This black bean quinoa bake is a dump and bake casserole that uses dry quinoa, canned tomatoes, and black beans. No chopping is required in this recipe, just a casserole dish and pantry staples.
I first made this black bean quinoa bake a few years ago for an assignment during my dietetic internship at a hospital. It was such a hit among the patients that it got added to the regular menu at the hospital!
Fast forward a few years and all I want is an easy meal with minimal prep. That's when I remembered this quinoa casserole. It doesn't require any dicing or chopping and odds are you already have most of the ingredients on hand.
If you like my vegetarian black bean enchiladas, Southwest quinoa taco salad or rice and beans, then you'll probably want to make this recipe too. Like most of the recipes on the blog, this recipe is easy to customize.
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Recipe features
- Dump and bake: No boiling required, just add the dry quinoa directly to the baking dish with the other ingredients. The only chopping/dicing needed is for the garnishes. The result is a sliceable casserole!
- Quick & easy: You only need 5 minutes to prepare the recipe. It bakes for 45 minutes and needs to be stirred once during that time.
- Easy to customize: This recipe uses mostly pantry staples, but can easily be modified to include more fresh vegetables etc.
- Seasonings: This quinoa bake uses pretty simple Tex-Mex style taco seasonings like the kind you would find in a packet of taco seasoning.
- Dietary features: vegetarian, vegan-optional, nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free
Ingredients
The ingredient list is super flexible. You can add veggies, swap cheeses, etc. See more customization ideas below.
- Quinoa: I used white quinoa in this recipe. Red or a blend of quinoa colors will work. Frozen or pre-cooked quinoa does not work.
- Black beans: You can use canned black beans or cook them from dry. I usually cook black beans using my Instant Pot black beans recipe. One 15 ounce can of black beans = 1.5 cups black beans.
- Canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles: The green chiles add a little extra heat. I use Rotel brand, but any kind works. A can of diced tomatoes with green chiles that isn't fire roasted also works.
- Corn: Frozen corn, fresh corn, or canned corn work. If using frozen corn you do not need to thaw it first.
- Enchilada sauce: Use red enchilada sauce and choose a heat that meets your spice preferences. Green enchilada sauce does work but is even better in these sweet potato enchiladas.
- Mexican blend cheese: This usually includes cheddar, colby and Monterey jack cheeses.
- Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. Alternatively, use a tablespoon of taco seasoning.
- Rice: Several people have tried this recipe with an equal amount of white rice in place of quinoa and reported that it works well. Another option is to try my rice and bean casserole.
Instructions
Most of this recipe is inactive time spent waiting for the quinoa to cook in the oven. It takes about 30 minutes to cook and 15 minutes to firm up the casserole.
Make sure to use very hot, almost boiling vegetable broth to speed the process along. I just heat the broth in the microwave, but you can also heat it on the stove until simmering.
Before you begin: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve for 30 seconds. This will cut down on any bitterness that the quinoa may have.
- Combine all ingredients, except for the cheese, in the baking dish. Stir to combine.
- Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and stir. The quinoa should be cooked through but it will still be liquidy.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is firm and the excess liquid evaporates.
- Top with the shredded cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Customization ideas
- Protein: For extra protein, add in two cans of beans (any type of bean works), vegan tempeh taco meat, or tofu chorizo.
- Extra veggies: Diced bell pepper, diced zucchini, and diced tomato are all good options. You can add them directly to the casserole dish or saute them first for extra flavor. You can also just add extra veggies without removing the corn.
- Toppings: Avocado, cilantro, and salsa are all great additions.
- Beans: Kidney beans, pinto beans, or red beans work well in place of black beans.
- Dairy-free option: Use your favorite vegan shredded cheese to make this recipe dairy-free. So Delicious has a Mexican blend, but I haven't tried it out yet.
Storage
- Leftovers: Let the casserole cool to room temp, then cover with foil or a lid. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days for best quality.
- Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave. Reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 325 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through. Cover with foil if the casserole starts to dry out too much.
- Freezing: This freezes well as a full casserole or as individual slices. Cover the casserole in plastic wrap and foil or plastic wrap and a lid before freezing. If reheating in the oven, add an extra 10-15 minutes of cook time. The casserole can also thaw overnight in the fridge.
Similar vegetarian meal ideas
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
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Vegetarian Black Bean Quinoa Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 and ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 10 ounce can diced tomatoes and green chiles
- 10 ounce can red enchilada sauce
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed; about 1.5 cups
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn canned or fresh also work
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 and ½ cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
- optional toppings: avocado or guacamole, salsa, diced jalapeno, cilantro, lime
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve for 30 seconds.
- On the stove in a small pot or in the microwave, heat the vegetable broth until simmering.
- Combine all ingredients, except for the cheese and garnishes, in the 9x13 baking dish. Stir to combine.
- Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes on the middle oven rack. Remove the foil and stir. The quinoa should be cooked through but the casserole will still be liquidy.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is firm and the excess liquid evaporates.
- Top with the shredded cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve topped with avocado or guacamole, fresh cilantro and salsa.
Video
Notes
- Mexican blend cheese: Usually includes sharp cheddar, colby jack and Monterry jack. Any of these three cheese can be used in place of a cheese blend. Use vegan cheese to make dairy-free.
- Storage and reheating: Let cool to room temp, then cover the baking dish with foil or a lid. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days for best quality. Reheat individual portions in the microwave. Reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 325 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Freeze for later: Let cool completely. Transfer individual portions into freezer safe containers or cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and a lid. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw completely in the fridge before reheating or add an extra 10-15 minutes to the reheating bake time.
Nutrition
Author's note: This recipe was originally shared February 2020 and was updated August 2022. The original recipe used cooked quinoa (one cup dry cooked in two cups vegetable broth) and no vegetable broth in the actual casserole. The updated version is more streamlined.
Heather Canedy says
I made this and it was so easy! I stuffed it in a tortilla, rolled it up, poured enchilada sauce over it, and sprinkled the top with cheese!
Cassidy Reeser says
Ooh delicious idea!! Thanks for the review!
Peggy says
Would I need to roast sweet potatoes prior to adding to the other ingredients? I'm not sure if they would cook in time if I diced them and added them uncooked.
Cassidy Reeser says
If you dice them very small they should cook fully in the casserole. I have another recipe that does this but they are sautéed for 5 to 6 minutes first (https://cozypeachkitchen.com/rice-and-bean-casserole/)
Trish says
I love how easy and good this is. I served it with shredded lettuce chopped tomatoes and guac. My picky 2 year old grandson gobbled it up and asked for seconds and thirds. He called it “quesadilla”. 🤷🏻♀️
Betsey says
I really like this recipe and use it often. It’s tasty and easy and I added pumfu chorizo which made it extra filling!
Cassidy Reeser says
I've always wanted to try pumfu, glad to hear it works well here! 🙂
Meg says
Family & friends love this. The only change I made was no cheese since I’m a vegan but not everyone in my family is so I had shredded cheese and sour cream for those that wanted it. I topped it with avocado. Will make many times in the future. Thank you for sharing.
Sarah says
Wow, wow, wow, this was sooooo delicious!! In addition, it was very easy & simple to prepare & bake. Definitely a do over. Thanks so much for another awesome recipe in my recipe box. 😀
Pam says
Just made this today as i am meal prepping! this recipe is super easy and incredibly delicious! Highly recommended!
Cassidy Reeser says
Thanks for the review!
Jessica Bridgeman says
Loved this recipe. Super simple and so delicious. I just don’t really understand why you need to heat the broth? All the other ingredients are cold/room temp.
Cassidy Reeser says
Thanks for the review! I like to heat the broth because it heats up the baking dish when it's added and just overall makes the quinoa cook a little more quickly. You can definitely get away with skipping that step, but it's how I do most of my dump & bake recipes 🙂
Cathy says
This was so delicious! Loved this! Will add more veggies next time just because I want to. Was so good and easy.
Susan Bauer says
This recipe is too tasty to be healthy! I love it.
Sage says
This was way better than expected. I use one can of black beans and one can of pinto. My only other addition was a pinch of msg. I topped it with sour cream, cilantro, avo, and lime. It was really tasty and easy.
Suzanne Doeren says
LOVE this so easy, freezes great and super yummy!
Cassidy Reeser says
Thanks for the review!
Robin says
This was delicious! With so many recipies requiring a lot of prep, it was nice to have an easy meal for a change! I'll definitely make it again. Since it's only for my husband and I, we have plenty left over for 2 more meals!
Cassidy Reeser says
Thanks for the review! 🙂
Miranda says
We’ve made this a couple times and love how easy and yummy this recipe is. Great for leftovers!
pattimcd says
Can you substitute green enchillada sauce?
Cassidy Reeser says
Yes, that will work. Enjoy! 🙂
Janet Castillo says
After removing the foil and stirring do you recover it with the foil for the next 15 minutes of baking time or leave it uncovered? I'm making this tonight.
Cassidy Reeser says
I know you've probably already baked it at this point, but after stirring remove the foil and keep it off for the remainder of the cook time.
Tina says
This recipe is soooo easy and so delicious! I've made it a few times already. I love to broil the cheese at the end for a couple of minutes to get it really crispy. I also sometimes freeze it into slices, wrap them in Saran wrap, and then it makes for a super easy and nutritious lunch the next day! Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂
Cassidy Reeser says
Thanks so much for the review! Broiling the cheese is a good move, it just makes it even better. 🙂