BBQ Chicken and Quinoa Skillet

Name: BBQ Chicken and Quinoa Skillet
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup red bell pepper (diced, 1 pepper); 1 cup red onion (diced, 1 onion); 2 cups yellow squash (diced, 2 small squash); olive oil spray; 1 lb lean ground chicken (99% fat free, ground chicken breast); 1 cup corn (frozen or fresh); 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa; 2 scallions (chopped); 1/2 cup low sugar BBQ sauce (I used Stubbs Original); 1/2 cup chicken broth; 2 oz reduced fat cheddar cheese (I use Cabot 75%); 2 tsp brown sugar; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1/4 tsp ground mustard powder; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

May 13, 2022 By Steph 39 Comments

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If you want to get more veggies, protein and whole grains into your diet without compromising flavor, this recipe is for you. This BBQ chicken and quinoa skillet is a delicious and hearty lunch or dinner. Packed with smoky BBQ flavor, this skillet has tons of veggies, lean ground chicken, and nutritious quinoa. Topped with melty cheddar cheese, this is an all-in-one dish you can enjoy eating.

All-in-one skillet meals

Skillet meals are such an easy solution to meal time! Whether it’s a quick and easy dinner or lunch, or meal prep for the week, skillet meals are easy to prepare, and all made in one pot. Clean up is a breeze, and the cooking method is essentially fool-proof.

My basic formula for a skillet meal is: flavorful sauteed vegetables, a ground meat (like lean chicken or turkey), a grain (like brown rice or farro) and other topping components, like cheese.

If you like the idea of a skillet meal, you might enjoy these other recipes:

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Skillet

Lighter Buffalo Chicken and Rice Skillet

Italian Chicken, Farro and Vegetable Skillet

Greek Chicken and Rice Skillet

Teriyaki Turkey and Vegetable Skillet

All about this BBQ chicken and quinoa skillet

This skillet meal has tons smoky BBQ flavor; it starts with the bold spice blend that is used to flavor both the vegetables and ground chicken. The spice blend contains paprika, garlic and onion powder, kosher salt, brown sugar, ground mustard, and cayenne. Ground chicken can be pretty boring and dry on its own, so this recipe gets lots of help: from the cooked vegetables, BBQ sauce and chicken broth which help keep this dish moist and flavorful.

The vegetables used in this dish (red bell pepper, red onion, and zucchini) may not be traditional as far as BBQ goes, but they add lots of great flavor and hold up well against the other ingredients. The addition of corn adds a great textural element and subtle sweetness to this otherwise savory dish. Finally, topped with melted cheddar cheese, this skillet meal is an all-in-one meal that is perfect for meal prep and reheats beautifully throughout the week.

What you’ll need to make this BBQ chicken and quinoa skillet

red bell pepper
red onion
yellow squash
olive oil spray
ground chicken
- I use 99% fat free ground chicken breast.
- If you can’t find this in the stores, you can actually make your own by grinding up chicken breast in a food processor.
paprika
onion powder
garlic powder
kosher salt
brown sugar
cayenne pepper
ground mustard powder
scallions
corn
- You can either use frozen or fresh corn.
low sugar BBQ sauce
- I love this one, since it is naturally low in sugar without the use of sugar replacements.
reduced fat cheddar cheese
- I use this brand and grate it myself.

How to make BBQ Chicken and Quinoa Skillet

Start by preparing the spice blend, chopping the vegetables, and cooking the quinoa. You can cook the quinoa according to package directions in water. Typically the ratio used for quinoa is 1:2 (meaning for this recipe, 1/2 cup of quinoa to 1 cup of water).

Add the chopped vegetables to the skillet with olive oil spray, and 1 tbsp of the prepared spice blend. Cook the vegetables for 10 minutes, tossing frequently to get them evenly browned. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add more olive oil spray and the ground chicken, with the remaining spice blend. Break the chicken apart, and cook until the chicken is no longer pink.

Add the cooked vegetables and cooked quinoa to the skillet with the cooked chicken. Add in the chopped scallions, BBQ sauce and chicken broth, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Top with the shredded cheddar cheese, and cover to melt.

How-To Video

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