This chicken burrito casserole is packed with savory shredded chicken, a flavorful creamy dairy-free cashew cheese sauce, cauliflower rice, salsa, and peppers and onions. It’s simple, so satisfying, and so delicious it’s addicting! Paleo, Whole30 friendly and keto.
Cheesy chicken and rice (without actual cheese and rice!) plus savory chicken and veggies is always something I’m on board with!
And seriously – if you’re having any doubts that you can make a truly cheesy casserole without cheese, just you wait! You’re going to love this chicken burrito casserole the moment the cashew cheese sauce is ready.
It’s beyond addicting, and I might even say the chicken and veggies are really only there so we’re not sitting there eating cheese sauce with a spoon. Been there, done that. It’s almost too yummy for its own good!
What You Need to Make this Paleo Chicken Burrito Casserole
Beyond the cashew cheese sauce (which I’ll get to in a sec) the ingredients you’ll need for this burrito casserole are super simple:
One batch cashew cheese sauce
Cooked and shredded chicken
Avocado oil, or olive oil
Cauliflower rice (I always buy this pre-riced now – game changer!)
Onion
Garlic
Bell Pepper
Jalapeno pepper
Sea salt and black pepper
Taco Seasoning (I always use Primal Palate)
Lemon or lime juice
Salsa
Cilantro for garnish
How to Make Delicious Cashew Cheese Sauce
The cheese sauce is just so so good. I’m raving about it because I don’t know what else to say – except you’ll have to see for yourself! It’s a Mexican inspired spin off of the sauce I made for my bacon cheeseburger casserole, which is another recipe you probably need to try!
The sauce begins, of course, with cashews. I don’t soak my cashews when I make cheese sauce since they seem to blend up really well with the warm water and other ingredients.
If you doubt your blender, you can always soak your cashews for a couple of hours in hot water before beginning.
Here are the remaining ingredients going in the blender with the cashews to make the sauce:
Fresh lemon juice
Warm water
Avocado oil or light flavored olive oil
Nutritional yeast (For the cheesy flavor!)
Taco seasoning
Onion powder
It really is just a matter of blending everything up super creamy, and then you’re good to go! Feel free to adjust any seasonings after blending the sauce. You can also add a bit more water if it seems way too thick – this won’t hurt the sauce at all.
Tips To Make this Chicken Burrito Casserole Kid Friendly
I don’t know about all of you, but I love when my kids actually eat what I cook! That said, this burrito casserole can be a little spicy for the little ones. Here are a few tips to make it more kid friendly:
Decrease the taco seasoning in the sauce and casserole
Use a mild salsa, and/or reduce the amount
Omit the jalapeno peppers
For storage, this casserole will freeze well if you want to make it ahead of time and portion it out for later. You can reheat individual portions gently in the microwave, or the entire casserole covered, in the oven.
After serving, store leftovers in the refrigerator for about 4 days. The cashew cheese sauce sometimes develops a “crust” on top and this is totally normal and won’t affect the flavor. I hope you’re ready for a deliciously dairy-free chicken burrito casserole because it’s time to cook – let’s go!
Chicken Burrito Casserole {Whole30, Paleo, Keto}
Chicken Burrito Casserole {Paleo, Whole30, Keto}
Ingredients
Cashew Cheese Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups cashews no need to soak
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice about 2-3 lemons (you can use lime juice if you prefer)
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 1/3 cup avocado oil or light flavored olive oil
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/4 tsp sea salt
Burrito Casserole:
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded (about 2 1/2 cups cooked and shredded)
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper minced
- 12 oz fresh cauliflower rice I buy mine pre-riced in the prepared veggie section of the store
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp taco seasoning I used Primal Palate
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
- 1 cup prepared salsa
- Cilantro and additional jalapeno for garnish
Instructions
For the Cashew Cheese Sauce:
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Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor. I used my NutriBullet for this and it was fast and easy. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy, set aside.
For the Burrito Casserole:
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13” casserole dish with avocado oil spray.
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Place your cooked and shredded chicken in a large bowl and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat heat and add the oil. Once heated, add the peppers and onions, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and cook for a minute to soften. Once onions are translucent, add the garlic and jalapeno, stir, and cook for 30 more seconds.
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Add in your cauliflower rice and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and the taco seasoning, stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add the lime juice and stir, cook another minute to reach the desired texture.
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Add the cheese sauce to the cooked shredded chicken and toss to coat. Place half of the cauliflower rice mixture in the bottom of the casserole dish, then spread 1/2 cup of the salsa over it. Top with 1/2 of the chicken/sauce mixture, followed by the remaining cauliflower rice mixture, salsa, and remaining chicken/sauce mixture. If you prefer the salsa on the top layer, that’s fine too. Add thinly sliced jalapeno pepper to the top and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes to heat through.
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Serve hot and enjoy! Save leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Whole30 + Keto Dinner Recipes? Try One of These!
Chicken Broccoli and “Rice” Casserole
Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
Egg Roll in a Bowl with Chicken
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Both of my kids cleaned their plates and my son even had seconds. “This is so good mom!” WINNER!
Honestly when I first looked at the pictures this did not look that appetizing to me, but I have liked other recipes on the site, so decided to try it. YUM! Every component was so delicious and came together beautifully as well. Will definitely be making this again – and also will probably make the cauli rice separately as a side for other dishes and the queso as a dip/topping for other dishes too. So good!
Forgot to add that my husband – who is a picky eater and definitely doesn’t like cauliflower really enjoyed this too and took it for leftovers the next day
Is the nutrition info based off 8 servings? I toggled between servings and didn’t see a difference in the nutrition #s.
This is Amazing, did chicken the first time, and a lb of chorizo the second time. This is such a Great recipe. Thank You Paleorunningmomma?
Wow–SO delicious. A hit all around with my family. The cheese sauce is crazy good.
This recipe was incredible! Made it today for dinner and that cashew “cheese” sauce was so good on the shredded chicken I almost ate it before layering! I definitely have some leftovers and will reheat in the morning. Such a great, filling and healthy meal.
This was delicious! I will make it again!
I am a huge fan of Mexican food and really enjoyed this healthy version!! I do enjoy it best when it is fresh rather than reheated, but so appreciate the flavorful and dairy-free recipe! thank you!
This was divine, loved every thing about it. I just told my hubby it was regular rice used, and he ate two big pieces. Yummy!
We made this last week and LOVED it! My husband is Mexican and is super picky about spice levels – even he liked it and thought it had a good kick to it. We will definitely be making this again.