Mexican Quinoa is a simple “dump it and forget about it” slow cooker meal. Add uncooked quinoa, vegetables, beans, and seasonings, then let it cook.
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, same-sized pieces for even cooking.
- Quinoa: Rinse to remove any bitterness.
- Black Beans: Rinse canned black beans before adding or make your own black beans.
- Corn: I like using frozen corn for it’s flavor and freshness but canned works great.
- Fire-roasted Diced Tomatoes: Include the juice for more sauce to cook everything in.
- Enchilada Sauce & Taco Seasoning: Use mild varieties if you prefer less heat. I love and recommend Old El Paso’s mild red enchilada sauce.
- Vegetable or Chicken Stock: Both work, 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.
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.
- Grated sharp (or extra-sharp) Cheddar cheese
- Chopped cherry tomatoes or pico de gallo
- Fresh chopped cilantro or thinly sliced green onions
- A squeeze of fresh lime
- A large scoop of sour cream (fat-free is great); you can also use Greek yogurt.
- Sliced avocado or scoop of guacamole
- Pickled red onions
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.
Shortcuts
Time-Saving Suggestions
- Buy squash that’s already peeled and cut into cubes to skip prep time. Frozen squash works just fine too, just make sure the pieces are about 1/2-inch cubes.
- Use pre-minced garlic from a jar or a garlic press with fresh garlic pieces to save time.
- Look for quinoa that’s already rinsed to skip washing off the bitter outer layer.
Dietary Concerns
- Vegan: As written, this recipe is vegan. Keep toppings, such as sour cream and Cheddar cheese off, or use vegan alternatives.
- 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 an easy slow cooker meal—just toss in quinoa, veggies, beans, and spices, then let it cook! Pile on your favorite toppings like cheese, sour cream, avocado, and lime for a hearty, delicious dish.
Equipment
- 6-quart Crock-Pot 6-quart
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1-1/4 pounds cubed butternut squash peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 4 cups
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 finely diced jalapeño about 2 tablespoons, optional, see note 1
- 2 (19-ounce) cans mild red enchilada sauce see note 2
- 1 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock, or broth; I love Swanson’s vegetable stock best
- 1 (1.25-ounce) packet taco seasoning see note 3 for homemade
- Toppings as desired see note 4
Instructions
- Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray generously or use a liner.
- Peel, seed, and cut butternut squash into small 1/2-inch cubes to ensure even cooking. Add to slow cooker.
- Combine corn, black beans, rinsed quinoa (I rinse in a fine-mesh sieve), minced garlic, tomatoes, optional jalapeño, enchilada sauce, stock/broth, and taco seasoning.
- Stir well, cover, and cook on high for 3.5–4.5 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.
- 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 1 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.
Note 4: Optional toppings: freshly shredded sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, fresh lime juice, sour cream, chopped cilantro, and/or diced avocado, etc.
Storage: Keep leftover Mexican quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze, store leftovers in an airtight freezer-friendly container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
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.
Hello! This looks amazing! If we had to replace the butternut squash in this recipe for something that is not squash, do you have any recommendations? Thank you!
I’d recommend sweet potatoes! Enjoy!
I have using your recipe in my instapot, turns out great. I do chicken breasts first and then a second go with everything else.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Katie! 🙂
I have made you Mexican Quinoa at least a million times and thought I should rate it and let you know it has become my “go to meal” for any gathering. I was reading through the comments and read that you didn’t feel this would be good on warm for a few hours due to the quinoa getting mushy. I have kept it on warm for hours and even re heated it the next day still tastes incredible. I didn’t mind the mushy mess at all lol. I’m taking it to a potluck tomorrow for work.
I am seriously so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Joanne! 🙂
Hi, Chelsea! About to try this tomorrow, but I was wondering if you ever cook it on low? I have a full day at work, so it’ll be in for about 8 hours. Thanks!
How much is one serving?
The entire dish divided out in 8 equal parts. Sorry I don’t have exact cup measurements of that!