Delicious And Easy Mexican Skillet Quinoa

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I first discovered quinoa several years ago. And I was boring with it.

I used it as a side dish, cooking it in chicken stock with dried parsley, which was delicious. And so I would buy more quinoa that would sit in my pantry because I can only make and eat that every so often.

Fortunately, I started getting more adventurous with my quinoa as time went on, making some amazing recipes like a chicken and spinach quinoa entree and even some fun cold salad recipes with cranberries and more.

Now, my harvest quinoa salad is one of my favorite side dishes in the fall, and my make ahead tomato quinoa salad is a side dish I make and enjoy all year long.

This Mexican skillet quinoa recipe is one I’ve been playing around with since last winter. It is one of my family’s favorite recipes because it has a ton of great flavors. I love it because I can toss it all into a pan and have dinner on the table in under a half hour.

Bonus? It’s vegan, dairy free, gluten free, nut free, and pretty overall allergen friendly – but it doesn’t taste like “health food,” so it makes a great potluck dish or one for entertaining other families who may or may not have allergy issues.

And while we eat the Mexican skillet quinoa as soon as it’s ready, this makes enough that we generally also have leftovers for the next day, and it’s just as good cold (my daughter swears) as it was hot the night before. Because it has avocado in it, I don’t like to reheat it.

Why cook with quinoa?

Quinoa is incredibly versatile and works to complement so many different flavors. It’s filled with protein, containing more than 8 grams in one cooked cup of quinoa, so I love incorporating it wherever I can…. like this Mexican skillet quinoa.

Plus, it’s naturally gluten free, which makes it great for those with food restrictions, whether they have celiac or are vegetarian or vegan.

What if I don’t have salsa?

If you don’t have salsa, you can substitute canned diced tomatoes for it. If you do this, make sure you add additional spice to make up for the swap. Add some fresh green chile peppers, extra lime juice, cilantro, and garlic.

It does taste better with salsa, but you can definitely make it work if you don’t have any. That said, I always keep a jar of salsa in my pantry to pair with eggs for a breakfast burrito to an ingredient in my mile high tortilla pie or my tomato lime chicken.

If you do use salsa, I like the mild thick and chunky salsa for my Mexican skillet quinoa. I’m already adding chili powder, cumin, and other flavors to it, so I don’t want to overwhelm it with heat.

Should I used canned or dried black beans?

For ease of use, I use canned black beans for pure ease of use. You can also use dried black beans, but that requires advance prep.

If you use canned beans, make sure you rinse them thoroughly in a colander thoroughly before you add them to the quinoa. You do not want anything but the beans.

If you use dried beans, you need to soak them overnight. This not only softens them, but soaking also removes more of the ahhhhh gassy properties of beans.

When you soak them, ensure the water is at least an inch over the beans. I also add a teaspoon of salt, which not only flavors the beans, but it helps reduce the cooking time. Win win!

After you soak them overnight, drain the beans. Place them in a pot with new water that again covers them by an inch.

Bring the pot to a boil, then turn to simmer. Cook them for anywhere from one to two hours. 

The length of cooking time varies based on how old your beans are, how long they soaked, etc etc. Check them periodically as you approach one hour, and remove from the heat once they are cooked through.

Drain the beans and rinse, then set them aside until you add them to the quinoa. You can make you beans a day or two in advance and store them in the fridge in a tightly sealed container.

Can I use bottled garlic?

Technically you can, but please please do not.

Bottled minced garlic does not taste the same, and it’s often very VERY old. Fresh garlic is so much cheaper and the difference in taste is amazing.

That doesn’t count the fact that it may have been bleached or include phosphoric acid. And it soaks in water, so what do you think that does to the flavor?

It’s surprisingly easy to peel and mince garlic. Need a tutorial? Check it out the video in this post.

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How to Make Mexican Skillet Quinoa

Now I love this Mexican skillet quinoa because it’s fast and easy, but it also cooks in just one pot, which means fewer dishes to wash at the end of the night, which makes my husband happy. All you need are quinoa, vegetable stock, black beans, salsa, frozen corn, tomatoes, garlic, an avocado, lime juice, and some cumin and chili powder.

Start out by getting all your ingredients ready. Once you’re ready to go, you’ll want to have everything ready to dump at once – the quinoa, vegetable stock, salsa, garlic, and black beans.

Prep your beans by pouring the whole can into a colander over your sink and rinsing them until the water runs clear. Measure out your quinoa and vegetable stock, and pull out your chili powder and cumin.

Mince your garlic, and heat a heavy pan – I like to use my shallow, wide braising pan – on a little less than medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add a tablespoon of oil.

Once it is shimmering, add the garlic and fifteen seconds later add the quinoa. Stir periodically so that the quinoa toasts for two to three minutes, which adds a great nuttier flavor in the end.

After two to three minutes of toasting your quinoa, dump in the vegetable stock, black beans, salsa, cumin, and chili powder. Stir once to distribute lightly and turn up the heat to bring to a boil.

Once it boils, turn the heat down to a bare simmer and cover for 20 minutes. While the quinoa cooks, chop your tomatoes so they’re ready to add.

After the liquid absorbs, remove the lid and it’s amazing how much the quinoa has fluffed up and created a very different looking dish.

Remove your dish from the heat. Add the frozen corn and stir to distribute. While the corn heats through, prep your avocado by slicing it into chunks.

Add the avocado, tomato, and lime juice just before serving, stirring to ensure it’s distributed within the dish and coated with some of the lime juice to prevent it from browning.

Yep, this Mexican skillet quinoa is really that easy and ready in under a half hour.

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