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Home » Recipes » Blog

Vegan Black Bean “Fried” Quinoa

Published: Mar 22, 2015 · Modified: Oct 27, 2020 by Marisa Moore·

2.4K shares
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This black bean fried quinoa stir-fry is a quick and easy vegan pantrymeal. Use up leftover quinoa and black beans for an easy meal prep recipe! 

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Black Bean "Fried" QUinoa in a Skillet

This recipe uses leftover ingredients for a brand new meal. It’s one of my favorite ways to use leftover quinoa and these Crispy Quinoa Patties are another.

Ingredients

  • Cooked or canned black beans
  • Cooked quinoa
  • Sweet corn
  • Bell peppers
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Chipotle or ancho chile power

As much as I love black beans, I realized that I had not posted a black bean recipe here on the blog.

I eat them at least once a week. So this post is me completely overdoing it on black bean recipes. The first up is my Black Bean Fried Quinoa made out of pantry staples. You will also love this Easy Cheesy Black Bean & Rice Skillet!

Spice up #mealprep with this Black Bean 'Fried' Quinoa this week! Click to Tweet

How to make black beans

You use this slow cooker black beans recipe to make your own black beans, cook them on the stove, or simply buy canned beans The slow cooker beans are an excellent canvas to build flavorful meals throughout the week. I took that recipe and made two.

For the Black Bean Fried Quinoa, I wanted to build in layers of flavor to elevate the beans. I started by sauteeing onions with ancho chile powder.

Sauteed Onions in Ancho Chile MMN on marisamoore.com

I added in the cooked quinoa. Now, I could have easily stopped right here.

The toasted quinoa mixed with the spicy onion mixture was tempting. But I added the rest of the ingredients to complete the meal. Scroll down to get the full recipe.

Ancho Chile Fried Quinoa on marisamoore.com

What goes with this recipe?

This recipe is designed to stand on it’s own. The quinoa and beans provide plenty of fiber and protein to help you feel full and satisfied.

You can add tofu or another protein to the recipe, sliced avocado or additional leftover vegetables.

For TAKE TWO: I combined the leftover slow cooker beans with some of my favorite spices to make a Spicy Black Bean Soup with Ancho Chile Pepitas. 

Other healthy black bean recipes

Black bean breakfast tacos

Black bean tostadas with butternut squash

Ancho Black Bean Quinoa in a bowl

Black Bean Fried Quinoa

Marisa Moore, RDN
This black bean fried quinoa is a quick and easy vegan meal. Use up leftover quinoa and black beans for an easy meal prep recipe! 
5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 335 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or any neutral-tasting oil)
  • ½ cup sweet onion diced
  • ½ cup green bell pepper diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup cooked black beans drained
  • ½ cup corn kernels
  • fresh limes and cilantro to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and bell pepper in the oil until translucent. Add the chile powder and garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  • Add the quinoa. Cook until any lingering oil or moisture is absorbed. Add the black beans and corn. Heat through and serve.
  • For extra flavor, add a squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro on top.

Notes

If using canned beans, add one can of rinsed and drained black beans.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Be sure to PIN this recipe for later!

ANcho Black Bean Quinoa Stir Fry

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2.4K shares

Filed Under: Blog, Easy Healthy Recipes, Entrees, Popular, Recipes, Sides

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    5 from 8 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Maeve

    June 29, 2025 at 3:19 pm

    5 stars
    This was really good! I literally googled “what to do with leftover quinoa” when I made too much for another recipe and didn’t want to waste it. So good I will make quinoa intentionally for it next time. Also tried it in a burrito, so tasty!

    Reply
  2. Adrienne

    June 30, 2020 at 3:20 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of my new favorite recipes and will be a staple moving forward! I added an ounce of leftover carnistas and some guac which turned out great. I had it plain as leftovers for lunch today and it was jsut as yummy! 🙂

    Reply
    • Marisa

      June 30, 2020 at 3:29 pm

      Thanks for taking the time to share. I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe as much as I do Adrienne!

      Reply
  3. Lauren Vavala | DeliciousLittleBites

    December 31, 2018 at 2:11 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is delicious! I love how it’s versatile enough to enjoy as a main dish or as a side!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      December 31, 2018 at 2:25 pm

      Thanks Lauren. And Yes. It’s perfect for either or both and an easy meal prep recipe too!

      Reply
  4. Tara

    December 31, 2018 at 12:59 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! This definitely sounds perfect for using up leftovers. I love your use of the ancho chili powder.

    Reply
    • Marisa

      December 31, 2018 at 2:22 pm

      Ancho chiles add a nice, almost sweet heat!

      Reply
  5. Saima

    December 31, 2018 at 12:57 pm

    5 stars
    Quinoa! Never tried it before, so your recipe is calling to me to make it! Will do so soon.

    Reply
    • Marisa

      December 31, 2018 at 2:24 pm

      Oh yeah. You gotta try quinoa. It’s pretty bland so adding it to a flavorful dish is my favorite way to use it.

      Reply
  6. Kathi

    December 31, 2018 at 12:15 pm

    5 stars
    This looks like lunch all week to me! Piled high on top of some fresh greens! Yum!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      December 31, 2018 at 2:24 pm

      It’s so perfect for meal prep and would be delicious atop a big pile of greens!

      Reply
  7. Traci

    December 31, 2018 at 12:09 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect recipe for this time of year! Vegan skillet meals are so lovely…let’s eat ALL the quinoa and black beans!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      December 31, 2018 at 2:23 pm

      I’m with you, Traci! All the way with ya!

      Reply
  8. genevieve @ gratitude and greens

    March 27, 2015 at 9:45 pm

    You had me at ancho chile powder. This sounds so yummy and I can’t wait to try it! And I totally agree: black beans are awesome!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      March 28, 2015 at 2:14 pm

      I know. Don’t you just love the sweet heat of ancho chiles?! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  9. dixya | food, pleasure, and health

    March 23, 2015 at 5:42 pm

    i generally used canned beans but i should really get into making them in slow cooker. love this idea too.

    Reply
  10. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

    March 23, 2015 at 3:51 pm

    That’s the way to make “fried rice” haha! Awesome!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      March 23, 2015 at 9:05 pm

      I actually like it so much better. Perfect canvas for many meals to come!

      Reply
  11. Jessica @ Nutritioulicious

    March 23, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    Yum! This looks so delish. I love black beans also. So many great flavors in this quinoa dish!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      March 26, 2015 at 11:11 am

      Thanks, Jessica! I love that it’s so flexible. I added different veggies to it throughout the week.

      Reply
  12. Farrah

    March 22, 2015 at 9:06 pm

    This looks amazing! I have a bag of dried black beans that I’ve been meaning to use. Hooray for being able to make it in a slow cooker! 😀

    Reply
    • Marisa

      March 23, 2015 at 6:40 am

      Thanks, Farrah! I tend to only use my slow cooker in the winter. This year -even if only for beans- I think I’ll use it more often.

      Reply
  13. Min

    March 22, 2015 at 4:46 pm

    I cook a batch of dried beans about twice a month and freeze them. However, I’ve never made them in a slow cooker so I’m excited to try! Loving the addition of ancho chile powder! And I see two of our foods here (wink wink)

    Reply
    • Marisa

      March 23, 2015 at 6:39 am

      LOL! I didn’t even think of that Min! But yeah… beans in the slow cooker are the easiest thing!

      Reply
  14. Alanna

    March 22, 2015 at 4:38 pm

    That quinoa is calling my name! I adore black beans and am always looking for new ways to incorporate them into my meals. Can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      March 23, 2015 at 6:41 am

      Thanks Alanna! Black beans are already so flavorful that these recipes come together in a snap!

      Reply

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MARISA MOORE

Hi! I'm Marisa, a registered dietitian nutritionist living in Atlanta, GA. I use this blog to share (mostly) vegetarian recipes, credible nutrition information and a peek into my Southern roots and travels!

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