This cheesy chicken broccoli casserole is a stunningly easy and delicious keto dinner recipe. It comes together in 25 minutes and has less than 5g net carbs per serving!
I don’t think I’ve ever craved casseroles the way I am craving them this winter. We’ve been enjoying smoked sausage casserole, ham and cauliflower casserole, and keto zucchini lasagna all winter.
But this creamy, low-carb chicken broccoli casserole just shot to the top of the list for me. It’s the best kind of keto comfort food. Rich, hearty, and full of flavour and good fats.
And who doesn’t love a full keto meal that you bake in a single dish? The busier we get, the more important it is to cut down on excess dishes. If I can cook the full meal all in one pan, I am that much happier come dinner time.
This keto chicken broccoli casserole checks all the boxes. It’s hearty and satisfying, it has protein, veggies, and healthy fats, and it goes from stovetop to oven in a single large skillet.
Easy chicken casserole recipe
Chicken and broccoli is not an unusual combination in any way, but I found my inspiration for this skillet dinner standing in line at the grocery store check out. There it was, staring me in the face, on the front of Cast Iron Cooking or some such magazine.
Oh my it looked good. And the drizzly cold rain in Portland made it look even better…except for the fact that it was made with pasta.
Um, no thanks. Why can’t the chicken and broccoli be enough? Why water down the nutrition in the good stuff with all the unnecessary carbs?
Of course, now I simply had to make a keto broccoli chicken casserole, with more of the good stuff and less of the carby fillers!
Ingredients
This easy keto meal takes ingredients you can find at any grocery store. You will need:
- Cooked chicken
- Broccoli florets
- Butter
- Heavy whipping cream
- Mozzarella or cheddar cheese
- Parmesan
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
How to make keto chicken broccoli casserole
- Use an ovenproof skillet: This is a recipe that goes straight from stovetop to oven, so that you don’t have to transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. The skillet does not have to be cast iron, although it’s always a good choice.
- Use plenty of broccoli: Several conventional recipes I referenced had a scant cup of broccoli for the whole casserole. Why skimp on that? I put in a full 12 ounces, which is closer to 3 cups chopped. This makes the recipe a full one-pan meal.
- Cook the broccoli: Chop the florets coarsely so it cooks through a little faster and more evenly. You want to sauté it until it’s bright green and just bareIy tender, as it will cook more in the oven. I don’t recommend frozen broccoli here as it will become overcooked and mushy very quickly.
- Make the sauce: I made a basic keto alfredo sauce, with plenty of butter, cream, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. As long as you use heavy cream, you don’t need flour or cream cheese to thicken it. Just simmer a few minutes and keep your eye on it so that it doesn’t thicken too much.
- Add the broccoli and chicken: Any pre-cooked chicken will work here. I like to quickly cook some chicken thighs by simmering them in chicken broth for 15 minutes. But you can use use rotisserie chicken too.
- Sprinkle with the cheese: I used mozzarella for that extra gooey factor, but you could try other cheeses such as cheddar or Gruyere.
- Broil the casserole: This melts the cheese and makes it deliciously golden brown on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t really recommend it, but if that’s all you have, thaw it completely first. Then sauté it very briefly in the first step so it doesn’t overcook.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF and bake the casserole for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Sure! Feel free to use any cheese that melts well, such as Gruyere, Fontina, or cheddar. It will be delicious with all of them.
This keto chicken broccoli casserole recipe is best made with dairy. You can sub coconut cream for the heavy cream, but it won’t thicken as nicely so I recommend whisking in a little xanthan gum or glucomannan. Then add your favorite dairy-free shredded cheese to the top.
Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter, divided
- 12 ounces broccoli , coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella, divided
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups cooked chopped chicken (about 1 ¼ lbs)
Instructions
- Set a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Once melted, add the broccoli and sauté until bright green and just tender, about 4 minutes. Remove the broccoli to a bowl.
- Melt the remaining butter in the pan and add the garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer, then cook until reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in ½ cup of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the broccoli and the chicken and top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Preheat the broiler. Set the pan about 6 inches from the heat and broil until the cheese is beginning to brown, 2 to 5 minutes (depends on how intense your broiler is!).
Fatima says
This is by far my son’s favorite chicken dinner! I like to try different recipes but every time I made a new one, he’d say it wasn’t as good as this one. I wanted to make it again but couldn’t find the recipe, until now. I’m so glad I found it and so is he! 😋
Thank you so much, Carolyn!!🥰
Laurie Budish says
Fantastic. Super easy.
Deb Schwarz says
This was excellent. Thank you for another great recipe.
Dana says
Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner!! Yum…
I substituted asparagus and 5 ounces of frozen riced cauliflower in lieu of broccoli. Delish!
Genna says
Love the idea of this but I tried it twice and the sauce just turned into a ball of gooey cheese once i added it to the cream sauce. I will try again and play around with the cream to cheese ratio. I added creme fraiche to turn the ball back into some kind of sauce.
Carolyn says
Are you adding only 1/2 a cup? What brand of mozzarella are you using? I think that has to be the issue since no one else has had this problem.
Leanne says
Perhaps they are using a pre-shredded cheese and with the non-sticking ingredient that’s being added to pre-shredded cheese which I think is flour perhaps that’s what’s causing the ball
Of cheese to occur? Just an idea or could be just using too much.
Sarah says
This is so delish! I only had frozen broccoli, so I put it in the air fryer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Patricia Clayborn says
HINT: If I were using frozen broccoli, I would thaw and drain it, but skip the initial sauteeing step and move directly on to the sauce making. Then I would add it back into the skillet, top with cheese, and finish the dish as per the directions.
Fatima says
Patricia.. I just saw your comment. I only had frozen broccoli so I steamed it and skipped the sautee step. It didn’t affect anything and it was delicious!!
Ally says
I cooked 3 or 4 slices of chopped bacon and used half bacon grease and half the butter for the cream sauce. Subbed white cheddar/gruyere for sauce because I had a few slices I needed to use but kept mozzarella for the toping. Also added pre-made caramelized onions once the sauce was thickened.
Debbie C says
I made this recipe last night and it was a huge hit! Halving the recipe for just the 2 of us was perfect because we didn’t want leftovers. Not being a chicken fan I was skeptical, but I went back for more. We like the taste of cheddar so I used it instead of the mozzarella. Please, if you haven’t made this, do it as soon as possible. I will definitely be making it again and again.
Carol P says
90° in Arizona, and I had a hankering for a chicken broccoli casserole that would fit in with my diet. Did I find it? Oh, yes. Did it meet my expectations? That and more. I can honestly say this was the best thing I’ve eaten in a long, long time. Absolutely amazing!
Tracey says
Serving size seems tiny. This would be 2 ounces each of chicken end broccoli as the main components of the meal?
Chelsea Robert says
WOW, Carolyn!!! I had a rare day where my 16 year old son actually wanted to hang out with me and I didn’t get around to preparing dinner until almost 5:30. I remembered this recipe from a recent email from you and true to your info it took about 25 minutes from start to finish and I had everything to make it in the house. My son said it’s his new favorite and I agree! Yum!!! THANK YOU!!!
Jeanne says
my first time making this….very easy, great flavor. I put it in the broiler and got busy cleaning up the sink, etc….until I smelled it! ….and it was burnt on the top…even so, we ate it and it was great…burnt cheese and all!
Carolyn says
A tip from someone who has made the same mistake many a time… set your timer for 2 minutes when you have your broiler going!
Becky says
This was a huge hit with even my pickiest eaters. It was easy to throw together with precooked chicken for a weeknight dinner, but you could even serve it for company. A real winner!
Carolyn says
Excellent!
Johanna says
I just made this for the first time and it was AMAZING!! The only thing I changed was that I doubled the recipe. Our 7 year old picky eater ate two servings!! I did not tell her it was healthy lol
Tammie says
Very good and easy to make! Thanks!
Mary McLaughlin says
The temperature plunged today and I so wanted to make this. It is my favorite go to bake. I highly recommend it to all – and it freezes well too.
Carolyn says
Thank you!