Healthy Cashew Chicken Casserole
Published 4/28/2020 • Updated 9/27/2024
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Make this Cashew Chicken Quinoa Bake for a high-protein, one-dish meal that the whole family will love! Meal prep at its finest.
Can’t get enough of our delicious chicken casserole recipes? Check out this easy orange chicken casserole or this easy southwestern chicken casserole!
Make Your Own Healthy Chinese Takeout
Raise your hand if you’ve jumped on the casserole train. We have been whipping up casserole recipes for the last couple of weeks in the Fit Foodie kitchen and we have no shame!
Today we are sharing one of the original quinoa casserole recipes on FFF! It is also one of the most popular recipes. Want to know why?
- It is stacked with protein (37 grams per serving)
- There’s only one dish to clean
- It tastes like your favorite cashew chicken Chinese takeout (except it’s healthier)
This chicken casserole is made with whole, healthy ingredients, with all of the classic flavors of cashew chicken. PS: have you made our Instant Pot Cashew Chicken? Let’s break this casserole down.
Everything You Need to Know
All you need is one pan.
For this dish, you literally throw everything in a casserole dish UNCOOKED (even the chicken and quinoa) and pop it in the oven for 60 minutes.
Can I use other vegetables in this casserole?
Yes, you can use other vegetables in this chicken casserole. If you don’t have peppers on hand or want to use something else. Feel free to use any of your favorite vegetables. Below are some of our top substitution picks!
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- pea pods
- green beans
Does it matter what kind of quinoa I use?
I tested this with traditional white quinoa
and Inca Red Quinoa
.
I noticed that the red quinoa needed to cook a bit longer than the white, so just be mindful of that if you only have red on hand!
Do I need to use specific cashews in this recipe?
You can use whatever cashews you have on hand! However, we recommend using roasted salted cashews for the best flavor!
What are the best toppings for this cashew chicken casserole?
The topping options are endless for this cashew chicken casserole! Below are our go-to toppings!
- fresh lime juice
- cilantro
- cashews
- green onions
Can I freeze this cashew chicken casserole?
Yes, you can freeze this cashew chicken casserole! Make the casserole as instructed in the recipe card and then let it cool completely.
Next, cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and then tin foil to tightly seal the casserole and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also transfer the casserole into meal prep containers for single-serve options!
Cashew Chicken Casserole Tips
Here are a few tips and tricks to make sure you get the most bang for your buck when you make this chicken casserole recipe!
- Make sure that all the quinoa is submerged in liquid before you place the casserole in the oven.
- If you find that your chicken casserole isn’t cooking evenly, try stirring the casserole halfway through the cook time.
- Be sure to spray your casserole dish before placing ingredients into the casserole dish. This will prevent the ingredients from sticking to the casserole dish when you are serving it!
Healthy Chinese Take-Out Recipes
- Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Healthy Orange Chicken
- General Tso’s Cauliflower
- Vegetarian Fried Rice
More Chicken Casserole Recipes
- Best Chicken Casserole Recipes
- Cauliflower Mac and Chicken Casserole
- Healthy Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Brown Rice
Cashew Chicken Quinoa Bake Video
Cashew Chicken Quinoa Bake
Ingredients
- 1 cup white quinoa, rinsed and uncooked
- 1 cup yellow onion, minced
- 2 medium bell peppers, any color, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce, or gluten-free hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, low sodium
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (fresh ginger paste works, too)
- 1.25 cups water
- 1 cup cashews, raw or roasted work
- optional garnishes: green onion and/or sesame seeds
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 375ºF and spray a casserole dish with coconut oil cooking spray.
- Next, place 1 cup uncooked quinoa on the bottom of the casserole dish and layer with diced onion and red pepper on top. Place sliced chicken on top of veggies.
- Prep sauce by mixing together hoisin sauce, minced garlic, soy sauce, fresh ginger, and 1 cup of water. I used a fork to whisk everything together.
- Evenly pour the sauce over chicken breast.
- Bake at 375º for 45 minutes, covered. Remove from oven and add 1 cup of cashews and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Let quinoa casserole sit for 5-10 minutes to continue thickening and cooling.
- Garnish with green onion and/or sesame seeds before serving.
Tips & Notes
- New photos were taken of this recipe on April 28, 2020. I also upped the water from 1 cup to 1.25 cups for a tad more liquid!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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What is the calorie count on this? It looks absolutely delicious
Oh GIRLLLL, you’ve done it this time! Asian is my “culture food” of choice too! I used to grub out on Cashew and Sweet + Sour Chicken in high school – which explains my less than stellar prom pics (but that’s another story). This sounds amazing and I can’t wait to make it for din this week! xo
I’ve already made this dish more than once and it’s on the agenda for this week again 😛
Omelette casserole?? 😀
LOLZ
This dish looks amazing and I’m definitely one of those people who cooks one pot meals all the time! I’ll be giving this recipe a try soon. Thanks for the easy and healthy recipe 🙂
Jen
One pot meals ARE THE BEST!
How did you know cashews and quinoa are two of my favorite foods?! I am all about this recipe right now!
Ummmmmm because they are 2 of my favs too!!! #greatmindsthinkalike
Soo making this tonight!
Same question as Leesa…your article says uncooked chicken and even quinoa but the recipe says cooked quinoa at step 2. Also, ever been done in a crockpot? Would love to not heat the kitchen!
Uncooked! Just updated the recipe. I have not tried it in a crockpot, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! I’d Ty 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low!
Can the red peppers be replaced with another vegetable, such as broccoli?
Hi there! I haven’t tried any other veggies, but I don’t see why not! Id try broccoli for sure!
NO!!!! YOU CAN NOT SUBSTITUTE ANY OTHER VEGETABLE. YOU MUST USE RED PEPPERS ONLY!!!!! STUPID FUCKING QUESTION, HUH?
LOL
This sounds awesome! And like the perfect meal prep dinner! Pinned!
This looks delucious. The recipe says add cooked quinoa to casserole dish. Is it cooked or uncooked?
Hi there! It should say uncooked. I just updated the recipe. Thanks for catching that error!
Can you substitute the hoisin sauce with a low sodium soy sauce or another sauce (that’s low sodium)? I’m watching sodium and sugar in my family meals. Thank you and this looks delicious!
Hello! You could try a gluten-free hoisin or any other Asian marinade! That might do the trick.
Lovely recipe. We tried this tonight and it was yummy. So easy, the hardest part was the wait until it was ready.
YAY! So glad you loved it!