Mexican Quinoa is a simple “dump it and forget about it” slow cooker meal. We add uncooked quinoa, vegetables, beans, and seasonings, then let it cook. Serve with toppings like cheese, sour cream, avocado, and lime for a delicious and hearty meal.
Mexican Quinoa
These Quinoa Tacos are wildly popular in my home and truthfully, I don’t think meal prep gets much easier than that recipe. Everything gets thrown in the slow cooker (no advance prep) and you’re left with an ultra-tasty, meatless, taco filling that is hearty and keeps you full.
I wanted to take the idea of having loads of flavor with easy prep time from those tacos and apply it to another nutritious and vegetarian meal. Enter: Mexican Quinoa. Just as easy, filling, and packed with good-for-you ingredients.
This dish does pack a bit of a spicy punch, but nothing too overwhelming. You can adjust the seasonings to your preference, and with some cheese, sour cream, and/or avocado topping the bowl, the spice isn’t bad. Even my two-year-old can’t get enough of this dish!
Mexican Quinoa Ingredients
The three main ingredients that impact the spiciness level of this dish are the enchilada sauce, taco seasoning packet, and jalapeño peppers.
- Butternut Squash: Chop into small pieces for even cooking. If the squash pieces are too large they won’t get tender in time.
- Quinoa: This is the base of the dish, absorbing flavors and adding protein. Rinse it first to get rid of any bitter taste.
- Black Beans: Rinse canned black beans before adding. If you want to make your own black beans follow this recipe.
- Corn: I like using frozen corn for it’s flavor and freshness but canned works great here as well.
- Fire-roasted Diced Tomatoes: Include the juice for more sauce to cook everything in.
- Enchilada Sauce & Taco Seasoning: Create the signature Mexican taste. Use mild varieties if you prefer less heat. I love and recommend Old El Paso’s® mild red enchilada sauce.
- Vegetable or Chicken Stock: You can use vegetable or chicken broth, for a vegetarian option use the vegetable stock. Quality stock improves flavor.
- Jalapeños: Add a mild kick but are optional. For less heat, remove the seeds and ribs before dicing, or use poblano pepper for milder flavor.
Quick Tip
If you’d prefer to make your own taco seasoning blend instead of using a store-bought mix, here’s my go-to taco seasoning blend (this mix perfectly replaces the store-bought mix)
Topping Suggestions
Mexican Quinoa is good by itself, but adding toppings makes it even better. You should definitely try it with sharp Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and cut-up avocado. Here are more topping ideas:
- Grated sharp (or extra-sharp) Cheddar cheese
- Chopped cherry tomatoes
- Fresh chopped cilantro or thinly sliced green onions
- A squeeze of fresh lime
- A large scoop of sour cream (we use fat-free to keep these on the light side); you can also use Greek yogurt.
- Sliced avocado or scoop of guacamole
- Pickled red onions (I share a quick pickled red onion recipe on these Chicken Tinga Tacos.)
How To Make Mexican Quinoa
- Prep Slow Cooker: Spray with nonstick spray. A liner can make cleanup easier.
- Chop Squash: Peel and cube butternut squash. Small, even pieces cook more consistently.
- Add Ingredients: Combine quinoa, beans, corn, tomatoes, jalapeño, sauce, and stock in the cooker.
- Season: Mix in taco seasoning. Adjust seasoning to taste preference.
- Cook: Set on high for 4 hours until quinoa and squash are tender. Check at 3.5 hours to prevent overcooking.
- Adjust Consistency: Let stand if too liquidy; quinoa absorbs extra water. Stirring helps evenly absorb the liquid.
- Serve: Top with cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and lime.
Shortcut Suggestions
- Buy pre-peeled and cubed squash. Although it is a bit more spendy, buying prepared squash basically removes any prep time on this Mexican quinoa. Cubed squash can be found in the produce section of many grocery stores.
- Use frozen, cubed squash for this recipe; it works well. Just check that the squash pieces are small, about 1/2-inch cubes. If they’re too big, they might not cook fully with the rest of the ingredients.
- Choose pre-minced garlic from a jar to save time. You can also use a garlic press with fresh garlic cloves to save time.
- Buy pre-rinsed quinoa to save time. Quinoa has a bitter outer layer that usually needs washing off, but pre-rinsed quinoa is already cleaned for you.
Dietary Concerns
- Vegan: As written, this recipe is vegan. Keep toppings, such as sour cream and Cheddar cheese off, or use vegan alternatives.
- Vegetarian: As written this recipe is also vegetarian. Be sure to use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to keep it vegetarian.
- Gluten-free: Check ingredient labels for gluten-free processing. Many enchilada sauces and seasonings contain gluten, but Old El Paso enchilada sauce is usually safe—still, make sure by checking the label. You can lessen gluten risk by using homemade taco seasoning instead of store-bought.
- Dairy-Free: Use a dairy-free cheese and/or sour cream for toppings.
Storage
- Store: Put leftover Mexican quinoa in an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Place leftovers in an air tight freezer friendly container or gallon sized bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
More Simple Quinoa Recipes
- Quinoa Enchilada Bake with sweet potatoes and black beans
- Quinoa Salad with avocados and a lemon dressing
- Tex Mex Quinoa easy slow cooker recipe
- Quinoa Chili with lots of veggies and black beans
- Quinoa Black Bean Salad with a cilantro dressing
Mexican Quinoa
Mexican Quinoa is a simple "dump it and forget about it" slow cooker meal. We add uncooked quinoa, vegetables, beans, and seasonings, then let it cook. Serve with toppings like cheese, sour cream, avocado, and lime for a delicious and hearty meal.
Ingredients
- 1.25 pounds peeled and cubed butternut squash (cut into 1/2-inch pieces) about 4 cups
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 can (15.25 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 can (14.5 oz) petite fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 small diced jalapeño (~2 tablespoons), optional Note 1
- 2 cans (19 oz EACH) mild red enchilada sauce Note 2
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock (or broth) (we love Swanson vegetable stock best)
- 1 packet (1.25 oz) taco seasoning Note 3
- Optional toppings: freshly grated sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, fresh lime juice, sour cream, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, etc.
Instructions
- PREP: Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray generously or use a liner.
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH: Peel, seed, and cut butternut squash into small 1/2-inch cubes to ensure even cooking. Add to slow cooker.
- SLOW COOKER: Combine corn, black beans, rinsed quinoa (I rinse in a fine-mesh sieve), minced garlic, tomatoes, optional jalapeño, enchilada sauce, vegetable or chicken broth, and taco seasoning.
- COOK: Stir well, cover, and cook on high for 3.5 to 4.5 hours until quinoa pops and squash is tender. Uncover, stir, and set to low, letting it stand for 15-25 minutes until liquid absorbs, stirring occasionally. Prepare toppings and sides during this time.
- SERVE: Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve Mexican Quinoa in bowls, topped with Cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and lime juice.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Jalapeños add a nice kick but are optional. For less heat, remove the ribs and seeds before dicing, or use milder poblano peppers instead.
Note 2: Make sure you pick the right-sized can of enchilada sauce -- these are the slightly larger cans. Taste the sauce before use; if too spicy, use one can and replace the other with chicken or vegetable broth..
Note 3: Taco seasoning packets differ in spice and flavor; McCormick's Mild is a favorite. For homemade, whisk 1 tablespoon mild chili powder, 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin and paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, fine sea salt, and pepper.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.5g | Protein: 9.8g | Fat: 2.2g | Cholesterol: 0.9mg | Sodium: 1198.1mg | Fiber: 8.7g | Sugar: 9.3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could you clarify the serving size? thank you very much!
8 servings in the dish, so the dish separated into 8 equal parts
I’d never heard of your blog before, but this meal was featured a couple days ago on an food email list “Today Food” I subscribe too. I made this dish last night and it’s definitely a winner!! So delicious, health, filling, and oh so easy to make! Can’t wait to add this blog to my go to places for recipes! Thanks for sharing!
Oh I’m so happy to hear you found this recipe and my site! I’m so glad you enjoyed this dinner and hope you love anything else you try! 🙂
Hi, I was just wondering if you have ever tried cooking this on low for longer? Trying to make it for dinner one night, but want to start it before I leave for work!
I made it on high and it was DELICIOUS!
I haven’t just because I don’t always have great success (or consistent results) with cooking quinoa dishes on low. There have been a few readers that have commented they’ve been successful with cooking on low and some that haven’t. The problem being that sometimes it turns mushy – the vegetables and the quinoa can become a soggier texture.
So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed this dish! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I have made this at least 4 or 5 times and love it! It’s a perfect to have around for the week for quick and healthy dinners. And I love that it is meat free. Thank you for the great recipe and for getting me to try butternut squash:-)
So glad to hear you love this!! And I’m glad you tried butternut squash – it’s our favorite squash! Thanks for your kind comment! 🙂
Spicy my butt! I added 6 Jalapeños and 2 cans of Hatch Chilies and it barely had a kick.
On another note, what size crock pot are you using? I added about a half pound of chicken and it totally overflowed. I have a 3.5 quart pot. Cooked it on low for 8 hours. Tasted great. But think I may need a bigger pot
Haha!! Yes I’m very unsure of how some people found it spicy as we don’t at all and all I can think is they are using very spicy enchilada sauce?? I use a 6 quart slow cooker so it sounds like you may need a bigger one! Glad you liked this!
FYI – Trader Joe’s stuff tends to be spicy. Their taco seasoning is too spicy for my little one, and so is their enchilada sauce. It’s just a brand difference.
Great to hear that!! I’ve never tried Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce but that would make sense why some people are finding it spicy! I used Mild Old El Paso and not spicy at all 🙂
This is awesome and wondered if there are other less processed ways to create the seasoning as the cans of sauce are really really salty and heavily processed?
I haven’t tried any alternative, but you could try to make your own homemade enchilada sauce and see if that works.
Made this today although I did substitute one of the jars of enchilada sauce for chicken broth. I did add a jalapeño pepper to the mix and cooked on high for 4 hours. I will be making this again real soon. Delicious
So glad to hear you liked it! And I love the addition of the jalapeno! Thanks for your comment 🙂
I’m doing a 20 lb challenge at my local gym and am trying to log in the nutritional value ie: calories, fat, carbs, protein, sugar, etc. Do you happen to have this information? BTW, it is a great dish!
Thanks Lynda! So glad to hear you liked it 🙂
Here are the nutritional stats:
Slow Cooker Mexican Quinoa
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 Recipe total Servings 8
Calories 298
Total Fat 1.86 g
Saturated Fat 0.35g
Monosaturated Fat 0.44g
Polysaturated Fat 1.07g
Total Carbohydrate 57.2 g
Fiber 11.4 g
Sugar 6.5 g
Protein 14.8 g
Calcium 96 mg
Iron 4.04 mg
Potassium 1112 mg
Sodium 485 mg
Zinc 2.6 mg
Thiamin 0.56 mg
Riboflavin 0.19 mg
Niacin 2.33 mg
Vitamin B6 0.37 mg
Vitamin C 19.1 mg
Vitamin A 6242 IU
Vitamin E 1.55 mg
Vitamin K 5.4 Ug
Points 5
Points Plus 7
*The nutritional values are determined by the total ingredients divided by the number of servings for each recipe. Serving sizes may vary. The formula used here for points was obtained from public sources and is an empirical match to Weight Watchers calculators, but it is not an “official” Weight Watcher’s calculator.
Hi Chelsea– Do you think this recipe would work with ground turkey? Almost like a turkey chilli? Or would you recommend adding something like chicken breasts if I wanted to add meat to it?
Thanks!
Hi Anita! I definitely think this would be DELICIOUS with ground turkey! (Cook it separately and add it to the finished mixture) You could also add some raw boneless skinless chicken breasts to the slow cooker and cook them with the rest of the ingredients, shredding them when everything is done cooking. I wouldn’t add more than 1-2 breasts though and you may need to slightly increase the liquid. I think either protein addition would work really well with this dish!
Made this recently and loved it! Great flavor, very filling, and healthy! Can’t wait to make it again!
So great to hear!! Thank you Lindsay!!