This smoky quinoa and chickpea bake is made in one dish with no pre-cooking required! It’s a surprisingly easy high-fiber vegetarian dinner with bold, spicy flavor. Use it as a taco filling, enjoy it with chips, or serve it on top of a bed of greens!
I’ve been loving dump and bake recipes because they’re a lifesaver when I’m short on time! It’s a great way for my 5 year old to be able to help me prep dinner and recipes like this one can be used a lot of different ways!
This recipe is built around quinoa and chickpeas, which means it’s packed with plant-based protein and fiber. The broth is smoky, lightly spicy, and full of bold flavor thanks to smoked paprika and adobo sauce. The end result is cozy, scoopable, and perfect with tortilla chips, on top of a salad, tucked into tacos, or eaten straight from the dish.
How to Make This Casserole
Top with a little shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.
How to Enjoy this Casserole
- Scoop it with tortilla chips like a warm dip
- Use it as a taco or burrito filling
- Serve over greens with this dressing for a hearty salad
- Top with a fried egg for a next-level lunch
- Drizzle it with cilantro sauce or burrito sauce
Why You Should Rinse Quinoa
Unless your quinoa is pre-rinsed, you’ll need to rinse it in a fine mesh strainer before cooking it. This helps remove the bitter coating of the quinoa, called saponin. If you don’t rinse the quinoa, it can have a bitter taste.
Tips & Tricks
- Rinse your quinoa. This removes bitterness and helps the final dish taste clean and nutty.
- Seal the foil well. The steam needs to be trapped inside in order to cook the quinoa, so be sure the foil is sealed.
- Adjust the spice. Adobo sauce brings smoky heat. Start with less if you’re sensitive to spice, or add extra for more kick.
- Add veggies. You can stir in corn, diced bell peppers, or spinach before baking for extra color and nutrition.
Other Dump & Bake Recipes
If you enjoy this recipe, be sure to try some of my other dump and bake dinner ideas! This pesto pasta is secretly packed with protein and this rice and beans casserole is a reader favorite!
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This smoky quinoa and chickpea bake is made in one dish with no pre-cooking required! It’s a surprisingly easy high-fiber vegetarian dinner with bold, spicy flavor.
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- Toppings: Shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, cilantro sauce or burrito sauce
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- In an 8×8 casserole dish, add the rinsed quinoa, chickpeas, tomato paste, smoked paprika, adobo sauce, and salt. Give everything a quick stir just to lightly combine.
- Heat the vegetable broth in the microwave or on the stovetop until boiling. This step is important because hot liquid helps the quinoa start cooking right away in the oven.
- Carefully pour the hot broth into the baking dish and stir well to distribute the tomato paste and spices. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. You want to trap the steam so the quinoa cooks properly.
- Bake, tightly covered, for 35 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove from the oven and let it sit (still covered) for about 5 minutes. Then uncover and fluff the quinoa mixture with a fork.
- Top with a little shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and any other sauces you like.