Looking for an easy, high-protein meal using chicken? This recipe comes straight from my Instagram chicken marinade series, where I shared 6 marinades and tuned them into healthy meals.
In the reel, I show how this smoky BBQ chicken becomes tender shredded chicken, paired with a flavour-packed Mexican-style quinoa and quick stir-fried vegetables — perfect for weeknights or meal prep.
In this post, I’m sharing how to serve Smoky BBQ marinated chicken: gently shredded and paired with a Mexican-style quinoa and quick stir-fried vegetables. It’s flavourful, nourishing, and perfect for meal prep or busy weeknights.
If you haven’t seen it yet, make sure to check out my 5 versatile chicken marinades which also includes the Smokey BBQ style chicken marinade. This marinade is designed to work for multiple meals, making healthy cooking easier throughout the week.
Why Mexican-Style Quinoa Works So Well with Smokey BBQ Chicken
The Smoky BBQ chicken is rich, slightly sweet, and full of depth. To balance that, this Mexican-style quinoa is light but bold, with pops of sweetness from corn, earthiness from beans, and plenty of savoury flavour from the cooking liquid.
Instead of water, the quinoa is cooked in the brothy juices left behind from cooking the chicken, which means nothing goes to waste and everything tastes better.
The stir-fried vegetables are kept simple and cooked quickly, so they stay crunchy and slightly smoky, adding texture to the dish.
Mexican-Style Quinoa Recipe (Perfect for Meal Prep)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250g) quinoa, rinsed well
- 2 cups (400ml) cooking liquid from the chicken (or water/stock)
- 1 paprika (bell pepper) diced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup (160g) canned sweetcorn, drained
- 1 cup (400g) canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 tsp salt
Method
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under running water.
- In a pot (or Instant Pot), add the quinoa, paprika, onion, sweetcorn, kidney beans, salt, and the cooking liquid.
- Cook until the quinoa is fluffy and the liquid is absorbed:
- Instant Pot: Pressure cook on high for 7 minutes, then allow natural release.
- Stovetop: Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and set aside.
Quick Stir-Fried Vegetables
Ingredients
- 3 paprika in different colors (sliced)
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1–2 tsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Heat a pan over medium heat with a little olive oil.
- Add the sliced vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
- Stir-fry for about 2 minutes until lightly charred but still crisp.
- Remove from heat and immediately transfer to a serving bowl.
How to Serve Smoky BBQ Chicken with Quinoa
Serve the shredded Smoky BBQ chicken over the Mexican-style quinoa and top with the stir-fried vegetables.
This combination also works beautifully in:
- Wraps or tortillas
- Sandwiches
- Meal-prep bowls
- Salads for an easy high-protein lunch
More Ways to Use Smoky BBQ Marinated Chicken
This is just one marinade from my chicken marinade series. If you enjoyed it, you’ll love exploring other ways to use the same base marinades to create balanced, flavour-packed meals.
➡️ Find the Smoky BBQ Chicken Marinade recipe here
And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram for more healthy, everyday cooking inspiration.
https://www.instagram.com/indisch.windisch