This Gluten-Free Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake is protein-packed, delicious, and has tons of cheese and bacon! Bake everything in your cast iron skillet and you'll have dinner ready in no time!!
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Why I Love This Recipe
I love this Gluten-Free Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake because it’s a one-pan meal that’s quick, easy, and leaves fewer dishes to wash—always a win. Chicken, broccoli, and cheese are staples in my kitchen, so I wanted a fresh way to use them, and this recipe delivered.
I first saw a version on Tablespoon, but I knew I had to add fresh onion and, of course, bacon. It was the perfect call—the whole dish ended up tasting like a loaded baked potato, just without the potato. So good!
Key Ingredients For This Recipe
- bacon
- chicken breasts (or you can use leftover chicken!)
- broccoli florets
- garlic
- cream of chicken soup
- cooked quinoa
- cheddar cheese
*See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
What is Quinoa?
Quinoa is the seed of a flowering plant. It has protein, fiber, B vitamins, and iron to name a few of its benefits and it's kind of like rice. It absorbs flavor and is pretty versatile.
Quinoa made its appearance a few years ago, as I'm sure you all remember. I was pretty happy to be able to finally be able to pronounce it just like everyone else! Then, the kale and avocado toast craze took over and quinoa was on the back burner. Anyway, I still love quinoa and have started using it again in my meals.
How to make This Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cook your bacon and set aside. Cook quinoa according to the directions on the package.
- In a cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat, cook the chicken in the butter. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- In the same skillet, add the oil, broccoli, diced onion, and garlic to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Turn down the heat to med-low and add the soup, quinoa, 1 cup of cheese, and the cooked chicken to the skillet. Stir to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Once everything is combined, turn off the heat and sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese and the chopped bacon. Place the skillet into the oven for 25 minutes.
Can this Skillet Meal be Vegetarian?
You could absolutely make this vegetarian and eliminate the chicken and bacon and add more fresh veggies or tofu. If you don't have or like quinoa, you could always use brown rice. This is also a great recipe for a weeknight and is definitely kid-friendly. I always love a recipe that will use up veggies and leftover chicken in the fridge and this is one of them.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
If you get a chance to make this Gluten-Free Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Recipe, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me, or leave a review below! You can also follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my e-mail list to receive more fun and delicious recipes in your inbox.
Gluten-Free Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake
Equipment
- cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 4-5 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 2 large chicken breasts, diced (or you can use leftover chicken!)
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- ½ small onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (10.75 oz.)
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (cook according to instructions on box)
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper for seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook the bacon however you would like (I put mine in the microwave for about 3 minutes). Set aside the bacon to cool and crisp up.
- Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. The microwave works great here too and saves time.
- In a skillet on med-high heat, add the butter and chicken pieces and cook the chicken completely (165°F internal temp). Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside (if you are using leftover chicken or pre-cooked chicken, you can skip this step).
- In the same skillet, add the oil, broccoli, diced onion, and garlic to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes (if you are using garlic powder, wait to add until you add the soup).
- Turn down the heat to medium and add the soup, quinoa, 1 cup of cheese, and the cooked chicken to the skillet. Stir to combine all of the ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Once everything is combined, turn off the heat and sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese and the chopped bacon. Place the skillet into the oven for about 25 minutes until everything is nice and hot and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the plates you are serving it on for a few minutes before enjoying (trust me, it's VERY hot).
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Lisa Huff says
Love that this is gluten-free and still a baked comfort food with no pasta! Perfect!
Emily says
Thanks, Lisa! It's always. nice when something comes together that checks all the boxes. And, of course, you can't go wrong with bacon and cheese!!
Lilly says
This was so perfect for a weeknight family meal! My husband gobbled it up!
Emily says
I always love to hear that!
Alexandra says
So comforting, delicious and full of flavour - this made for a lovely dinner the whole family enjoyed.
Emily says
Thanks, Alexandra! It's always great when everyone loves something you make.
Leslie says
Chicken and broccoli and the ultimate duo! Love that you added quinoa to this dish! YUM!!
Emily says
I agree Leslie, chicken and broccoli are a match made in heaven!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
I think I just heard my tummy growl. lol! Must print the recipe.
Chef Dennis says
This Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake is making my tummy growl!
Emily says
LOL, I hope you get a chance to make this soon!
Swathi says
This chicken broccoli quinoa bake looks delicious.
Emily says
Yay, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Sue says
I love quinoa and especially love how you've combined it with chicken and broccoli. A winner!
Emily says
Thanks, Sue! Quinoa goes with so many things, I love how versatile it is.
Audrey says
I have so much quinoa to use up and a gluten free family member visiting! I'm so glad I found this recipe.
Emily says
Perfect timing, I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe!