Quinoa burrito bowls are a unique twist on the Tex-Mex staple. We think you'll love the added protein and flavor.

Most fast food places were never that appealing to me growing up mostly because there were few vegetarian options. If there was one place I did crave food from, it was Taco Bell. Almost anything there could be made minus the meat and still be somewhat of a meal.

Over the years, I started to prefer the somewhat fresher approach of Qdoba and now Chipotle. If we do choose to eat fast food, we usually opt for a Chipotle.

We love their burrito bowl option because we can see and control exactly what and how much of each ingredient goes into it.

Recently I’ve been making burrito bowls at home, but I decided to change it up a bit. I replaced the starchy rice with some protein packed quinoa. 

I have used regular and red quinoa for this recipe. Red quinoa has a slightly earthier taste. I usually get perfectly cooked quinoa using my Instant Pot, but you can also follow the stovetop directions on your packaging.

Quinoa does not have a very strong flavor on its own so I usually cook it in vegetable broth instead of water. You can actually make it have whatever flavors you want. In this case, I used water but added ground cumin into it before cooking and then tossed it with fresh cilantro.

If I could, I would have eaten this burrito bowl topped with some avocado slices in place of the cheese. Sadly, I think I may have developed an avocado allergy. If you love them as much as I do, I think it would make an excellent addition.  

So if you like burrito bowls, check out the recipe below. For more Mexican inspired flavor, you can also try this vegetarian corn soup recipe. For another healthy quinoa recipe, you might also want to try this Winter quinoa salad recipe.

I first shared this quinoa burrito bowl recipe on Food Fanatic, so be sure to visit it there along with my other recipes.

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Quinoa Burrito Bowl

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Quinoa burrito bowls are a unique twist on the Tex-Mex staple. We think you'll love the added protein and flavor.

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Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups Black Beans, canned or cooked
• 1 ½ teaspoons Cumin
• ¼ teaspoon Allspice
• 2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
• ¾ cup Quinoa, red
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 2 tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• ½ tablespoon Canola Oil
• 1 Zucchini Squash, chopped
• ½ cup Frozen Corn, frozen
• 1 cup Bell Peppers, yellow or red, diced
• ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• 1 cup Baby Spinach, chopped

For the Salsa:

• 1 ½ cups Chopped Tomatoes
• ½ cup Scallion, sliced
• ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped

For the Garnish:

• Colby Jack Cheese, optional
• Avocado, optional

Instructions

1. Rinse the beans (if canned) and mix in ½ teaspoon of cumin, all spice, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Salt to taste and set aside.
2. Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve to remove the bitterness. Combine the quinoa, 1 ½ cup water, salt, and remaining cumin to a pot and bring to a boil.
3. Set the pot to the lowest heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Let it stand covered for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork, mix in the cilantro and set aside.
4. Heat the oil over medium to low heat in a large skillet. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it burn.
5. Add the bell peppers, zucchini and corn and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Mix in the chili powder, salt to taste.
6. Cook for another minute and set aside.
7. Combine all the ingredients for the salsa in a large bowl and set aside.
8. To assemble the burrito bowl, layer the quinoa, beans, vegetables, spinach and salsa in a large bowl or deep dish.
9. Top with cheese and/or diced avocado if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 servings Serving Size: 1 bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 310Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 694mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 14gSugar: 6gProtein: 13g

This nutrition information is only an approximate provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. Information comes from Nutritionix, an automated nutrition calculator.