozen. That way I have a variety on hand. I just made your stuffed cabbage casserole yesterday and will be able to freeze some of that. I’ll try this one because I love quinoa and it should be nice to freeze.
Hope your day is lovely,
Nancy
Hi Nancy! I’m so happy you got a chance to try the cabbage casserole! I haven’t tried freezing this one but I agree that it should work nicely. I hope you have a great week. Thank you for your comment! :)
Um, yes! I want this. I’ve been on the meal prep train these past few weeks and this would make awesome lunch leftovers.
I’ll be in the Keys for Cinco De Mayo this year, so I’m sure there will be lots of coronas and fish tacos consumed ;-)
AHHH! Your Cinco de Mayo is going to be amazing! So jealous!! :)
My days are too busy to make big meals during the week. I’m all about the easy and this could not look easier! I love quinoa and haven’t cooked it enough.
I feel the same way! This is perfect for those busy nights!
I’m really short on time at the moment so i need all the one-pot, 30 minute recipes i can get my hands on!!! Thanks for that.
You’re so welcome! :)
I will never forget the kiwnoah days. <–best days. Jk, I get so annoyed when people still pronounce it that way, but if you never have anyone correct you, how are you supposed to know?! Anywho, love this dish and LOL faux chicken nuggets would be Miguel's version of a vegetarian diet. I also try to eat quinoa once a week, but it's never a blog-worthy recipe. Still good though!
Oh yes, if it were up to Brandon we’d be eating tacos and pizza on most nights, lol! That’s why I had to teach myself how to cook.
This quinoa looks amazing! Love that it comes together in one skillet and that you topped it with some delicious guac :) Also would love to give this a try with enchilada sauce!
It would be amazing with enchilada sauce! Thanks Medha! :)
Ooo i love how simple and straight forward this is! I never want to spend ages making something when i come home from work, and not to mention the cleaning up afterwards. pinning this!
Oh yeah… I looove Mexican food and find it always makes a quick weeknight meal so long as it’s not tamales or enchiladas! This looks so good and has all the ingredients I love for a good one dish/skillet dinner. We should make May 6th an official holiday so we can make enchiladas have all the margaritas we want!
That sounds perfect to me! Cinco de Seis, here I come!! ;)
I so struggle on certain weeks trying to get in certain foods when I have to test things for the site!! haha The struggle is real! :)
This quinoa skillet sounds awesome! Mexican food is always always a good thing!
Yeah girl, tortilla chip dipping is the best! Mexican is probably my favorite type of cuisine for easy dinners. Admittedly, I don’t eat quinoa enough.. need to make it more regularly!
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I just made a Spanish rice dish similar to this last night and kept it vegan for my son. I’ll have to try the quinoa version as it’s good to mix things up. Aren’t all grains – seeds?
Hi Timaree! Your Spanish rice sounds delicious. :)
To answer your question- yes, all grains start out as seeds. Quinoa is a considered a psuedo-grain because it is a relative of beets, spinach and chard. Here is an article that might help explain it better: http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101_basics_techniques/5_facts_about_quinoa_nutrition_and_cooking_quinoa
Thanks for a GREAT lunch! I just made the recipe and it was super easy and yummy. I made a few changes to what I had on hand. I didn’t use any beans, and added 1 cup of thinly sliced carrots to replace one of the bell peppers. Instead of the spices, I used a half cup of my favorite Trader Joe’s salsa to replace the spices and the onion called for in the beginning of your recipe. I added the salsa the last 5 minutes of the total cooking time, along with 3/4 cup frozen super sweet corn. Thank you again for all your recipes…I can count on them to be reliable and adaptable to what I have in stock over here. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow. :)
I’m so glad to hear it worked out well for you, Jerilyn! Thank you for letting me know. I hope you have a great week! :)
Yum! This was amazing, for both lunch and dinner – the guac really adds the magic touch. I used pinto beans instead of black beans and I thought it was perfect (I find black beans a bit … dry?). Thank you for the delicious recipe!
So happy you liked this recipe, Diane! I agree that the guac is a must. Thanks for the feedback!
Just made this yesterday and it was delicious! Actually drizzled halved spaghetti squashes with EVOO ans sprinkled with salt and pepper, stuffed this Mexican quinoa filling in the cavity and popped it in the oven for an hour to bring the flavors together. So delicious!
That’s a great idea! Thank you for the review!
Delish! I doubled the recipe so there would be enough for lunches for me and my bf, added a can of corn and some TVP for extra protein, and it came out great. This one is definitely going in the rotation.
Thanks for the review, Emma!
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Can I just say…. You are a champion. I am a vegetarian, one of my children and I were diagnosed coeliac and also lactose intolerant. It has been so hard for me to find recipes for the family with all their different dietry needs and still have them eat the food I cook. Then I find this website…. Problem solved….you rippa. thanks so much xxxx
This means so much to me, Tracey! Thank you for the kind feedback. It is much appreciated!!
I have recently started getting into cooking and have dedicated myself to make as many meals as possible veggie/vegan. This is now a regular go to meal of mine. I always have so much fun making (and eating, of course!) it.
All the thanks for taking the time to write this up.
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for the review, Billy!
Can this be made in a larger quantity and re-heated later in a crock pot for a party? Any tips how to be sure it still tastes fresh?
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This was easy to make and yummy to eat! I’ll definitely make this again!
When you say tomato sauce do you mean Passata as here in England tomato sauce is Ketchup!!
Just pureed tomatoes! Here is an example: https://amzn.to/2QCDf6d
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Made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious. I’m all about trying new plant based recipes just to shake things up a bit in the kitchen! Thanks for posting this!!
Thank you so much. I absolutely love this recipe. Tried with and without a small tin sweetcorn, amazing both ways. It’s great to have a vegan day once a week (in our house – can’t be too good all the time!)
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