Easy healthy vegetarian Mexican quinoa recipe made with beans and vegetables to create a deliciously healthy protein and fiber rich dish. This gluten-free and vegan Mexican quinoa is a one-pot-meal that is good for anytime at home or on-the-go meals as it tastes great at room temperature. You can make it in a pressure cooker or stove-top. Both version are presented here.
Mexican Quinoa is Great Work and School Lunch
Kids lunch recipe needs to be healthy, easy, quick to make and should taste delicious after a few hours in lunch pack. This is my family's one of most wanted recipe for kid’s school lunches and husband’s work lunches. I have been making this for a long time using the stir-fry technique, but the same recipe can be easily adapted to Instant Pot, Mealthy or other pressure cookers. This gives the additional flexibility of setting it up at night with delay timer, such that fresh Mexican Quinoa is ready to pack in the morning for family lunches.
Mexican Quinoa is a great Picnic Lunch and Pot-luck Recipe
As a one-pot-meal that tastes delicious, Mexican Quinoa is a great recipe for picnics, pot-lucks and for road travels. You can use it as a small plate snack or a complete on-the-go meal.
Moving from Rice to Quinoa
In general, I am always trying to switch from rice to quinoa to add more quinoa in my family’s daily diet. Previously, I had made Mexican fried rice in a similar fashion for some events in my home, which everyone loved. So, this was an attempt to re-create same mouth-watering flavors using quinoa, the current times super grain. Each serving of this recipe has only 350 kcal, but provides 14 gm of protein and 13 gm or dietary fiber. This nutritional enhancement is achieved by using beans and vegetable (predominantly peppers) along with quinoa in this recipe.
Quinoa Recipe Health Benefits
Quinoa has much lower amount of carbohydrates, compared to the same serving size of rice, and at the same time has much higher plant-based protein content with all 9 amino acids. It also has low glycemic index for help controlling blood sugar and high in anti-oxidants. Both kidney beans and black bean are also a rich source of protein, fiber, folate and essential minerals like iron, magnesium, copper, etc. Combining peppers with iron source helps with absorption in addition to other nutritional benefits.
Some FAQs associated with Mexican Quinoa recipe:
Quinoa is now available in different varieties among which red, black and white varieties are most popular. Red and black quinoa are commonly used in cold salad. Most cooked quinoa recipes, such as this Mexican Quinoa recipe use creamy white variety of quinoa.
Mexican quinoa is a recipe similar to mexican fried rice, but made with quinoa instead of rice. This makes the overall recipe much more healthy. Some cooking techniques differ due to the use of quinoa instead of rice.
Recipe
Mexican Quinoa Recipe
Ingredients
From Pantry
- 65 g Quinoa ⅓ cup dry quinoa, cooked and fluffed
- 60 g Black beans ¼ cup dry beans boiled and drained you can use canned also
- 60 g Red kidney beans ¼ cup dry beans boiled and drained you can use canned also
- 1 tbs Oil
Produce
- 100 g Celery 2 stalks of chopped
- 150 g Onion Slices of half of medium sized
- 400 g Peppers 2 pepers total julienned - use mulptiple colors if you have them
- 150 g Carrots matchsticks style
- 100 g Corns Half a cup of frozen
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- 15 g Cilantro Handful of chopped
- 3 g Green chilies 3 chillies
Spices
- 1 teaspoon Lemon pepper spice mix
- 2 teaspoon Taco seasoning if you don't have theses seasonings you can add salt, red pepper flakes, chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, black pepper and ½ a teaspoon of sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt As per taste
Instructions
Stove Top Version
- Heat around 1 tbs of oil in a wok
- Add 2 stalks of chopped celery; sauté it on high for a minute.
- After that add slices of half of medium-sized onion, sauté it. Don't let it cook too much maintain the crunchiness of vegetables.
- Add half of each color julienned peppers( green, red, yellow and orange) you can use whatever color peppers you have in hand. Sauté all of them on high maintaining the crunchiness.
- Add around frozen corns and stir.
- Add boiled and drained black beans ( you can use canned also). Give a good stir.
- Add boiled and drained red kidney beans ( you can use canned also). Give a good stir.
- Add all the spices. I used 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper spice mix and 2 teaspoon of taco seasoning if you don't have theses seasonings you can add salt, red pepper flakes, chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, black pepper and ½ a teaspoon of sugar stir everything.
- Add 1 cup of cooked and fluffed quinoa.
- At the end add lime juice of half lime and handful of chopped cilantro into quinoa and combined everything.
- Your Mexican quinoa is ready to serve with sliced avocado and enjoy.
Instant Pot Version
- Put Instant pot on high heat in saute mode.
- Heat around 1 tbs of oil in the pan.
- Add green chilies and chopped celery; saute it for a minute.
- Then add slices of half of medium-sized diced onion, saute it. Don’t let it cook too much maintain the crunchiness of vegetables.
- Add frozen fire roasted corn and match carrots. Add boiled & drained black beans and kidney beans (you can use canned also).
- Give a good stir.
- Add washed and drained raw quinoa.
- Then add all the spices. I used 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper spice mix, 2 teaspoon of taco seasoning and salt. TIP: If you don’t have theses seasonings you can add salt, red pepper flakes, chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, blackpepper and ½ a teaspoon of sugar stir everything.
- Mix well to combine all ingredients.
- Add water equal to 1.25 times of quinoa volume.
- Close the Instant pot lid. Cancel the saute mode and set on pressure cook for one minute. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid, once the pressure is completely released.
- Then fluff the quinoa and incorporate the peppers at the same time.
- Close the lid again and let it sit for another 10 minutes. Peppers will be cooked using the existing heat and steam in the quinoa.
- Before serving add lime juice of half lime and handful of chopped cilantro into quinoa and combined everything.
- Stir everything together and you Mexican Quinoa is ready to serve or pack.
Nicole says
Very good! I made it for work and offered meat toppings for those who aren’t vegan along with cheese, sour cream, etc. Question… can I freeze the uneaten portion? There’s quite a bit left and I don’t want it to go to waste.
Rupali Agarwal says
Thank you for sharing your experience. Yes, one can definitely modify according to their dietary preference. - Rupali
Vasundhra says
Tried this recipe yesterday and it turned out to be quite good. It is a bit mushy and I wonder if I overcooked quinoa. I made it in instapot. I cooked Quinoa and boiled beans separately and added it to instapot after sauteing veggies. I pressure cooked for one min and let the steam release naturally.
Rupali Agarwal says
Thank you Vasundhra for trying Mexican Quinoa recipe. Glad you enjoyed the flavors, with respect to texture, make it in a pan on cooktop when using already cooked quinoa. Quinoa does not take long to cook and if using cooked quinoa in Instant Pot it does get mushy even if you are cooking for just one minute. Cooktop procedure would have yield better results for you definitely.
Do give it a try again as mentioned in the recipe. Use instant pot only if using raw quinoa and follow stove top instructions if using cooked quinoa.
Thank you for your feedback!
Rupali
CRYSTAL HUGHES says
This recipe is lovely! I love that you used quinoa instead of rice to pack in more protein. The spices are lovely!
Rupali Agarwal says
Thank you! Glad you liked it.
Rupali Agarwal says
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it.
Rupali
Emilia I Henry says
I cooked it and it is easy, rich texture.
I find it a bit lacking in flavor; what did I do wrong?
Rupali Agarwal says
Thank you Emilia for trying this recipe. If you felt like the flavors were lacking then I would suggest you to increase the quantity of seasoning. The seasoning might not have sufficient for the quantity you made. Don’t forget to add lime juice and cilantro at the end. Definitely help getting all flavors together. Hopefully next time you will get it right.
Thank you
Rupali Agarwal
Timini says
How much quinoa and water if you are doing the instant pot version?
Rupali Agarwal says
Mentioned in the recipe card.
Lisa says
Excellent and easy to make. I made it in the instant pot using the tricolor quinoa and not only it’s delicious but so colorful. Everyone loved it!
Kim says
What is 1/4 cup of dry beans equivalent too if canned?
Rupali Agarwal says
You can use one can of each beans, drain them all the liquid before adding it to the quinoa.
Loren says
Delicious. Easy to make. Great idea to bring to a party.
Rupali Agarwal says
Glad you liked it, thank you!!!
Kiranmai says
I tried this recipe today and turned delicious. Thanks for healthy and delicious recipes
Rupali Agarwal says
Thank you Kiranmai for trying and leaving your feedback. I am so glad that you liked the recipe. Thank you ?
Sneha Jain says
How to cook and fluff quinoa ?
Rupali Agarwal says
There are many ways you can cook Quinoa:
1. On stovetop 1:2.5 quinoa to water ratio on low to medium heat covered with a lid ( add little salt and ghee) keep stirring in between around twice for even cooking. Takes around 20-25 minuets. Once done ✅ all water is absorbed by quinoa, switch off the heat and fluff it using fork.
2. Directly in instant pot, 1:1.25 quinoa to water ratio. Add washed quinoa to inner pot add water little salt and ghee, put the lid back on closed position, make sure valve is on sealing, press manual/pressure cook button, cook for 4 minutes with NPR at the end. When pressure pin drops down fluff it with fork and transfer to serving bowl immediately.
3. In IP pot in pot method, add quinoa to a Stainless steel pot which can fit inside the main inner stainless steel pot of IP. Add one cup of water in the main pot then put a trivet inside the main pot and quinoa pot on top of trivet with in that. The ratio should be 1:1.5 between quinoa and water. Put the IP lid back on closed position. Check the valve should be on sealing position, press the pressurecook/manual button. Cook for 6 minuets with NPR. When pressure pin drops down take out the quinoa pot fluff it with fork and k serve.
Monica says
Tried this today.. Turned out delicious. It was an absolute delight..
Rupali Agarwal says
Hello Monica, Thank you for trying the recipe and posting feedback. If you try any other recipies, please let us know. - Rupali