Anything that I can cook from start to finish in just one big pot is a HUGE win in my books. I spend so much time in my kitchen experimenting, I think I’ve already completed a life time of washing up! If you’re anything like me – or heck, you’re just a normal person who loathes to wash up too much – you are going to love this one pot beef and quinoa chilli recipe. Chop up a few veggies quickly, and then just bung everything into a big pot on the stove, and it all magically cooks together into incredible food. Better still, this is a meal that will last a few days in the fridge and also freezes well too, making it so super efficient.
In your big one pot beef and quinoa chilli you get everything – tender veggies, replenishing protein, quality carbohydrates and fibre. It’s a perfect balanced plate on its own (amazing for those nights when you can’t face doing more than heat + eat!) but I love this chilli best served with some fresh salad or steamed greens and cauliflower puree. If you can tolerate dairy, also try topping it with a tablespoon of good quality Greek yoghurt for a delicious creamy contrast to that hot chilli flavour! Some mashed avocado on top works a dream as well, if you’d prefer a dairy free option.
I’ve recommended onion and capsicum for the vegetables in this recipe, but there’s no reason you can\’t add more plants to the chilli. If you’ve got any veggies that are starting to look a bit sad, add them into this beef and quinoa chilli to bulk it up and make it even more nourishing.
As a little side note (but very relevant to this recipe); buying good quality meat is important to me, and I try to buy grass fed, local meat as often as I can. I’m lucky to have a small farmer’s market near me on the weekend which is a great place to pick up a wide variety of meat, poultry & fish. When I don’t buy from there I also like to order from local butchers via Hubbub (a delivery service that operates in my area), and also Field & Flower meat boxes are brilliant. When all else fails I look for organic beef mince in the supermarket aisle!
One Pot Healthy Beef and Quinoa Chilli
Ingredients
- 400 grams lean beef mince preferably lean mince
- 2 small red capsicums (peppers) or 1 large one!
- 1 brown onion
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed thoroughly
- 400 grams tinned diced tomatoes (1 regular tin)
- 1 and 1/2 cups beef stock
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Peel the onions and wash the capsicum, then slice both thickly. Peel the garlic and crush through a garlic press or chop finely.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan/pot (with a lid) over the stove, on a high heat. Add the onion and the capsicum and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to turn translucent. Add in the mince, garlic and all of the dried spices, breaking up the mince with a large spoon, and continue to cook until the meat is browned.
- Pour in the tinned tomatoes, quinoa, and the stock, and stir until combined. Allow the mixture to heat until bubbling, then reduce the stove temperature low enough so the mixture is just simmering.
- Place the lid on the saucepan so it’s just slightly ajar, and allow the chilli to gently simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa has cooked completely and the mixture is nice and thick. You can add another half cup of stock or water toward the end of the cooking process, if needed.
- Serve nice and hot with sides of your choice – this recipe works well with sweet potato or cauliflower mash and some steamed green veggies or a salad.
Notes
Nutrition
hi im wanting to try that today but i dont have beef stock, what can i replace that with?
Hi Shaz, do you have any kind of stock? You could use chicken or vegetable stock instead.
Beef broth
Does anyone know the calories on per serving ?
Added a tin of hot chillie beans. So yum!!!
Kids loved it too, definitely a keeper recipe.
Thank you so much Jodi 🙂 I will have to try it on my kids when they are a bit older!
This recipe is yummo!! I made it as is – except using a brown rice/quinoa mix. It took an extra 20 mins or so with a stronger simmer to cook the brown rice, but the nutty taste was grand. I added more veggies and served with a small dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of grated cheese . Thanks so much for the recipe.
Hi Susan, thank you for your comment! Love the idea of using brown rice in there too, I find it is a bit more hearty and satisfying than quinoa so nice to use a mix. Also love your toppings 🙂
Love your recipe 👍 One pot cooking is great.
Just have to make it a bit more spicier next time for our taste. Thanks for the share😀
Thanks so much for taking the time to review and comment on this recipe Sharyn, I really appreciate it! And I love one pot cooking too 🙂 Personally I like to make this one a bit spicier than the recipe specifies as well! But thought I better play it safe when writing the recipe up!
This dish…SERIOUSLY !!! I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve made it and let me say, it never gets old – so delicious, so cheap, so comforting, SOO GOOD and..SO HEALTHY !!! I add lots of extra veggies (mushrooms, carrot, zucchini, baby spinach leaves) and mix up other options into it too (black eyed peas are fab with it – also quinoa, lentils, chickpeas, etc)…..however, MY QUESTION is this – I am planning to make yet again but this time in the slow cooker with chuck beef or something of the sorts. Do I need to make any amendments to the recipe (other than my own extra veggies etc!)?? Has anyone made this in the slow cooker before and what meat would be best recommended ? Thanks!
Hey Skye! I’m SO super glad you like this recipe so much, it makes me so happy to read kind comments. If you would like to make this in a slow cooker the only recommendation I have is reduce the amount of stock by half a cup or so. As with the slow cooker, liquid doesn’t evaporate like it does with stove top cooking, so you’ll end up with more liquid in the pot. Depending on how much extra veggies you add, you could even reduce the stock by 3/4 – 1 cup, as the veggies with release liquid as they cook too. (Soft veggies like zucchini and mushrooms tend to release a fair bit of liquid). If you cut the stock down, you may find you need to add a little pinch of extra salt to help give the final dish a nice savoury flavour – but you can always add this right at the end once it’s finished cooking. 🙂
I’m in love with this gorgeous dish, Monique! Chili is my all time favorite and I’m certain your recipe is going to the top of the list. Thank you!
Robyn, thank you very much! This chilli dish is such a winner – I LOVE anything I can cook in one pot and this is so healthy and full of flavour! Thank you for stopping by 🙂
I love how full of health and heartiness this is! And you make it look so beautiful, too. 😉 Thank you for sharing it with us at Savoring Saturdays!
A pleasure as always Raia, thank you 🙂