An easy and healthy meatless quinoa dish made all in one pan with your favorite Mexican flavors.
I don’t know about you guys but once the weather starts warming up, I don’t really want to spend as much time in the kitchen since we would rather be outside or last week when we were busy prepping for my little man’s 4th birthday. That’s when our slow cooker comes to the rescue or if I haven’t had time to prep in the morning, one pan or skillet meals.
I am always trying to come up with ways to get my family to enjoy quinoa as much as I do and since they enjoyed this Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Corn Casserole I made in the slow cooker, I decided to make an updated version on the stove top.
This dish has everything you need for a meal all in one pan. It’s healthy and nutritious and is packed with lots of flavors with the fun Mexican twist.
My favorite part is how unbelievably easy this is to make. You just throw everything into the skillet and that’s it. Even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan, which allows all the flavors to soak in.
It’s also simple to customize with your favorite veggies and protein. I made this version with corn, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and black beans. I kept this a meatless dish but you can totally brown some ground meat in the pan first if you want
My family enjoyed this version just as much as the one made in the slow cooker! It makes great leftovers too as a salad or a side and you can’t beat how much time you’ll save with having fewer dishes to wash. Or just grab a spoon and enjoy this dish straight from the pan!
And with Cinco de Mayo coming up, this would make an excellent healthy meal option too!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper cored, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes drained well
- 1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1-1/2 cups corn kernels frozen or canned
- 1-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 avocado halved, peeled and diced
- juice and zest of 1 lime
- 2 - 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add in jalapeno and zucchini and cook for another minute or two, continuing to stir.
- Add quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil then cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 20 minutes until quinoa is cooked through. Toss in avocado, lime juice, and cilantro and stir to combine.
- Serve immediately.
Adapted from this Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Corn Casserole
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Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel -
Yum!! Love quinoa! And this Mexican spin sounds so yummy– great flavors! I also love that this all cooks in one pot– cleaning up a zillion dishes is the worst!
Ala -
Wow, love that this is meatless, Kelly! I’m going to save this recipe for one of my longer workout days so I can pack in that vegetarian protein. Have a lovely week!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron -
I love easy one-pot meals like this! Looks so delicious, and super healthy, too!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen -
Kelly, this looks fabulous, and there isn’t one single word in that title I didn’t like! And, to know that it’s easy to make too? I say winner, winner! And it does look like a good Cinco de Mayo healthier option! Great idea!
Kelley @ Chef Savvy -
I love one skillet meals! They are the best! This looks so quick and easy and best of all healthy!