This flavor-infused garlic chipotle quinoa is a perfect addition to salads, tacos, and grain bowls and oh-so-easy to make! This recipe levels up plain-ol-quinoa (nothing against you quinoa… but you can be a little boring at times) with fresh garlic and canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce which creates a slightly spicy, garlicy, smoky quinoa. This recipe can be made in an Instapot or on the stove.
This dressed up quinoa goes in great in place of brown rice in this Vegan Black Bean Burrito Bowl and if you are looking for more flavorful quinoa recipes you have to check out this Coconut milk breakfast quinoa with sautéed apples and pepitas
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Ingredients
This easy quinoa recipe is the side dish you likely didn't know you needed until now and the good news is you only need a handful of ingredients to make it happen.
- Quinoa
- Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Garlic
- Better Than Bouillon® Seasoned Vegetable Base
- Optional: Cooking spray if cooking in an Instapot
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
This recipe can be made in an Instapot or on the stove.
- Instapot or Medium pot with lid
- Cutting board
- Knife
Instapot Tip: To keep your quinoa from sticking is to spray the inner pot of the Instapot with cooking spray or spray oil.
Substitutions
To make this recipe gluten free, choose a gluten free vegetable broth and use in place of the water and leave out the Better Than Bouillon® Seasoned Vegetable Base.
Storage
Store leftover cooked quinoa in the refrigerator, this will be good for up to 5-6 days.
Ways to Enjoy this Garlic Chipotle Quinoa
Garlic chipotle quinoa is a flavorful and nutritious dish that can be used in a variety of ways. Here are some ideas:
- In a burrito or taco bowl: Use garlic chipotle quinoa as a base for a burrito or taco bowl. Top it with your favorite toppings such as beans, salsa, avocado, plant-based cheese, jalapeños, and pickled red onions
- In a salad: Mix garlic chipotle quinoa with fresh greens, vegetables, cashews, and a vinaigrette or green goddess dressing for a tasty and filling salad.
- In stuffed peppers: Stuff bell peppers with garlic chipotle quinoa and bake them in the oven for a delicious meal.
- As a breakfast bowl: Top garlic chipotle quinoa with tofu scramble or Just egg, sautéed bell pepper, mushrooms, sliced avocado, and hot sauce for a hearty and flavorful breakfast bowl.
- In a wrap: Use garlic chipotle quinoa as a filling for a wrap. Add some fresh veggies, hummus, cashew cheese sauce, or avocado for a satisfying, quick lunch meal
- In a stir-fry: Use garlic chipotle quinoa as a base for a vegetable stir-fry. Add your favorite vegetables and tofu for a delicious high fiber meal.
FAQ
Quinoa is a high-fiber, high protein pseudo-cereal. Technically a seed, quinoa is prepared and eaten similarly to a grain and counts as a whole-grain food.
Quinoa is a naturally gluten free food and suitable for those who have celiac disease. To make this recipe gluten free, choose a gluten free broth instead of the Better Than Bouillon® Base. See substitution section above.
Yes, this quinoa recipe is delicious leftover and is great for batch cooking and meal prep. Once cooked this quinoa can be eaten cold if desired and it reheats well in the microwave. The recipe can be doubled if cooking for a larger group and/or you want more leftovers for the week.
Rinsing your quinoa removes a natural coating, called saponin, which can cause cooked quinoa to taste bitter. Some packaged quinoas come pre-rinsed so you don't need to rinse those but you can if you want.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Check out these other side dishes:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this quinoa:
Easy Garlic Chipotle Quinoa
Equipment
- 1 Instapot *Alternatively can be made on the stove in a medium pan with lid
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1.25 cups water if cooking in an Instapot or 2 cups of water if cooking on a stovetop
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 chipotle peppers diced + 1 teaspoon chipotle sauce from the can
- 1 teaspoon better than bouillon - vegetable
- Cooking spray Optional
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer
Instapot Instructions:
- Optional: Spray the inside of the inner pot with cooking spray
- Add quinoa, water, garlic, chipotle peppers + sauce, and Better than bouillon base to Instapot.
- Seal lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 1 minute.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.
- Fluff quinoa with a fork and serve.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Add quinoa, water, garlic, chipotle peppers + sauce, and Better than bouillon base to pot and bring to a rolling boil
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes (liquid has evaporated)
- Remove pan from hot burner and let stand covered in pot for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think: