Mexican Quinoa

Healthy, filling and so easy to make, this Mexican Quinoa is a delicious one-pot meal. Quinoa, beans, corn, and crunchy peppers are cooked with Mexican spices in just 30-minutes in the Instant Pot.

This vegan and gluten-free dish is perfect for school lunches, picnics and potlucks too.

This Mexican Quinoa bowl is one of my go-to recipes for mid-week lunches and potlucks.

It takes me roughly 30 minutes to make this delicious quinoa burrito bowl in the Instant Pot, out of which 20 minutes is hands-off cooking time!

This one-pan Mexican Quinoa is loaded with flavors and nutrients. It's a high-protein, vegan, and gluten-free dish that's perfect as-is, and makes for a wonderful side dish to Veggie Fajitas or Salsa Chicken.

It's also a great recipe for picnics and potlucks. Here's why:

• It stays good at room temperature, so no need to worry about refrigeration on warm days.
• Easy to carry, no drips or mess, which makes this SO easy to transport. I transfer it to a large salad bowl and cover that with a lid. Done!
• Easy to customize for everyone with a variety of toppings, like, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, chopped jalapenos, onions, etc.

Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions

This Mexican style Quinoa comes together with a handful of easily available staples. Here's what you need:

Quinoa: I use white quinoa, but the other varieties work equally well. Be sure to rinse the quinoa 2-3 times with cold water to get rid of the bitter saponin coating.

Beans: Black beans are my favorite pick for this recipe, but you can also use pinto beans or kidney beans. Use one 15oz can, rinsed and drained, or ¾ cup of dried black beans cooked from scratch.

Vegetables: I use chopped red bell peppers, but feel free to use green or other colored peppers instead. I use frozen corn, but freshly shucked corn will work as well. As for onions, use any variety you like - white, onion, or red.

Salsa: This is what gives the quinoa recipe an addictive flavor. Use your favorite brand of store-bought salsa. If your salsa is thick, add an extra ¼- ½ cup of water for cooking.

Seasoning: Chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, and paprika is what seasons this dish. Salt brings everything together, and a touch of cayenne adds a subtle heat, feel free to reduce or skip if you like.

To substitute taco seasoning in this recipe, replace all the spices with 2 tablespoons of your favorite taco seasoning brand.

For Finishing: Freshly squeezed lime juice and chopped cilantro are the perfect way to finish this quinoa recipe.

For Toppings: Although optional, adding a few of your favorite toppings can elevate your burrito bowl meal. Toppings include salsa, pico de Gallo, sour cream, or sliced avocado.

Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Mexican Quinoa

Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make this easy-peasy Mexican quinoa in the Instant Pot, or any comparable electric pressure cooker:

Step 1: Finely Chop onions and peppers. Rinse quinoa 2-3 times to get rid of the bitter coating. Drain well and keep aside.

Step 2: Saute Onions, garlic, chopped jalapeno, and chopped peppers for 1 minute. Add spices including salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne, and saute for another 30 seconds.

Important Step: Deglaze the pot with ¼ cup of water after sauteing and scrape off any brown bits that may have stuck to the bottom.

Step 3: Add drained quinoa, rinsed and drained black beans, frozen (or fresh) cor,n and salsa to the pot.

Prevent burn error: If your cooker is notorious for giving the burn message, add all ingredients except salsa, stir well, then add salsa on top, but don't stir it.

Step 4: Add a cup of water and stir well. Close the lid, and set the vent to 'sealing' position. Pressure cook at high pressure for 2 mins.

Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, after which release the remaining pressure manually (QR).

Step 5: After the pin drops, open the lid and fluff the quinoa using a fork. Squeeze in fresh lime juice and cilantro and serve warm with your favorite toppings.

Serving Suggestions

This Mexican quinoa is flavorful as-is, but toppings are what makes this a fun recipe, especially for my kids.

We all customize our quinoa burrito bowls by choosing from a variety of toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped avocado, etc. Here are some of our favorite choices:

• Guacamole (kids' #1 topping)
• Homemade Salsa
• Pico De Gallo
• Pickled sliced jalapeno (hubby's favorite)
• Chopped onion and cilantro

Make-Ahead for Parties

You can easily multiply this recipe and make it 2-3 days in advance and refrigerate until ready to use. On the day of the party, serve it as:

• Mexican Quinoa Casserole: Spread in an oven-safe serving dish. Top with shredded cheese and heat in the oven until the cheese melts. To serve, top with avocado chunks and pico de gallo.
• Mexican Quinoa Salad: Add prepared Mexican quinoa to a large salad bowl. Mix in diced avocado, cucumber, onions, and halved cherry tomato. Squeeze lime juice and toss with chopped cilantro.

Recipe Tips

• Switch the beans: I use canned black beans in this recipe. These can be substituted with pinto, kidney, or white beans as well. 
• Using dry beans: If using dry beans for this recipe, cook them separately. You would need about ¾ cup dried beans for this recipe.
• Seasoning: To substitute taco seasoning in this recipe, replace all the spices with 2 tablespoons of your favorite taco seasoning brand.  You may need to adjust the salt based on your seasoning contents. 
• Salsa: For best results, I recommend adding salsa to this recipe.  But if you're adding crushed tomatoes, add an additional 1-2 teaspoons of chili powder (or taco seasoning) to enhance the flavor.
• Packing tip: This recipe works great for school lunches, potlucks, and picnics. For potlucks, I keep the toppings in separate containers, to be added to individual bowls just before serving. 
• Make-ahead: This recipe can be made a day or two in advance and stays good in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• Prevent burn error: For extra insurance against the burn message, deglaze the pot with ¼ cup of water after sauteing the spices and onions. Add all ingredients except salsa, stir, then add salsa on top, but don't stir it. Pressure cook and enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Mexican Inspired Recipe For You

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📖 Recipe

Mexican Quinoa

Aneesha Gupta

Try this easy 30-minute Instant Pot recipe for a hearty and delicious Mexican Quinoa Bowl. This vegan, gluten-free dish is packed with flavor and loaded with quinoa, beans, corn, and peppers.

4.58 from 19 votes

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Prep Time 8 mins

Cook Time 2 mins

NPR 10 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 4

Calories 370 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Instant Pot

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 2 teaspoon garlic crushed, about 2 cloves
• ▢ 1 cup onion chopped, 1 medium onion
• ▢ 1 cup bell peppers chopped, red/yellow/orange/rainbow
• ▢ 1 jalapeno de-veined, de-seeded, chopped
• ▢ 1 can black beans rinsed and drained, 14.5 oz can
• ▢ 1 cup frozen corn , or fresh
• ▢ 1 cup salsa , or crushed tomatoes (see notes for details)
• ▢ 1 cup quinoa rinsed in a sieve
• ▢ 1 cup water

Spices

• ▢ ¾-1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika regular or ½ teaspoon smoked
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne adjust to taste, or skip

Toppings (optional)

• ▢ Pico de Gallo, sour cream, chopped avocado, onions or cheese.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Finely Chop onions and peppers. Rinse quinoa for 10–15 seconds under running water, drain well and keep aside.
• Saute Onions, garlic, chopped jalapeno and chopped peppers for 1 minute. Add spices including salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika and cayenne, and saute for another 30 seconds. This brings out the flavors of the spices.
• Add drained quinoa, rinsed and drained black beans, frozen (or fresh) corn and salsa to the pot.
• Add a cup of water and stir well. Close the lid, and set the vent to ‘sealing’ position. Pressure cook at high pressure for 2 mins. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, after which release remaining pressure manually (QR)
• After the pin drops, open the lid and fluff the quinoa using a fork. Squeeze in fresh lime juice and cilantro and serve warm with your favorite toppings.

Video

Notes

• I use canned black beans in this recipe. These can be substituted with pinto, kidney, or white beans as well. 
• If using dry beans for this recipe, cook them separately. You would need about ¾ cup dried beans for this recipe.
• To substitute taco seasoning in this recipe, replace all the spices with 2 tbsps of your favorite taco seasoning brand.  You may need to adjust the salt based on your seasoning contents. 
• For best results, I recommend adding salsa to this recipe.  But if you're adding crushed tomatoes, add an additional 1-2 teaspoons of chili powder (or taco seasoning) to enhance the flavor.
• This recipe works great for school lunches, potlucks, and picnics. For potlucks, I keep the toppings in separate containers, to be added to individual bowls just before serving. 
• This recipe can be made a day or two in advance and stays good in the fridge for 3-4 days.

 

Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates and do not include any toppings.  If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 944mg | Potassium: 966mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2466IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 5mg

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This recipe has been updated with new photos and tips to prevent the burn message.