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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When I cook Quinoa, I use 2 cups water and 1 cup Quinoa.
Most Quinoa cooking instructions use that 2:1 liquid:quinoa ratio.
Followed as indicated and used a tri-color quinoa. After baking for 45 min quinoa was uncooked and whole dish is a watery mess. Covered and cooked for 10 more minutes…quinoa still not cooked. Just put back in the oven for 10 more minutes. I think this recipe needs to clearly specify the type of quinoa to be used. I WILL NOT BE MAKING THIS AGAIN. IT HAS BEEN A COMPLETE WASTE OF INGREDIENTS.
Hi Jill! I am so sorry you had issues. Red quinoa takes longer to cook than white quinoa, so this could have been the issue!
Tried making just one serving (1/4 the amount in the recipe). Cook time was 35 minutes at 375 F. Tasted great! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad it worked!
I used uncooked quinoa and it never expanded as in their quinoa bakes I have made. I tested the quinoa by itself and it expanded after simmering on top of the stove. I was disappointed as the quinoa was not fully cooked in this dish.
This looks FABULOUS!!!! Definitely making this for lunch next week.
I never really leave comments, but had to tell you how much I love this recipe. I’ve made it three times and am making it again tomorrow! It is DELICIOUS, healthy, and freezes wonderfully. It’s my favorite dinner to meal prep. Thanks so much for this!
YAY!! Thanks for finally biting the bullet and leaving a comment 😛
How did you cook this once frozen? Did you freeze everything uncooked?
Made this tonight but had to use chicken legs. The quinoa (white) did not cook through at 45 mins @ 375. I ended up adding almost a full second cup of water and cooking an additional 30 mins. Tasted great but the onions and peppers were a bit mushy by that time. Perhaps the chicken legs suffocated the dish? Not sure… but still tasty and will attempt again thank you!!
I made this tonight. It was delicious and super easy. Thanks so much!
So glad you loved it!
I made this on Friday and my boyfriend and I loved it! We’ll be adding it to our regular recipe selection 🙂
<3 Glad you guys loved it!
Is there a sub for the hoisin sauce?
I was wondering the same thing or could I omit it?