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.
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Butternut Squash | Chop into small, same sized pieces for even cooking. |
| Quinoa | Rinse to remove any bitterness. |
| Black Beans | Rinse canned beans before adding or use homemade beans. |
| Corn | I like frozen corn for its 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 if you want less heat. I love Old El Paso’s mild red enchilada sauce. Try making your own taco seasoning. |
| Veggie or Chicken Stock | Both work. Use veggie stock to keep it vegetarian. |
| Jalapeños | Add a light kick and are optional. For less heat, remove the seeds and ribs. |
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
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.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
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.
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.
Could you clarify the serving size? thank you very much!
8 servings in the dish, so the dish separated into 8 equal parts
I’d never heard of your blog before, but this meal was featured a couple days ago on an food email list “Today Food” I subscribe too. I made this dish last night and it’s definitely a winner!! So delicious, health, filling, and oh so easy to make! Can’t wait to add this blog to my go to places for recipes! Thanks for sharing!
Oh I’m so happy to hear you found this recipe and my site! I’m so glad you enjoyed this dinner and hope you love anything else you try! 🙂
Hi, I was just wondering if you have ever tried cooking this on low for longer? Trying to make it for dinner one night, but want to start it before I leave for work!
I made it on high and it was DELICIOUS!
I haven’t just because I don’t always have great success (or consistent results) with cooking quinoa dishes on low. There have been a few readers that have commented they’ve been successful with cooking on low and some that haven’t. The problem being that sometimes it turns mushy – the vegetables and the quinoa can become a soggier texture.
So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed this dish! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I have made this at least 4 or 5 times and love it! It’s a perfect to have around for the week for quick and healthy dinners. And I love that it is meat free. Thank you for the great recipe and for getting me to try butternut squash:-)
So glad to hear you love this!! And I’m glad you tried butternut squash – it’s our favorite squash! Thanks for your kind comment! 🙂
Spicy my butt! I added 6 Jalapeños and 2 cans of Hatch Chilies and it barely had a kick.
On another note, what size crock pot are you using? I added about a half pound of chicken and it totally overflowed. I have a 3.5 quart pot. Cooked it on low for 8 hours. Tasted great. But think I may need a bigger pot
Haha!! Yes I’m very unsure of how some people found it spicy as we don’t at all and all I can think is they are using very spicy enchilada sauce?? I use a 6 quart slow cooker so it sounds like you may need a bigger one! Glad you liked this!
FYI – Trader Joe’s stuff tends to be spicy. Their taco seasoning is too spicy for my little one, and so is their enchilada sauce. It’s just a brand difference.
Great to hear that!! I’ve never tried Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce but that would make sense why some people are finding it spicy! I used Mild Old El Paso and not spicy at all 🙂
This is awesome and wondered if there are other less processed ways to create the seasoning as the cans of sauce are really really salty and heavily processed?
I haven’t tried any alternative, but you could try to make your own homemade enchilada sauce and see if that works.
Made this today although I did substitute one of the jars of enchilada sauce for chicken broth. I did add a jalapeño pepper to the mix and cooked on high for 4 hours. I will be making this again real soon. Delicious
So glad to hear you liked it! And I love the addition of the jalapeno! Thanks for your comment 🙂
I’m doing a 20 lb challenge at my local gym and am trying to log in the nutritional value ie: calories, fat, carbs, protein, sugar, etc. Do you happen to have this information? BTW, it is a great dish!
Thanks Lynda! So glad to hear you liked it 🙂
Here are the nutritional stats:
Slow Cooker Mexican Quinoa
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 Recipe total Servings 8
Calories 298
Total Fat 1.86 g
Saturated Fat 0.35g
Monosaturated Fat 0.44g
Polysaturated Fat 1.07g
Total Carbohydrate 57.2 g
Fiber 11.4 g
Sugar 6.5 g
Protein 14.8 g
Calcium 96 mg
Iron 4.04 mg
Potassium 1112 mg
Sodium 485 mg
Zinc 2.6 mg
Thiamin 0.56 mg
Riboflavin 0.19 mg
Niacin 2.33 mg
Vitamin B6 0.37 mg
Vitamin C 19.1 mg
Vitamin A 6242 IU
Vitamin E 1.55 mg
Vitamin K 5.4 Ug
Points 5
Points Plus 7
*The nutritional values are determined by the total ingredients divided by the number of servings for each recipe. Serving sizes may vary. The formula used here for points was obtained from public sources and is an empirical match to Weight Watchers calculators, but it is not an “official” Weight Watcher’s calculator.
Hi Chelsea– Do you think this recipe would work with ground turkey? Almost like a turkey chilli? Or would you recommend adding something like chicken breasts if I wanted to add meat to it?
Thanks!
Hi Anita! I definitely think this would be DELICIOUS with ground turkey! (Cook it separately and add it to the finished mixture) You could also add some raw boneless skinless chicken breasts to the slow cooker and cook them with the rest of the ingredients, shredding them when everything is done cooking. I wouldn’t add more than 1-2 breasts though and you may need to slightly increase the liquid. I think either protein addition would work really well with this dish!
Made this recently and loved it! Great flavor, very filling, and healthy! Can’t wait to make it again!
So great to hear!! Thank you Lindsay!!