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.
author’s note
No-Fuss Mexican Quinoa Dinner!
These Quinoa Tacos are super popular in my home. Honestly, meal prep doesn’t get much easier. Everything goes into the slow cooker (no prep!) and the result is a super flavorful, meatless taco filling that’s hearty and filling.
I wanted to take that same bold flavor and easy prep and turn it into another vegetarian meal. Enter: Mexican Quinoa. Just as simple, filling, and packed with good-for-you ingredients.
It does have a bit of spice, but nothing too crazy. You can tweak the seasonings, and toppings like cheese, sour cream, or avocado help mellow it out. Even my two-year-old loves it!
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.
- Veggie or Chicken Stock: Both work, for a vegetarian option use the vegetable stock.
- 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 (Tips)
- Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray or use a liner for easy cleanup.
- Chop squash small (about 1/2 inch) so it cooks evenly.
- Rinse quinoa, then add all ingredients to the slow cooker and stir.
- Cook on high for 3.5 to 4.5 hours until squash is soft and quinoa is cooked.
- Switch to low and let sit uncovered for 15–25 minutes so the liquid absorbs.
- Stir, season to taste, and load up with toppings like cheese, sour cream, avocado, and lime.
Featured Comment
“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.”
– Joanne
Shortcuts
Time-Saving Suggestions
- Use pre-cut or frozen squash (cut to 1/2-inch cubes) to save prep time.
- Grab pre-minced garlic or use a garlic press for quick prep.
- Choose pre-rinsed quinoa to skip washing.
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:
Mexican Quinoa
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Dietary Concerns
- Vegan: This recipe is vegan. Skip cheese and sour cream or use vegan versions.
- Gluten Free: Check labels since some sauces and seasonings have gluten. Old El Paso is usually safe. Homemade seasoning is a good option.
- Dairy Free: Use dairy-free cheese or sour cream for toppings.
How much is one serving? 1 cup?
The entire recipe divided into 6 equal parts; I don’t have exact cup measurements on that, sorry!
Hello, this looks amazing and I’m excited to try. Would this be able to to be taken as a pot luck dish, left on a warmer type setting for a couple of hours or so? Wasn’t sure if it would get too mushy in that amount of time or not as I have very little experience. Appreciate your input. Excited to join your blog as well. Thanks
So happy to have you Linda! Unfortunately I do think this would get mushy sitting for a couple of hours; quinoa tends to do that!
Hey! I live in China so find it tough to get enchilada sauce and taco seasoning. If I make it myself with tinned tomatoes or passata what spice mix would you recommend?
I like using my Instapot instead of the slow cooker. Do you have cooking conversion times for the Instapot?
I haven’t personally tried it in the instant pot yet, hopefully someone else can chime in here to help out! 🙂
Have you ever tried this with frozen butternut squash? Just curious if it would be more watery. Thanks in advance for your time and wonderful recipes.
I haven’t, sorry Renee!! Wish I could be of more help. Thanks for your kind comment and following along 🙂
I am so eager to try this!!!
Any suggestions on putting this in an instapot instead of the crockpot? Would that work ok?
Healthy food, nice!
Thank you!! 🙂
I made this recipe today even after reading all the comments on how hot/spicy it was. Well, it wasn’t hot at all. It had just the right amount of spice. I thought that 38 oz of mild red enchilada sauce was way too much but it wasn’t and maybe it helped when I put more squash in than the recipe listed. Overall I thought it was very good. I will make this again.
This was so good! I’m honestly not a huge squash fan, but I loved the combination in this. I used brown rice because I didn’t have quinoa handy, and I used the optional jalapeño. Nicely spicy but not too hot for the more timid members of the family. It’s thick and warm and was perfect for our chilly fall evening. Will definitely make again, thank you!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for the comment 🙂
The recipes inspired me to take down that old crock pot after about a year of non-use. After I sandblasted the mouse droppings that barnaclized into the inside of pot and scraped the lid with a razor knife to remove the grease stains I was exhausted but hungry for that yummy black bean soup!
Hahaha i’m so glad to hear! 🙂 Enjoy!