Super easy and tasty recipe! We do not add cilantro, but do enjoy topping with avocado slices.
Why you’ll love this Mexican quinoa
Quinoa is something that I’m not too familiar with. I had cooked it a few times before making this quinoa recipe, and I was pretty disappointed in it. I don’t think I even rinsed it properly. Then I found a box of pre-rinsed quinoa at the grocery store, and I was so excited.
I knew it would be a game changer, and it was. It was so simple – as easy to prepare as rice – but much more nutritional. (Of course, you can still make this with quinoa that you rinse yourself.)
Pair that with some Mexican mix-ins and you have a healthy, meatless meal. Or you can serve this as a side dish with your favorite fajitas recipe.
→ If you like this recipe, you should try these: easy refried black beans / Mexican street corn & cucumber salad / roasted chili corn salsa / vegan queso
Ingredient notes:
- Quinoa – I normally buy pre-rinsed quinoa. Without rinsing, quinoa can taste bitter, so if yours isn’t pre-rinsed, you’ll want to do that before using it.
- Chicken stock – If you want to make this gluten free, be sure to use a safe stock. You can also use vegetable broth to make this vegetarian/vegan.
- Diced tomatoes – You want the kind with green chilies in it, such as Rotel. The cans are usually smaller than regular diced tomatoes and you should be able to find them with a variety of heat levels and add-ins. I recommend starting with mild, unless you know you like things spicy.
- Beans – Black beans or pinto beans will both work in this recipe. We typically use black beans. Either way, make sure you drain and rinse your beans.
- Cilantro – This is optional. If you don’t like cilantro, feel free to leave it out, or swap it with some parsley if you want to keep that color.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You can freeze this after cooking for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw it in the refrigerator and heat over low with some extra chicken stock, or microwave until heated through.
More side dish recipes →
→ If you like this recipe, you should try these: roasted acorn squash salad / summer farro salad / roasted vegetable pasta salad
Mexican Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ¼ cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock*
- 1 cup pre-rinsed quinoa, uncooked
- 1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté the garlic. In large skillet or saucepan, heat the olive oil to medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant – about 30 seconds.
- Simmer. Add remaining ingredients (minus the cilantro) and bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Let it simmer until the quinoa is cooked and the liquids have fully absorbed, about 20 – 25 minutes.
- Garnish and serve. When the quinoa is finished cooking, fluff the contents with a fork and stir in the fresh cilantro before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Vegans don’t do chicken broth, I’ll use veggie broth.
This is not a vegan recipe
Please read the whole thing, she did say to use veggie broth for vegan. So yes it is vegan
Can’t wait to make this! Do you think I can double the recipe and freeze portions? Will it still taste good defrosted?
Super easy and tasty recipe! We do not add cilantro, but do enjoy topping with avocado slices 😋
I’ve made this several times. I absolutely love. I dice up half an avocado and add it too my bowl. Makes it even tastier.
What is the serving size? It’s blank in the nutritional information. Thanks! Great recipe! My picky 5 year old loved it!!
Hi Tammi, I do not have serving size information. I’ve been creating recipes for a very long time and this is one of my oldest ones. I did not have the thought to measure the serving sizes back then, but I do list the amount of servings we got out of this and have calculated the nutrition information based on that. You are more than welcome to measure the recipe and divide by the number of servings if that helps you. Unfortunately, I do not have the capacity to go back and remake/remeasure all of the recipes I’ve made before.
As it pertains to the Nutrition Value, what is the serving size?
Each serving is approximately 1 cup.