Prepare for mouthfuls of flavor with this creamy Keto Alfredo Chicken Bake! This low-carb dinner is the kind of easy weeknight meal that delights both kids and adults alike. This family-friendly Keto Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli includes layers of creamy and garlicky Alfredo sauce, steamed broccoli, and cheese.
This keto alfredo chicken bake is the ultimate comfort food! It tastes like traditional fettuccine alfredo with broccoli but made into a casserole with melted cheese on top. If you miss alfredo, look no further. Creamy Keto Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli Bake is the ultimate comfort food that is easy to make, low carb, and delicious. In under 30 minutes, you’ll have a wonderful meal on the table with little effort.
Why This Recipe Works
This Keto Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli Recipe is perfect for those following a ketogenic diet or simply looking for a healthier alternative to traditional comfort food. It’s a complete meal packed with flavor, easy to customize, and can be made ahead of time.
Packed with flavor: Every layer of this dish is seasoned to perfection, resulting in a creamy, garlicky, and Italian herb-filled meal that will excite your taste buds.
Easy & flexible: This recipe uses a few common pantry spices for the chicken along with a quick Alfredo sauce (or your favorite jarred Alfredo sauce from the grocery store).
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delectable casserole:
For the Chicken
- 1. 5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 1 tsp Italian seasonings
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- Olive oil
For the Broccoli
- 1 pound broccoli florets (approximately 8 cups)
For the Alfredo Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Butter
- 4 cloves Garlic - minced
- 1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
- 4 oz. Cream Cheese - softened
- ⅔ Cup Freshly Shredded/Grated Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ tsp. Pepper
Other Ingredients
- 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 8 oz. Sliced Mushrooms (optional)
- 3 Tablespoons Melted Butter Or Avocado Oil (optional, for roasting vegetables)
Ingredient Variations
Chicken: You may use boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast. A rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is also a good option. Precooked chicken can save a lot of time when you need a quick meal. As long as you are comfortable with the ingredients, it should work just fine.
Vegetables: Feel free to play with the vegetables here! Not a fan of spinach? No worries! Just add your favorite vegetable to the dish - for example, a keto chicken broccoli Alfredo would be a great alternative combination. You could even swap the spinach and throw in some zoodles! I used a 12-ounce steam bag of broccoli for convenience, but fresh broccoli works great too. It is super easy to sub in a different low-carb veggie you prefer in place of broccoli in this keto chicken alfredo.
Cheese: I use a blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Feel free to mix this up if you like. Besides parmesan cheese used in traditional alfredo sauces, I added Pepper Jack for a hint of added flavor. It didn’t make the dish spicy, which is great since we have smaller kids in our family. You can substitute mozzarella for an Italian Cheese blend, pizza cheese blend, or mild cheddar.
Alfredo Sauce: I like to make my own, but you can buy keto-friendly alfredo sauce too. Alfredo sauce is generally low in carbs, but you might find ingredients you avoid, like wheat or flour in commercially made brands. Typically alfredo sauce has approx 3-4 carbs.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
How to Make Keto Chicken Alfredo Casserole
Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating this comforting dish:
1. Prepare the Chicken
- Mix all of the spices (Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder) in a small bowl.
- Add the chicken to a large bowl and pour on all of the spices.
- Toss the chicken to coat the pieces evenly.
- Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or frying pan to medium heat.
- Cook the chicken breast pieces for 3-4 minutes per side, or until the chicken breasts reach 160 degrees (they'll continue to cook to 165 degrees as they rest).
- Remove from the heat.
2. Prepare the Vegetables
- Broccoli (Blanching Method): To blanch broccoli, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and place in the ice water. Drain.
- Broccoli (Steaming Method): Pop the broccoli in the microwave and follow package directions to steam. Or, if you prefer, you can steam in boiling water on the stove.
3. Make the Alfredo Sauce
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds to a minute, or until fragrant.
- Then, slowly add in the heavy whipping cream and softened cream cheese cut into blocks.
- Continue to stir until the cheeses melt and the sauce is smooth.
When making the keto alfredo sauce, it’s essential to bring it to a slow boil and continuously whisk to reduce and thicken without sticking to the bottom of the skillet. While flour or cornstarch is often used to make a roux to thicken traditional sauces, most who follow a keto diet avoid those ingredients. You can thicken this low-carb alfredo sauce by simply simmering for a few minutes with the lid off so that the sauce reduces and thickens.
4. Assemble the Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Add about ½ cup of alfredo sauce to the bottom of a large (9×13) baking dish. Spread it evenly.
- In a large bowl, combine the broccoli and cubed chicken.
- Add half the chicken and the broccoli. Add 1 cup of alfredo sauce (distribute as evenly as possible) and add 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese to the top.
- Repeat step 2 with the remaining sauce, chicken, and cheese.
- Preheat the broiler to low heat.
5. Bake
Pop the skillet in the oven on the top rack under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until the mozzarella cheese begins to bubble. While you could leave it on the stove to melt, I found that baking the cheese from the top in the oven produced the best results for this dish.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned.
Tips for the Perfect Casserole
Don’t overcook the cauliflower! Carefully drain the water from the bowl. Drying your cauliflower is an important step that you should not skip! Cauliflower releases a lot of water when it cooks, which is one of the reasons we steam it first to help release some of the moisture before placing it in the casserole.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Use homemade or jarred Alfredo sauce: If you’re in a time crunch, then you can use jarred Alfredo sauce. I personally prefer to make my own since it takes 15 minutes, but I know that eliminating that step might be helpful for some.
Swap shredded chicken or leftover chicken for the seared chicken breast: If you don’t want to cook chicken, another time-saving tip is to use shredded rotisserie chicken that you picked up from the store.
Make sure to drain the broccoli after steaming.
If the sauce is too thin, continue boiling on low heat with the lid off, and it will reduce.
Serving Suggestions
For a simple one-dish meal, you can serve this creamy and delicious low-carb Chicken Alfredo Bake as is or with one of the low-carb pasta alternatives listed below. I would also add a nice leafy garden salad to serve alongside.
Low-Carb Pasta Alternatives
- Zucchini Zoodles: Are made by spiralizing zucchini into noodle shapes. You’ll need a spiralizer if you don’t already have one.
- Spaghetti Squash: Is my favorite pasta alternative. Once it is cooked, it shreds into thin strands that resemble noodles. It is rich in fiber, low in calories, and dense in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Miracle Noodles (Shirataki Noodles): Shirataki noodles are made from the Konjac plant. They are very low in carbs and should take on the taste of whatever sauce you are using.
- Palmini: This low-carb alternative to pasta was featured on Shark Tank.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Can chicken alfredo bake casserole be made ahead of time?
Yes, this makes a great make-ahead meal! Simply fully assemble it without baking, then cover and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months.
How do I reheat a frozen casserole?
To reheat, allow thawing in the fridge overnight then bake as directed.
Allow the casserole to cool completely. Place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to about 4 to 5 days. You can warm up an individual portion in the microwave.
Freezing
We don’t recommend freezing this dish. When cauliflower freezes, it becomes mushy when defrosted and reheated.
Dairy-Free, Paleo, and Whole30 Options
Can I make this dairy-free, paleo, and/or whole30?
Yes, you can! To do this, simply swap out the homemade alfredo with my paleo alfredo sauce. Then, top with dairy-free mozzarella cheese, or omit it for whole30 and strict paleo.
Why Alfredo Sauce Separates When Reheated and How to Prevent It
Anytime I have ever tried to reheat alfredo sauce, it always separates and gets watery, so I thought I’d do some research as to why and if it could be avoided. Mainly, you don’t want to shock the sauce with high heat. You want to rewarm it slowly. If it does separate, all might not be lost. Sometimes you can add a little heavy cream and whisk again to emulsify.
Nutrition Information
The nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 6 servings.
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size.
This recipe includes 4g of net carbs.