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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So delicious! The “cheese” sauce is SO good!
Just made this tonight and it is so good!!!! Family approved! I didn’t include the onion and was short 2 oz. of califlower rice but a 9×13 pan was too big. Didn’t spread all the way in it but still turned out great! That cheese sauce is so rich and good!
This was a delicious casserole! Always looking for new ways to cook chicken and I did not even miss real rice! Love all the veggies in this dish, will definitely be making again!
For anyone unsure of cashew cheese, trust me, it’s very good! I haven’t liked it in the past but I’m typically a fan of any recipes I find here. And this was no different! There weren’t any leftovers!
Planning this for Thurs, but can I prep during the day and Heat at dinner?
Loved this casserole, had it for lunch everyday last week and tasted amazing.
These are the notes I attached to the recipe copy I saved.
Baking: 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes if the small casserole is thawed but still cold from the fridge. Used convection, so mileage may vary.
– Instead of the 9 x 13 dish, I used three 6 x 6 casserole dishes and froze two of them.
– Prep by this old lady takes much longer than 20 minutes. Do it ahead in smaller tasks. Make final assembly easier by doing a COMPLETE mise en place.
– I assembled the casseroles and froze two of them before they were baked. All ingredients had been cooked.
– Consistency is quite good-not at all runny or saucey with the do I got on it the first time out. Adjust something if more sauce is desired.
– I cooked the frozen cauliflower rice in a skillet for a few minutes to get a bit of the water out, then drained on a paper towel. The cauliflower in the dish surprisingly still has some of the texture of rice. Reserving best judgment on this until after a thaw/bake.
– The cashew sauce was fine. I didn’t hate it and will possibly use it for other dishes, but I will never try to pass this off as “cheese”. Not real saucey as written. Possible improvement would be to loosen it some with almond or flax milk.
– A jalapeno on the small-medium size provided plenty of heat for my palate. Did not feel the need to garnish with it.
– Added a layer of salsa on top.
– Used three breast halves shredded, which was probably a larger quantity than the recipe called for, adding to the robust texture of the dish.
– For my appetite, 1/3 of the small dish quantity is plenty for one serving.
This is such a winner of a recipe! It’s easy, I consistently have these ingredients on hand, and always a crowd pleaser. I make this so often but my family never tires of it. SO YUMMY!
Baked this when it was still mostly frozen. Result was good. No change in texture of the rice. I still like it.
This looks delicious, but if I were to use a little shortcut like Siete Cashew Queso instead of making my own cheese sauce, how much would the recipe need? Thanks from a busy mama ?