This easy lunch idea is perfect when you need something quickly. Healthy Quinoa Nachos come together with just a few basic ingredients in under 30 minutes.
Healthy Quinoa Nachos Without Chips Video
I do this thing, that is probably slightly annoying to my poor family, where I get on kicks.
For a while it was meatloaf, potatoes and broccoli. Then, I went through a pretty serious potato soup phase. Back in the fall of ’16 I bought 30 spaghetti squash for $1 a pop. (Ask my kids what its like for squash to be the main course four nights in a row.)
Don’t put it past me to make some kind of sourdough skillet every night of the week.
One qualification for a dish to make it to “kick” status is it must be easy as all get out to make. It either has to be something I can make suuuper far ahead of time (like 9:00 am for a noon lunch) or super last minute. There is no in between.
If it is 60 degrees, and the sun is shining, we aren’t coming in for lunch until the absolute last minute.
Well, right now the kick is quinoa nachos. The “nachos” should technically be in quotes because there are no chips at all in this dish. In an effort to make this meal healthier (and cheaper) than regular nachos, I subbed quinoa for the chips.
It follows the same formula as regular nachos.
Grain + meat + veggies + cheese + toppings= nachos
Except, in this case, the grain is quinoa.
I love that I can make the quinoa and meat ahead of time and then throw this in the oven 10 minutes before we want to eat.
Truth is, you can throw in any fresh ingredients you have on hand. Herbs, onions, peppers, etc.
My favorite combo is cilantro, red onion, fresh lime juice and topped with sliced avocado.
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1 medium white onion
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro divided (half for the beef and half for the topping)
1.5 cups dried quinoa
3 cups water
3 small key limes (1 large regular lime will also work)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
10 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
freshly ground black pepper
1 medium avocado, sliced
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large cast iron skillet with the diced white onion. Add the juice of one key lime, 1 teaspoon of the salt, garlic powder, onion powder and half of the cilantro.
- Meanwhile, cook quinoa in the water.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree.
- Spread the cooked quinoa in a 9 by 13 pan. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and the juice of 1 lime. Layer on the cooked meat and shredded cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Top with the remaining cilantro, juice from 1 key lime, finely diced red onion and sliced avocado. Sprinkle the avocado with a little salt.
Print the recipe
Quinoa Nachos
A more healthy alternative to traditional nachos, these quinoa nachos are full of fresh ingredients and flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided (half for the beef and half for the topping)
- 1.5 cup dried quinoa
- 3 cups water
- 3 small key limes, (1 large regular lime will also work)
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided (half for the beef and half for the quinoa)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 10 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium avocado, sliced
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large cast iron skillet with the diced white onion. Add the juice of one key lime, 1 teaspoon of the salt, garlic powder, onion powder and half of the cilantro.
- Meanwhile, cook quinoa in the water.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree.
- Spread the cooked quinoa in a 9 by 13 pan. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and the juice of 1 lime. Layer on the cooked meat and shredded cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Top with the remaining cilantro, juice from 1 key lime, finely diced red onion and sliced avocado. Sprinkle the avocado with a little salt.
Denise Warrick says
What could you substitute for the cilantro or could you just leave it out?
Lisa says
You could just leave it out! 🙂
Jan says
Enjoyed the fresh new idea on quinoa , but I don’t care.for so much pre talking. I just want to know what you are making.
Lisa says
Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
Destiny says
I enjoy reading your posts when I have the time! I have noticed some sites have a “skip to recipe” button… That might be helpful for some who don’t care to read. Scrolling down is not that hard to do though ?
Lisa says
Good call! I should totally do that. 🙂
Tanya says
This is such a brilliant way to eat nachos and I can actually feel about myself after eating it!
Abbey says
I have to say we’re just on a Farmhouse on Boone recipe kick all the time.. was planning to make one of your sourdough skillets but I didnt have enough starter at the moment. So quinoa nachos it will be tonight! Have some grass-fed beef cooked and cheese already shredded, just gotta assemble everything. Thanks for another surely amazing dinner Lisa!
Joanne says
We really enjoyed this! We used bone broth and a little butter to make the quinoa. Extra delicious. Thank you for coming up with recipes for the foods I want to be consuming on a regular basis. We haven’t found a recipe of yours that we don’t like!
Lisa says
That’s wonderful! I am so glad you enjoy my recipes!