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
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, divided
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) broccoli , coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 cups (168 g) shredded mozzarella, divided
- 1/2 cup (50 g) grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups (567 g) cooked chopped chicken (about 1 1/4 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 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.
- 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!).
Nutrition
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So so good!! Very rich and filling. Perfect comfort food. Will be making this again and trying other recipes on this site. Thank you!!
I made this tonight for supper and my daughter said it was the best dinner I have ever made! It’s hard to find keto recipes sometimes that the whole family will like. This is definitely a keeper! Thank you Carolyn!
So great to hear!
Out of all the dinners we make here (and I’m going through this whole blog and all the cookbooks so I RARELY make things more than once) this dish and the french onion meatloaf have been the most begged for by my children (17, 13, and 5). This is that meal where I forgot to meal plan or life got in the way, and this is how we avoid throwing in the towel and ordering takeout. Frozen chicken, frozen broccoli, I mean we always having everything for this on hand. Top 5 meals my kids love to make by themselves and love to eat.
Wonderful flavor.
Chopped frozen broccoli, slightly thawed worked just fine, with deli turkey this made an excellent dinner.
Just made this for dinner. Another win in the kitchen! Thank you for wonderful recipes that end up on rotation in our house every single time. And support our attempt at a healthy lifestyle.
*I did use frozen broccoli because it was all I had. I microwaved it for a couple of minutes to unthaw and sauteed it for a minute. I’m sure it would have been better with fresh, but my family was happy anyway – and they are their veggies!
Great comfort food and one of my son’s fave dishes! Will definitely make it again and again!
Thank you!
Just letting you know, when I click the link for tuna casserole…it takes me to “havebutterwilltravel” and my virus protection is set off! We are making a lot of casseroles this season, and I was hoping to be able to make that one, as well.
Easy and very good
I just made this for my lunch, ‘first meal of the day’ and let me say, I have been looking for broccoli recipes to enjoy and I’ve found it. Thank you Carolyn again!
Happy New Year to you and your family ????
amazing…thank you!!!! I added mushrooms as some others suggested. This is so so good!!!
Can I bake this instead of using the broiler?
Made this tonight, and it was very tasty! I will cook my broccoli a tad longer. I do like my veggies al dente so it was fine. I have not had a creamy cheese sauce in a long time and this was luscious. I topped it with a bit of crumbled crispy bacon which added more calories, but I am not counting those. Thanks for another delectable recipe that is simple to prepare.
Glad you liked it!
This to die for good!! I was out of broccoli and substituted zucchini and it was perfect! You are my go-to site for recipes!!
Delicious!
This is delicious! I’ve made this twice now and it has become a staple in my rotation. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Made this tonight for dinner it was so good.
Super easy to prepare and DELICIOUS!!
Absolutely delicious ????
I love this recipe. Chicken and broccoli are my favorite. This is delicious and creamy. Thanks for creating and sharing!
Ok, kind of a strange question, but I’m wondering if I could sub in canned tuna for the chicken? I don’t eat any meat/poultry but I’d like to try this as a quick dinner for after work. I’ve seen other comments about adding mushrooms, onion, cauliflower, etc. I suppose I could sub in portobello mushrooms, chopped, for protein, but I’m kind of craving the tuna pot pies I had as a kid. Hmm, I might just go ahead and try it and see how it turns out!!
I can’t see why not!
Tuna sounds like a great idea!? Did you try it and if so how did it turn out??
I made it with a rotisserie chicken and it was freaken delicious!