Taco-Inspired One Pot Mexican Quinoa with Black Beans & Corn

When it comes to family meal prep, there are endless different strategies and approaches you can use to make life easier. One of the most basic: sharing meals. Even better: make it a one pot dinner. With recipes like this one pot Mexican quinoa, you can feed the whole family and have just ONE pot to wash! Just like a one pot pasta, but with a superfood boost from the nutritious quinoa.

When life gets busy, healthy eating can get a lot harder. And, if your life is mostly or always busy…you need simple, long-term solutions for easy weeknight dinners. Rather than relying on takeout and frozen dinners, one pot dinners can keep meals convenient AND nutritious. And, my one pot Mexican quinoa is just one of the many possibilities for one pot dinners!

Hello, One Pot Taco Quinoa Night!

Hands down, my favorite dinner growing up was ALWAYS taco night. My family isn’t of Mexican heritage, so I wouldn’t call these traditional tacos or anything. But, they were simple and delicious, with the Mexican inspired flavors and foods that I still love: onions, peppers, chili, cumin, beans, corn, cheese. What’s not to like??

And, all of those classic taco goodies are just as scrumptious thrown together in this one pot Mexican quinoa! (Except, to keep this a vegan one pot dinner, no cheese!) It’s like a fun twist on taco night—with the same flavors and ingredients that taco enthusiasts already know and love.

Plus, choosing truly healthy tortillas can be tricky. Often, even the ‘whole wheat’ and ‘whole grain’ labels can deceive us unless we READ the ingredients list ourselves. But, with this one pot Mexican quinoa, you can know that you’re serving up whole grain goodness.

*Bonus: Quinoa is one of THE most protein rich and nutrient rich grains on the planet!

But…My Family Likes Tacos, Not One Pot Mexican Quinoa…

And, to that I say: they probably don’t actually know they don’t like it! If they’ve never tried quinoa, they may end up enjoying it more than you expect. (Especially served up taco style in this one pot Mexican quinoa!) Or, maybe you’ve tried quinoa and didn’t really like it. And, to that I say: give it another chance!

Research actually shows that it can take kids (and adults) as many as 10 exposures to or 10 experiences with an unfamiliar food before the person begins to enjoy it. (So, if you’ve got a picky eater in your household, don’t give up on foods they’ve rejected a few times!)

And, quinoa in particular isn’t the easiest grain to cook! It can turn out very bitter, and sometimes even the ‘fool-proof’ pre-toasting method doesn’t quite work. Luckily, this one pot Mexican quinoa recipe takes away the guesswork and actually makes cooking quinoa easy. Simply toss everything into the pot—no bitterness, just loads of soaked-in flavor!

Want More Vegan & Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes?

Check out my Meal Prep Recipes: Vegetarian Edition eBook!

One Pot Mexican Quinoa

One Pot Mexican Quinoa

When it comes to family meal prep, there are endless different strategies and approaches you can use to make life easier. One of the most basic: sharing meals. Even better: make it a one pot dinner. With recipes like this one pot Mexican quinoa, you can feed the whole family and have just ONE pot to wash! Just like a one pot pasta, but with a superfood boost from the nutritious quinoa.
5 stars (2 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
  • cups broth
  • 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 15 oz can corn, drained and rinsed
  • tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • In a pot over medium heat, sauté onions, garlic and bell peppers in a bit of oil.
  • Add quinoa, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt and water.
  • Bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook until quinoa is cooked through, around 20 minutes.
  • Serve and garnish with avocado, lime juice, cilantro, cheese, or any other toppings you like!
Serving: 2cups, Calories: 375kcal, Carbohydrates: 64g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 6g, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 12g
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