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Lauren Nicole Jones

Food from scratch. Motherhood. Simple Living

Food From Scratch, Main Dishes · June 23, 2021

Healthy Beef Quinoa Nachos | Recipes Made Simple 

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These healthy quinoa nachos would be great for Cinco de Mayo, a casual lunch, or even great for the picky eaters for any meal! I love to serve this with ground beef, or even with tortilla chips and a form of pico de gallo salsa and guacamole.

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tasty quinoa nachos

 I love easy meals.

 These quinoa nachos are made with fresh ingredients and you can easily make the beef and quinoa ahead of time for a really quick meal on a busy weeknight. I made it last week and it took me literally 10 minutes total since I prepped ahead.

My oldest son is a picky eater (just like his mama was) and only loves certain things. It is so nice to serve a dish that has different ingredients that he loves and that are also healthy. It’s a win! The warm quinoa filling and fresh cilantro sprinkled over top make my mouth instantly water.

I have a homemade taco seasoning that I use for the beef and squeeze a ton of fresh limes over the quinoa to give it some zest. This meal is one of my favorites not only nutritionally, but also for simplicity too.

Healthy & Tasty Beef Quinoa Nachos

It can also be turned into a vegan recipe if you do not eat beef. Simply omit the beef and you will still have a nutritional and great recipe. I love real food recipes like this one because it is truly guilt-free and it is filling.

Healthy Quinoa Nacho Ingredients

  • 1 lb. of Ground Beef
  • 2 Limes
  • 1 Onion (Red Onion or White Onion)
  • 2 tsp. Sea Salt and Black pepper
  • 1 tsp. Garlic Powder + Onion Powder
  • 2 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning
  • 1-2 Cups Quinoa
  • 1 Cup of Shredded Cheese
  • 1 Cup Chopped Cilantro
  • Pico De Gallo or Guacamole (Optional) 

Tools You May Need

  • Large Skillet
  • 9 x 13 glass baking dish
  • Wooden spoon
  • Cheese grater
  • Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Medium Saucepot 
  • Colander 

tasty quinoa nachos

I love that you can add anything to this dish to make it healthy and tasty. When I do not have any Pico De Gallo, salsa, or any guacamole on hand I just add in fresh veggies for more flavor. It does make meal prep a breeze when thinking of meals for the week because it can be a catch-all meal to make at the end of a week.

It follows the same formula as nachos, but there aren’t any chips (well you could add tortilla chips or corn chips if you wanted).

I just switched the quinoa for chips. Sometimes I add both. You could also add a dollop of sour cream on top of your finished meal to make it unhealthy and give it a great flavor all at the same time!

Other Add-Ins That Could Work: Bell peppers or green chilis

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY BEEF QUINOA NACHOS

quinoa nachos

  • Brown your beef in a large skillet, along with your diced onion. Once the onion is translucent and the beef is browned, drain off the fat in a colander. Put it back in the skillet and add in your seasonings. If you are using taco seasoning, add that in with about a ½ cup of water in the bottom of the skillet. Otherwise just season with onion powder, garlic powder, ½ lime, and salt + pepper. 

 

  • Start cooking your quinoa in the water (about 3 cups) over medium heat. I like to pre-soak my quinoa for about 15-30 minutes in a measuring cup. Then add it to boiling water until the quinoa is completely cooked through. Rinse again and drain. 

 

  • In a 9 x 13 glass pan add the quinoa mixture to the bottom and squeeze 1 full lime overtop. Sprinkle salt over the quinoa and layer the cheese, beef, and cilantro. Keep out about ¼ cup of cilantro for the topping.

 

  • Bake for 10 minutes at 350 or until the cheese has melted all of the ways through.

 

  • Top with sliced avocados, guacamole, salsa, and the rest of the cilantro. Squeeze 1 /2 lime over top and enjoy! You can add some black pepper here if you want, totally optional. 

tasty quinoa nachos

Healthy Beef Quinoa Nachos

A tasty twist on nachos made with quinoa instead of chips!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Large Skillet
  • 9 x 13 Glass Baking Dish
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Cheese grater
  • Knife & Cutting Board
  • Medium Saucepot
  • Colander

Ingredients
  

  • 1-2 lb. Ground Beef Depends on how many people you need to serve! 2 Pounds for more than 4 people.
  • 2 Limes
  • 1 Medium onion Red or white
  • 2 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 1 tsp. Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp. Onion Powder
  • 2 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning
  • 1-2 Cups Quinoa Depends on how many people you want to serve! 2 cups for more than 4 people.
  • 1 Cup Shredded Cheese
  • 1 Cup Chopped cilantro
  • 1 Serving Pico de Gallo or Guacamole optional

Instructions
 

  • Brown your beef in a large skillet, along with your diced onion. Once the onion is translucent and the beef is browned, drain off the fat in a colander. Put it back in the skillet and add in your seasonings. If you are using taco seasoning, add that in with about a ½ cup of water in the bottom of the skillet. Otherwise just season with onion powder, garlic powder, ½ lime, and salt + pepper.
  • Start cooking your quinoa in the water (about 3 cups) over medium heat. I like to pre-soak my quinoa for about 15-30 minutes in a measuring cup. Then add it to boiling water until the quinoa is completely cooked through. Rinse again and drain.
  • In a 9 x 13 glass pan add the quinoa mixture to the bottom and squeeze 1 full lime overtop. Sprinkle salt over the quinoa and layer the cheese, beef, and cilantro. Keep out about ¼ cup of cilantro for the topping.
  • Bake for 10 minutes at 350 or until the cheese has melted all of the way through.
  • Top with sliced avocados, guacamole, salsa, and the rest of the cilantro. Squeeze 1 /2 lime overtop and enjoy! You can add some black pepper here if you want, totally optional.
Keyword healthy beef quinoa nachos, quinoa nachos

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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  1. Podcast Episode: What I Am Cooking Right Now & My Current Kitchen Obsessions - Lauren Nicole Jones says:
    February 17, 2022 at 2:03 am

    […] You can also check out my quinoa nachos/ enchiladas here. […]

    Reply

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