Easy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole baked in a cast iron skillet. This simple and delicious keto dinner comes together in 25 minutes or less. Rich and hearty and only 6g total carbs.
I don’t think I’ve ever craved casseroles the way I am craving them this winter. And this creamy, cheesy (and easy!) 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.
I also love casseroles cooked or baked in a skillet. The busier I get, the more important it is to cut down on excess dishes. So if I can cook the full meal all in one pan, I am that much happier come dinner time.
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And you want me happy, trust me. Just ask my kids. When mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.
So besides being creamy and hearty and cheesy, this Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole is also an easy one pan meal. And you’re going to thank me for it.
Chicken and Broccoli Skillet Inspiration
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 as many such chicken casseroles are, it was made with… you guessed it… 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?
That was, of course, my call to make a keto version with plenty of chicken and broccoli and no fillers.
How To Make Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Right, so the pasta had to go. Bye bye, pasta, don’t let the door hit you on the way out!
But many casseroles like this are also thickened with flour and we simply couldn’t have that either. But if you use heavy cream, thickeners are almost entirely unnecessary.
I essentially made the sauce in a very similar fashion to keto alfredo sauce. Just butter, garlic, cream, and Parmesan, plus some salt and pepper. When you bring cream to a simmer for a few minutes, it thickens up remarkably well. Sometimes a bit too well, and I find myself having to add a little water to thin it out.
I increased the amount of broccoli to up the nutritional quotient. 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.
I would recommend fresh broccoli here for the best flavor but you could certainly use frozen. Just warm it through in the pan but don’t cook it too long as the freezing and thawing process already makes frozen broccoli break down a little more easily.
For the chicken, I use boneless skinless chicken thighs. I simply place them in some broth and simmer them for 15 minutes until cooked through, and then I chop them. But to make things even easier, you can use pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken.
Then top the whole skillet with some shredded mozzarella, broil it for a few minutes and voila! Easy Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole.
It’s a fabulous meal on a cold dreary winter day. I could use some right now, actually!
More Keto Casserole Recipes
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Easy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole baked in a cast iron skillet. This simple and delicious keto dinner comes together in 25 minutes or less. Rich and hearty and only 6g total carbs.
- 1/4 cup butter, divided
- 12 ounces broccoli , coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups cooked chopped chicken (about 1 1/4 lbs)
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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.
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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.
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Stir in 1/2 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.
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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!).
Pam Cockrell says
There isn’t a fat count on the nutritional chart. Can you please add that? Thank you.
Carolyn says
Sorry, missed that. It’s 34.7g per serving…
Pam Cockrell says
Thank you!
Karen curtis says
Learning to cook keto. Always looking for receipes.
Amy says
I made this tonight and it was a hit with the family!! And I have a confession. I was out of shredded mozzarella so I used string cheese. We do what we must-it turned out yummy-like all of Carolyn’s recipes. Thanks for another keto winner winner chicken dinner!
Carolyn says
Hey, I’ve done things like that before. Necessity is the mother of invention!
Andrea says
Made this tonight. Delicious!! Everyone agreed it was definitely somettto make again.
Lisa Duggin says
Oh my, that looks so good! I would make it right now if I had chicken but, too much snow on the ground to go out right now. guess I will soon as I can! Thank you so much for all you do for us. You have sat at our table many times now. Blessings, Lisa
Shawn Andrene Anderson says
I have canned chicken, frozen broccoli and some jarred alfredo sauce, and a ton of mozz cheese. I am going to make this either tonight or tomorrow! Thanks. I am baking the Rhubarb Coffee Cake right now. Can’t wait! Will be my lunch per se. I am so much like you a carnivore with a sweet tooth, so I love all of your recipes and you don’t use too much avocado, as I don’t like it, and I am allergic to olives and mushrooms and shellfish, so almost every recipe I can make and love! You are the BEST!
Thanks, you make this so much easier. I did purchase some low carb bread, but come to find out each slice is 22grams of carbs. That went in the freezer. I now have some that is 12grams per slice. I had a sunflower nut and SF raspberry jam on 1 slice for breakfast!
Raichael says
This. Was. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I did use frozen broccoli, and doubled a lot of the ingredients (only because I have a family of 6 and I try to make enough for leftovers). It was Soooo good! Hardly any left for my lunches for the week!
If using frozen, I did end up using 32 oz of frozen broccoli florets, which seemed like just the right amount. I also used 1.7 lbs of chicken breasts, which I pan fried in an iron skillet with Olive oil. I think I used about 2 cups of cream, and I NEVER measure the garlic, I ALWAYS throw in at least double if not triple the amount called for… we LOVE garlic.
This is a GREAT fish though and it will def make it into our monthly rotation…
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Stacey says
I’m thinking of adding riced cauliflower to this to make it more like the traditional Chicken, Broccoli and Rice casserole. Should I use more liquid? If so, how much do you think I should add? TIA
Carolyn says
No the rice has plenty of liquid and will release it as it cooks.
Bridget Rahill Roach says
This was excellent – thank you!! No leftovers, which made me sad for lunch tomorrow. Guess I’ll have to cook up another of your recipes for that!
Carolyn says
Leftovers are the best! I rely on them for breakfast and lunch. So sad for you. 🙁
Amy Locurto says
I’m so ready to make this! YUM!
Anna says
This casserole was a huge hit! Thank you for the recipe!
Kristyn says
Chicken & broccoli is such a classic & comforting dish!! I love the combination! I can’t wait to try this!
Jen says
I love how easy this was to make using one skillet! So cheesy and delicious!
Denise says
Can this be made with just mozzarella cheese as my husband is on a low potassium diet so hard cheeses are not allowed.
Carolyn says
I can’t see why not!
Taylor says
Love that this is made in one pan! Looks delicious!
Cynthia Acheson says
This was very tasty, we had this just tonight after seeing so many people on Facebook making it! I used my 12” cast iron skillet, so made 1.5x the recipe which fit nicely. I started out just sautéing the cut up chicken, then removed it from the pan and continued the recipe as listed. It initially didn’t look like as many servings as I expected, but it is so very rich that you don’t need a huge amount. I had my serving with a salad, but it would be nice on mashed or riced cauliflower. (Non-Keto family members had a starchy side) I might reduce the Parmesan mixed into the sauce, as I found that it thickened it a little too much, perhaps just use some on top with the mozzarella for the flavour. This seems quite customizable should one wish to use Mexican seasonings and spicy cheese, or Greek oregano and some feta? Thanks so much!
Marie Webb says
My husband and I are following the keto diet…I see this recipe is for 6 servings so how do you
figure out equal serving sizes? TIA
Carolyn says
You just eyeball it.