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This healthy Mexican quinoa casserole is the perfect weeknight meal. It’s protein packed with ground turkey, quinoa, and beans and makes great leftovers for the week! It’s naturally gluten free, and can easily be made dairy-free and vegetarian or vegan!
If I’m being totally honest, growing up, I was NOT a fan of casseroles. They aren’t usually the … prettiest dishes. And … I didn’t love the pile of mixed up food on my plate.
THANKFULLY, as my taste buds have evolved, so have my views on casseroles.
There are so many reasons to love casseroles. They are economical, make for great meal prep (or feed a crowd), and the entire meal comes together in just one pan.
And let me tell you. I am casseroles #1 fan after making this Mexican quinoa casserole. It’s loaded with protein from the ground turkey, beans, and quinoa. It’s packed with flavor from the spices. And it’s ultra warming and comforting from the cheesy topping.
The best part? It’s ready in under an hour and that time is mostly hands-off!
Easy weeknight meal, check!
Plus while this is cooking, you can quickly make my Best Quick Guacamole Recipe to top it with and have with chips on the side.
Ingredients in Mexican quinoa casserole
This recipe is great because it is made with tons of healthy pantry staples. Aside from the ground turkey, you probably already have most of these ingredients on hand!
The base of this Mexican quinoa casserole is made from:
- Ground turkey
- Quinoa
- Black beans
- Corn
- Canned tomatoes
- Onion
The Mexican seasoning is made from a mix of traditional spices that you probably always have on hand if you make chili or tacos! The ingredients are:
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt & pepper
How to customize Mexican quinoa casserole
Another reason why I love casseroles so much is because they are easily adaptable to taste preferences or ingredients you have on hand. This Mexican quinoa casserole is no exception!
I chose to use quinoa as the grain in this casserole because it’s higher in fiber and protein then other whole grains. But, feel free to substitute ricer or another whole grain of your choice if that’s what you happen to have on hand.
No corn? No problem! Feel free to leave it out, or substitute a vegetable of your choice. I think bell peppers would also be great here!
Love spice? Up the spice level by adding a bit more cayenne pepper.
Be sure to let me know in the comments any customizations you love!
Can this recipe be made vegetarian or vegan?
Yes! This Mexican quinoa casserole can EASILY be made vegetarian or vegan.
If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, simply leave out the turkey and add an additional can of black (or your favorite) beans.
If you’d like to make this recipe vegan (or dairy-free), substitute the beans for the turkey as above, and just leave off the cheese at the end!
How to serve Mexican quinoa casserole
The best part of this recipe? Serving it with all your favorite TOPPINGS!
I love to serve this casserole topped with a few chunks of avocado, Greek yogurt/sour cream, a squeeze of lime, and a bit of cilantro. Feel free to top with your favorites!
I also think leftovers would be great served in taco shells or made into a taco salad! The possibilities are really endless with this casserole.
If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!
Mexican Quinoa Casserole
This Mexican quinoa casserole is made with ground turkey, quinoa, and black beans. It’s the perfect healthy weeknight meal to make for meal prep or to feed a crowd!Â
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa (rinsed and drained)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1lb ground turkey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
- 1 cup water
- juice of one small lime
- 1.5 cups cheddar cheese
Topping
- lime wedges, avocado, greek yogurt, cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cook your quinoa by bringing 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover with lid. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat, let sit for a few minutes and then fluff with work.
- While quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in large sauce pan or dutch oven.
- Add diced onion and cook until just soft.
- Add in ground turkey and garlic, breaking up with spoon.
- Once turkey is all the way cooked through, reduce heat and add in tomatoes, beans and corn.
- Next, stir in all spices and water.
- Stir to combine, and then add in lime juice. Let simmer for 15 minutes on low.
- Turn off heat and stir in cooked quinoa.
- Pour turkey quinoa mixture into a baking dish (I used an 8×11 dish) and top with cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350F. Let cool a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
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Taylor says
Such an easy and delicious recipe! Gave us leftovers for multiple days and was just as tasty every time we ate it!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Taylor! Thanks for your kind words and glad you got to enjoy it more than once!!
Marissa says
Made this for dinner for my family and everyone LOVED it!! They didn’t even realize there was quinoa in it. Will definitely be making it again soon!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Marissa, I am thrilled you and your family enjoyed it!!
Megan says
This recipe is absolutely amazing! So versatile when you add toppings such as avocado and tortilla chips. I’ve made this recipe a few times and reheats well! Super quick and easy to make. Love that it uses quinoa!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Megan! thank you so much for your kind words!! I am so happy you enjoy it and make it your own! 🙂
Julie says
Hi Erin,
First- I love your blog! Was stoked when I came across this recipe and wanted to try it out for Cinco de Mayo today!! It came out awesome and my family and I loved it! I also wanted to share that I also added a Anaheim chili to the mix for some spice. Thank you for sharing 🙂
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Julie, thank you so much for your kind words!! I am so happy you enjoyed it on Cinco de Mayo!! 🙂
Elise says
Made this for dinner today! It was so good, filling and great for meal prep! I made a couple substitutions because my grocery store was out of fire roasted tomatoes:
I diced two Roma tomatoes, added 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and an extra cup of water. I also added a bit more of the spices to enhance the flavor. It was perfect!! I loved it with avocado on top. Now I have a tasty quarantine meal for a few days.
I would love to see more quinoa meals in the future. I can’t seem to find rice anywhere and I have a gigantic bag of quinoa from Costco.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Elise, I am so happy you enjoyed the casserole and made it your own!! Thanks for your kind words!! 🙂
Bridget says
This recipe was AMAZING. I knew I would like it 1) because I always like Mexican food/flavors and 2) because Erin has never failed me before and even then, it blew my expectations out of the water. It was super simple to make (I bought pre-chopped onions so I loved that the only prep I had to do was chopping the garlic). It was so filling and also made so much that now I have plenty of leftovers. I substituted the ground turkey for the beef-less ground beef from Trader Joe’s and it was perfect. Looking forward to making this again!
★★★★★
Danielle says
This is so flipping good! This is a really easy recipe, too! Lots of shelf-stable ingredients which makes it a great quarantine meal.
Some changes I made: I didn’t have canned tomatoes, but I did have red bell pepers, so I added those, along with some chilis in adobe.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Danielle, thank you so much for your kind words! I am so happy you enjoyed it and made it your own!
Stephanie says
This was my first go at your recipes, and this casserole is AMAZING!! Topped it with plain Greek yogurt, and avocados. My whole family loved it! It makes so much that we have lots of leftovers which is perfect for meal planning. Thanks so much for the recipe and can’t wait to try more of them✨
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Stephanie, thank you for your kind words! I am so happy you and your family enjoyed it so much!! 🙂
Jessica says
Erin teaches me how to cook every Sunday afternoon via her website! Her recipes are delicious, easy, and last so long! I doubled the amount of Turkey for this recipe and it made the perfect amount of lunches for 2 for the week!
★★★★★
Erin says
this comment almost made me tear up! So glad you’re liking it.
Rachael says
oh my gosh, Erin…this one is DELICIOUS. It’s so quick and easy but the flavor is awesome. This recipe also makes a ton! enough to pack for lunches all week.
★★★★★
Erin says
This comment made me smile. So glad you’re enjoying it!!
Emily Meador says
I made this meatless by using 1.5 c quinoa. I cooked my quinoa in chicken broth, added sautéed red pepper, subbed Rotel w/ green chilies, and added 1/2 c more black beans. Loved it so much!!!!
Erin says
Okay that sounds AMAZING! I need to try! Thanks 🙂
Rachel says
This was a wonderful weeknight meal – for both my husband and my toddler. Super tasty, filling & nutritious.
★★★★★
Erin says
Its always great when the whole family loves it! Thanks for sharing!
Erin says
Hi Rachel, thank you for your kind words! I am so happy your whole family enjoyed it!!
Kelly Angelosante says
Omg this recipe is so freaking good!! Even missing a couple of the spices it’s one of my new favorites / will be a regular around here! Even my picky husband liked it. 🙂 so so good!
★★★★★
Erin says
LOVE THAT! Yay for feeding picky husbands 🙂
Erin says
Hi Kelly, I ma thrilled you enjoyed it and make it part of your cooking routine!
Janell P says
This was delicious! It’s a great way to hide some extra veggies for a toddler and the leftovers were great for breakfast/lunch/or dinner! I added it to our go to recipes!
★★★★★
Erin says
I love that your toddler loved it! Thanks for sharing.
Erin says
Hi Janell, thanks for your kind words!! I am so happy everyone enjoyed it!
Amanda says
This was by far one of the best casseroles I have made! My husband also really loved it and it kept us happy for a entire week! Thanks Erin for all your hard work and AMAZING RECIPES!
★★★★★
Erin says
Thank you Amanda!!! You are so sweet.
Erin says
Hi Amanda, thank you so much for your kind words! I am so happy you both liked it and thanks for your support!!
Rachel Fehr says
Delicious! The whole family enjoyed it. Used ground beef and white beans as substitute. I like how the small white beans blended in more than black beans for some picky kids. Made a double batch and froze one casserole. Had the leftovers in a quesadilla for lunch the next day. Would be a great meal to bring over to a family as well!
Erin says
Leftovers in quesadillas sound amazing!
Emily says
This is such a delicious and easy recipe!!! I made this for my family last weekend and they are already asking for me to make it again. Everything came together very nicely and it makes for some delicious leftovers! I am dairy free, so I used vegan cheese for my portion of the casserole and it turned out lovely. Highly recommend making this dish!
★★★★★
Erin says
YAY! That sounds amazing, so glad that you liked it!
Erin says
Hi Emily, thanks for your kind words! I am so glad your family enjoyed it so much!!
Carissa says
Simple and easy! I did a decent portion of it without cheese on top for myself and the rest with for my husband. He ate more than half the pan in one night ? It was so good!
★★★★★
Erin says
I love hearing that – thank you for sharing!!
Erin says
Hi Carissa, thanks for your kind words and so happy you both enjoyed it so much!! 🙂
Jenna says
I had this for dinner last night with my husband and MIL. Everyone really enjoyed it, even my MIL who doesn’t typically care for quinoa. Loved how quick it was to put together!
★★★★★
Erin says
Aw, YAY! So glad that you liked it! Thank you for sharing.
gayle grady says
This was easy and delicious!! I had some shredded chicken that I needed to use up and I didn’t have the tomatoes so I used a salsa. So very good! Thank you Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
I saw it on IG and it looked amazing! So glad you’re enjoying it.