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!
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!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.
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.
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 tostadas with butternut squash
Black Bean Fried Quinoa
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
Nutrition
Be sure to PIN this recipe for later!
Alanna
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!
Marisa
Thanks Alanna! Black beans are already so flavorful that these recipes come together in a snap!
Min
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)
Marisa
LOL! I didn’t even think of that Min! But yeah… beans in the slow cooker are the easiest thing!
Farrah
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! 😀
Marisa
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.
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious
Yum! This looks so delish. I love black beans also. So many great flavors in this quinoa dish!
Marisa
Thanks, Jessica! I love that it’s so flexible. I added different veggies to it throughout the week.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That’s the way to make “fried rice” haha! Awesome!
Marisa
I actually like it so much better. Perfect canvas for many meals to come!
dixya | food, pleasure, and health
i generally used canned beans but i should really get into making them in slow cooker. love this idea too.
genevieve @ gratitude and greens
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!
Marisa
I know. Don’t you just love the sweet heat of ancho chiles?! Thanks for stopping by!
Traci
Perfect recipe for this time of year! Vegan skillet meals are so lovely…let’s eat ALL the quinoa and black beans!
Marisa
I’m with you, Traci! All the way with ya!
Kathi
This looks like lunch all week to me! Piled high on top of some fresh greens! Yum!
Marisa
It’s so perfect for meal prep and would be delicious atop a big pile of greens!
Saima
Quinoa! Never tried it before, so your recipe is calling to me to make it! Will do so soon.
Marisa
Oh yeah. You gotta try quinoa. It’s pretty bland so adding it to a flavorful dish is my favorite way to use it.
Tara
Yum! This definitely sounds perfect for using up leftovers. I love your use of the ancho chili powder.
Marisa
Ancho chiles add a nice, almost sweet heat!
Lauren Vavala | DeliciousLittleBites
This recipe is delicious! I love how it’s versatile enough to enjoy as a main dish or as a side!
Marisa
Thanks Lauren. And Yes. It’s perfect for either or both and an easy meal prep recipe too!
Adrienne
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! 🙂
Marisa
Thanks for taking the time to share. I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe as much as I do Adrienne!