This quinoa is great for meal prep or an easy weeknight dinner. It is made using only one pan, is ready in 20 minutes, and contains all the flavors you love from your favorite chili, but in a vegetarian friendly fashion. Pair it with greens, tortillas, chips, or enjoy in a bowl on its own!
So you may have heard me refer to a “Mexican Quinoa” recipe on Instagram. That is this dish. I was making it again and realized it uses all of the ingredients and spices I use when making my favorite chili so I decided to switch its name to something more fitting. It definitely has a southwestern flair though!
It uses all of the great veggies like beans, corn, and onions, and all the best spices you’d want in a warm bowl of chili, but something fun about using quinoa is that we are able to make this a vegetarian option! Quinoa is a great plant based protein so we don’t need to add meat to this dish to make it satisfying. Feel free to if you want though!
I think the best things about this recipe, besides for its flavor, is that it only requires ONE PAN (helllllo easy clean up!) and is ready in under 20 minutes. Plus you don’t really have to do anything besides throw it all in the pan and let the heat do its magic. Perfect for a meal prep or busy weeknight!
A couple notes on this dish:
- The normal liquid to quinoa ratio is 2 to 1 – here I know I only use 1.5 cups – that is not a typo! That is because we don’t drain the diced tomatoes, so they provide some extra (flavorful) liquid! Feel free to use water or veggie broth (or bone broth like this one if you are not vegetarian and want some added nutrients!)
- I like my meals spicy, so I’d even add more jalapeno than the recipe calls for, and a lot of cayenne. But if you stick to the directions below I promise the kick won’t be too powerful for anyone that doesn’t want it. And then you can just add more cayenne at the end for those who do!
How spicy do you like your chili?
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ONE PAN Chili Style Quinoa
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 5–6 servings 1x
Description
Gluten Free, Vegan
The perfect weeknight dinner, this quinoa is ready in 20 minutes and all you have to do is dump your ingredients into the pan and let the oven do all the work. It brings together the flavors from your favorite bowl of chili in a vegetarian friendly way.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1.5 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 (15 oz) can red beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
- 1 (10oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 tbsp diced jalapenos
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- Optional: hot sauce to taste
- Optional: cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add onion, garlic, and jalapenos to a large pan over medium heat and saute until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine, bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 15-20 minutes (check after 15), quinoa should be fluffy and broth should be absorbed.
- Remove heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork, serve!
- Optional: top with guacamole or, plain greek yogurt, and serve with tortilla chips or wraps!
Notes
You can make this as spicy as you want by adding hot sauce and/or cayenne, so it can be made to please all palates! If adding hot sauce, I recommend adding after it is cooked and stirring it in.
Recently I have loved mixing in a cup or two of arugula to this recipe once it is done cooking. Great way to add some greens!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: main course
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
Keywords: chili, chili style quinoa, one pan dinner, one pan meal, quick dinner, spicy quinoa, spicy chile, vegetarian chili
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know your thoughts! And if you remake on Instagram don’t forget to tag me at @donutworry_behealthy so I can see your creation and share it in my stories!
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