All of your favorite Southwest flavors in one easy, healthy, and delicious skillet meal!
Have you ever had one of those meals that you thought was going to be good, but when you ate it, it far exceeded your expectations? Well this, my friends, was one of those meals. A skillet meal full of Southwest flavors, ground turkey, black beans, corn, and quinoa for cryin’ out loud. And cheese. Did I mention cheese?
And the best part is, it’s not a fancy or complicated dish. So, it’s simple but packs a whoooole lotta flavor. You know that’s the way I like to roll. And, minus the mountain of cheese on top, it’s a healthy dish, too!
Just look at all those components. Oh, and I used red quinoa for the first time. I love the way it looks in the dish. And of course, it’s delicious.
We had a pretty busy weekend as I co-hosted a brunch with one of my besties on Saturday, then my parents came into town to come and visit and see the baby. We haven’t seen them since Christmas, so it was really great to have them over. Sunday was mostly just a hang out at home and lounge day. After my parents left, we just sort of vegged. It was nice, since J has to work Saturdays pretty often, Sunday is really our only family day together.
And when we have so little time to spend all together, the last thing I want to do is be in the kitchen for a very long time. But, we also have to eat. So meals like this one, that use one skillet and come together pretty quickly and with pretty much no prep work, are exactly what works best on days like that.
Everything in it comes together so nicely. The seasoned ground turkey, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes and jalapenos, quinoa and cheese all have a good texture balance. Soft and creamy, with a little bit of “crunch” with the corn and quinoa. And truly, so much good flavor.
And, if you were so inclined, you could serve this over tortilla chips with some sour cream and guac for a Southwest nacho night! How fun would that be?? Because, I love me some nachos, so of course it sounds great to me! You could also make a Southwest taco salad of sorts. Man, so many great options! We ate it just as you see it, though. And it was amazing all on its own.
Add this to your menu this week and try it for yourself!!
Southwest Turkey Quinoa Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey (I used lean turkey)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp salt
- pepper, to taste
- 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 10 oz can of diced tomatoes with jalapenos
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup rinsed quinoa (I used red quinoa but all are good!)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- cilantro optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray.
- Add the ground turkey and minced garlic and cook until the meat is browned and almost cooked through, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks.
- Stir in all the spices and cook for another minute.
- Add in the black beans, corn, diced tomatoes and jalapenos, and quinoa, stirring until everything is combined.
- When the mixture starts to bubble add in the water, cover the skillet with a lid and lower the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked. Top with all the glorious cheese, cover and continue cooking until the cheese is melted.
- Top with cilantro, if you like, serve hot and enjoy!
Source: Spoonful of Flavor
Could you use leftover quinoa?
Hi Nikki! I think that you could absolutely use leftover quinoa. Just skip adding the water and the 20-25 minute simmer time. Just simmer long enough the melt the cheese 🙂