Close up view of Mexican quinoa in a large bowl on a striped napkin with limes and cilantro, on a white background

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98 Comments

    1. I just made this! BUT, as I was pouring in the rotel. ..I realized that oops…thats not rotel, I accidentally poured in enchilada sauce!! Hope its good! 😉

      1. Interesting. I would love to know how it turns out. Let me know if you liked it! Maybe it was a good mistake 🙂

          1. Awesome. Maybe I’ll accidentally throw some enchilada sauce in there next time I make it 🙂

  1. This looks delicious! One helpful hint that I found on pinterest! is to rinse the quinoa 3 times!! I mentioned this to a friend and the last time I saw her, she said she always thinks of me when she makes quinoa because it tasted so much better after rinsing it 3 times;-D Thanks for sharing your recipes!

    1. You can buy frozen quinoa at Trader Joe’s that can just be microwaved 🙂 It’s super yummy. I could never get the rinsing right and my quinoa was always bitter.

  2. Hi Melissa! I made this recipe tonight, using ingredients I had at home. I skipped the oil, garlic and cilantro and used a 10oz can of Ro-tel. It was really easy, and delicious even with the changes. We’ll definitely be making it again! 🙂

    1. I’m happy to hear that the recipe is easily adapted to suit different tastes (or what’s in the fridge)! I’m so glad you liked it. 🙂

  3. Just made this and I was surprised how good it came out! I have been looking for a good Quinoa recipe, tried a few that didnt come out very good. Thanks for the recipe!

  4. I made this with a can of Green Chili enchilada sauce instead of tomatoes and green chilis, and no cilantro (didn’t have any) and it was yummy! I added 1/2 cup of mild salsa. My entire family loved it. Thanks for a great recipe!

    1. Awesome. Thanks for sharing your substitutions! It’s so nice to see how others make a recipe their own. Glad you liked it 🙂

  5. Very good! I just used about 1 c of diced organic tomatoes from a jar so I needed to compensate and add more garlic and more salt. Oh, and I added chunked avocado to the bowl! But it got rave reviews from my kids. Love that!!!

  6. I just made this! I left out the cheese and corn It was abdolutely delicious!I did all avocado with frest cilantro at the end. Ive posted a picture of it on my fb and ranted and waved to my friends! Thank you!!

  7. This was sooooo good! The last time that I made quinoa, it was horrible. I came across this recipe, and thought that I’d give it another shot. This did not disappoint. It will make for a good Lenten meal. Thanks for sharing!

  8. This was so delicious! Thanks so much for sharing! I will definitely be making on a regular basis. I did add extra cumin and a diced jalapeño pepper. So good!

  9. This recipe sounds great but I would be interested in seeing the nutritional information especially the sodium levels. Just reviewing the ingredients it looks like it would be very high.

  10. I made this last night and it was absolutely amazaing. I used fresh tomatoes and japapeño peppers instead of Rotel and I added some oregano and a Tbs of lime juice at the end. I topped it with cubes avocado. It was divine (and I’m not even a quinoa person). Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  11. This looks delicious, but I wish people would stop calling dishes with black beans “Mexican.” My wife is Mexican and she corrects anyone who calls a dish with black beans Mexican food. Black beans are a staple in Latin American cuisine such as South American, Puerto Rican, and Cuban food. Pinto beans, not black beans, are the staple of Mexican cooking.

    1. I’m so sorry. I really wasn’t intending to upset anyone. I had no idea. I really considered it Mexican because of the cumin, cilantro, etc. Not just the beans, but pinto beans would be really great in this too. Maybe I could update the ingredients to include pinto beans as an alternative to the black beans 🙂

      1. Hi, I have already cooked quinoa in the fridge want to make this tonight do you recommend adding the quinoa last since it’s already cooked I will be just heating it up so I won’t need all that liquid. What do you recommend?

    2. That’s funny I own a house in Mexico and every restaurant there serves us black beans. Just because your wife is Mexican and probably grew up on refried beans doesn’t mean that’s the only thing they serve in Mexico. When I asked for refried beans at one restaurant they said that’s not beans these are.

    3. I am Mexican, living in Mexico, and black beans are common. I would say black beans are more a staple in Southern Mexico and the Yucatan but they are used in dishes all over. A Google search confirms this.

  12. This is a favorite with my husband and I! It’s so yummy, and makes enough for lunch the next day! I used to make something similar with white rice. I love that this recipe has quinoa- much better for you!

  13. This is a a quick, easy, healthful meal that my husband and I really enjoyed last night. To make it even easier for me, I utilized my rice cooker for this quinoa dish. I sauteed the garlic in a small pan, then added it with the other ingredients (except for the toppings) into my rice cooker, put the lid on, flipped the switch to “cook” and in about 40 minutes our dinner was ready to eat. Thanks for a great recipe that I will be using again and again!

    1. Awesome tip Faith! I bet it was so easy to just stick it in the machine and just wait for it to be done. I think I’ll give it a try next time I make this 🙂

  14. My ten year old granddaughter is allergic to gluten so it’s hard to find things she can eat. She loved this recipe and says quinoa is now her favorite thing to eat.

  15. This recipe does not state that you should cover while it is simmering. If you go to the other site where this was adapted from you will see that you need to cover until almost all liquid is absorbed. I have crunchy quinoa 🙁 such a waste of money. Lesson learned.

    1. I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t turn out! I am going to amend the recipe to include specific instructions to cover. It was just an oversight on my part. I really hope you try it again sometime with the pot covered. I promise it’s worth it!

  16. Just made this and it was wonderful! I just moved and didn’t have all of the ingredients so I substituted fresh tomatoes and a bell pepper for the canned diced tomatoes. I have struggled with properly cooking quinoa and almost gave up until I stumbled upon this on Pinterest last night and had to try it for lunch. Thanks for the help!

  17. Pingback: Mexican Quinoa | Get Daily Recipes.com
  18. This recipe was delcious! I added some red pepper flakes (a pinch) and some cayene pepper(1/4 tsp) to give it a little bit more of a spicy flavour, and it turned out awesome. Dad even ate it and hes no a quiona lover! 2 thumbs up! Thanks for the recipe!!

  19. I have made this dozens of times and just wanted to thank you for the recipe! I like to use Mexican Ro-Tel with cilantro and lime to kick up the flavor a little more.

    1. I didn’t even know they made that kind of Ro-Tel! I think I’ll have to try it next time. That sounds great!

      1. Exactly how I made mine. I added an extra squeeze of fresh lime juice as well. I got this recipe from a friend in New Zealand and he suggested it is really good left over with sliced avocado which I will be trying soon. Thanks for a wonderful dish.

  20. Love the recipe but just FYI you are advertising this as “vegan” but using chicken broth is not vegan. It’s a simple substitution but maybe mention that somewhere…?

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