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6-Ingredient Trader Joe’s Pollo Asado Quinoa Bowls

These easy and healthy Trader Joe’s pollo asado quinoa bowls come together with just 6 simple ingredients. Using Trader Joe’s frozen quinoa as a kitchen shortcut, the recipe takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish, but feel free to cook it from scratch if you prefer. My quinoa bowls feature a base of quinoa, the pre-marinated pollo asado, black beans, shredded cabbage, peppers and onions, and a spicy cashew dressing. It’s got sweet, savory, and spicy flavors along with crunchy, soft, and filling textures. Try this Trader Joe’s pollo asado recipe next time you need a quick and nutritious meal or meal prep recipe.

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Trader Joe's pollo asado quinoa bowl

Trader Joe’s Pollo Asado Quinoa Bowls Ingredients:

  • Pollo Asado
  • Fire Roasted Bell Peppers and Onions
  • Frozen Quinoa
  • Black Beans
  • Shredded Cabbage 
  • Spicy Cashew Butter Dressing
Ingredients to make Trader Joe's pollo asado recipe

How to Make Trader Joe’s Pollo Asado Quinoa Bowls:

These quinoa bowls were made with meal prep (read EASY) meals in mind, so I was super happy with how simple these are to make.

Using the pre-marinated pollo asado saves both time and effort since it doesn’t need anything besides olive oil to make. Here’s how to make the quinoa bowls:

  • Cook chicken. Wondering how to cook trader joe’s pollo asado? You are not alone! I’m not sure why they don’t include directions on the package, but the chicken is pretty thin, which makes it cook up quickly. You can cook in a pan on the stove or in the oven.
Cooked pollo asado in a skillet
  • Cook peppers and onions. Stir-fry the fire roasted veggies in a nonstick skillet for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.
Trader Joe's peppers and onions cooked in a pan
  • Cook quinoa. I used Trader Joe’s frozen quinoa here as a kitchen shortcut, but you can also make the quinoa from scratch.

Pollo Asado Quinoa Bowl FAQs:

What is the best way to cook Trader Joe’s pollo asado?

You have a few options for how to cook pollo asado. You can grill, pan-fry, or bake. Use whatever method you prefer, just make sure to cook the

Trader Joe’s pollo asado cooking instructions:

  • Grill – Grill chicken over medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes per side.
  • Pan Fry – Cook chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes per side.
  • Oven – To bake the pollo asado, spread out chicken on a lined baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

What are the Trader Joe’s chicken asada ingredients:

From the package: chicken breast meat, water, seasoning (dextrose, spices [including paprika, black pepper, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin], salt, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion, lemon juice powder [maltodextrin, lemon juice with added lemon oil], lime juice powder [maltodextrin, lime juice with added lime oil], bell pepper powder, cilantro flakes, soy sauce powder [soy sauce, {soy beans, wheat, salt}, dextrin, salt], sunflower oil, parsley flakes, with no more than 2% silicon dioxide as anticaking agent), sodium lactate.

Is Trader Joe’s pollo asado gluten-free?

No, this chicken contains wheat and soy, so it’s not gluten-free.

What are the Trader Joe’s frozen quinoa instructions?

There are two options for Trader Joe’s frozen quinoa directions: microwave or stove top.

I prefer using the microwave, because the whole purpose of this kitchen shortcut is to save time and effort! It microwaves in less than 5 minutes. You can also cook in boiling water.

How to cook Trader Joe’s frozen quinoa:

According to package instructions, to microwave: puncture bag 4-5 times on the seam side. Microwave (seam side up) and heat on high for 3 1/2 minutes. Let sit in microwave for 2 1/2 minutes.

According to package instructions, to cook on stovetop: Heat sauce pan over high heat, pour frozen quinoa into sauce pan and add 2 tablespoons water. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to medium heat. Heat for 5-6 minutes, adding up to 2 tablespoons more water if necessary, stirring frequently.

Pollo asado quinoa bowls

How to Meal Prep Pollo Asado Quinoa Bowls:

This Trader Joe’s pollo asado recipe makes a great meal prep lunch or dinner! Decide if you’ll serve it warm, cold, or a mix of both as this will determine how we store the components.

  • Make Trader Joe’s frozen quinoa, pollo asado, and peppers and onions. Cook and set aside.
  • To serve hot – Store all ingredients except for shredded cabbage and dressing in a glass storage container.
  • To serve cold – Store quinoa, chicken, beans, peppers, and cabbage in a glass storage container. Drizzle with dressing right before serving.
  • To serve hot and cold – Store chicken, peppers, and black beans in a glass storage container. Store quinoa and cabbage in another. Heat chicken, peppers, and black beans and serve over quinoa and cabbage. Drizzle with dressing right before serving.
Trader Joe's pollo asado quinoa bowl in meal prep glass container

Trader Joe’s Pollo Asado Quinoa Bowls Nutrition + Substitutes:

If you want to swap out any of the ingredients and toppings, here are a few ways you can add even more nutrition into this meal:

  • Grains – I love Trader Joe’s frozen quinoa, but you could really use any grain you like here. Try white rice or brown rice instead of the quinoa.
  • Greens – I chose shredded cabbage for simplicity, but you could also use a shredded iceberg, sliced romaine, or even chopped spinach.
  • Chicken – You could swap the chicken for carne asada or skip it completely and bulk up the quinoa bowls by using more quinoa and more beans. You could also add some shredded cheddar cheese.
  • Extras – In all of the recipes in my Easy Trader Joe’s eBook, I include ideas for “extras,” meaning you can add optional ingredients if you like! Try shredded cheddar or cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, pickled red onion, or a fresh lime wedge.
Pollo asado quinoa bowl in white bowl

More Trader Joe’s Recipes:

If you like this Trader Joe’s pollo asado chicken recipe, you might like some of my other easy Trader Joe’s recipes:

Helpful Tools to Make Pollo Asado Quinoa Bowls:

  • Instant Read Meat Thermometer – This is the easiest and safest way to check to see if your Trader Joe’s pollo asado is cooked to the proper temperature of 165 degrees F.
  • Glass Storage Containers – Make sure you have a 4 cup container if you plan on taking these quinoa bowls on-the-go.
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Trader Joe's pollo asado quinoa bowl

Trader Joe’s Pollo Asado Quinoa Bowls

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Description

Make EASY Trader Joe’s pollo asado quinoa bowls w/ just 6 ingredients! Use shortcut Trader Joe’s frozen quinoa, and this recipe takes less than 15 minutes.ย 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 lbs. Trader Joe’s Pollo Asado (weight will vary a bit, that’s ok!)
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 14 oz. Trader Joe’s Fire Roasted Bell Peppers and Onions
  • 16 oz. Trader Joe’s Frozen Quinoa
  • 15.5 oz. Trader Joe’s Black Beans
  • 9 oz. Trader Joe’s Shredded Cabbageย 
  • Trader Joe’s Spicy Cashew Butter Dressing


Instructions

  1. Cook pollo asado. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for three minutes per side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.ย 
  2. Cook peppers and onions according to package instructions.ย 
  3. Prep other ingredients:ย 
    Make quinoa according to package instructions.ย 
    Rinse and drain black beans.ย 
  4. Assemble bowls. Divide quinoa into bowls or glass storage containers. Top with sliced chicken, black beans, peppers and onions, and shredded cabbage.ย 
  5. Drizzle with dressing right before serving.ย 


Notes

  • See section above for how to cook Trader Joe’s pollo asado, including grill and oven options.ย 

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Ingredients for Trader Joe's pollo asado quinoa bowls - pinterest

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2 Comments

  1. Since that dressing has been discontinued, the butter cashew, what can I substitute in this recipe?

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