One Pot Quinoa and Black Beans has been a favorite fast, easy, and healthy weeknight recipe for me for years. It’s packed with nutrient-dense ingredients and tons of flavor from sweet corn, bell peppers, garlic, onions, and spices. It’s a perfect weeknight plant-based side or light meal that’s hearty and filling, packed with 16 grams of fiber and 18 grams of protein per serving!
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This is “one of those recipes.” I’ve been making it for years- for myself, for friends, for potlucks, for meal prep… I come back to this recipe again and again because it’s a) easy; b) delicious, and c) so nutritious and healthy!
Spicy quinoa and black beans is the ultimate healthy yet satisfying (and scrumptious!) dish. And it’s a really easy, one-pot meal!
It’s vegan but will appeal to meat-eaters in its heartiness, and it’s packed with nutrient-rich quinoa, vegetables, beans, and tons of flavor. It’s also naturally gluten-free.
And it’s high in protein and fiber, since quinoa is high in both compared to other grains like rice. There’s 18 grams of protein and 16 grams of fiber per serving here!
This recipe is great on its own, but it’s also delicious rolled into a burrito or topped with fixings such as avocado and sour cream. If you want more substance to your meal, Mexican Shredded Chicken is the perfect accompaniment.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Quinoa – I like using white quinoa because it has a lighter, fluffier texture and cooks faster. You can use tri-color or another color quinoa if you like. You can also substitute the quinoa with rice or orzo- just keep an eye on how much you should adjust the time and liquid.
- Black beans – two small cans or one large can, or about 3 cups cooked beans total. You can use pinto beans or a combo as a substitute.
- Red bell pepper – the flavor of red is the sweetest, but any color can be used. You can also add a jalapeño in addition to the bell pepper to make the recipe spicier.
- Garlic and Onion – add 1 teaspoon garlic powder with the other spices if you don’t have fresh.
- Cumin
- Cayenne pepper – this recipe isn’t too spicy, but you can still omit this for a very mild version. You can also use a fresh jalapeño instead if you want.
- Vegetable broth – water can be used in a pinch, or chicken broth if you don’t need it to be vegan/vegetarian.
- Frozen corn – or fresh, if you prefer.
- Fresh cilantro – can be omitted if you don’t like cilantro.
- Pantry basics: oil, salt, and black pepper
How to make quinoa with black beans
- First, sauté onions and peppers in olive oil. Use a large deep skillet with a lid or a pot for this.
- Then, add the garlic and spices and sauté for just about 30 seconds, until it’s fragrant (garlic burns easily so you don’t want to cook for too long at a high heat).
- Add the quinoa and stir to coat everything. Make sure you rinse the quinoa first in a mesh sieve, as it will improve the flavor and remove some bitterness (more on this below!)
- Pour in the broth and stir, then bring to a boil.
- Cover and simmer on low until quinoa is cooked (about 20 minutes).
- Stir in the frozen corn, black beans, and cilantro and keep cooking on low until everything is heated through.
- Finally, turn off the heat and squeeze lime juice in.
- Serve!
Can I store leftovers/make ahead?
This recipe stays great as leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container! This makes it great for meal prep. You can also double the recipe and eat it for dinner, then save leftovers to wrap in burritos or take for lunches later in the week.
Why you should always rinse quinoa!
Rinsing the quinoa removes dirt and debris from the harvesting process. But did you know it also improves the flavor? Quinoa has bitter compounds on its surface, and rinsing it really well removes that bitter flavor. If you’ve ever had quinoa before and not liked it because it was bitter, it probably means it wasn’t rinsed properly!
Here’s what I suggest. Add it to a mesh sieve and rinse for a full minute under running water. Or, add to a bowl with clean water and stir to agitate, drain, and repeat a couple more times.
Suggested fixings for topping
This black beans and quinoa is delicious on its own. I also like serving quinoa and black bean bowls topped with fixings, such as:
- Sour cream
- Hot sauce
- Diced avocado
- Extra cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Shredded cheese
Other easy black bean recipes
Other easy one-pot recipes
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Spicy Quinoa and Black Beans
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Equipment
- Large, deep skillet or pot with a lid
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other oil of choice
- 1 onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup quinoa rinsed (see notes)
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth, or water in a pinch
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 3 cups cooked black beans drained and rinsed (or two 15-oz. cans)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus more for serving
- juice of 1 lime
- sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, hot sauce, lime wedges, etc. optional (for serving)
Instructions
- In a large pot or deep skillet, sauté the diced 1 onion and 1 red bell pepper in 2 tablespoons avocado oil over medium-high heat until softened and browned (about 5-10 minutes).
- Add minced 2 cloves garlicm 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and stir. Sauté for thirty seconds (or until fragrant).
- Add rinsed 3/4 cup quinoa and stir to coat.
- Add 1.5 cups vegetable broth, stir, and bring to a boil.
- Turn heat to low and simmer covered for approximately 20 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked.
- Stir in 1 cup frozen corn, 3 cups cooked black beans (two 15-oz. cans), and 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Continue cooking on low heat until beans and corn are heated through (about 5 minutes). Stir in the juice of 1 lime. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- Serve, and top with optional fixings (sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, hot sauce, lime wedges, etc.) in a bowl or in a wrap as a burrito if desired.
Notes
- You can use any kind of quinoa you want, but I prefer white colored quinoa because I think it cooks a little faster, and the texture is lighter and fluffier. Rinsing it first in a mesh sieve will take away some of the bitter flavor. Using another color or tri-color quinoa may mean you need to cook it for longer.
- Rinsing the quinoa is important because not only does it remove dirt and debris from the harvesting process, it also helps remove bitter flavor. Give it a thorough 1-minute rinse in a mesh sieve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They will stay good for 3-5 days.
- Ingredient substitutions: use rice or orzo in place of the quinoa (adjust liquid accordingly), pinto beans or a combo instead of black beans.
- Make it extra spicy by adding a diced jalapeño pepper with the bell pepper and/or adding more cayenne pepper. Make it mild by omitting the cayenne pepper.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
This post originally appeared on Bowl of Delicious on September 13, 2014. It has been republished with new photos, improved recipe instructions, and more pertinent information.
Cynthia
Love this dish! Made it for vegetarian houseguests and I continue to make it now for myself!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Sharon Mack
This dish was so many good things rolled into one pot!! Onions and garlic, one of my favs, and the sweet corn against the bitterness of the black beans. YUM! All combined with healthy quinoa and Mexican spices. You’ve got try this! I WILL make this again!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Susan Newberry
Loved this recipe! I used fresh oregano topped on cheese nachos with sour cream! Delish
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Michele
Delicious!! The whole family loved it.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your family liked it!
Shari
Wicked good!!! I did put in the jalapeño for the heat…..and since I only had 1 can of black beans, added a can of chick peas. Tonight we used it as a side dish, but later it will be mixed with some leftover chicken for enchiladas! I can also see this having some tomato, cucumber and feta added to make some great vegetarian souvlaki. Thank you so much for this recipe – definitely bookmarked.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Ouida Mclawhorn
Whats up this is somewhat of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding knowledge so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Elizabeth Lindemann
I use WordPress (which is the standard in the blogging world- I’d recommend staying away from blogger and squarespace as many bloggers who start on those platforms regret it later when they try to monetize). It uses a WYSIWYG editor, but you have the option of editing it with HTML. WordPress is very user friendly- like all things, it’s a bit of a learning curve at first, but once you get used to it it’s easy. I don’t know ANY coding, aside from some super basic HTML, and I’ve been totally fine with it! Hope that helps, and good luck with your blog. If you like, let me know once you get it up and running, I’d love to take a look and give you feedback if you want some! You can email me at elizabeth@bowlofdelicious.com :-)
Kate Fitzpatrick
Fast, easy and delicious! Great find!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! So happy you liked it :-)
Sharon
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe…I added diced jalepeno and some leftover El Pastor taco meat and my husband LOVED it!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So happy you both liked it! Love your additions, thanks for the suggestion.
Adrian
Tried this recipe yesterday and it was so yummy. It’s really good leftover too! This is a recipe my husband wants in the rotation!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! I love this one too!
Patti
My new favorite recipe! Thank you!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Anita
Excellent. Added chopped spinach as I thought I needed something green and leafy. Otherwise stuck to the recipe. Tasty and satisfying. Highly recommend.
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! I love the addition of spinach, thanks for the suggestion.
Michele
I just made this and it was amazing I didn’t have cumin so I used garam Masada and did not use the cilantro . I also added a jalapeño and fresh spinach. Very quick and easy to make.
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it- love your additions and substitutions!
andy
I loved this recipe! I triple rinsed the quinoa to remove that natural soapy coating. Also I grilled some corn on the cob, added half a jalapeno for more spice and used non meat stock cubes to have it one of our vegan nights topped with diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers and avocado. yum!
Elizabeth
Glad you liked it!! Love the idea of adding diced cucumber- nice way to balance out the spiciness!
Matlenehoo.com
I have never cooked with quinoa before. Do you have to cook it before adding it to this recipe for . The fact I
Elizabeth
Nope- just add it in uncooked! Give it a quick rinse first- it will help it be less bitter. The broth will be absorbed by it to cook it.
Anne
What is the calorie count for a serving?
Elizabeth
Hi Anne! I use this awesome tool at http://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php to figure out calories. For this recipe, with about 6 servings, it comes in at 476 calories per serving (not including any toppings like avocado) according to the calculator. Hope this helps! It’s one of my favorite recipes ever :-)
Susie
How many people does this recipe serve? Need to know if should be doubled for a group of 8. Thanks.
Elizabeth
Hi, Susie! I’d say this recipe serves 4-6 people as a meal, and 8-10 people as a side. So if you are making it as your main course, you should probably double it! (it makes great leftovers, so if you have a little extra it won’t go to waste) :-)
Jenny
Just made this for dinner – Love it! Added some heat and made it a little spicier – thanks so much for sharing!
Carlisha
I just made this tonight for my carnivore husband and we both loved it!! It took a lot of convincing to get him to eat something without meat in it but after one bite we were both in love with it! I made some naan bread on the side and we used it to scoop it up and enjoy. It was delicious! Looking forward to making the leftovers into burritos later this week. Thanks so much for such a great vegetarian recipe. I am looking to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our weeknight routine and this was a great starter!
Elizabeth
Yay! I’m so happy you and your husband liked it!! Another vegetarian recipe I’d recommend are my Sweet Potato and Black Bean enchiladas- super hearty and some similar flavors to the black bean quinoa dish! :-) https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/2014/10/22/smoky-sweet-potato-and-black-bean-enchiladas/
diane929
I’ve made this twice…it’s truly delicious! The first time, we used it as a side-dish, but today, I made it and topped it with shredded chicken (crock pot/salsa/taco seasoned), shredded cheese, avocado, and sour cream. YUM!! This will definitely go into the weekly rotation.
Another of our favorite quinoa recipes is this Salmon-Avocado Super Salad…it’s great!
http://salmonavocadosalad.blogspot.com/2014_01_01_archive.html
Elizabeth
Thanks so much, I’m glad you like it!! I’m definitely going to try adding some chicken at some point… and I’m REALLY excited about this salmon avocado salad too. Thanks for sharing!
Christine Audi
Would it be better to replace the black beans with kidney beans or chick peas (I don’t have black)
Elizabeth
Hm…. I imagine that either would be tasty, but my gut is telling me to go with chick peas. I think the cumin and spice combo would be more tasty with chick peas in this case! Yum, actually, I may try that next time :-) Hope you like it!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
I love cooking with quinoa.. it’s a staple weeknight dinner in my household! I definitely will be making your spicy quinoa and black bean recipe, sounds delicious.
Elizabeth
Yay! Hope you like it! :-) I need a few other good quinoa recipes… got any?