A little spicy, a little cheesy, a little creamy. That’s what happens when you cook quinoa with ingredients that traditionally belong inside a rolled corn tortilla. It’s simply delicious.
And major bonus points for also being very healthy! There are three ways to make this easy one pot quinoa enchilada recipe:
- Just like I made it (which is technically a two pot recipe – the chicken needs to be boiled separately)
- Without the shredded chicken for a lighter one pot dish.
- By substituting chicken broth for vegetable broth and omitting chicken and cheese for a completely vegan one pot meal.
This one pot quinoa enchilada recipe is very easy to make – less than 10 minutes to prep and about 15 minutes to cook. And you won’t believe how tasty and satisfying it is!
It tastes like an enchilada but without the excessive mountain of melted cheese on top and oily mess left at the bottom of the plate.
Sliced avocados give the dish a creamy texture, the sliced jalapeno adds heat, diced tomatoes sweeten the pot and a squeeze of lime brightens everything up.
Sprinkle a little cheddar cheese and fresh cilantro on top and you have a one pot quinoa enchilada that has as many different flavors as it has colors!
There is so much going on in that one pot quinoa enchilada that it should keep any Mexican food lover happy. The addition of shredded chicken is optional though I personally prefer it with.
It adds a layer of decadence and brings the whole dish that much closer to what an actual chicken enchilada tastes like. It’s a little more work but well worth it – submerge the chicken breasts in boiling hot water and cover for 10-12 minutes. Drain and let the chicken cool to room temperature.
Lastly, use your fingers to shred the chicken.
I love this technique because no oil is used and the chicken always comes out so moist and tender. It’s also perfect for salads (like this spicy Vietnamese chicken cabbage salad or cucumber and sesame chicken salad) and soups (like a traditional Cambodian Chicken Soup).
You can serve this one pot quinoa enchilada dish with a simple asparagus salad with catalan vinaigrette, a chilled pea and lee soup or on its own with a refreshing low sugar mint lemonade.
One Pot Chicken and Quinoa Enchilada
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: One pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Find all the same flavors of a decadent chicken enchilada dinner but without the guilt! This one pot quinoa enchilada recipe is Healthy, VERY easy to make and so tasty, both kids and adults love it!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1 red onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 jalapeno (finely chopped (optional – ONLY if you like it spicy!)
- 1 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 10.05 ounces can black beans
- 14.5 ounces can diced tomatoes
- 10 ounces can mild enchilada sauce
- 1 avocado (peeled and cored and sliced bite size)
- 1/2 pound skinless (boneless chicken cutlets or breast, optional)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
- shredded cheddar cheese (for topping, optional)
- lime wedges
Instructions
- In a deep skillet or medium high heat, add grapeseed oil, onions, garlic and jalapeno and cook for 3 minutes, until onions are translucent.
- Add chicken stock, black beans, diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce and quinoa. Stir well, bring to boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 15-17 minutes, until quinoa is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn the heat off.
- Add avocado, cilantro and shredded chicken and mix well. Serve topped with shredded cheddar, lime and a few cilantro leaves.
For shredded chicken:
- Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil. Turn the heat off and add chicken to the pot. Cover and leave in water for 12 minutes (until chicken is cooked through).
- Take the chicken out of the water and let cool to room temperature (or put it in the freezer for about 7 minutes).
- Use your fingers to shred the chicken, it’s very easy! Set aside on a plate.
Notes
Rinse quinoa (if it doesn’t say pre-rinsed on the package) vigorously to remove the bitter coating, otherwise it won’t taste good!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 571
- Sugar: 7.2 g
- Sodium: 580.6 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 68.7 g
- Fiber: 14.6 g
- Protein: 29.8 g
- Cholesterol: 41.4 mg
We really enjoy this, never have leftovers. Does it freeze well? Want to make it for my daughter who has a bad knee at the moment, and can’t really cook. Thanks!
Thank you Noreen! I think it would freeze well but I have never tried. I would recommend freezing in individual portions so your daughter can easily microwave it 🙂
Hi, recipes looks delicious. Can I substitute quinoa with white rice? Do you think it will taste nice? Thanks
Hi Reva! I think white rice would totally work with this recipe, it’s a great idea! 🙂
Was delicious – big hit !
I’ve made this a few times now, and it’s been wonderful every time. My favorite part about it is how easily I can adapt it to the ingredients I have on hand, and it still always turns out to be a crowd-pleaser. For instance, tonight we had to use white onion, white quinoa, vegetable oil, homemade enchilada sauce, and leftover pork. We didn’t have any avocado or cilantro sadly, but we did have sour cream. And as always — Delicious! Pretty health and quick too.
Hi there! I have a question about the chicken: your recipe says to use either cutlets or breast, but cutlets are much thinner than a whole breast and cook for less time, so I’m wondering what size pieces you are using for the 12-min cook time listed in your recipe. Thank you so much!
Hi Elizabeth, for the cutlets I would leave them in for 8-10 minutes. The best way is to test them with a fork as they do vary depending on the size like you mentioned.
Do you have the nutrition info for this recipe? 🙂
Hi Sarah, I no longer post nutrition info with my recipes – the reason being that the nutritional counters I found online are unreliable.
I did this recipe last night and it turned out great. It was very tasty and my family enjoyed it.
However it did take a lot longer to cook the quinoa, since there was more liquid than what I usually use to cook it. (broth, the juice from the canned tomatoes and the enchilada sauce). It took almost 30 minute but still turned out great.
Loved the avocado touch, and will do again.
Thanks for posting.
Thank you for sharing Antonella!
This looks good! I wonder if there is a way to cook the chicken with the quinoa to make this a true one-pot recipe. Maybe if you cut the chicken into small pieces and put it in with the onion. Hmm…
Absolutely Laura! Cutting the chicken into small pieces will work perfectly. We do the same but with shrimp and it’s delicious!
por primera lo tratare gracias despues hablare mas ?
Wow ! this looks amazing. We are big quinoa fans and love Mexican food. I will try this tonight for Cinco de Mayo. Thank you !!
I hope you like it as much as we do Lisa! Thanks!
I just love that you used quinoa in this enchilada recipe! Definitely a healthy addition to a Mexican classic that I need to try.
Thank you Thalia! The healthier it is, the more of it we can eat which is always a good thing in my book since I am quite the gourmand! 😉