This Mexican quinoa protein bowl is packed with fresh, nutritious ingredients, fiber, and of course: a lot of protein!
In less than half an hour you can have an easy lunch or dinner ready to go. You can also make this as meal prep!
To Rinse, or Not to Rinse…
Often times when you prepare quinoa, it is recommended that you rinse it first. This is because quinoa has a bitter coating on the outside that can be off-putting. However, I did not rinse it in this recipe and had no issue. It can be quire burdensome to rinse the quinoa unless you have a strainer with very small holes.
If you do decide to rinse your quinoa, I suggest placing it in a bowl with water and stirring it to get the coating off. After half a minute or so of stirring, the water color will change and you can carefully drain off the water using a large spoon.
Tips for Making Mexican Quinoa Protein Bowl
To make this quinoa bowl as delicious as possible, I have just a few tips for you!
Use the freshest ingredients you can.
With fresh tomato and cilantro, this recipe is especially good. I used canned black beans and frozen corn because that is what I had on hand. However, if you had fresh corn and your favorite black beans (not canned), I think this recipe would be even better!
Choose low-sodium if you used canned items.
Often canned items are far more convenient, which I totally understand! It’s great to keep staples on hand, they can be used in a multitude of recipes. Typically though, your standard canned items have a lot of sodium. I recommend finding no salt added or low sodium canned items to reduce the overall sodium content of the dish.
Mexican Quinoa Protein Bowl
Equipment
- skillet
- medium pots
- measuring cups and spoons
- spatula or tongs
- chef's knife
- 4 medium bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt + pepper
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1 15 oz. can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups corn, frozen or 2-15 oz cans
- 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 2-3 medium avocados, cubed optional
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
- While quinoa cooks, heat olive oil in a pan. Add chicken breasts and season with some salt and pepper. Add remaining spices and cook chicken until golden brown.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Start by steaming the corn (or draining if canned), then drain and rinse the black beans, cut the limes, chop cilantro, and dice the tomato. Cube avocado.
- Once all ingredients are prepared, slice the chicken and assemble the bowls. Beginning with the quinoa on the bottom, arrange desired toppings and top with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 6 days.
