Low-Carb Chicken & Broccoli Casserole – Cheesy, Creamy and Keto-Dreamy!
One of the many joys of keto… CHEESE! And, this chicken broccoli casserole is full of it.
Oh, this casserole! It’s on my MVP list of keto dinner ideas that the entire family loves, particularly on cold winter evenings. For anyone who adores the marriage of chicken and cheese, it’s a match made in heaven, with tiny broccoli florets to help balance the rich, creaminess of the dish.
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I love casseroles because they’re easy to make ahead of time.
Dinner time is a bit chaotic in my house, so make-ahead meals are a real time-saver. This chicken and cheese keto casserole is super easy to prepare and can be refrigerated until you’re ready to pop it in the oven. The leftovers reheat wonderfully, so I can serve it two nights in a row. And wouldn’t you know it — nobody ever complains!
Keto Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
yield: 10 SERVINGS
prep time: 35 MINUTES
cook time: 1 HOUR 25 MINUTES
total time: 2 HOURS
For anyone who adores the marriage of chicken and cheese, it’s a match made in heaven, with tiny broccoli florets to help balance the rich and creaminess of the dish.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 lbs)
- 3 medium heads broccoli, cut into 1" to 1 1/2" florets (approx. 9 cups of raw, cut broccoli)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup block cream cheese, (8 oz package) softened
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (8 oz bag), divided (1 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup for topping)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, (8 oz bag) divided, (1 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup for topping)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon powder (can substitute with one crushed bouillon cube)
- 1/2 cup hot water
Directions
1
Place chicken breasts in a large pot and pour in enough water to cover the breasts. Salt the water. Place over medium/high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until no longer pink, about 40 minutes. Allow chicken to cool, then shred it into small pieces. Set aside.
2
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
3
Add a few pinches of salt to the broccoli florets and steam until crisp-tender using your favorite method. Once cooked, drain to remove excess moisture, set aside.
4
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, blend sour cream, softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, egg, and spices (salt through pepper) until thoroughly combined. Dissolve bouillon in 1/2 cup of hot water and beat into the mixture. Now add 1 1/2 cups each cheddar and mozzarella, mix well. Lastly, add the shredded chicken, stir to combine.
5
Spread about 1/4 of the chicken mixture into an even layer on the bottom of your greased baking dish. Make a second layer using the broccoli, followed by the rest of the chicken mixture. Top with remaining cheese.
6
Bake for 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 10 servings, Serving Size: approx. 1 1/4 cups
Amount Per Serving:
634 Calories | 40.1g Fat | 7.5g Total Carbs | 1.9g Fiber | .1g Sugar Alcohol | 56.1g Protein | 5.6g Net Carbs
Hip Recipe Tips:
1.) You can prepare this dish ahead of time! Just cover it in a sheet of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
2.) Pressed for time? Skip stove-top steaming and use this top-rated, BPA-free microwave veggie steamer.
3.) If you’re away from home for most of the day, use this easy slow cooker method for cooking the chicken: Arrange chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour water (or broth) over the chicken. Add a touch of salt. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
I just made this and it was wonderful! Will definitely keep it in the rotation. I did the chicken in my instant pot & steamed the broccoli on the stovetop. I got sidetracked & over cooked it a smidge, so will make sure to keep a closer eye on the veg next time. The sauce is wonderful! I think you could sub different veggies based on what you have on hand & still get a luscious dish. Thanks for a winning recipe!
Hi Shawna! Thank you for the awesome feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed it❤
Hello Shawna, can I ask what you did to make this in an instant pot?
It looks like she just cooked her chicken in the instant pot to save time. Put 1 cup water and you could throw in a tsp of chicken Billy Lion or a bullion cube while you cook the breasts to shreddable. Google how long to cook chix breasts in instant pot until you can shred them.
Can you freeze this when you have leftovers?
Yes! I have frozen it before, Sue!
Can you make this in a crockpot
No, I would not recommend it for this recipe.
I loves this and so did the girls at work! Only tho g I will try different next time is to cut the broccoli up much much smaller! Love this!! Thank you so much Hip2Keto!
You are so welcome! I’m so glad to hear the gals liked it! It’s one of my favorites!
Love this dish! I use to make something similar with cream of mushroom.
I only used 1/2 cup cream cheese & added 1/2 cup of ricotta. Came out wonderful! Thank you!
Hi Tony! That sounds delicious. Thank you for suggestion ❤
I made this and added cauliflower rice. It was delicious
That’s a great idea, Nancy! I think I’ll add it next time as well! Thanks for the idea.
Did you cook the cauliflower rice before adding?
We play cards every Friday nights with out next door neighbors, and I’m the designated cook. Got 4 thumbs up tonight. I subbed boneless, skinless chicken thichs and diced the cooked meat with kitchen shears. Neighbors do low carb too!
I’m glad you were able to share and the neighbors liked it! Thanks for letting us know!
Delicious! I used left over Turkey from our Thanksgiving Dinner last night. Used half the recipe. So much flavour. Thank you for this wonderful meal!
You’re SO very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Can this be made with chicken thighs instead? Thank you
Yes! That would work too! Enjoy!
I’ve been keto for 4 years and love to cook. This is our favorite, by a mile. I’m known for playing with recipes and changing things up, but there isn’t much to improve on this one. I cooked the chicken, a mix of light and dark, some with bones, in the instant pot. After it was done, I steamed the broccoli in the broth. I added garlic herb seasoning. That’s it. Perfect. Warms up great and freezes well. Thanks!
AWWWWW! Thank you! It’s my favorite, too!
I think adding mushrooms to this made it even better I cut them up and cooked while my chicken was boiling I just put in a pan with. Little olive oil cooked down and then added it to the mix my mymy
Hi Rhonda! We love mushrooms since they are so versatile. Thank’s for the tip! I’ll have to try it this way in the future❤
That looks so good! I love comfort food casseroles!
I was looking for a new low carb option for chicken so I made this for dinner last night. Not everyone in the family is a fan of broccoli, so I also added a small bag of mixed veggies. It was amazing and exactly what I was hoping for!! Will definitely be making this as a new Chicken casserole favorite. Thanks!
YUM! Thanks for letting us know how it turned out, Sheri! You’re most welcome!
Do you think you could use rotisserie chicken & frozen broccoli florets if you’re really pressed for time?
Yes! That could work too. You may want to precook the frozen broccoli a bit and drain to avoid any excess moisture in the casserole. Hope that is helpful!
I found your recipe while searching for something tasty and keto for dinner tonight. Let me tell you, this is by far the best chicken broccoli cheddar bake I have ever had! I actually used frozen broccoli florets & it added a touch more creaminess to the melted cheeses and sour cream mixture. My husband LOVED it as well. This will definitely be in our list of keto dinners from now on.
I’m so glad you found us, Sandra! 🥰This is definitely one of my favorites and I’m so glad you and your husband loved it! Thank you for the feedback!
I made this minus a bunch of ingredients, I used sour cream, mayo and everything but the bagel ( obviously chicken, broccoli cheese). In the past I would not proceed with a recipe because I didn’t have all the ingredients. My modification turned out delicious.
I love the modifications, especially the seasoning! Thanks, Maribel!
Do you think Costco canned Chicken could work in this?
Yes, I think that will work!
I roasted the broccoli and added chopped sautéed mushrooms. This is the best low carb chicken broccoli casserole I’ve tried as it came out very moist. This is a rich recipe so the serving size is quite filling.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing how you made yours, Jennifer! SO glad you loved it! 😋🙌
What kind of instant Chicken Bouillon powder did you use? Most of the ones I read the label have a bunch of ingredients that aren’t keto friendly.
Hi Sharon! We usually use the Herb Ox, and we also recommend the Simple Girl Dry Bouillon Base. Hope that might be helpful! 💞🤗
Wow. Anyone know the sodium numbers on this?
Hey Linda! The sodium is 679.7mg per serving. Hoping this is helpful! 💖
I’m the only one in my house doing keto so this recipe would make too much even cutting it in half. I made the full recipe but rolled some in lasagna noodles for my non-keto family and added some alfredo. I cooked my portions in ramekins and froze a couple for future use. This recipe gets 2 thumbs up from everyone in my house!!!! Thank you for sharing it.
You’re welcome, Liz! Thanks for sharing how you modified this recipe to suit your family – great idea! Glad your family enjoyed it! 🤗💗
I use the 3 pound frozen chicken tenderloins and it comes out perfect. This recipe is so yummy and I get about 12 servings. Mmmmmm!
Yay! I’m so happy it turned out perfectly for you, Christy! 🙌 ❤️ Good to know the frozen chicken worked out so well! Thanks for letting us know how much you liked it! 🤗