A vegetarian Mexican quinoa casserole made entirely in the slow cooker. Packed with sweet potatoes, black beans and taco seasoning, this is sure to be a family favorite! Vegetarian and gluten-free.
You’re in for a treat with this slow cooker meal! Cheesy casserole goodness with verrrrry little effort. In case you didn’t know, you can throw dry, uncooked quinoa directly into your slow cooker with liquid (in this case, water or broth) and it will cook right up! For this particular dish, just add in the quinoa, liquid, veggies and spices and turn your slow cooker on. When it finishes cooking, stir in the cheese and top with some more for good measure and voila! A healthy, cheesy casserole is ready to eat.
This recipe is inspired by my Quinoa Fiesta Bake, which is delicious BTW, but I have to say that I might like the slow cooker version even better than the original. I think it has to do with the cheese being melty and gooey with the slow cooker version. The cheese tends to get hard and crispy on top. I know some people love that crispy cheesy layer, but the melty and gooey cheese speaks to me with this dish.
So let’s talk about quinoa for a minute, because it is the powerhouse ingredient behind this recipe!
What is quinoa?
Although it’s grain-like, quinoa is not technically a grain (like wheat or rice) but a seed more closely related to spinach and amaranth. Weird, I know! Having said that, it’s basically a grain! You prep it the same, eat it the same and it tastes really similar to other grains.
Quinoa is considered a superfood. It’s classified as a carbohydrate but it’s also high in protein and fiber and a good source of antioxidants and minerals. It’s naturally gluten-free, so perfect for anyone with gluten sensitivities or allergies.
How do you cook quinoa in a slow cooker?
I had to check this before recipe testing! It was my first time making quinoa in a slow cooker and I honestly didn’t know if I should put it in uncooked or cooked. I wasn’t sure if the slow cooker would get hot enough to cook the quinoa but turns out it does!
Through my research, I also found that you can cook plain quinoa in your slow cooker too. Here’s how:
Add 1 cup of quinoa, 1 3/4 cups of water or broth into your slow cooker. You can also add any seasonings you want, like sea salt and pepper.
Cook the quinoa on low for about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. The time will vary based on the brand and size of your slow cooker. The first time you try this method of cooking quinoa, make sure you’re nearby so you can watch the slow cooker and figure out the appropriate cooking time. The quinoa is done when it’s fluffy and cooked through.
How to make this Mexican quinoa slow cooker meal:
This is a set-it-and-forget-it kind of slow cooker meal. Hooray! Simply add the liquid, uncooked quinoa, sweet potato, black beans, salsa, bell pepper, onions, cilantro and seasoning to your slow cooker. Seriously, dump it all in there! Give it a good stir to combine all of the ingredients and then cover. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 6 hours.
To decide which cooking time to choose, look at your schedule! If you’re starting this in the afternoon and need a quick turnaround, cook on high. If you’re starting this in the morning and have the flexibility of it going all day (or won’t be home), cook it on low.
It’s ready when the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. You’ll remove the lid and give everything another stir at this point. Stir in 1 cup of cheese and then top with another cup. Cover and cook a little longer, just until cheese melts. You don’t need to turn your slow cooker back on – if it’s still on the “warm” setting, it should be giving off enough heat to melt the cheese.
When the cheese is nice and melted, scoop out portions, top with desired toppings and serve!
This might just be one of my favorite slow cooker meals to date. The combo of sweet potatoes and black beans with the taco seasonings and cheese is so good and so comforting. One thing to note: the dish does tend to get a little mushy if you let it cook for too long. I don’t mind this at all and honestly, think it makes a great dip this way BUT if you want more texture with the sweet potatoes and quinoa, just be sure not to overcook the dish.
If you make this slow cooker cheesy Mexican quinoa, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how it turns out. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.
A vegetarian Mexican quinoa casserole made entirely in the slow cooker. Packed with sweet potatoes, black beans and taco seasoning, this is sure to be a family favorite! Vegetarian and gluten-free.
Scale
Ingredients
1 cup water or veggie broth
½ cup dry quinoa
3 cups diced sweet potato (about 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced)
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1½ cups prepared salsa (mild, medium or hot)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
½ small yellow onion, chopped
¼ cup sliced green onion + more for topping
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tablespoons taco or fajita seasoning
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided
Toppings: Greek yogurt or cashew sour cream, avocado, green onion, cilantro
Tortilla chips, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Add water, quinoa, chopped sweet potato, black beans, salsa, bell pepper, yellow onion, green onion, cilantro and taco seasoning in your slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-6 hours, or until the liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.
Remove the lid and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper, if necessary. Stir in 1 cup of cheese and sprinkle 1 cup on top. Put the lid back on and cook until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with desired toppings and tortilla chips if using.
Notes
This quinoa dish can get a little mushy if you let it cook for too long. I don’t mind this at all and honestly think it makes a great dip for tortilla chips this way, but if you want more texture with the sweet potatoes and quinoa, just be sure not to overcook.
Just made this recipe for dinner. So easy and it turned out great. I topped this dish with ranch dressing, less clean but so delicious. Thank you for this recipe I will definitely make it again.
Seriously soooo good and easy! I made it this morning while babywearing my sick 10 month old. I loved being able to still cook something delicious and have the extra time needed to care for my son. Thanks for sharing–it will be added to our meal rotation for sure.
Hi! I’m preparing this right now—I swapped out the sweet potatoes with Japanese squash because I had sweet potatoes last week, and since kabocha is supposed to be similar in terms of taste and cooking method as sweet potato I figured i might as well try something new! I also added a chopped yellow pepper and chopped anaheim pepper—the green peppers you added to the pictures of the finished dish inspired me 🙂 will let you know how it goes! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Nikki. To add ground turkey, I’d recommend sautéing it in a pan until it’s fully cooked, then add it to the slow cooker at the same time you add the quinoa, black beans, etc. Let me know if you try this!
Has anyone tried a different way of preparing the sweet potatoes? I was thinking of possibly shredding them in the food processor instead of dicing them. Found they took the longest to cook when cubed.
I made this using the slow cooker button for 2 hours in the Instant Pot. Then I just stirred the 1 cup of cheese in then topped individual portions with more cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. I plan on making freezer packs of this that I can take out and cook and just do 1 giant prep.
I’d like to make this recipe, but I recommend that the quinoa is rinsed thoroughly before adding it to the slow cooker. Naturally occurring saposin on the quinoa can make you sick if you don’t rinse the quinoa first. That’s why the package instructions always tell you to rinse before cooking.
Hi Lisa! Great point! Most packages do say this, but there a few brands that don’t require it because the quinoa has been pre-rinsed. Ancient Harvest is one of those brands. I typically always buy Ancient Harvest for this reason.:) https://ancientharvest.com/rinse-quinoa/
I loved this. I would have never thought to use sweet potatoes. I cooked the sweet potatoes on the stovetop and the quinoa separately. I used chili powder vs seasoning; added frozen corn; used a bag of frozen red/green peppers and onions; and layered deli Colby Jack cheese on top. Thank you!!
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I am not a huge sweet potato fan. Is there anything you would recommend any possible substitutions?
You could do butternut squash or even regular potatoes.
Just made this recipe for dinner. So easy and it turned out great. I topped this dish with ranch dressing, less clean but so delicious. Thank you for this recipe I will definitely make it again.
No exaggerating here, this is seriously one of my favorite foods now. Thank you, you wonderful human!
★★★★★
Ahhh!! This makes me so happy. Thank you for coming back to let me know and for leaving the star rating. It’s so helpful.
Made this last night. So delish. Thank you for the recipe.
Has anyone tried this in an insta pot?!
Hi! Would it be possible to use brown rice instead of quinoa? Thank you!
Seriously soooo good and easy! I made it this morning while babywearing my sick 10 month old. I loved being able to still cook something delicious and have the extra time needed to care for my son. Thanks for sharing–it will be added to our meal rotation for sure.
★★★★★
Hi! I’m preparing this right now—I swapped out the sweet potatoes with Japanese squash because I had sweet potatoes last week, and since kabocha is supposed to be similar in terms of taste and cooking method as sweet potato I figured i might as well try something new! I also added a chopped yellow pepper and chopped anaheim pepper—the green peppers you added to the pictures of the finished dish inspired me 🙂 will let you know how it goes! Thanks for the recipe!
Could you tell me how i would incorporate ground turkey into this? Thanks!!
Hi Nikki. To add ground turkey, I’d recommend sautéing it in a pan until it’s fully cooked, then add it to the slow cooker at the same time you add the quinoa, black beans, etc. Let me know if you try this!
Brittany, this was really good and easy! Thanks for making dinner easy! And I love having leftovers too!!
★★★★★
Has anyone tried a different way of preparing the sweet potatoes? I was thinking of possibly shredding them in the food processor instead of dicing them. Found they took the longest to cook when cubed.
I totally think shredded sweet potatoes would work! Let us know if you try it. 🙂
I made this using the slow cooker button for 2 hours in the Instant Pot. Then I just stirred the 1 cup of cheese in then topped individual portions with more cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. I plan on making freezer packs of this that I can take out and cook and just do 1 giant prep.
Ohh!! I love that you used the Instant Pot slow cooker function for this and it worked! Thanks for coming back to comment and let us know.
Hi! Would this recipe double well? I am always looking for a good slow cooker recipe to feed my crew of 5. Thank you!
Jenn, I doubled it and it was fine!
I totally think you could double this recipe, just as long as your slow cooker is large enough to fit all the ingredients.
I’d like to make this recipe, but I recommend that the quinoa is rinsed thoroughly before adding it to the slow cooker. Naturally occurring saposin on the quinoa can make you sick if you don’t rinse the quinoa first. That’s why the package instructions always tell you to rinse before cooking.
Hi Lisa! Great point! Most packages do say this, but there a few brands that don’t require it because the quinoa has been pre-rinsed. Ancient Harvest is one of those brands. I typically always buy Ancient Harvest for this reason.:) https://ancientharvest.com/rinse-quinoa/
I loved this. I would have never thought to use sweet potatoes. I cooked the sweet potatoes on the stovetop and the quinoa separately. I used chili powder vs seasoning; added frozen corn; used a bag of frozen red/green peppers and onions; and layered deli Colby Jack cheese on top. Thank you!!
OMG. Thank you! It’s 8:30 AM and dinner is ready to go.
Yasss!! You’ll have to report back tonight and let us know how it turned out! 🙂