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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Is it possible to use Rice instead of Quinoa
I’ve never made it with rice, so I’m not sure!
Looks great but probably way too high in sodium. I’ll have to see what I can sub to bring it down
Help!
I don’t know what went wrong, I used red quinoa instead of white and baked it an additional 30 min to the 45 min that was written. The liquid has all soaked in but the quinoa is still uncooked? I’m not sure what to do at this point and it looks like the top is a bit burnt. Do I baked it again for longer or should I just put it on stove and cook the old fashioned style?
Hi Khanh! That is so bizarre, I haven’t really heard that happen before! What temp did you bake it at? I’d for sure take it off or the chicken will be way over cooked! Next time try using white quinoa or cover it when it’s baking!
I made this tonight for me and my boyfriend, as well as for a couple of my lunches this week- amazing! My boyfriend, who doesn’t like cashews or quinoa alone, really liked the meal. We like a good sauce, so I did make more sauce and add it. I will be making this again though!
WOOOO! This makes me so happy. BF approved!
So I realize I’m super late to the party on this recipe and no one will probably read this comment. But… Just used this recipe as an inspiration recipe to clean out my fridge. Had a half a container of trader Joe’s mirepoix, a green pepper, 1/4 bag of spinach mix that I threw in. Used a cup of rinsed trader Joe’s tricolor quinoa with a cup and a half of leftover chicken stock, and some 1 pound and a half trader Joe’s pre marinated chicken thighs in mole. Just stuff I had sitting around about to go bad. Popped it all in the oven for 55 minutes. Glorious. My point is just to share that this recipe is an awesome way to clean out your fridge and throw together a yummy healthy meal (even though I didn’t really follow the recipe at all – ha!). Thanks for sharing!
Hey Sandra! I READ IT! Thanks for sharing your recipe 🙂 It’s a great base recipe to add whatever you want!
I love your website but my computer doesn’t….it freezes up….I assume from all the ads. Is there any fix for that?
I made another half recipe for the vegetarians in my family. I topped it with Quorn fillets and then the cashews for the last 10 minutes.
Um yummmmm! I’ve never heard of quorn filets!
They look like boneless breast cutlet. You can find d them in the frozen section of the vegetarian products.
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Is there anything else that can be subbed for the chicken to keep it vegetarian?
Hey Erin! You could just make this with no chicken/sub OR you could add tofu or sweet potato!
I can’t do hoisin sauce; or any spicy foods. Do you have a substitute for that sauce?
Hi Sheri! Unfortunately hoisen is the basis of this recipe and there’s not much you can sub!
OMG Out of this world!!!!!
<3
Love the sound of this recipe! I only have Black Quinoa currently. Would this work the same?
Absolutely! You may need to bake it a little bit longer because I’ve found red quinoa takes longer than white. So just make sure you bake until the quinoa is fully cooked!