Whether you serve it as a weeknight dinner or a healthy breakfast with an egg on top, this vegan and gluten free One-Pan Mexican Quinoa Recipe is an easy meal you can make for your family. It is ready in 30 minutes and can alternatively be served as a side dish or just by itself for a protein-packed nutritious meal.
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT20M
Total time: PT30M
Rating
4.9 stars (55 reviews)
Keywords
mexican quinoa, mexican quinoa bowl, one pan mexican quinoa
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-sized onion (chopped)
2 small bell peppers (chopped (or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped))
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
1 cup quinoa (rinsed and drained)
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1 can diced tomatoes (with all their juices (15 oz.))
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup water or vegetable broth
¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped - plus more as garnish)
1 ripe avocado
2 stalks of scallions (chopped)
1 lime (cut into wedges)
Handful of pumpkin seeds (optional)
Categories
Side Dish
Cuisine
Mexican
Steps
Heat oil in a 12-inch pan with a lid over medium heat. Add in the onion, peppers, cumin, and coriander. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, 7-8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add in the quinoa, black beans, corn kernels, tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Give it a large stir.
Pour in the liquid, put the lid on, and bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 20-23 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
Let it sit for 5 minutes or so and fluff with a fork. Right before serving stir in the fresh cilantro.
Spoon the Mexican quinoa into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro, avocado, and scallions. Serve with wedges of lime.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 346 kcal
Carbohydrates: 50 g
Protein: 10 g
Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Sodium: 388 mg
Sugar: 6 g
Reviews
cindy on 2026-02-26 (5 stars): Made it just like it's posted and it's delicious!!.
Makes a LOT of food (not a complaint as I love leftovers). Is it really only 4 servings?.
Rob Murray on 2025-10-24 (4 stars): I would suggest adding 2 tsp of fresh chilli powder and 1/4 tsp of crushed chilli peppers or flakes to this recipe. I added 2 Tbs of tomato paste towards the end of cooking the onions, garlic and peppers and fry and stir that for another 2 minutes. Adding 3/4 cup of salsa boosts the flavour further.
B on 2025-08-25 (4 stars): Amazingly tasty recipe! I doubled (maybe tripled) the spices and added a few of my own. The recipe was easy enough to follow, and I will be making again!
Kristy on 2025-08-19 (5 stars): WOW! This will be in my monthly meal rotation! Thank you for this great recipe. I loved it. The flavors were amazing!
Brandy on 2025-07-26 (5 stars): This was my very first time ever cooking quinoa. I chose your recipe because I love flavor and it did not disappoint!! Thank you!!
Sarah on 2025-07-20 (5 stars): Really, really tasty and a fantastic way to eat Quinoa! I just added a tiny bit more salt and pepper but that's it. I really enjoyed this! 🙂😋
