Chicken Quinoa Bowls (Fajita Style)

These Chicken Quinoa Bowls (Fajita Style) are the perfect easy weeknight dinner recipe! Packed with protein, fibre and flavour, you will be making this on repeat!

Why I love these Chicken Quinoa Bowls

I don’t know about you but in the summer I tend to spend very little time in the kitchen. The consequence of this is that my meals become super simple and repetitive. 

Now that we’re heading into fall and getting back into routine, I’m willing to spend a bit more effort on my meals and make them more exciting!

These Chicken Quinoa Bowls fit the bill! They come together in about 40 minutes and don’t require any fancy kitchen skills.

They are also perfect for meal prep. You can prepare the ingredients ahead of time and then just reheat them when you’re ready to enjoy!

If you’re looking for a delicious, easy, nutrient-packed dinner, you need to try this recipe!

 

Ingredients needed

Here’s what you need to make these Chicken Quinoa Bowls:

• Boneless skinless chicken breast
• Taco seasoning
  • You can use a store-bought seasoning or make your own using this recipe.
• Orange, yellow or red bell pepper
• Quinoa
  • Feel free to use white, red or black quinoa.
• Onion and garlic
• Toppings like lettuce, avocado, sour cream or Greek yogurt, lime juice and cilantro

 

Optional ingredients

In case you don’t have some of the above ingredients or if you have a preference for others, here are some substitutions you can make.

• Instead of chicken breast, you can use chicken thighs or ground chicken. You could also use ground turkey if you prefer.
• If you aren’t a big fan of quinoa, feel free to use your preferred type of rice, couscous or other whole grain (ex. Barley, buckwheat, etc.)
• I recommend using olive oil in this recipe but you could also use another neutral oil like canola or avocado oil.
• Finishing the bowl off with some lime juice is recommended but you could instead choose to use fresh lemon juice!
• Some additional toppings you may enjoy include red onion, chopped cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, garlic aioli and fresh dill, parsley or basil.
• Finally, if you prefer to make this into a salad you absolutely can! Just use the lettuce as your base and layer the ingredients on top! 

How to make Chicken Quinoa Bowls

Once all the ingredients are ready, preparing these bowls is pretty straight forward. Here’s how to make them:

1. On low heat, add the olive oil and garlic to a frying pan. Add the onion and sliced bell peppers, stir frequently and cook for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, add the raw chicken and sprinkle on the taco seasoning. Stir until the chicken is well coated. 
3. Add the olive oil to a frying pan on medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until it is fully cooked.
4. Assemble the bowls. Add the quinoa, lettuce, sauteed onions and peppers and cooked chicken. Top with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and fresh cilantro. Drizzle lime juice on top and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

 

How to cook quinoa

Cooking quinoa is just a matter of making sure the ratio of quinoa to water is accurate. You want to make sure you have a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water.

1. Add ½ cup of uncooked quinoa to a medium pot. Pour in 1 cup of water.
2. Bring to a boil and then cover the pot with the lid and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the quinoa absorbs all of the water.
3. Once cooked, remove from the heat and serve it while hot or allow it to cool before storing it in the fridge.

 

What is the texture of cooked quinoa?

Quinoa that has been cooked properly should be relatively dry and fluffy. 

If your quinoa is wet and gummy, you have used too much water when cooking it. You can still eat it but the texture isn’t as appealing.

 

Do you eat quinoa bowls hot or cold?

These Chicken Quinoa Bowls have been designed to be eaten hot. The chicken, quinoa and peppers should be warm, while ingredients like the lettuce will be room temperature or cold. 

However, if you prefer to allow the quinoa, peppers and chicken to cool before eating, that works too!

If you are enjoying them as leftovers, you can eat them cold from the fridge or microwave the chicken, quinoa and peppers before adding the additional toppings.

Nutrition considerations of Chicken Quinoa Bowls

As a dietitian, I like to create healthy recipes that will fill me up and support my health. These bowls are packed with a variety of nutrients! This recipe (using avocado and Greek yogurt as toppings) provides roughly:

• 9 grams of fibre
• 43 grams of protein
• A significant source of omega 3s, vitamin C, vitamin K and a variety of B vitamins
• A significant source of minerals like iron, magnesium, zinc and more!

 

These Chicken Quinoa Bowls are gluten free (confirm your store bought taco seasoning is gluten free) and nut free.

Make them dairy free: omit the Greek yogurt or sour cream from the toppings or use a dairy free tzatziki instead.

Make them vegetarian: use tofu or tempeh instead of chicken!

 

More healthy dinner recipes

If you’re looking for more healthy dinner recipes, you need to check these out!

• Salmon and Sweet Potato Cakes
• Tofu Burrito Bowls with Avocado Cilantro Sauce
• Pecan Crusted Tilapia
• Yogurt and Dill Marinated Grilled Chicken

 

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I hope you love these Chicken Quinoa Bowls (Fajita Style). If you make them, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!