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!).
Deena says
So in keeping with my vow to utilize what I have on hand, I cooked up the pancetta left over from something else then sautéed my broccoli in and used left over turkey breast. Then instead of regular mozzarella I used some left over smoked mozzarella. it was fantastic. Ok, the calorie and fat may be off because of the pancetta, but worth it. Thank you for the fantastic ideas. keep them coming. 😘
Jennifer Maestas says
This is amazing. My husband is super-picky. He loves this dish! I have made it with rotisserie chicken and today with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Awesome. I have subbed 1/2 and 1/2 when I did not have heavy cream and it was still great. This recipe is a keeper!!
Lois says
So, I had this all put together and ready for the oven when my oven died! Can I just do it on the stove top?
Carolyn says
Oh no! Okay, I recommend covering it to help melt the cheese in the last step, rather than broiling. Keep it on medium or medium low.
Lynn Landis says
Absolutely LOVE THIS! I’ve made it twice now and my Husband goes crazy for it! We are fairly new to eating Keto, and I must say, you’ve helped me tremendously! I recommend your website to everyone, Keto dieters or not! Thanks so much for helping me transistion into healthier eating with your excellent recipes!
Carolyn says
Great to hear!
Rebecca says
Made this tonight with leftover Thanksgiving Turkey, delicious! And so quick and easy to make.
Sara says
Made tonight! Super easy, quick and delicious! Love all your recipes! Thank you!
MaryJane says
Can you freeze this before or after broiling?
Carolyn says
I would do it after.
Lois A Johnson-Young says
We made this last night for the first time and it was incredible! The balance of flavors between the garlic, broccoli, chicken and cheese was just perfect! Definitely 5 stars! Thanks, Carolyn, for another winning recipe to add to our favorites!
Cindi says
Love this!! So do all of my boys (husband, teen & 20) Thank you for making it easy and tasty to get my family to eat healthier!
Suzie says
Do u have a simple bread recipe for bread maker.
Cheers
Carolyn says
No, sorry. I don’t own a bread machine.
Paula says
This was easy, quick and delicious! I used rotisserie chicken and cooked frozen broccoli florets. A delicious meal.
Sheri Hutchison says
Can I make this ahead and cook the next day in the oven?
Carolyn says
Yes, but I wouldn’t do it any more than 1 day in advance.
Judy Duren says
I love this recipe! I had all the ingredients also had mushrooms that needed cooking so I added them. It was delicious! Thank you for all you do!
Judy
Virginia Sanchez says
Oh Carolyn, this was so delicious!!! Just so happened, I had all the ingredients on hand and had just bought a rotisserie chicken! Even the grandkids were lovin’ it…thank you for all these wonderful recipes!
Connie says
Made this last night, it was perfect!! I used my smaller cast iron and it was super fast and easy. I did add more cream to thin it out because my husband prefers things “extra saucy”
Geannie says
I had frozen broccoli so I followed another commenter’s advice and skipped the pan sauté all together. Used cooked chicken, so it was just a matter of running water over broccoli a bit to thaw, then layering it with the cooked chicken. Went straight to sauce step, added it and the cheese, and right into the broiler. It was prefect and super quick.
Charmaine Wardrop says
This is so good! I didn’t miss the pasta that much.
I think next time I will sauté some mushrooms to add to it, but it is delicious as is.
Thank you for all you do!
Linda Day says
I usually get annoyed when people write a review and they changed the recipe, but this is such a great basis for so many variations. I didn’t have enough broccoli so I added some mushrooms & chopped zucchini. I didn’t have any chicken so I used 3 cans of tuna. It was delicious and very ‘comfort’ food satisfying. Thank you!
Diane says
I made this and loved it! However, my sauce turned out very thick and gummy, not creamy. Not sure what I did wrong. Did I cook it too long?
Carolyn says
Sounds like maybe that’s the case.
Allison says
We loved this, full of flavor and very filling. The fresh broccoli was delicious. This is an easy recipe that can be enhanced if one wants. We upped the chicken spice flavor with a couple of bullion cubes incorporated with the sautéing broccoli (with a bit of water in the pan). Had some green onions, fresh parsley, and black olives so added those on the top after the dish was out of the broiler.