An easy and healthy weeknight meal that has a ton of delicious flavor! This is a terrific Mexican quinoa recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights because everything is cooked in one pan.
Hurrah for easy one-pan meals! I made this for the first time last week on a night when I really didn’t feel like cooking. I kind of just threw everything into the skillet and hoped for the best. No measuring spoons for the spices either. I just kind of eyeballed the amounts for that. Fortunately, it turned out so well, I decided it should go on the blog. Because we can always use more quick weeknight dinners, right? Oh, and I did use measuring spoons this time around. 😉
This is also a healthy dinner dish that really doesn’t feel like your eating healthy. That’s always a bonus in my book. Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean eating baked chicken and steamed veggies. Spices are my favorite way to make a healthier dish taste super yummy. I didn’t use corn the first time around, but I really like the hint of sweetness that the corn adds to the dish.
You may have noticed that I use ground meat and poultry the most in my recipes. That’s because it’s one of most affordable options when you are buying pasture-raised chicken or grass-fed beef. A pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast can cost you twelve or thirteen dollars. Yeah, so not cheap. Buying ground chicken and chicken thighs are a more cost effective option. Still not super cheap, but it’s not a crazy amount more than conventional, and it’s better for you. Plus it’s easy to stretch a pound of ground meat like I did in this One-Pan Mexican Chicken Quinoa recipe.
This made enough for two meals for my husband and I. Depending on who you are serving, this makes between 4-5 servings.
*I use the TruRoots brand of sprouted quinoa in my dish, which comes pre-rinsed. If you are using regular quinoa, you will want to rinse it prior to adding to the skillet.
One-Pan Mexican Chicken Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp . ghee or olive oil
- 1 lb . ground chicken
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 1 medium green bell pepper , diced
- 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp mild chili powder (you can adjust to suit your own taste if you like)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt or salt to taste
- 1 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup of water
- 3/4 cup quinoa (rinsed, if not pre-rinsed kind)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup frozen sweet corn (such as Trader Joe's Organic Sweet Corn)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Garnish:
- lime wedges (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 10.5-inch skillet (one that has a lid). Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the bell pepper and continue to cook for another two minutes. Add the ground chicken to the pan and cook, breaking it up with a spatula or spoon as it browns.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, add the seasonings, and mix to coat the meat and vegetables while it cooks for a minute more.
- Stir in the water, tomato sauce, beans, corn and quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is tender and translucent, about 25 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve with lime wedges.