Healthy Cashew Chicken Casserole

4.66 from 90 votes
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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!

cashew chicken casserole in dish
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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.

quinoa, peppers, and onion in casserole dish

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

pouring sauce on chicken casserole

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!

before and after baking

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!

cashew chicken quinoa bake

Healthy Chinese Take-Out Recipes

cashew chicken in bowl

More Chicken Casserole Recipes

Cashew Chicken Quinoa Bake Video

4.66 from 90 votes

Cashew Chicken Quinoa Bake

Make this Cashew Chicken Quinoa Bake for a high-protein, one-dish meal that the whole family will love! Meal prep at its finest! 
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4
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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

Calories: 457 kcal, Carbohydrates: 54 g, Protein: 37 g, Fat: 10 g, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 15 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

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Stephanie
Stephanie
September 29, 2020 1:13 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

4 stars
This was so good! I’m a college student and this was easy, cheap, and delicious!

Joรฉl
Joรฉl
September 6, 2020 11:44 am

Iโ€™m excited to try this. Do you think this can be eaten cold or does it need to be heated up?

Sarah
Sarah
September 2, 2020 10:23 am
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
Love this recipe! Great for meal prep!

Emily
Emily
July 28, 2020 5:53 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
This is a family fave!!!!

Rosie
Rosie
June 24, 2020 4:06 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
I have made this several times before, and itโ€™s delicious just as is! Usually I double the recipe, make one to share & one for us. However, no one in my family really enjoys quinoa, and I donโ€™t eat rice. Do you have any suggestions for making it without any grains, only chicken & veggies? Iโ€™m guessing I would just omit the water? Thanks!

Joann Coffelt
Joann Coffelt
June 10, 2020 2:05 pm

My family is not a big fan of quinoa, is there something else I can use? Tried it like it was, I liked it, but no one else did. Thanks for any help you can give me.

Dee
Dee
May 15, 2022 4:28 pm
Reply to  Joann Coffelt

Try cauliflower rice. Low cal and delicious!

Adam
Adam
May 29, 2020 7:53 am
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
I’m not a good cook. Not going to lie, at one point when this was cooking I was thinking to myself, I’ve done this wrong, it doesn’t look right. I stuck with it, and by the end it looked like the pics on your website, and it’s delicious. Many thanks, I love it ๐Ÿ‘

Melinda Muyargas
May 26, 2020 2:00 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
This was delicious! Thank you!!
I used this homemade hoisin sauce recipe with it: https://omnivorescookbook.com/homemade-hoisin-sauce

Emily
Emily
May 21, 2020 5:28 pm

This is sooo good! My chicken came out a wee bit dry though. I live at high altitude so usually I have to cook things longer, so Iโ€™m sort of surprised. Do you think i should try to cook it for less time, or maybe at a slightly lower temp?

KRista
KRista
April 29, 2020 4:01 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
This has become one of my favorite suppers to make!!! So delicious every time!