Easy Mexican Chicken Quinoa Casserole! Piled high with blistered peppers, salsa-ified quinoa, black beans, spicy chicken, and Pepperjack cheese.
SCALE
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 1 14 ounce can cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups salsa
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (plus 1/2 cup more if needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1–2 cloves minced garlic (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 1/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (I just use a mix of chili powder, onion powder, cumin, salt)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375. Mix the quinoa, black beans, salsa, chicken broth, salt, garlic, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese in a large bowl. Transfer to a well-greased casserole dish (something close to 9×13). Bake for 30 minutes.
- While the quinoa is baking, heat a the oil in a large skillet. Add the jalapeño, onion, and peppers. Saute until golden brown and tender-crisp, like you would for fajitas. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Toss the raw chicken with the taco seasoning. When the quinoa is done with the first 30 minutes of baking, stir it up really well and add the raw chicken. Stir the chicken into the mixture to get the chicken mostly covered by the mixture, and return to the oven for another 30 minutes of baking. If you notice there are a few uncooked quinoa pieces on top, just give it a stir and bake it a little longer (a few readers also commented that it helped them to add a little extra broth at this point). It’s usually fully cooked on the bottom but those top pieces sometimes need a little extra love.
- When the quinoa is done, top with the peppers and remaining cheese – bake another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted to your liking.
