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

Super easy and tasty recipe! We do not add cilantro, but do enjoy topping with avocado slices.

– Britt

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Why you’ll love this Mexican quinoa

A woman in a pink sweater smiles widely while holding a dish of fresh salad with greens and strawberries, standing at a wooden table against a light background—perfectly capturing the inviting spirit of a food blog.

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

Aerial view of Mexican quinoa in a large skillet on a striped napkin with limes and cilantro, on a white background

How to make Mexican quinoa

Sauté the garlic. This quinoa recipe is super easy. After sautéing some minced garlic in a tablespoon olive oil, add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil.

Simmer. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and let it simmer until the quinoa is cooked. Continue to cook for 20-25 minutes or until the liquids have fully absorbed.

Garnish and serve. When the quinoa is finished cooking, stir in the fresh cilantro – if you want – and you’re ready to serve. Top with guacamole or some homemade garlic aioli – or your favorite dairy free sour cream.

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

More side dish recipes →

→ If you like this recipe, you should try these: roasted acorn squash salad / summer farro salad / roasted vegetable pasta salad

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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4.83 from 17 votes

Mexican Quinoa

By: Melissa Belanger
This Mexican quinoa recipe is made with corn, black beans and diced tomatoes with chilies. It’s a great side dish or an healthy, vegan dinner idea.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 8
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Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth*
  • 1 cup uncooked, pre-rinsed quinoa
  • 1 14.5- ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1 15.5- ounce can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish.

Instructions 

  • In large skillet or saucepan, heat the olive oil to medium-high heat.
  • Add garlic and sauté until fragrant – about 30 seconds.
  • Add remaining ingredients (minus the cilantro) and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes.
  • Stir in cilantro just before serving.

Notes

*Use vegetable broth for vegan

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 690mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin C: 9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

A woman wearing a pink sweater smiles excitedly while holding a plate of fresh salad with greens and strawberries, standing at a wooden table beside a delicious turkey salad sandwich.

Hi! I'm Melissa.

I create easy, dairy free recipes because I know how hard living without milk can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

Read more about me

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4.83 from 17 votes

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108 Comments

  1. Lisa Madson says:

    I’m a fitness and nutrition coach. I’m always loooking for healthy recipes to share with my clients. This looks amazing!

    Reply
  2. Colleen B says:

    5 stars
    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!!!

    Reply
  3. Michelle says:

    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!!

    Reply
  4. Lonnie says:

    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!

    Reply
  5. Misty says:

    5 stars
    So glad I found you! Its hard to find a blog with yummy and healthy dinners! Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Melissa Belanger says:

      Thanks so much! That’s so nice to hear. I promise I will keep the healthy recipes coming.

      Reply