This keto chicken Alfredo pizza recipe offers a delightful and guilt-free way to enjoy a beloved comfort food. By utilizing a low-carb crust and a creamy Alfredo sauce, this pizza provides a satisfying meal while keeping your carbohydrate intake in check. This recipe is a fantastic alternative to traditional takeout pizza, appealing to both low-carb enthusiasts and families alike.
Why Choose Keto Chicken Alfredo Pizza?
This recipe caters to those following a low-carb or ketogenic lifestyle without sacrificing flavor. The combination of a cauliflower crust, creamy Alfredo sauce, chicken, spinach, and cheese creates a harmonious blend of textures and tastes. It's a versatile dish that can be customized with various toppings to suit individual preferences.
The Key Components
Every great pizza has four components that come together to make it perfect: the dough, the sauce, the cheese, and the toppings. So to make the best low carb pizza you've ever had, you need a great crust recipe, delicious sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings.
The Crust: A Low-Carb Foundation
The foundation of this keto pizza is the crust. While traditional pizza dough is high in carbohydrates, this recipe utilizes a low-carb alternative, most commonly a cauliflower crust.
Cauliflower Crust Options:
- Homemade Cauliflower Crust: This involves using riced cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, garlic, and eggs to create a dough. The mixture is then spread on a baking sheet and pre-baked until golden brown.
- Store-Bought Cauliflower Crust: Several brands offer pre-made cauliflower crusts, such as Trader Joe's, KBosh, Outer Aisle, and Cali'Flour Foods. When selecting a store-bought crust, it's crucial to check the ingredient list and nutritional information to ensure it's genuinely low in carbohydrates, as some brands may contain rice flour, corn flour, or tapioca starch.
To make it, start with a batch of low carb Stromboli dough. Place the dough on a pizza pan lined with parchment paper or a baking stone and prick all over with a fork. Then, bake the empty low carb pizza crust for 10-11 minutes.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
The Sauce: Creamy Keto Alfredo
The Alfredo sauce is a crucial element of this pizza, providing a rich and flavorful base. A keto-friendly Alfredo sauce is made with butter, garlic, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese.
Making the Keto Alfredo Sauce:
- Melt butter in a saucepan.
- Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Stir in cream cheese, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese.
- Whisk until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Continue to cook until the sauce becomes thick like pizza sauce.
In a medium sized skillet, melt your butter and sauté freshly minced garlic cloves for 1-2 minutes. They'll get lightly browned and very fragrant. Next, add in your heavy cream and stir well; you want the butter, garlic, and cream to become one even sauce.
The Toppings: Chicken, Spinach, and Cheese
The toppings add flavor, texture, and nutritional value to the pizza. Cooked chicken and spinach are common choices, providing protein and vitamins. Mozzarella cheese is typically used as a topping, but other cheeses like gouda or an Italian cheese blend can also be used.
Preparation:
- Cook chicken beforehand, either using leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken. Dice the chicken into small pieces for even distribution.
- Use fresh or frozen spinach. If using frozen spinach, thaw it and squeeze out any excess water.
Some people like to put the cheese on first and then load on the toppings. Others like to put some vegetables on the sauce and then add the cheese and the rest of the toppings. Once you've added your cheese, you'll top with with crispy bacon pieces, shredded chicken, and baby spinach leaves.
Recipe: Keto Chicken Alfredo Pizza
This recipe provides a step-by-step guide to creating a delicious and satisfying keto chicken Alfredo pizza.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Ingredients:
- For the Cauliflower Crust:
- 1 head of cauliflower, riced
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 eggs
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- For the Keto Alfredo Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- For the Toppings:
- 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- 1/2 cup gouda cheese, shredded (or mozzarella)
Instructions:
- Prepare the Cauliflower Crust:
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- In a bowl, mix the cauliflower rice, mozzarella cheese, eggs, and crushed garlic.
- Place a silicone mat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
- Spread the cauliflower mixture into a large pizza shape, using your hands or a piece of wax paper to create an even crust.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the crust is browned.
- Remove from the oven, but keep the oven on.
- Make the Alfredo Sauce:
- In a saucepan, melt the butter.
- Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and heavy cream.
- Whisk until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
- Assemble the Pizza:
- Spoon the Alfredo sauce over the pre-baked cauliflower crust.
- Add the chopped cooked chicken and chopped spinach.
- Top with shredded gouda cheese (or mozzarella).
- Bake the Pizza:
- Place the pizza back into the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- If desired, broil for a few minutes to brown the top.
- Serve:
- Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips and Variations
- Customize the Toppings: Feel free to experiment with different low-carb toppings such as mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, or different types of cheese.
- Add Spice: For a spicy kick, add some hot peppers or dried crushed red chili pepper to the Alfredo sauce.
- Use Fresh Herbs: Sprinkle fresh basil or oregano over the finished pizza for added flavor.
- Make it Vegetarian: Omit the chicken for a vegetarian version.
Nutritional Information
A serving of this keto chicken Alfredo pizza (approximately 1/4 of the pizza) contains approximately:
- Calories: Varies depending on ingredients
- Net Carbs: 4.2g
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