One Pot Chicken Quinoa is loaded with broccoli, wholesome quinoa, juicy chicken and delicious flavours. Nothing is “boring” about this one pot meal perfect for a weeknight dinner!
Our other family favorite one pot dinners are these skillet enchiladas and Instant Pot quinoa bowls.
One Pot Chicken and Quinoa
One pot chicken quinoa gives you healthy dinner with tender chicken breast, crispy broccoli and sweet bell peppers. Perfectly combined with the blend of garlic, olive oil and cumin. These chunky bites give amazing texture to the flavourful quinoa grains that are simmering in a delicious chicken broth.
Quinoa is actually a seed and not a grain. Its soft texture is perfect to soak up flavors of the sauce like in this black bean quinoa casserole and ground turkey quinoa bake.
This quinoa recipe with chicken is the cross-cultural sharing and honouring of flavours and ingredients. Plov in Ukraine and Middle Eastern Pilaf are both made with meat like chicken or lamb, rice and various spices. Both my dad and my sister-in-law make their own versions that are both incredibly delicious.
You may also love these 65 clean eating chicken recipes!
Ingredients for One Pot Chicken Quinoa
- Chicken: Use boneless and skinless chicken breast or thighs. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Quinoa: Uncooked. Readily available at bulk food stores, grocery stores and health food stores. Typically comes pre-rinsed, so no need to wash it as you would rice.
- Lots of veggies: Chopped broccoli. Chopped bell pepper. Diced onion. Shredded carrot.
- Olive oil: I enjoy the taste of olive oil, which is why I used it. But you can really use any oil that works for frying.
- Garlic: Minced cloves.
- Spices: Salt. Pepper. Cumin.
- Herbs: Dried oregano. Bay leaves. Finely chopped parsley.
- Broth: Low sodium chicken broth.
- Heat: Red pepper flakes.
On a hot summer day, try this Mediterranean quinoa salad that is chock full of veggies and similar flavors.
How to Make One Pot Chicken and Quinoa
- Broccoli and bell peppers prep: The broccoli and bell peppers are made separately from the chicken and quinoa at first. Both will use the same pot and all the ingredients will be combined in one harmonious bite at the end. So it’s still a one-pot meal! To begin, preheat a large deep skillet or dutch oven and add oil to coat.
- Add: To the oil, you’ll add the broccoli and bell peppers (you’ve washed and chopped them already, right?), cumin, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour this out into a medium bowl and set aside while you get the chicken and quinoa going.
- Cook chicken and quinoa: To the same pot the veggies were just cooked in, add more oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and carrot and saute for a few minutes. Stir occasionally, watching for the onion not to burn. Because the pot has been hot for a while and there may be burnt bits on the bottom. This may cause the onion to turn brown even faster. No big deal, just keep an eye out!
- Add: Stir in the quinoa, stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
- Boil and simmer: Once up to a boil, cover and reduce the heat and cook for the remaining time.
- Combine: Turn the heat off and add in the broccoli and red pepper mix you made earlier. Stir everything to combine and watch all of those bright colours infuse the quinoa. You want to let it sit covered for a few minutes for the flavours to marry each other and meld together nicely.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle in the chopped parsley, give it a good stir and serve hot!
This dish is a satisfying meal complete with protein, fibre, veggies among lots of other good-for-you ingredients. No need to serve it with anything else. Except maybe a nice glass of wine!
Tips and Variations
- Grains: Because quinoa is a grain, some people may have a harder time digesting it. If this is the case, although you don’t need to rinse it first, some people find soaking the quinoa overnight before using it, helps with digestion.
- Other veggies: This recipe is customizable in that you can add or omit any of the veggies. Cauliflower, green beans, mushrooms or zucchini would be a nice addition or substitution. Just note that if you add too many veggies it might start to overpower the dish and the taste of the chicken. This dish is a lovely balance of all 3 things, so our aim is to keep it that way!
- More heat: A dash of Frank’s red hot sauce or Sriracha sauce would add not only heat but even more flavour.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
Store: This recipe serves 6, which is a decent size for an average-sized family. You may have leftovers for your lunch the next day in which case, keep in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay good for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Once completely cooled, store for up to 3 months in an airtight container. When you’re ready to cook it, just thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Reheating cooked quinoa (much like rice) can lead to burning pretty easily. Therefore, put it on low heat on the stove, but give it a splash of water or broth and stir a few times. This will help prevent burning and sticking to the bottom. It will also help put a little moisture back in the quinoa.
More Delicious Quinoa Recipes
- Quinoa and black bean salad
- Quinoa skillet
- Southwest quinoa salad
- Quinoa bread
- Broccoli quinoa salad
- Instant Pot quinoa
- Quinoa stew
- Quinoa chili
One Pot Chicken Quinoa
Ingredients
For Broccoli and Bell Peppers:
- 1 lb broccoli chopped
- 2 large red bell peppers cored, seeded & coarsely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1/2 tsp cumin ground
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Pinch red pepper flakes more to taste
For Chicken and Quinoa:
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 large carrot shredded
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless & skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into 1” pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1/2 tsp cumin ground
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Pinch red pepper flakes more to taste
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa uncooked
- 3 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Broccoli and Bell Peppers: Preheat large deep skillet or a dutch oven on medium-high heat and swirl oil to coat. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, stirring often.
- Add broccoli, bell pepper, cumin, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Chicken and Quinoa: Return pot to the stove and swirl oil to coat. Add onion and carrot; saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chicken, oregano, cumin, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes; saute for 3 more minutes, stirring a few times.
- Add quinoa, stock and bay leaves; stir. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
- Turn off heat. Add previously cooked broccoli and bell pepper, stir and let dish sit covered for 5 minutes for flavours to "marry" each other.
- Add parsley, stir and serve hot.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth covered on low and stirring a few times to prevent burning.
- Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Oil: I particularly love the taste of olive oil in this dish but any oil for frying works.
- No need to rinse quinoa: 99% of times it comes pre-washed in a bag.
- Other veggies: I see how cauliflower, green beans or zucchini can work instead of broccoli. Bell pepper adds distinct flavour. So, do mushrooms if you use them.
- Add even more heat: With Frank’s red hot sauce or sriracha.
Hey, Can I freeze this? Thank you
Hi Jamie. It depends how OK you are with thawed broccoli. Technically you can freeze it, just cooked unthawed broccoli isn’t my fave – personal preference.
This is THE first time I’ve EVER commented on any recipe online. (And I’ve tried a lot of recipes out there) This one is a keeper for sure. It got the approval of my parents also who I happened to be cooking for. The only thing I’d do differently next time is use less or no bay leaves as I found the flavour bit strong for me but that’s just a personal taste thing my parents didn’t think it was strong at all and I still enjoyed it overall. (Having leftovers is great too) I love one pot dishes and will be looking at more recipes on your site for sure. Thanks!
I’ve been looking for a new, quick and easy quinoa “bowl” recipe to make ahead, freeze and take for lunch. Most of the ones I’ve found are Mexican. Love them but after a while it gets old. This one is delish…like a chicken soup quinoa bowl, it’s got all those flavors. I was out of cumin (seriously, who runs out of cumin?!?!?! Evidently I do! In my defense it’s hard to find organic herbs and spices in my area – I grow the herbs and order the spices and I forgot to order the cumin :), so I used fresh rosemary and thyme from my herb garden, which is probably why I got that chicken soup flavor going on.
Hi Cat. Well, you are the same crazy spice lady like me. I run out of cumin LOL. Last time I bought a huge bag at ethnic aisle. I have the same situation with organic spices and herbs in Canada here – so expensive and hard to come by!!! I buy organic what I can. I do my research what herbs and spices are heavily sprayed and which are not. So, some I buy non-organic. I do what I can. Simply Organic and Frintier are super expensive i nCanada, where as in the US they are half the price. Ugh some days, I wish I lived in States!
When your ridiculously picky eater asks for seconds, you know you’ve found a winner! Thank you for a great recipe. We are working on switching our eating habits to be a healthier family and this will definitely be a regular on the dinner table. I am looking forward to trying other recipes you’ve posted.
Awe, Jac. I have seen a fair amount of picky eaters (my kids’ friends) in my life, so I know how hard it is to feed them (I would go nuts if I had them as my kids that is why I do not have picky eaters). Good for you! I will be posting a post about how to make your kids eat clean within next few weeks. Come back.:)
I’ve made many of your dishes before, and this is yet another one I had to try! And, of course, it is delicious! I am enjoying it as I type this. Thank you for your amazing recipes, and I look forward to trying even more!
Awe, thanks, Jenna. Glad I delivered again.:)
Could you use stock instead of water? Just thought it might add another depth of flavor
Yes, for sure! It will.
Hi Olena! I’m wanting to make this dish tonight, but I don’t have quinoa; is it possible to use rice instead?
Hi Catherine. Yes, you can. You cooking time will increase by about 20 minutes. The rice might (!) burn at the bottom a bit but that is OK. Unless you add a ton of oil which I wouldn’t. Let me know how that worked out.:)
I just made this, and love it!!! Thank you for sharing. The only thing I noticed is that the recipe itself doesn’t have bay leaves on the list, but they are in the instructions. So, I just added two!
True! Thanks for catching that, Dacia. Yes, 2 is perfect. Glad you enjoyed.:)
I made this last week, but threw in some artichokes that had been sitting in the fridge that I didn’t want to waste. My husband and I loved it – took it for left overs to work the next day and it was even better – one of my twins loved it, the other’s response when I asked how he liked it was “meh” so that’s better than his normal reaction. Thanks once again Olena!
You are welcome, Melissa! I have the same open jar of artichokes sitting in my fridge! Too funny.
Olena I have to tell you this story I think you will appreciate it. My husband is new to eating clean….or just healthy real food in general…. I have been introducing him to things like quinoa, different vegetables, hemp slowly over the years. He used to say everything “taste like sticks” but this would be before he even ate it, he would see me prepare things unfamiliar and because they were healthy assume it would taste bad. I also have to say he cant cook – not because he can’t because he has proven he can follow a recipe in the past, but because it doesn’t come natural to him and he doesn’t enjoy it. Last night I came home and didn’t feel like cooking, he said “whats that healthy clean recipe site you use?” I said Ifoodreal…… he pulled this recipe up (which as stated before I have made) and cooked it…. all….by…..himself. And it was delicious! He never does this… I am so impressed.
So you want to say my recipes are simple enough for even the most hopeless cooks?!:) I always said that too LOL. Maybe this is the beginning of him cooking?:) I should show this comment to my husband because he barely cooks. He can do it but he doesn’t. Glad you enjoyed dinner made not by you. Those usually taste best.:)
would like to know what kind of pot you are using to cook this recipe in…looks like there would be no minerals affecting the food.
Hi Barbara. It is a cast iron pot enamelled inside. Similar to the Lodge one I linked in my recipe. It is called dutch oven.