Mexican Quinoa Salad

Time: 25

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This Mexican Quinoa Salad is loaded with fresh vegetables, cilantro, black beans, and is tossed in a lime dressing. It’s bright, fresh, and perfect for dinner, meal prepping, or taking to your next party.

Serve your salad with my favorite Margarita Mocktail or a Cuba Libre Mocktail.

Close up of the salad so you can see the tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, corn, black beans, red onion, and fresh cilantro. There are limes on the side to represent the lime dressing.

This salad has been on rotation in our kitchen for a few years now.

It’s a variety of veggies and herbs with this yummy citrusy dressing. It’s bulked up with quinoa and black beans which makes it a great side dish, but an even better on-the-go lunch.

For another quinoa salad, try my Warm Quinoa Salad with herbs and bell peppers.

Bowl of Mexican Quinoa Salad topped with avocado and fresh cilantro. There is a fork in the bowl ready to eat.

Mexican Quinoa Salad Ingredients

Here’s everything you will need to make this salad. I have included a few important notes, so keep reading.

Quinoa: For the best quinoa, you’ll want to choose one that’s organic and gluten free. I get mine from Aldi.
Vegetables: We will use green bell pepper, red bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, fresh sweet corn, and red onion. Be sure to dice the peppers and onion into very small pieces (about the size of the corn) so you can get all the flavors in every bite.
Black Beans: Be sure to drain and rinse the beans prior to adding them to the salad. You could also use pinto beans or a combination of the two to stay on the Mexican theme.
Cilantro: Fresh is best here!
Lime Dressing: This is a mixture of freshly squeezed lime juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper.

Ingredients needed for this salad. Quinoa, vegetables, black beans, cilantro, and a lime dressing.

How to Make Mexican Quinoa Salad

You’ll love how this salad is not at all complicated. In the bottom of a serving bowl, whisk together the dressing, add the cooked quinoa, add the vegetables, herbs, beans, and toss it all together. That’s it!

Find the complete recipe instructions with measurements below.

A bowl of the ingredients ready to combine and serve.

Fun Serving Tips

There are so many ways you can make this Mexican Quinoa Salad uniquely your own. Here are a few suggestions.

Add some fun toppings like avocado, my quick pickled jalapenos, sour cream, a sriracha aioli, or even shredded cheese. It’s also great to scoop up with tortilla chips!

Make it a meal by adding grilled chicken, steak, or even shrimp. If you’re mixing in the protein, you might want to make more of the dressing so your salad stays well dressed.

Serve it hot or cold! This is completely up to you. Personally, I love this salad with warm quinoa if I am having it for dinner. But if I am having it for lunch or taking it to a party, I like to serve it cold.

Bowl of quinoa salad topped with avocado and fresh cilantro.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

How do I store this Mexican Quinoa Salad, and for how long?

You’ll want to store this salad in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for about 5 days (depending on your refrigerator). You can eat it cold or warm, but definitely give it a good stir first. To rejuvenate it’s flavor, add a fresh squeeze of lime juice.

More Mexican-Inspired Recipes You Might Enjoy

You can also browse more fresh and easy side dishes. There’s tons to choose from!

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Mexican Quinoa Salad

This Mexican Quinoa Salad is loaded with fresh veggies, beans, cilantro, and tossed in a lime dressing. It's bright, fresh, and perfect for dinner, meal prepping, or taking to a party.

This bright and fresh Mexican Quinoa Salad is loaded with

Save Print

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Author Elizabeth Swoish

Course Side Dish

Servings

Calories 179 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quinoa - uncooked
2 cups water
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 15 ounce can black beans - drained and rinsed
1 cup cherry tomatoes - halved
1 cup sweet corn - raw or frozen (thawed first)
1 green bell pepper - diced small
1 red bell pepper - diced small
1/3 cup red onion - diced small
1 cup cilantro - fresh and roughly chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

To a medium saucepan, add the rinsed quinoa and water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a medium-low simmer. Cover pot and allow the quinoa to cook and absorb the water for about 15 minutes.

Immediately move to the next steps if serving the salad warm, or wait until the quinoa is cooled if serving the salad at room temperature or cold.

In a serving bowl, whisk together the freshly squeezed lime juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
Add the warm or cooled quinoa (see note above), black beans, halved cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, diced peppers, diced red onion, and chopped fresh cilantro. Lightly toss everything together until combined and serve.

RECIPE NOTES

Other Yummy Toppings: Sliced avocado, fresh or quick pickled jalapenos, a scoop of sour cream, or sriracha aioli, and even shredded cheese. It’s also great with tortilla chips.
Make It Your Main Dish: Add grilled chicken, steak, or even shrimp on top. And feel free to make more dressing (lime juice, salt, black pepper) so your salad stays well seasoned.