Black Bean Casserole with Quinoa
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.This incredible one-pot black bean casserole with quinoa is going to please your entire family. I make it loaded with black beans, quinoa, and bell peppers. It is vegetarian, gluten-free, packed with Mexican flavors I love, and so simple to throw together and have it on the table in just 30 minutes.
I am all about that one-pot meal life because nothing beats tossing a dish in the oven and letting it do its thing. If you love cheesy enchiladas but do not like the prep, this recipe is a total win. It has the same vibe as my Mexican rice casserole, focusing on those bold Mexican flavors and easy cleanup so you can spend less time scrubbing pans and more time actually eating. Yas!
I love this twist because using quinoa instead of tortillas adds a massive boost of protein and fiber while keeping everything gluten-free. It is a total favorite with kids and the kind of wholesome, drool-worthy comfort food I love serving. Using a grain as the base for those vibrant seasonings works much like my vegetarian quinoa paella, which is another awesome way to get a healthy, one-pan meal on the table that doesn’t skimp on flavor.
👩🏽🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
I first threw this together one Sunday while my cousin was over helping me reorganize my home office and we needed a quick but filling lunch. As a nutritionist, I am always trying to find that balance where a meal is loaded with protein and fiber but still hits the spot for someone who isn’t necessarily looking for a healthy food fix. Using quinoa instead of the usual heavy tortillas gives me a dish that is nutrient-dense but at the same time an indulgent treat.
I love that the whole thing is ready for the oven in just a few minutes. I simply stir the quinoa and spices together so the grains can soak up all the savory juices, which keeps everything light and fluffy without needing extra fats. Mixing it all in one dish is a massive help for my schedule, and letting it bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden gives it that gooey texture that makes even my pickiest guests finish their plates.
I brought this to a school potluck not long ago, and even the parents who usually avoid healthy foods were asking for the recipe. Seeing my family, friends, and even college students get excited about a meal that truly fuels their bodies is why I love what I do. It is the perfect dinner for those nights when you want something delicious and also a superfood. Bake a batch for your family and see just how fast it goes!
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🥘 Ingredients
These are all the ingredients I need to make this healthy black bean casserole with quinoa.
Quinoa: I use any type of quinoa I like. White, red, black, or tri-color all work great.
Sauce Ingredients: I mix tomato sauce, vegetable broth, and a blend of Mexican spices, including chili powder, ancho chili powder, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and salt.
Veggies: I use corn, bell peppers, onions, and green chiles, but I add any vegetables I like.
Black Beans: I consider black beans the star of this plant-based casserole.
Cheese: I use Mexican shredded cheese, but any shredded cheese works well.
Toppings: I top the casserole with diced fresh tomatoes and green onions to finish the dish.
🔪 How To Make
I follow these steps to make a flavorful, cheesy Black Bean Casserole with Quinoa casserole ready to be enjoyed.
Prepare the base: I cook the quinoa according to the package directions. Meanwhile, I sauté the onion, peppers, corn, cumin, salt, black beans, and green chiles in a pan.
Simmer the sauce: While that is cooking, I make the sauce by combining the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, 3 chili powders, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano in a medium saucepan over medium heat. I whisk everything to combine, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Combine the ingredients: I mix the quinoa, sauce, and 1/2 of the cheese in the pan with the black bean and vegetable mixture.
Bake to perfection: I transfer the mixture to a casserole dish, top it with cheese, and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. I finish by topping it with diced tomatoes and green onions.
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to dice the tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers small and the same size. This makes them easier to eat and helps them cook consistently.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Prepare the grains: I rinse the quinoa under cold water for 1 minute to remove any bitter taste from the outside. This step ensures the meal has a clean and nutty flavor that my family enjoys.
- Soften the aromatics: I cook the onions and garlic in a pan until they are soft before mixing them into the dish. This extra step adds a deeper level of flavor that makes the whole casserole taste much better.
- Enhance the liquid: I swap plain water for a savory vegetable broth when cooking the quinoa to add more richness. It is a simple way to make the entire meal more satisfying without much extra work.
- Manage the topping: I add the cheese during the final 10 minutes of baking so it stays perfectly melted and soft. If I put it in too early, it can get a bit tough or brown too much in the oven.
- Allow for settling: I leave the casserole on the counter for 10 minutes after it finishes cooking to let everything settle. This makes it much easier to scoop out perfect portions that stay together on the plate.
📖 Variations
I like to switch up this black bean quinoa casserole with simple variations to suit different flavors and ingredients I have on hand.
Cheesy Veggie Mix: I add 1 cup of chopped zucchini and 1/2 cup of mushrooms to the casserole. The extra vegetables make it heartier and add flavor.
Spicy Kick Up: I stir in 1 chopped jalapeno and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne powder. It gives the casserole a gentle heat without overpowering the other flavors.
Vegan Cheese Swap: I use 1 cup of shredded vegan cheese instead of regular cheese. The casserole stays creamy and melty while keeping it plant-based.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
I serve this black bean quinoa casserole with my healthy guacamole and tofu fried rice. The guacamole adds freshness while the rice keeps the meal balanced and filling. I also pair it with sweet potato dahl and apple walnut salad. The sweet potatoes add natural sweetness and the salad brings a crunch that contrasts with the soft casserole.
🧊 Storage Directions
Refrigeration: I let the black bean quinoa casserole cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid. I store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freezing: I freeze leftovers for up to 3 months and thaw before reheating.
Reheating: I place leftovers on a microwave-safe dish and heat in 1 to 2 minute intervals until warmed through. I also reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until hot all the way through.
❓Recipe FAQs
Why is my casserole watery?
This usually happens when I add beans or quinoa that still have excess moisture. I make sure to rinse and drain the beans very well and let the cooked quinoa sit uncovered for a few minutes so steam can escape before mixing everything together.
What causes uneven texture?
Uneven texture happens when the ingredients are not mixed thoroughly. I take an extra minute to stir everything well so the quinoa, beans, and cheese are evenly distributed, which helps every bite bake up consistent and satisfying.
How do I keep the top from burning?
The top can burn if the oven runs hot or the dish is placed too close to the heat source. I always bake the casserole on the middle rack and loosely cover it with foil if the top starts to brown too quickly.
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🎥 Watch How to Make It
Black Bean Casserole with Quinoa
This incredible one-pot black bean casserole is going to please your entire family. I make it loaded with black beans, quinoa, and bell peppers. It is vegetarian, gluten-free, packed with Mexican flavors I love and so simple to throw together and have it on the table in just 30 minutes.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 242kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 15 ounce tomato sauce 1 can
- 1½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- ½ tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 4½ oz chopped green chiles, drained 1 can
- ½ cup corn kernels frozen, canned or roasted
- 30 oz cans black beans drained and rinsed (2 cans)
- 3 yellow peppers diced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ cups Mexican shredded cheese
- 3 Roma tomatoes diced
- green onions sliced
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Meanwhile saute onion, peppers, corn, cumin, salt, black beans and green chiles in a pan.
- While that’s cooking, make the sauce: combine the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, chili powders (all 3 of them), garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk to combine, then turn the heat down to low and let simmer 5 minutes.
- Mix quinoa, sauce and half of the cheese in the pan with the black bean / veggie mixture.
- Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish, top with cheese, and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Top with diced tomatoes and green onions.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to dice the tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers small and the same size. This makes them easier to eat and helps them cook consistently.
- Prepare the grains: I rinse the quinoa under cold water for 1 minute to remove any bitter taste from the outside. This step ensures the meal has a clean and nutty flavor that my family enjoys.
- Soften the aromatics: I cook the onions and garlic in a pan until they are soft before mixing them into the dish. This extra step adds a deeper level of flavor that makes the whole casserole taste much better.
- Enhance the liquid: I swap plain water for a savory vegetable broth when cooking the quinoa to add more richness. It is a simple way to make the entire meal more satisfying without much extra work.
- Manage the topping: I add the cheese during the final 10 minutes of baking so it stays perfectly melted and soft. If I put it in too early, it can get a bit tough or brown too much in the oven.
- Allow for settling: I leave the casserole on the counter for 10 minutes after it finishes cooking to let everything settle. This makes it much easier to scoop out perfect portions that stay together on the plate.
Nutrition
Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 34.3g | Protein: 12.2g | Fat: 7.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.7g | Sodium: 460mg | Fiber: 7.5g | Sugar: 2.1g
This is a great healthy recipe! Thank you. I have a question about how much quinoa to use. Does the recipe call for 1 cup of ‘cooked’ quinoa or are we to cook 1 cup of quinoa (which makes more than 1 cup of cooked quinoa) and use all of the cooked quinoa? It seemed like a lot of quinoa to use all of it so that is why I am asking. Thank you.
Thanks so much Coni! Oh yes, use 1 cup of cooked quinoa in this recipe. You can use 1 cup of dry quinoa and cook it if you want it to be more quinoa forward, but when I made it I used 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Hope that helps!
This is a great recipe. I had too much cauliflower so I added a head of cauliflower florets to the recipe. Also, I made the tomato sauce from scratch. What I like about this recipe is that you can simultaneously cook the quinoa, tomato sauce (if you’re making it from scratch) and saute the vegetables while the oven is preheating. Once everything is ready, you move the cooked ingredients into a baking dish and bake it in the oven. This is a fast, easy to make recipe.
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that Bill, and I love the modifications you made too!
Served this for dinner last night and it does not disappoint! So delicious and hearty; the whole family loved it!
Yay!! So happy to hear how much you all liked it Sara!
This casserole meal sounds appetizing and inviting. I am thinking of giving it a try tomorrow. I just hope it will look and taste like yours 🙂
It really is so delicious!! I’m sure yours will turn out perfectly! 🙂
I made it tonight, and it turned out deliciously!
Awesome! So happy to hear that Jo!
I also love a good one-pot recipe, who wants to do all of those dishes after you’ve already cooked? This looks absolutely delicious, can’t wait to give it a shot!
Totally!! I’m all about one pot meals these days! I’m sure you will love this recipe Nathan! 🙂
We tried this recipe last night and it was delicious. Quick question though, you said it serves 10 but do not list the serving size. What is the serving size for those of us keeping track of our calories? Thanks!
Hi Carolynn! I’m so glad you liked this recipe! One serving should be about 1.5 cups of food, but what I usually do when I make this dish is divide the casserole into 10 equal parts before serving to ensure each portion is the same size! So I’d recommend doing that next time so you can be sure you’re getting the right portion! Hope that helps!
Awesome recipe Anjali! It Looks yummy, worth giving a try… The only challenge here is the availability of Quinoa in my area, having said that this recipe is worth sharing and its something my audience would love it… a quick question, for how long can we refrigerate it? I mean I am planning to take this with me as a tiffin.
Hi Hemant! This recipe will last in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Hope that helps! Oh and if you don’t have access to quinoa, you can replace it with 3/4 the amount of brown rice. I’m sure you will love this dish!
Made this with a couple tweaks and it was to die for. Son ate all was given and I was so thrilled. Thanks for this recipe I think it will become a regular!
Yay!! This is a regular favorite in our house too – so glad you and your family loved this recipe!
Love your collection of healthy recipes — all of them look great! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Vaishali! Hope you love this one in particular!
Looks so delicious! Thanks for the yummy and healthy organic recipe Anjali 🙂 I love eating nutritious and healthy recipes more 🙂 Keep up the good work 🙂
No problem Chris! I’m sure you’ll love this recipe!
Wow Healthy and tasty recipe Anjali, That’s what I am looking for now a days with some Indian taste. Hopefully I will get most of the ingredients in my area. Right now, I am trying to lose some weight and need some tasty recipes with full of carbohydrate, proteins, fat and fiber . And you know, for that I need to eat many things separately. Your casserole is like one stop solution for my needs, haha. What do you think, can I freeze it for 2-3 days and then can use it later?
Seema
Thanks Seema! This recipe will freeze great – you can freeze it for up to 3 months and it will still taste amazing and fresh when you defrost it. Hope that helps! Enjoy!
3 months… that’s Great, Thanks 🙂
No prob!