This Tex-Mex Quinoa Bake is the perfect go-to for busy weeknights, potlucks, or when you want something hearty and healthy that’s easy to throw together. It’s packed with flavor and nutrients, making it an excellent vegetarian option that’s sure to please even the most dedicated meat lovers.

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Made this tonight for dinner and it was so easy!!! Everyone had multiple servings! It was a hit!

Judy
(4.85 stars) 20 ratings
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Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Vegetarian & protein-packed: Quinoa is a complete protein, which makes this dish hearty enough for vegetarians while being super nutritious and satisfying.
  • Minimal prep time: Just dump, stir, and bake—perfect for busy weeknights or when you’re short on time.
  • Customizable: Swap out the taco seasoning with any other seasoning preference, or use pre-cooked quinoa for an even quicker version. See the notes section below for details on this.

This mexican quinoa bake makes a delicious side for any main dish, or works as a tasty vegetarian entrée (it’s like a quinoa casserole!). Plus, it’s so easy to prep—add all ingredients into a casserole pan, give it a stir, and bake for about 30 minutes. Then, add cheese…because everything is better with a little cheese… am I right? Let it melt in the oven and dig in.

Step 1: Add dry quinoa, water, canned tomatoes with liquid, beans, corn, optional veggies, and taco seasoning to a casserole dish and mix. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Uncover, mix everything, and let quinoa soak up extra liquid for a few minutes. Sprinkle cheese over the top and place back in oven for 5 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted.

The dish is warm, cheesy, and satisfying, and tends to go fast in my house. However, if you do have any leftovers, you can quickly heat them in the oven or microwave, or enjoy them cold, straight from the fridge.

Here, I use a standard 1-ounce taco seasoning packet, but you can also use 3 tablespoons from a store-bought taco seasoning container or try my DIY Taco Seasoning.

If you’re not a quinoa connoisseur (at least not yet), this recipe is a perfect introduction because there’s no need to cook the quinoa ahead of time! The ease of this recipe comes from the ability to cook the dry quinoa (with water and liquid from the canned tomatoes) right in the casserole dish as everything bakes together. That being said, you can also use cooked quinoa if you have leftovers (say, if you made extra from my Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers with Sunny Side Eggs, Bean and Quinoa Vegan Chili, or Quinoa Salad with Parm & Pistachios). Find details in the notes below on how to adjust the recipe accordingly.

If Beyoncé can do it, so can you: It’s time to create a Tex-Mex hit everyone will be drooling over! 🙂

Looking for another Tex-Mex-style casserole? Try my Taco Casserole!

(4.85 stars) 20 ratings

Tex-Mex Quinoa Bake (Vegetarian)

This makes a delicious side for any main dish, or it works as a tasty vegetarian entrée. 
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup dry white quinoa*
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes with liquid
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (about 1 ¾ cups)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed (about 1 ¾ cups)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained (or 1¾ cups fresh or frozen/thawed)
  • Any cooked and chopped leftover veggies, optional
  • 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning, about 2 tablespoons
  • 1 to 2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
  • Optional garnishes: diced avocado, sliced jalapeño, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375℉. Mist a 9- x 13-inch casserole pan with non-stick oil spray.
  • Add dry quinoa along the bottom of the pan, followed by water, canned tomatoes with liquid, beans, corn, optional veggies, and taco seasoning. Mix everything.
  • Cover pan with parchment paper, foil or a glass cover, and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Uncover, mix everything, and let quinoa soak up extra liquid for a few minutes. Sprinkle cheese over the top and place back in oven for 5 to 10 mins until cheese is melted.
  • Top with optional garnishes, including diced avocado, sliced jalapeño, chopped cilantro or fresh lime juice.

Notes

Ingredient notes
* I use white quinoa for this recipe. Other varieties, including black and tricolor (or rainbow) have longer cooking times. If you decide to use another type, you may have to adjust the cooking time.
Taco seasoning 
• A standard 1-ounce seasoning packet yields about 2½ to 3 tablespoons seasoning blend. If you’re using a container of taco seasoning blend, add 3 tablespoons to the recipe. 
• To make your own, try my DIY Taco Seasoning Blend. This recipe yields 6 tablespoons; the Tex-Mex Quinoa Bake recipe calls for only 3 tablespoons. If you don’t want to be left with extra seasoning, you can easily cut the Taco Seasoning Blend recipe in half (that yields the exact amount you need—3 tablespoons). Or, you can keep extra in a sealed container for future creations. 
If you’d like to use pre-cooked quinoa
• The ease of this recipe comes from the ability to cook the dry quinoa in the casserole dish as everything bakes together. It’s important to include the water plus the liquid from the canned tomatoes. That being said, you can also use cooked quinoa if you happen to have some left over. After misting 9- x 13-inch casserole pan with oil spray, add 3 cups cooked quinoa (skip the water completely) along with the remaining ingredients—the canned tomatoes plus liquid, beans, corn, optional veggies and taco seasoning packet. Mix, cover with parchment, foil or a glass cover, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until everything is heated through. Uncover, mix again, sprinkle cheese on top, and heat for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Freezing:
• This recipe freezes great if you’d like to make for future meals. Simply cook according to directions (follow steps above up until adding the shredded cheese), let it cool completely, store in an air-tight container and label with recipe name and date.
• It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, let thaw in the fridge overnight. Heat oven to 375˚, transfer to an oven-safe baking dish (if it’s not already in one) sprinkle shredded cheese over the top of baking dish and warm until heated through. You can also reheat in the microwave. 
• You can also freeze leftovers with the cheese already added. Then thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven or microwave. 
Dietary considerations:
• If you’re following a gluten-free diet, be sure to carefully read the packaging for each ingredient. While these foods are inherently gluten-free, gluten can sometimes be added during processing for a variety of reasons, including for flavor and consistency.
Author: Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Mexican

Nutrition Information per serving

Calories: 350Carbohydrates: 48gProtein: 19gTotal Fat: 9g— Unsaturated Fat: 5.5g— Saturated Fat: 3.5gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 580mgPotassium: 549mgFiber: 9gTotal Sugar: 5g— Natural Sugar: 5g— Added Sugar: 0gCalcium: 385mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.
I’m hoping you loved this recipe! If you made it and want to share feedback, I’d be so grateful to hear from you. Please leave a review below or tag @joybauer on Instagram!