Southwest Chicken and Quinoa Bake

Recipes |

You can’t go wrong when you combine chicken, black beans, salsa, and cheese. We upped the ante and tossed in the power of Tiny Hero® Golden Quinoa, transforming this Southwest Chicken and Quinoa Bake into a dish that’s bold, full of protein and loaded with flavor. We like ours with extra avocado on top – you know, because we’re suckers for healthy texture.

Serves: 5-6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Tiny Hero® Golden Quinoa
  • 1 lb. chicken breast, cut into small cubes
  • 2 tsp. coconut or olive oil, plus more for greasing the baking dish
  • 1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup frozen corn
  • 1 4-ounce can diced green chilis, lightly drained
  • 12 ounces salsa of choice
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • ½ tsp. cumin
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ¼ - ½ tsp. salt
  • ⅛ - ¼ tsp. chili powder
  • ½ cup finely shredded cheese, divided (such as cheddar, monterey jack or ‘Mexican’ blend)

Optional

  • Chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges and diced avocado for garnish.

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a small casserole dish or 9×9-inch glass baking dish with oil and set aside.
  2. Place 4 cups water into a large pot over high heat. Once water is boiling, add quinoa and stir. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain quinoa by pouring into a fine mesh strainer. Allow quinoa to drain well.
  3. While quinoa is cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tsp. oil. When oil starts to simmer, add cubed chicken. Cook 5-6 minutes then stir with a spatula. Continue cooking another 3-4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine drained quinoa, chicken, black beans, corn, green chilis, salsa, seasonings and ¼ cup of the cheese. Stir well to combine.
  5. Transfer to greased baking dish and cover with foil.
  6. Bake at 350℉ for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining ¼ cup of shredded cheese over quinoa mixture before serving.
  7. Serve with cilantro, lime wedges and diced avocado.

 

To make vegetarian: Substitute an additional 1 – 1 ½ cups black beans (or pinto beans) for chicken.