A simple one-dish meal, this 40-minute keto chicken casserole is easy to assemble and practically bakes itself. It's the ultimate weeknight dinner!
Casseroles make life easy. You throw a few ingredients in a baking dish, bake, and voila - dinner is ready! This delicious casserole is keto, filling, and easy to make. If you have precooked chicken, it's ready in minutes! But even if you need to cook the chicken first, this recipe is fast and easy.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here's a look at the ingredients.
For cooking the chicken: Chicken breasts, oil, salt, and pepper.
Creamy sauce: Mayonnaise (I prefer mayo made with avocado oil), sour cream, Dijon mustard, garlic, spices, and shredded cheddar.
Topping: Scallions and bacon bits. I use store-bought bacon bits for convenience, but you can cook bacon until crispy and crumble it.
Variations
- You can season the chicken breasts with additional spices. I sometimes add ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and ½ teaspoon of paprika.
- To make it a complete meal, lightly steam small broccoli florets and mix them into the casserole before the final stage of baking. Increase the mayonnaise and sour cream to ⅓ cup each.
- You can use rotisserie chicken. Be sure to remove the skin.
- While I usually use chicken breast, it's fine to use boneless chicken thighs.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Cook the chicken and cube it. You can bake the chicken, broil the chicken, or use this recipe for poached chicken.
Mix the chicken cubes with a creamy homemade sauce. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and top it with shredded cheese.
Bake the casserole until hot and bubbly. Before serving, sprinkle scallions and bacon bits on top for extra flavor and a gorgeous presentation.
Definitely 5 Star. The recipe is easy to make and the sauce has terrific flavor. Could be served to guests. And the recipe has accurate times, unlike some I have tried at various sites.
W Durkin
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Recipe Tip
This casserole is just creamy enough for my taste, and my family likes it this way, too. However, reader feedback over the years has taught me that some people want it creamier.
If you'd like your casserole to be extra creamy, I suggest you increase the mayonnaise and sour cream to ⅓ cup each.
Recipe FAQs
You could if the casserole will be baked for long enough that the chicken is cooked through. But to be on the safe side, I prefer to precook the chicken before adding it to the casserole. In addition, raw chicken will release liquids as it cooks, making the dish watery.
Absolutely. Although starch is one of the components of a classic casserole, I make low-carb casseroles all the time without any starch, and they come out wonderfully flavorful.
Sure. Simply omit the mayonnaise and double the amount of sour cream. It won't be as good - mayonnaise adds extra creaminess and flavor. But it will still be very good.
You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to four days. Gently reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. However, if you've used pre-cooked chicken that has already spent some time in the fridge, take that into account when deciding how long you can keep the leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve this casserole with a vegetable to round out the meal. Since I bake the casserole in a 450°F oven, I like to serve it with a vegetable that can be cooked in the same oven, such as any of the following:
Alternatively, I serve this casserole with a veggie I can quickly steam or pan-fry, such as steamed broccoli, sauteed spinach, or spicy green beans.
Recipe Card
Cheesy Keto Chicken Casserole
Video
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - 8 ounces each; 32 ounces total of raw chicken breasts
- Avocado oil spray
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise - ⅓ cup for a creamier casserole
- ¼ cup sour cream - ⅓ cup for a creamier casserole
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup cheddar - sharp, shredded, divided
Topping:
- ¼ cup scallions - sliced, green parts only
- ¼ cup bacon bits - room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking dish with foil and grease the foil. Arrange the chicken breasts in the prepared pan. Spray them with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until cooked through, for about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, grease a 2-quart casserole dish. In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, pepper, dried thyme, paprika, cayenne, and ½ cup of shredded cheddar.
- When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven but keep the oven on. Allow the chicken to slightly cool until it’s easier to handle. Cut it into cubes or shred it. Add the chicken cubes to the bowl with the mayonnaise-sour cream mixture and toss to coat.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining ½ cup of shredded cheddar. Bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through, for about 10 minutes. (See notes below).
- Sprinkle the casserole with sliced scallions and bacon bits. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This casserole is just creamy enough for my taste, and my family likes it this way, too. However, reader feedback over the years has taught me that some people want it creamier. If you'd like your casserole to be extra creamy, I suggest you increase the mayonnaise and sour cream to ⅓ cup each.
- You can replace the chicken breasts with boneless chicken thighs.
- To make it a complete meal, lightly steam small broccoli florets and mix them into the casserole before the final stage of baking. Increase the mayonnaise and sour cream to ⅓ cup each.
- Since I typically use warm chicken that I just cooked, I find that 10 minutes at 450°F is enough to heat the casserole through (it should reach an internal temperature of 165°F). If you plan to use cold leftover chicken, I suggest microwaving it, covered, to warm it up before adding it to the casserole. Alternatively, use the chicken cold, and bake the casserole in a preheated 400°F oven for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.
- You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. If you used pre-cooked chicken, take that into account when counting those 3-4 days.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Barry Cornell says
Can I freeze it if I do double mixture.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Barry,
Yes! This casserole freezes well for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat in a 350°F oven (if using a refrigerated casserole dish, remove it to the counter 30 minutes before putting it in a hot oven) or in the microwave covered at 50% power.
Curtis Graham says
This is so good! I used the Costco rotisserie chicken they have in a 43 ounce bag. I used about 20 ounces diced up and it was great! Because I used cold meat, I baked at 350 for 30 minutes. I removed, stirred and added about a cup of Costco bacon bits to the top. Increased oven to 400 degrees and baked for 10 more minutes. Turned out perfect. I love the tang from the mustard, touch of heat from the cayenne, and the creaminess! A new go to for my keto diet!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Curtis! Thanks for sharing your delicious tweaks.
Amie says
I made this tonight for the first time and it is so good! I used ground chicken and I also cooked some protein pasta and added it to everything and then baked it all a few minutes to heat and melt the cheese. This recipe is a keeper!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Amie! Thank you for sharing your delicious tweaks.
Kathy says
How long do you cook the casserole for? It says 5-10 minutes but I don’t think that will heat everything through. Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Kathy,
Great question! I'll go ahead and add my answer as a note in the recipe card.
Since I'm using warm chicken that I just cooked, I find that 10 minutes at 450°F is enough to heat the casserole through. If you plan to use cold leftover chicken, I suggest microwaving it, covered, to warm it up before adding it to the casserole. Alternatively, use the chicken cold, and bake the casserole at 400°F for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.
Vickie says
what can I substitute sour cream with if its not on hand?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Vickie,
You can omit the sour cream and double the mayonnaise.
Michelle says
My husband and I LOVED this dish! I would double it though cause it’s really tasty and will get gobbled up quickly!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed this casserole, Michelle!
Lou says
This is a very good casserole. It’s similar to “Hungarian” Chicken Paprikash. This would be great with pasta, dumplings, rice, mashed potatoes, or garlic bread. The green onions were a nice addition.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this casserole, Lou! Thank you for the feedback and suggestions.
Carolyn Jorgensen says
Is that 4 (8 ounce chicken breast?) 8 ounces each? Or a total of 32 ounces of cooked chicken. I wasn’t clear on this.
Vered DeLeeuw says
It's 32 ounces total of raw chicken breasts. Four raw chicken breasts, each weighing 8 ounces. Thank you for this question, Carolyn. I clarified it in the recipe card.
Kylie says
This was yummy. I made the avocado keto mayo - this was easy. I also baked the chicken breast. I added red bell pepper and 1/2 an onion to the casserole. I will make this again. Thanks!
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Kylie! I like your additions.
Esme says
This casserole is not only easy, but utterly delicious! Vered, the seasoning is perfect, and everyone in the family loved it! I did add steamed broccoli to make it a complete meal, just as you described in the Notes. I'll try some spinach next time to introduce another green veggie. I did cheat because I was short on time, so I used a rotisserie chicken instead of baking chicken breasts. I can't wait to make this again, it's so good! Thank you for this elevated chicken casserole recipe!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this casserole, Esme! I love using rotisserie chicken in recipes. It makes life so much easier.
Renee says
Absolutely delicious! I baked chicken thighs for about 45 minutes instead of chicken breast. I also added steamed broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and carrot. The kids and husband loved it too!
Vered DeLeeuw says
How wonderful that the entire family enjoyed this casserole, Renee! I love your additions.