READY IN ABOUT 1¼ hrs

Quinoa Chili

Read Reviews (103)

"A super delicious chili which can be made vegetarian by excluding the ground beef. With its unique texture and sweet savory flavor with a hint of spice, this recipe will have your friends asking for seconds!" — Gingerbreadgirlz

Directions

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground beef. Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease; set beef aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with chili powder and cumin; cook 1 minute more to release the flavor of the spices. Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, oregano, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Simmer until the bell peppers are tender, about 20 minutes.
Once the red and green peppers are tender, stir in the quinoa, beef, and corn kernels. Return to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes to reheat. Stir in the cilantro to serve.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 30 mins
COOK 35 mins
READY IN 1 hr 5 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Aug 29, 2011

I LOVED this. I doubled the recipe so I could take dinner to a friend as well and it turned out to be a HUGE pot of food enough to feed both of our families dinner twice with more for a lunch as well! Because kids were going to be eating it I skipped the jalepeno and only added half the chili powder. It was not spicy at all, but it was still full of flavor! I did have to add some liquid, and I used a can of chicken broth (or half a can for a single recipe). I will definitely be making this again. EDIT: Now that I have made this a second time I will say that I believe that the flavor is much improved by cooking the quinoa in chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you prefer) instead of water. I think I did this without even thinking about it the first time because I almost always do when cooking grains. This time I didn't bother with it, and the flavor was not as good. I remedied it by dissolving some "Better than Bouillon" in a couple of tablespoons of water and stirring this into the finished chili.

—TammyLiz

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 09, 2011

don't hesitate to experiment with tomatillos, various peppers, and white beans.

—kernsey

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142 Ratings

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Apr 27, 2011

Wow, so good (we love quinoa), I omitted the zucc (didn't have one) and the meat and added a can of V8 as it was quite dry. Excellent flavour and left overs for lunches! We will make this at least once a month, thanks for the recipe.

—Erika

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Mar 21, 2011

I liked this a lot but had to add some water to keep it from getting too thick. Also, with personal taste, I just like things a bit spicier so added some ground red pepper. I served mine over a baked potato with shredded low fat cheese and fat free sour cream and it was great.

—brookev

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Aug 23, 2011

This is an amazing chili recipe! I followed the directions exactly except that I cooked the chili in the crock pot. I didn't add the quinoa to crock pot because I was afraid it would dry out into porridge. I cooked it on low for 15 hours and then added the cooked quinoa to the finished chili. The chili was a tiny bit watery from the crock pot, but it thickened up nicely once I added the quinoa. This is a really tasty and healthy recipe. I topped it with a bit of avocado and cheddar cheese.

—pinkypink

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May 09, 2011

Quinoa Chili Haiku: "Magical quinoa, elevates chili to 'wow!' A little too thick." This chili is heavenly, and we adored the earthy bite of the quinoa addition. I only wish that I'd added some diced canned chipotles in adobo, per the other recipe on here for "Black bean quinoa chili" b/c I think that would've added a special flavor that this seemed to be missing. Otherwise, I was faithful to the recipe's ingredients, but I put everything (save the cooked quinoa) in the crockpot b4 leaving for work in the a.m., and stirred the quinoa in when I got home. The quinoa balloons up so I only made about 3/4 c., and then it begins to absorb all of what remains of the liquid in the chili (which really, is only that from the canned tomatoes), so I had to add a little water to counter the gummy thickness. With a sprinkle of cheese and a handful of cilantro, this recipe has transformed us into quinoa+chili junkies.

—Rock_lobster

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May 03, 2011

I was doing a cleanse and decided to give this recipe a try (without the ground beef) to add a little variety to my boring cleanse diet. What a pleasant and tasty surprise this dish turned out to be! I never would have thought of using quinoa this way. Thanks for the recipe! It is now a part of our regular rotation :)

—A & R's Mommy

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Nov 13, 2011

We LOVED this recipe. Instead of beef, I used ground turkey (dieting here) and didn't put in any of the jalapeno (kids). I added a little extra cumin instead and left out the chili powder. Kids loved it as it was so colourful & the hubby too. Definitely making this again and again.

—Elaine S

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Nutrition

Calories
412 kcal
21%

Carbohydrates
52.8 g
17%

Cholesterol
45 mg
15%

Fat
11.5 g
18%

Fiber
14.8 g
59%

Protein
27.5 g
55%

Sodium
753 mg
30%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Quinoa Chili

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 412
Calories from Fat: 103

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11.5g 18 %
Saturated Fat 3.4g 17 %
Cholesterol 45mg 15 %
Sodium 753mg 30 %
Potassium 1230mg 34 %
Total Carbohydrates 52.8g 17 %
Dietary Fiber 14.8g 59 %
Protein 27.5g 55 %
** Sugars 2.8g
Vitamin A 35 %
Vitamin C 88 %
Calcium 16 %
Iron 72 %
Thiamin 41 %
Niacin 65 %
Vitamin B6 45 %
Magnesium 50 %
Folate 93 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.