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Baked chicken breasts with cheese on a bed of tomato sauce, garnished with parsley and grated cheese, in a white dish.
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4.84 from 25 votes

Chicken Parmesan Quinoa Casserole Recipe

Our protein and veggie-packed healthy chicken parmesan quinoa casserole is a winner for all. It's made with homemade parmesan chicken, marinara, mushrooms, and quinoa for an epic, kid-friendly chicken parmesan casserole.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: healthy chicken parmesan
Servings: 4
Author: Lee Funke

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 large yellow onion diced (~1/2 cup)
  • 1 medium green pepper diced
  • 8 oz. white mushrooms diced
  • 1.5 teaspoons sea salt separated
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup white quinoa
  • 3 cups marinara sauce (24 oz.)
  • 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 2.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour or g/f all-purpose
  • 1.5 cups shredded parmesan cheese plus more for topping
  • 2.5 teaspoons garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large egg
  • 1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 small chicken breasts)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375ºF and spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add the onion to the skillet and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the green pepper, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan. Turn the heat to medium, and add ½ teaspoon more of salt, and 1 tablespoon of Tuscan seasoning. Saute for an additional 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat.
    A pan with diced green bell pepper, onion, and mushroom being sautéed with a wooden spoon.
  • Add the quinoa and the vegetables to the casserole dish and toss to combine. Then, add the marinara sauce, broth, and the remaining salt. Toss again. Wipe the edges of the casserole dish so that the edges don’t burn.
    Close-up of a white baking dish filled with red tomato sauce mixed with visible herbs and spices.
  • Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
  • While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the chicken. Mix the flour, shredded parmesan, garlic powder, and black pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Then, crack an egg into a separate bowl and whisk.
  • Dredge the chicken through the egg. Allow any excess egg to drip from the chicken breast.
    Raw chicken breast in a white bowl with beaten eggs on a gray textured surface.
  • Dredge the chicken through the parmesan mixture. Pat the flour and cheese onto the chicken until coated. Repeat until all chicken breasts are coated. Depending on the size of the chicken breasts, you may have to add more flour or cheese to the bowl.
    A hand holding a raw chicken breast coated with grated cheese over a white bowl.
  • After 30 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and stir the quinoa mixture. Transfer the chicken to the top of the quinoa and cover. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.
    Four uncooked chicken breasts covered in grated cheese are placed on top of a layer of tomato sauce in a white baking dish.
  • Uncover the baking dish and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature temperature of the chicken is 165ºF
  • Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.
    Baked chicken breasts topped with cheese on a bed of tomato quinoa in a white baking dish, garnished with herbs and cheese.

Video

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="JmbpzvTM" upload-date="2017-05-24T17:59:08.000Z" name="Healthy Chicken Parmesan Quinoa Bake" description="Looking for a lightened-up dinner that will feed the whole family? Make this protein-packed (and veggie-packed!) chicken parmesan quinoa bake in just 60-minutes!"]

Notes

  • This recipe was updated in October 2024. The original recipe (HERE) skips pre-cooking all the vegetables in the skillet. Feel free to skip that step if you want less dishes. We suggest pre-cooking the vegetables because it adds a ton of flavor and depth to the recipe.
  • Cook-time may vary depending on the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 15g | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g