These Mexican Ground Beef and Quinoa Taco Bowls can be made in one pan in less than 30 minutes! Packed with Tex Mex flavours, this easy skillet dinner recipe is flavourful, delicious and perfect for meal prep! {Gluten-free}
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Easy Beef and Quinoa Taco Skillet Dinner
I have officially found one of my new favourite dinners that’s perfect for busy nights — these Ground Beef and Quinoa Taco Bowls. They make for such a healthy, delicious and easy meal!
In our house, we love all types of Mexican food…tacos, fajitas, chili, you name it!
Recently, we decided to switch up the menu by incorporating some Mexican quinoa with ground beef, black beans, corn and fresh veggies into the mix. It’s such a simple one skillet dinner and a great way to incorporate quinoa!
The interesting thing about quinoa is that it can taste really bland on its own, but it has this amazing way of absorbing all of those flavours which can make it super tasty when you throw in the right ingredients and spices.
Not to mention, it cooks up pretty quickly, so it’s the perfect addition to an easy weeknight meal.
Some of our other favourite quinoa and beef recipes to date are these BBQ Beef and Quinoa Baby Meatloaf Muffins and this Beef and Quinoa Chili.
That beef and quinoa combo is SO good, you’ll definitely want to try these ones out too!
Why We Love This Ground Beef Quinoa Skillet
- One-pot meal: Throw all of the ingredients in a skillet and let the magic happen.
- Can be made in 30 minutes or less: These are seriously my favourite types of meals because they require minimal prep and cooking time. Because quinoa cooks up so quickly, this skillet dinner comes together in a no time at all.
- Protein-packed: The combination of ground beef, quinoa and black beans offers 29 grams of protein per serving which can keep you feeling full for hours.
- So flavourful: The flavours in this dish all work so well together. It’s like a party in your mouth!
- Totally customizable: This is a great family-friendly recipe since you can top these bowls up with whatever toppings you choose! I love mixing in diced avocado, fresh cilantro and topping with a sprinkle of cheese and some salsa.
- Balanced: You get your protein, grains and veggies all in one delicious bowl that tastes just like tacos!
Ingredient notes
- Ground Beef: I typically use extra lean ground beef for this recipe to reduce saturated fat content. Be sure to drain any extra fat after browning the meat.
- Quinoa: I typically use white quinoa for this dish, but you could also sub in a tri-coloured quinoa as well. Rinse well before cooking.
- Black beans: Use no salt added or low sodium canned black beans for convenience. Drain and rinse well before using. You can also use black beans cooked from scratch if preferred or sub in another type of bean such as pinto beans.
- Corn: Use frozen or fresh corn kernels. You can also sub in canned if that’s what you have on hand.
- Broth: Infuses extra flavour into the quinoa. Use a no salt-added or low sodium beef, chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- Tomatoes: Add some extra nutrients and a burst of flavour. Use halved or quartered grape or cherry tomatoes, preferably on the firmer side to help them hold their shape. You could also sub in diced red pepper if you’re not a tomato lover.
- Spices: Chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika and salt add some Tex Mex flavour to these bowls. You could also add in a pinch of cayenne if you want to add a spicier kick.
How to Make Mexican Quinoa Bowls – Step by Step Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes or until softened and fragrant.
- Add ground beef to the pan and cook for 6-7 minutes. Drain off any fat.
- Next, stir in spices and cook for one minute until fragrant.
- Add corn, beans, and broth to the pan. Turn the heat to high and bring broth to a boil.
- Once boiling, add quinoa to the pan, stirring to ensure that it’s covered with liquid. Turn down heat to medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked through.
- Stir in tomatoes. Remove pan from heat, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Portion out the beef and quinoa mixture and serve each taco quinoa bowl with desired toppings.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the full beef and quinoa taco bowl recipe!
Recipe Notes:
- Rinse quinoa: Be sure to rinse the quinoa well in a fine wire mesh strainer before cooking to reduce any bitter aftertaste.
- For cheesy flavour: You can add shredded cheese to the top of the taco skillet and allow it to melt while it’s sitting. Alternatively, you can melt shredded cheese on each individual serving (my kids love it!), or leave the cheese off altogether. It’s up to you!
- Allow it to sit: The quinoa will absorb any additional liquid as it sits. If you find that all of the liquid hasn’t been absorbed by the end of the cooking time, allow it to sit for a few extra minutes.
- Nutritional info: The optional toppings are not included in the nutritional information.
Quinoa Taco Bowls – Perfect for Meal Prep
The amazing thing about this beef and quinoa recipe is that it can last in the fridge for several days and it makes the perfect lunch or dinner leftovers because all of those flavours infuse into the quinoa.
When serving, you can liven it up by adding fresh toppings. It never gets boring because you can switch up the toppings from day to day!
I could seriously eats these bowls all week long.
Storage and Reheating Guidelines
Refrigerator: You can store the quinoa taco bowls in the fridge in a covered bowl or air-tight container for up to four days.
To reheat on the stove: Place the quinoa taco meat mixture in a heavy bottom pan along with 2-3 tablespoons of water (or broth). Put a lid on the pan. Heat the quinoa on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is heated through. Stir the mixture occasionally so that it heats evenly and doesn’t stick.
Recipe FAQs
Definitely, however, I recommend leaving out the fresh tomatoes and adding them in once the quinoa beef mixture has thawed to prevent them from going too soggy. To freeze, pack up the cooked and cooled quinoa and beef mixture in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
I highly recommend that you rinse your quinoa before cooking it since it helps get rid of the bitter-tasting compound known as saponin that coats the seeds. If you don’t rinse the quinoa from a dry state, you may notice a slightly bitter aftertaste once it’s been cooked.
When cooking quinoa, it’s best to use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to dry quinoa. Cook the quinoa uncovered until all of the liquid has been absorbed, which generally takes anywhere from about 12-20 minutes, depending on the type of quinoa.
Once the liquid has been absorbed, remove from the heat and cover the pan to allow the quinoa to steam for about 5 minutes. This resting period is important as it helps the quinoa to absorb any additional liquid and develop more of a fluffy texture.
Taco Bowl Toppings
There are SO many ways to flavour up these quinoa taco bowls. Personally, I find that the toppings are what really take this dish to the next level!
Here are some of my favourite ways to spruce these bowls up:
- Sliced green onions
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Extra diced tomatoes
- Avocado or guacamole
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Shredded cheese or queso fresco
- Jalapenos
- Salsa (try this tomato onion jalapeno salsa)
- Crushed corn chips or crunchy tortilla strips
- Drizzle with some of this Avocado Creme
Recipe Variations
- Switch out the meat: Instead of ground beef, try ground turkey or ground chicken.
- To make vegetarian: For a vegetarian version of this meal, skip the ground beef and just add the black beans.
- Different veggies: Use diced red bell peppers instead of the tomatoes or red onions instead of yellow onions.
- Give it a spicier kick: Add in a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes along with the other spices.
- To make quinoa taco salad: Serve up the quinoa taco meat mixture over a bed of crispy lettuce for a quick lunch or dinner. Top with guacamole and salsa.
Looking for other Mexican-inspired recipes? Check these out:
- Beef Nachos Supreme
- Healthy Burrito Bowls
- Crock Pot Taco Meat
- High Protein Chili
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Vegan Lentil Tacos
- Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Avocado Creme
- Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Mexican Ground Beef and Quinoa Taco Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 4 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 540mL can no salt-added black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups no salt added broth
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
Optional toppings:
- Shredded cheese
- Sliced green onions
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Extra tomatoes
- Avocado or guacamole
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Salsa
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes or until softened and fragrant.
- Add ground beef to the pan and brown for about 6-7 minutes. Drain off any fat.
- Next, stir in spices and cook for one minute until fragrant.
- Add corn, beans, and broth to the pan. Turn the heat to high and bring broth to a boil.
- Once boiling, add quinoa to the pan, stirring to ensure that it’s covered with liquid. Turn down heat to medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid has absorbed and quinoa has cooked through.
- Stir in tomatoes. Remove pan from heat, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Portion out the beef and quinoa mixture and serve taco bowls with desired toppings.
Notes
- Rinse quinoa: Be sure to rinse the quinoa well in a fine wire mesh strainer before cooking to reduce any bitter aftertaste.
- For cheesy flavour: You can add shredded cheese to the top of the taco skillet and allow it to melt while it’s sitting. Alternatively, you can melt shredded cheese on each individual serving (my kids love it!), or leave the cheese off altogether. It’s up to you!
- Allow it to sit: The quinoa will absorb any additional liquid as it sits. If you find that all of the liquid hasn’t been absorbed by the end of the cooking time, allow it to sit for a few extra minutes.
- Nutritional info: The optional toppings are not included in the nutritional information.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted February 2020 and was updated May 2022 to include more helpful tips and photos.
Corinna Smith says
Delicious!! My whole family loved it and it was so easy to prep. Thank you!
Elysia Cartlidge says
Awesome, so happy your family enjoyed the recipe!
Sierra S says
This turned out super tasty! I didn’t have enough beef, so I supplemented with a 15 oz can of chickpeas and added it along with the beans. My husband and 2 year old loved it as well!
Elysia Cartlidge says
So happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe! Love how you improvised and added some chickpeas — great idea!
Taylor says
My boyfriend and I love this recipe! It’s in frequent rotation in our house! I do have a question. What is considered one serving of this meal? One cup? Two? Thank you!
Elysia Cartlidge says
Sorry for the delay! I’m so happy you guys have been loving this recipe! I haven’t measured out what an exact serving would be, but it makes 6 servings, so you can always divide the beef and quinoa mixture into 6 portions in the pan and gauge it that way. If I had to guess, it would probably be around 1-1 1/2 cups per serving. Hope this helps!
Natalia says
DELICIOUS! It was quick and easy and perfect for a filling lunch. I mixed in some avocado and it was so yummy!
Elysia Cartlidge says
So happy you enjoyed the recipe! And totally agree — it makes for such a satisfying meal, especially when you top it with some avocado! Thanks for stopping by to leave a review :)