Mexican Quinoa Salad is made with tomatoes, black beans, cilantro, and a lime dressing for a light, and refreshing Tex-Mex spin on Quinoa Salad.

This Mexican Quinoa Salad is incredibly simple. From the fluffy quinoa to the bright lime dressing to the sweet tomatoes to the hearty beans, this quinoa salad is perfectly balanced in flavor, loaded with protein and nutrients, and downright delicious.
Whether serving as a filling, wholesome gluten-free lunch, as a meatless meal or as a side dish along with Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas or Sweet Potato Tacos, this Mexican-Inspired Quinoa Salad is a healthy, easy, versatile dish that everyone loves.
Notes on Ingredients

- Quinoa: You can use any quinoa you like for this recipe. I used a mixed variety of quinoa, but red, white, or black quinoa all work.
- Broth: To cook the quinoa, use either store-bought or homemade vegetable broth or chicken stock. Keep in mind that you will want o use vegetable broth to keep this dish vegetarian-friendly.
- Lime: Use fresh limes! No exceptions! Be sure to wash, dry, and zest your lime BEFORE juicing it. Using both the juice and the zest of the lime in the dressing will add amazing flavor, but it is next to impossible to zest a lime after cutting it open.
- Seasonings: Smoked paprika and cumin give this quinoa salad an irresistible smokey undertone that contrasts the bright acidic lime juice in the dressing. Feel free to use regular paprika in place of smoked paprika if you don't have it on hand.
- Beans: Black beans, kidney beans, or pinto beans in this recipe. I like to use my instant pot black beans, but canned beans work as well. Just be sure to rinse and drain well.
- Tomatoes: Fresh cherry or grape tomatoes are best in this Mexican Salad, but you can also use seeded Roma or vine-ripened diced tomatoes.
- Cheese: Either crumbled Queso Fresco or feta cheese can be used and add a nice salty, creamy bite to the quinoa salad. Omit the cheese to keep this Mexican Quinoa Salad dairy-free. It will still be delicious.
- Cilantro: If you don't like cilantro, simply omit it. The lime juice and seasonings will still be enough flavor for this dish.
- Optional Additions: Corn and avocados are also a great addition to this Mexican Quinoa salad. You can add up to 2 cups of fresh corn kernels or defrosted frozen corn kernels. Add diced avocados right before serving so they don't turn brown.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step One: Prepare Quinoa
The first step to making this salad is to prepare the quinoa. You can simmer the quinoa on the stovetop per the directions, or you can opt to use my recipe for Instant Pot Quinoa.
Tip: If you have leftover quinoa, this Mexican Quinoa is the perfect way to put it to use!
- In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, add in quinoa, reduce the heat, place a lid on the pan, and simmer the quinoa until it has absorbed the liquid and has puffed up.
- Remove the quinoa from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, fluff with a fork. Anytime you cook rice or quinoa, be sure to fluff with a fork, not a spoon. To mix with a spoon will crush the grains and make them mushy.
Step Two: Assemble the Salad
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt, garlic, lime zest, and lime juice until well combined.

- Once the quinoa is cooled, add the prepared dressing to the quinoa, and gently toss it together. You don't want to mix vigorously as that can cause the quinoa to break down and lose its texture.
- To the dressed quinoa, add the beans, tomatoes, onions, cheese, and cilantro and gently fold together to combine.

Step Three: Chill
In order to have the best flavor in this Mexican Quinoa Salad possible, it is best to chill the dish for at least 30 minutes before digging into it! This will allow the quinoa to absorb the flavor of the dressing and become an irresistibly good dish.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the Mexican quinoa salad for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

Serving Suggestions
One of the many things I love about this Mexican Quinoa Salad, is that it is so versatile. Thanks to the heartiness of the quinoa and beans, this Quinoa Salad is substantial enough to be served as a meatless main course or a hearty Gluten-Free Lunch. It is also delicious when served as a side for dishes like Vegetarian Fajitas, Easy Tacos, or Grilled Shrimp.
This quinoa salad can also be left at room temperature for up to 3 hours, making this dish great for pot-lucks and picnics, or to pack for a school or work lunch.
More Tex-Mex Side Dishes
If you enjoyed this Mexican Quinoa Salad, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

Mexican Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa any variety
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ red onion, minced
- 2 cups black beans
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- ⅓ cup minced cilantro optional
- ½ cup feta crumbled
Lime Dressing
- 2 limes zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
For the Quinoa
- Bring the broth to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Once boiling, stir in the quinoa and ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed the liquid and puffed up. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
For the Lime Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk the oil with the lime zest, lime juice, paprika, cumin, minced garlic, and salt.
For the Mexican Quinoa Salad
- Once the quinoa has cooled, combine the dressing and quinoa together in a large mixing bowl, gently tossing to combine. Fold in the tomatoes, onions, cilantro, feta, and beans to evenly combine.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
- Serve as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2016 but has been updated in 2020 with new photos and a video.
Stephanie
Such a great salad and the dressing was incredible! Loved it!
Toni
This salad is so amazing! My family loved it!
Lauren Kelly
This is one of my favorite recipes. I love it even better the next day, if I ever have leftovers!
Christina
What a delicious recipe! I'll be making this again and again!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY!!! I love hearing that! Thank you so much Christina for taking the time to share.
Shiho
I made this for my daughter she just came back from Mexico. She loved it. Thank you for the recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed!! Thank you for taking the time to share!
Jillian
This was just the recipe to shake things up for taco night at my house. Even my picky 5-year-old love it!
Kristen Chidsey
I love when the picky kids even enjoy 😉
Claire
I made this for a potluck....it was so well received 😀
Like you suggested I added some charred corn, also extra cilantro as it is my favorite
thank you for a great recipe
Kristen Chidsey
Oh YAY!!!! I love hearing this Claire! It makes me so happy to know that is was so well received by so many.
Liz
YUM!! I'm vegetarian so I love anything that uses quinoa. This is my kind of salad!
Kristen Chidsey
Yes, this is the PERFECT protein-rich, vegetarian meal.