Whipped this up the other night when I was craving taco-style flavors but needed to enjoy them in a healthy way. It’s quite simple, and you could substitute other veggies or a different grain to fit what you have available in your pantry. This made quite a bit of food, so remember that the recipe can be halved easily. Enjoy!!

nutritious and delicious

MEXICAN CHICKEN & QUINOA PROTEIN BOWL

Ingredients:

• 1- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 3 tbsp homemade or store-bought taco seasoning 
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 cups quinoa, cooked according to package directions (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
• Salsas, cilantro, sour cream or greek yogurt to top

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts in a small stock pot; fill the pot 3/4 of the way full with water and bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce to a gentler boil or strong simmer, and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken in cooked through. If your quinoa isn’t already prepared, cook now.

Meanwhile, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium and add oil. Sautee the onion and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes, until tender-crisp, and then add the can of drained pinto beans (black beans would work well here, too), the water and taco seasoning, and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Note: a good flavor boost would be to use a 1/2 cup of the chicken’s cooking water.

Remove the chicken when it’s cooked through, and shred or chop. Add the meat back into the taco mixture, and cook for an additional few minutes, until everything is hot and combined, and the taco seasoning has thoroughly coated all ingredients. Make sure your chicken is fully cooked and has no pink in it. That would be gross.

Serve over quinoa or your desired grain, top with salsa, cilantro, yogurt, etc. and enjoy! Super easy, pretty fast, and reheats very well.