Oven-Baked Mexican Quinoa Casserole

Since making the Spinach & Lemon Quinoa Bake in December, I’ve been inspired to create more oven-cooked quinoa dishes. And today I’m pleased to share my latest: this vegan oven-baked Mexican quinoa casserole.


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February 23, 201422 Easy One-Pot Meals With No Meat


Oven-Baked Mexican Quinoa Casserole - Vegan and Gluten-Free {Dry quinoa and other ingredients cook right in the oven!}

Why I love this Mexican quinoa casserole

Quinoa - Vegangela

If you have a stove-top-to-oven dish (like this gorgeous Le Creuset one), then this is a one-pot meal. If you’re working with a limited kitchen (like me), then you’ll have to fry up the onion and garlic in a frying pan before tossing them into to your casserole dish.

Vegangela

Don’t worry about pre-cooking the quinoa. Simply fry-up the onion and garlic, and toss everything (including the dry quinoa) into the oven.

Vegangela

To make it more colorful (and even healthier), I like to stir a few handfuls of baby spinach into the casserole when it comes out of the oven. Pretty + healthy for the win!

Oven-Baked Mexican Quinoa Casserole - Vegan and Gluten-Free {Dry quinoa and other ingredients cook right in the oven!}
Oven-Baked Mexican Quinoa Casserole - Vegan and Gluten-Free {Dry quinoa and other ingredients cook right in the oven!}

I’m so excited by the prospect of just tossing everything into one pot and letting it cook-up in the oven. My next step will be to reconfigure my Quinoa Chili recipe so that it uses the same technique!

Oven-Baked Mexican Quinoa Casserole - Vegan and Gluten-Free {Dry quinoa and other ingredients cook right in the oven!}

This is good straight-up, but pretty darn amazing topped with a dollop of vegan sour cream, diced avocado, and fresh cilantro. You could also melt some vegan cheese (such as Daiya) on top. Mmm!

Oven-Baked Mexican Quinoa Casserole - Vegan and Gluten-Free {Dry quinoa and other ingredients cook right in the oven!}

Recipe Updates – Oven-Baked Mexican Quinoa Casserole

September 16, 2013 – A kind reader who runs N=1 Lifestyle just reminded me that this recipe is in fact, freezer-friendly! I had actually discovered this a few weeks ago myself, but had forgotten to update the post. So feel-free to freeze this baby BEFORE adding the spinach and other toppings, and then just defrost and reheat it when you’re ready to eat it.

February 23, 2014 – This recipe made Buzzfeed’s roundup: 22 Easy One-Pot Meals With No Meat!

Oven-Baked Mexican Quinoa Casserole - Vegan and Gluten-Free {Dry quinoa and other ingredients cook right in the oven!}

More Mexican recipes you’ll love:

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Vegan Oven-Baked Mexican Quinoa Casserole

Fry up the onion and garlic, then toss everything in a casserole dish and let it cook in the oven for 1 hour. Too easy! Vegan / Gluten-Free / Nut-Free / Low-Carb

  • Author: Angela @ Vegangela.com
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 70 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Main, Side
  • Cuisine: Mexican, Southwest, Tex-Mex

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 15oz/400g  cans diced tomatoes, with liquid
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp chilli powder (more if you like things spicy)
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper
  • 1 15oz/400g can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 311 g (11 oz) can corn kernels, with liquid
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • Toppings of choice: vegan sour cream, avocado, cilantro, vegan cheese, etc.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium frying pan (or stove-top-safe 2.8 litre/3 quart casserole dish). Add onion and garlic, and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; and transfer to oven-safe casserole dish if not already using one.
  3. Add quinoa, diced tomatoes (with juice), water, nutritional yeast, tomato paste (or ketchup), and spices. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
  4. COVER and place in oven and set timer for 30 minutes.
  5. Carefully remove casserole from oven and stir in drained beans and corn (with liquid). If the mixture looks dry, add a half cup of water.
  6. Return to oven WITH LID and set timer for another 30 minutes.
  7. Carefully remove casserole from oven and stir in spinach. It will wilt from the heat.
  8. Top with sour cream, diced avocado and/or cilantro and serve.
  9. IF FREEZING: Make full recipe but leave-out the spinach and toppings. Let cool and freeze in airtight container(s). To serve: defrost fully, lightly reheat (in microwave or on stovetop), stir in spinach and add toppings of choice.

Keywords: bean, casserole, corn, easy, favorite, freezer-friendly, gluten-free, kid-friendly, low-carb, low-fat, make-ahead, mexican, nut-free, nutritional yeast, one-pot, oven, quinoa, soy-free, spinach, stove top, vegan

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153 thoughts on “Oven-Baked Mexican Quinoa Casserole”

  1. I will make this again, but it needs a lot more spice. I did add half a jalapeño and increased the amount of the chile powder. I lived in New Mexico for 16 years so I usually end up adding a lot more chile to my recipes. I did add water to the second baking period; my can of corn was vacuum packed so there was very little liquid! Not sure what the nutritional info is but I’m betting it is a good source of fiber. I also suspect it’s better on Day Two than the day it’s made. Thanks! Easy to put together and with the addition of chile and more spice it should be a keeper.

    Reply
  2. Thank you for coming up with this recipe! It’s a staple for our busy family. We make big batches to eat as-is, or to use in wraps, salads, etc. Again THANK YOU for this amazing recipe.

    Reply
  3. I have made this recipe several times and everyone likes it. The last time I had leftovers I used for stuffed peppers. I stuffed different colored peppers with the quinoa and made a tomato garlic sweet pepper sauce. Quite good.

    Reply
    • Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback Wendy. I’m so glad to hear that the recipe was a hit, and that’s such a great idea to use the leftovers for stuffed peppers. I’ll definitely try that!

      Reply
      • I made this again this week and again made stuffed peppers with leftovers, but I had additional leftovers I put in the freezer. I decided I could make soup with some of it. So I used about a quart of broth and some of the quinoa mix, added a couple handfuls of noodles and voila quinoa soup. I thought it very tasty. The seasonings were already in the mix. Noodles optional.

        Reply
  4. I made this on the weekend for my family, and everyone loved it. It will become a weekly staple in our household. I look forward to trying your other recipes. Thanks very much.

    Reply
  5. Could I make this with rice instead of quinoa? If yes, what would the liquid to rice ratio be? I have a child who has sensory stuff and quinoa is just something he cannot stomach.

    Reply
    • The ratios for water:quinoa and water:white rice are the same (2:1), so you should be able to just swap out the quinoa for the white rice. Good luck! And if you have the chance, please reply and let us know the results 🙂

      Reply
  6. Thank you for this. I can assemble in the morning, and pop in the oven later in the afternoon. All the family like it and it’s a great alternative to chili. I’ve made it twice and it’s been approved as a “keeper.”

    Reply
  7. I’m fairly new to the Vegan lifestyle. After having a heart attack in May, I’ve been trying to eat heart healthy (low sodium, little or no processed foods, low fat, low cholesterol) and before I knew it, I was no longer eating meat or fish. My sister-in-law has been a vegetarian most of her life and when she came out in July, I asked her to bring me some recipes. We cooked this for a family gathering and I couldn’t get enough of it! It is so yummy!! Today, I’m cooking it for another family gathering (my side of the family) since they are having a taco guy cooking for everyone. I thought this would be a great complimentary dish for everyone else and a main dish for me. I can’t wait to see what my brothers and the rest of the family think of it!

    Reply
  8. Smells good but it’s taking a lot longer to cook than what is included in the recipe. It’s been in there for over an hour now and the quinoa isn’t even close to done. It’s 7:51 and the kids are getting hungry. I would plan a lot more cooking time for this one.

    Reply
      • I am having this issue too, it’s not cooked and been in for well over an hour all wrapped up in aluminum foil as the dish I use does not have a lid. Could this recipe be made the same if you just cook the quinoa in a pot and then add it all together to bake for about 20 minutes?

        Reply
  9. Thank you–this was delicious! My first recipe from your site, but definitely not your last–trying another one tonight. I was especially pleased to see that you have lots of low-carb vegan recipes. 😀

    Reply
  10. Made this for dinner for the family tonight, used it as a filling for burritos, added a few things since the kids were eating it also, olives and some veggie chicken strips. It was super filling and my son said that he would eat it again, so that is a win here in this household, thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  11. I made this tonight with 28 oz of black beans and no spinach (budget constraints) and it is fantastic! A really great meal for a student– affordable and easy to throw together in between studying.

    Reply
  12. I made this on the stove top instead of in the oven. Added jalapenos, bell peppers and zucchini and omitted corn. I also upped the garlic and chili powder. Everyone loved it even without sour cream and avocado. A great base recipe you can tweak to your own taste buds. Well done.

    Reply
  13. I love this recipe. I’m not a vegan officially but I will make this again and again, and for the non vegans this is easy to adjust to accommodate by adding a fried egg or whatever grilled protein on top. It feeds a crowd and practically every ingredient is a pantry staple. I didn’t have nutritional yeast so I subbed a Tbs of a mild brewers yeast. Next time maybe I’ll throw in some tofu crumbles … Or not because the dish is damn near perfect as is. Fantastic!!

    Reply
  14. I tried this tonight and it was a great recipe base! I added 1 tsp maple syrup, 1 tsp paprika (sweet) 1 tsp chipotle chilli powder and 1 tsp garlic powder. I also topped it off with a vegan garlic chill sauce made with Sriracha, sunflower oil, garlic and salt and pepper. SO delicious. I cant keep my spoon out of the pot! 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
  15. I made this last night and it was SO good. I omitted the oil and softened the onions and garlic in vegetable broth, and didn’t’ use the vegan sour cream. Other than that I made exactly according to the recipe. This is a new favorite in my family. Thank you!

    Reply
  16. Thanks so much for this! Made this tonight (in preparation for Veganuary) and it went down a storm with my housemates.

    I couldn’t find any vegan sour cream in the supermarket, so I made my own by popping a 350g block of tofu in the blender with 3 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil and 1 tbsp of cider vinegar.

    I did buy some vegan yogurt as a comparison, but the sour cream really did come out much better (for flavour, and the fact that the yogurt just completely melted within 3 minutes).

    Next time I think I will use a stronger chilli powder though – I used mild. I’m not a fan of spicey hot food at all in general, but it could have used a little more kick. Possibly some chilli flakes too…?

    Reply
  17. I made this last night with small tweaks (mostly portions). I added about 1/4c homemade salsa and a 14oz can of diced tomatoes instead of the larger can of diced and the paste. LOVE IT! My husband ate 3 helpings! And he doesn’t really even care for quinoa. This one is going in the rotation for sure

    Reply
  18. Hi!

    Here’s my version for slow cooker!

    Follow step 1 & 2, and then transfer to the slow cooker adding the drained beans at this step.
    Set the slow cooker timer to 6 hour (low) or 3 (high).

    Add the spinach (I used chard leaves) and the corn, rinced and DRAINED, or there will be too much liquid. Stir well and set the timer (low) for an other hour.

    Delicious!

    🙂

    Reply
  19. I would love it if you could include nutritional information with your recipes. I am menopausal and I’m really battling the middle spread. So I watch sugars and carbs and proteins as well as calories.

    Reply
  20. Hi Angela

    Keke from Johannesburg South Africa. I struggled to find quinoa, when I finally found it,it was too expensive. I then decided to use Pearl Barley. It’s cooking as I type this. I will give you the results later.

    What can I use as a substitute for Quinoa??

    Reply
  21. Easy and delicious. I like that it’s simple to modify too, like next time I might add bell peppers or mushrooms. I will also throw in some cayenne pepper!

    Reply
  22. This quinoa dish was fantastic! My family absolutely loved it!!!! My daughter is a vegetarian and she wanted us to all try this…so good! She wants to try it as a buritto. We will definitely by making this again! Thanks for a quick and easy addition to our dinners!

    Reply
  23. I’ve made this twice now and it was delicious both times! My only problem – the quinoa never cooks through in 60 minutes! I end up having to leave it in for an extra 15-20 minutes to get all of the quinoa to go translucent.

    Reply
  24. I love this recipe! Such great texture and flavour!
    Sometimes we use leftovers to make burritos or taco’s!

    Reply
  25. Hi Thank you for an excellent recipe had it tonight it was excellent!
    I did add goats cheese instead of sour cream.
    Would you know the nutritional content of this recipe?
    This recipe definitely a five Star!
    Thanks Barb

    Reply
  26. YUMMO! I made this last night, all the vegies were from my garden except the black beans. I roasted a tray of cherry tomatoes while preparing the other ingredients and subbed this for the can of toms. I also added a few chopped green beans (I have an abundance), capsicum, extra garlic. For the water I subbed some stock made from the corn cobs after I cut the kernels off (have you tried this, makes a great stock). I left the spinach out and added some fresh coriander to serve.

    This was sooo delicious I had to go for a long walk after dinner, yeah for the twilight in the south!

    thx heaps 🙂

    Reply
  27. Made this last night and it was fab! Thank you! Was clearly delicious as my husband has taken it for lunch today. I had to guess a bit on the quantity of quinoa as I don’t have cup measurers (am in London) but it looked like yours so I can’t have been too far off (I went for 200 grams). Thanks again.

    Reply
  28. Just made this for dinner. LOVED IT!! The only thing is 1 clove of garlic is too little. I had to put two or three. Of course, I love garlic. It keeps the vampires away. 😉

    Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes. I already have a list of at least 10 that I want to try.

    Reply
    • I love garlic too, but I’m aware that some folks don’t love it as much, do I do tend to keep it to a minimum in most of my recipes. So yes, feel-free to adjust as needed. Glad you liked this recipe and looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the others 🙂

      Reply
  29. As a university student, this meal is amazing! So easy and takes hardly any time to prepare. I found it a bit sweet for my liking – probably due to the ketchup – so I would make sure to buy tomato paste next time! Otherwise, delicious!

    Reply
  30. This is so delicious! It even freezes well! I froze lunch size portions to bring to work with me and am almost out now… Going to make more tonight because it’s SO GOOD! Thanks so much for this recipe!

    Reply
  31. I made this the other night and it’s SO GOOD. I’ve been sharing it with friends and raving about it! Does anyone happen to know the Weight Watchers points plus value? Thanks!

    Reply
  32. I was wondering if you could explain how to make this in to a freezer meal? Would it need to be fully cooked before hand? What do you think of freezing all of the ingredients, minus the quinoa, that are mixed together and then on cooking day all you would have to do is thaw and add the quinoa? Would that work do you think?

    Reply
    • Hi Jenny – You can actually make the entire recipe and just leave the spinach (and optional toppings like avocado and cilantro) out. Just freeze it in a freezer-safe container, and then defrost and lightly reheat it when ready to eat. Stir-in the spinach and add the toppings just before serving.

      Reply
  33. I just made this. It is so delicious. My husband and I think it is one of the best recipes I have ever made. I will make it again and again.

    Reply
  34. this was quite nice and definitely easy to make. i would say this recipe could easily serve six people as it was almost overflowing out of the baking dish! i added some fresh lime juice and fresh chopped chilis to give it a little lift. yum!

    Reply
  35. I just made this and mixed in some vegan cheese and other spices to make it creamier! It was amazing! I will definitely be making this more often thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
  36. Hi – this looks tasty, but just have a couple of questions before I give it a go. Firstly, I assume that the quinoa should be rinsed to remove it’s soapy coating? And, secondly, how do you think this would go in a slow cooker? Cheers, Zoe 🙂

    Reply
    • Most commercial quinoa is pre-washed these days, but feel-free to rinse it if you want to be certain. I’m sure this would work in a slow-cooker, but I don’t own one myself so I can’t provide instructions on that. If you try it, please let me know – thanks!

      Reply
  37. I tried this recipe last night and it was wonderful! I added diced green peppers in addition to the onions and garlic and also added cubed and spiced red potatoes (next time I will boil them before I add them.. they came out a little hard). I topped it with a bit of cheese and sour cream — so delicious and filling too! And I have leftovers for the rest of the week!

    Reply
  38. I made this tonight for the first time and LOVE IT! Thank you!! It’s fantastic. I cooked it in the oven in a cast iron skillet and it came out perfectly. Topped it with avacado and vegan sour cream like you suggested. Super yum!

    Reply
  39. Just made this. Absolutely gorgeous. Nicest thing I’ve cooked in ages. Stuffing the leftovers in a pitta for tomorrow. Loved it. 🙂

    Reply
  40. I made thhis and it turned out great, Got four dinners and one lunch out of it. I let one of my coworkers taste it (who is a big meat eater) and they said it was delicious. Big win! YAAAAY! I’m going to try one of your desserts next. By the way, my last comment was for Monica, I was trying to make a direct reply to her, but who knows if she still reads this? Anyway, I really did like this dish and it was my first dish with quinoa, I pronounced it wrong at the store and they laughed at me, but I can say it correctly now. 🙂

    Reply
  41. I often make quinoa upma and quinoa pilaf. I sometimes eat quinoa with sambhar(thick lentil and vegetable soup) and curries.

    oven-baked-mexican-quinoa-casserole looks so Yum!

    Blog global vegan fare

    Reply
  42. Made this for dinner tonight, my boyfriend and I both LOVED it!!! So tasty!! Will be making this again for sure!

    Reply
  43. This recipe was absolutely delicious! I (vegan) just made this last night for my (very non-vegan) family. They are incredibly supportive of my lifestyle, and are always willing and eager to try new foods and flavors. I cook a vegan dinner for everyone once a week, and this was our meal last night. Everyone loved it — it is such a full, dynamic meal — and a great way to show that vegan food is flavorful, colorful, filling, delicious and complete, all on it’s own. Thank you for such a great recipe!

    Reply
    • Hi Kate – That’s so awesome that you have such a supportive family! I’m very happy to hear that this recipe was such a hit with them! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂

      Reply
  44. I made this recipe and the left overs lasted me a week!! It was incredibly delicious!! Full of color and flavor! I will be making this again. Thank you Angela for this awesome recipe!

    Reply
  45. I made this last night for me and my boyfriend who get’s sick of my love for Mexican and isn’t a huge quinoa fan…and he loved it! I added more garlic and more chili powder. Next time I think i’ll add in some red and yellow peppers for a bit more crunch 🙂

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Oh, and I also have to say this EASY recipe was perfect for a mom of 4 month old twins! Last night was the first night in 3 months I had dinner ready when my boyfriend got home from work!!

      Reply
  46. Hi! I plan to make this tonight & had a quick question!

    Should the quinoa be cooked or uncooked when we put it in the casserole dish to bake?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Uncooked! That’s what makes it so easy 🙂 I’ll go update the ingredients now though, just in case other people wonder the same thing. Let me know what you think of it 🙂

      Reply
  47. This was delicious! I found it made much more than 4 servings worth, but I’m excited for leftovers! Looking forward to browsing your recipes 🙂

    Reply
  48. This recipe is amazing! I’ve recently started doing semi-veganism and this is easily my favorite vegan recipe. Very filling and tasty, everybody in my family loved it. Thanks so much for posting this! 🙂

    Reply
  49. After living on NYC takeout for 6 years, I became vegan and organic and decided to start cooking. I’m terrible in the kitchen, but this is a dish that I can make. It has become my go-to dish – make it every week. Makes enough servings to take to work every day. Flavorful and EASY to make. Thank you so much for this recipe.

    Reply
  50. LOVVVVED it!!! Easy, tasty & covered most colors of the rainbow – our daily goal :)))) Thanks so much!!
    I’m referring along to our vegan facebook group.

    Reply
  51. Hi Angela! I’ve been following your blog a few months now and made at least 4-5 recipes which by the way were ALL amazing!! I can’t wait to try this one- just wondering if you had a recipe for vegan sour cream by any chance?
    Thank you! 🙂 x

    Reply
  52. This was delicious, thanks so much for sharing! I only had crushed tomatoes and it worked but I think the diced probably work best. Can you recommend a vegan sour cream brand? Thanks, I love your recipes!

    Reply
  53. Thank you so much for this recipe! It was simple enough for me to make and turned out absolutely delicious! I bought some tortillas and plan to wrap up some of the leftovers to make burritos 🙂

    Reply
  54. I’m eating this right now and had to comment on how delicious it is. And so easy! Usually I’m one to “doctor” a recipe but this is perfect AS IS! Makes me feel like I’m back home in Texas 😉 Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Matt! I’m so glad you liked it – thanks for taking the time to let me know, and thanks also for the link back on your site. Adding your blog to my RSS reader now 🙂

      Reply
  55. I am going to try this with a slow cooker too. Will report back! Looks amazing and I love a ‘one pot wonder’ with a pop of green at the finish. Can’t wait!

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  56. Just wanted to say that I love your website! I stumbled across it this evening when looking for some new avocado recipes and have spotted so many recipes that I want to try. I love the layout of each recipe too and the fact that there are lots of photos. Very best wishes from the UK!

    Reply
  57. Awesome and so easy!! Such a tasty, healthy and easy dish to make, we loved it and are so glad to find another Mexican inspired dish to add to our list, will be making this again.

    I did a bit of a guacamole mix on top with mushed avocado, coriander/cilantro, some fresh chopped tomato, some extra cumin, lemon juice and shallots.

    Yummo! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hi Kristin – Glad you liked it! I like your additions, and I’m especially liking the addition of fresh tomatoes. Thanks for taking a chance on my recipe, and taking the time to comment. Take care!

      Reply
  58. Ange just made this for dinner as was in need of an easy, comforting meal after a big night out. I upped the chilli and added some fresh grape tomatoes. LOVED it! It was a winner for both Lindsay and I and think it’ll feature as a regular on the menu each week. Thanks!

    Reply
  59. Angela, thank you for linking this in to Food on Friday. We have got a super collection of Mexican dishes. I hope you have stopped by some of the other links to check them out!

    Ps I have just signed up to follow your blog. A follow back to Carole’s Chatter would be wonderful – or have you already followed? Cheers

    Ps If you would like email reminders of future Food on Fridays, just pop by and comment and include your email – I won’t publish it – and the reminder will be by bcc so it will remain private

    Reply
  60. Angela I stumbled upon your website the other day and I’m so glad I did. Your recipes look fantastic. I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I plan to make it again over the weekend to have on hand for a quick lunch or dinner. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  61. Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole’s Chatter is collecting links to posts about Mexican dishes and flavours. I do hope you link this one in. This is the link . Please do pop back to check out some of the other links – there are a lot of good ones already. Have a great week.

    Reply
  62. This recipe was fantastic, I can’t thank you enough. I have recently decided to take the path to becoming vegan and it has been quite overwhelming. This was the first vegan recipe my mother and I attempted and it turned out perfectly. We were shocked how easy it was and how colourful the meal looked at the end. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Kimmi! I’m so glad that you liked it! Thanks so much for taking a chance on my recipe and taking the time to comment. Good luck with your path to becoming vegan. It gets a lot easier – promise 🙂

      Reply
  63. Yowza!
    I love the color the avocado & sour cream add to the casserole – I would definitely try it but I’m in a college dorm until summer, poo.
    But it looks & sounds delish 🙂

    Reply

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