Description
This Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa is a hearty and flavorful one-pot meal combining protein-rich quinoa with black beans, enchilada sauce, vegetables, and Mexican spices. Perfect for a hands-off dinner, it’s topped with melted Mexican cheese and your choice of fresh toppings like avocado, sour cream, and lime wedges.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red pepper seeds removed, diced
- 2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 10 oz cans Old El Paso mild red enchilada sauce
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 4.5 oz can Old El Paso chopped green chiles
- 1 cup corn frozen kernels
- Juice of 1 small lime
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
Optional Toppings
- Sliced green onions
- Avocado
- Diced tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: In a slow cooker, add quinoa, water, diced onion, minced garlic, diced red pepper, rinsed black beans, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, chopped green chiles, frozen corn, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, and chopped cilantro. Stir everything to combine evenly. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Cook Quinoa Mixture: Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours, until the quinoa has absorbed the liquid and is cooked through.
- Stir and Add Cheese: Remove the lid and stir the mixture well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Stir half of the shredded Mexican cheese into the quinoa mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly on top.
- Melt Cheese: Put the lid back on the slow cooker and continue cooking for about 15 minutes until the cheese melts and becomes gooey.
- Serve: Serve the enchilada quinoa warm with your desired optional toppings such as sliced green onions, avocado, diced tomatoes, sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Notes
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly to remove bitterness before cooking.
- Use mild enchilada sauce for a gentle heat or switch to medium for more spice.
- Optional toppings add extra freshness and creaminess.
- You can substitute black beans with pinto or kidney beans if preferred.
- Leftovers store well refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat nicely.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
