Keto Mexican Cheesy Chicken Skillet

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Keto Mexican Cheesy Chicken Skillet is going to become one of your all-time favorites! It is delicious, full of flavor, and super simple since it’s a one-pan meal. You can have the entire dish on the table in minutes, and clean up is a snap.

Keto Mexican Cheesy Chicken Skillet hero image

Keto Mexican Cheesy Chicken Skillet

I don’t know about you, but we love Mexican dishes. Thankfully, there are tons of options for keto-friendly Mexican food recipes with incredible flavor. We haven’t felt deprived since we started following a keto diet.

Is Mexican cuisine keto?

While your favorite Mexican style recipes might not be keto due to their high carb count from beans, rice, and tortillas, there are ways you can make dishes that are low carb and delicious. One easy substitute for rice is riced cauliflower. You can also enjoy taco meat and fajitas on a bed of lettuce instead of tortillas, which drastically reduce the carb count.

To reduce the carb count in this particular recipe, I used riced cauliflower, and there are no flour or corn tortillas. There are only 4g net carbs per serving in this recipe. I’ve included the step by step recipe below with pics if visuals are helpful. Make sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full printable recipe and instructions.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING KETO MEXICAN SKILLET WITH CHEESY CHICKEN

  • Butter: Used to saute the green peppers for added fat and flavor
  • Veggies: Trust me, you want to include the onions, peppers, and garlic in this dish. They add flavor!
  • Chicken: The chicken is cooked beforehand in the slow cooker, so feel free to use whatever chicken you have on hand for this recipe or pick up a rotisserie one at the grocery store.
  • Rotel Tomatoes: I love using these tomatoes for this recipe because it adds a lot more spice and punch than normal diced tomatoes.
  • Cauliflower: You won’t be using rice in this dish; it’s cauliflower time!
  • Taco Seasoning: Try my homemade version linked in this post for incredible flavor and fewer carbs than the store-bought seasoning packets.
  • Chicken Broth: This creates a rich and flavorful base for the dish.

STEPS FOR MAKING KETO MEXICAN SKILLET WITH CHEESY CHICKEN

green peppers, onions, and garlic in a cast iron skillet

Step 1: Slow cook the chicken in a bit of chicken broth with salt and pepper. When the chicken is done, saute the onion, green bell pepper, and garlic in butter to help release the flavors. Check out these step-by-step instructions for how to make shredded chicken in the crock-pot.

Tip: Although I love my cast iron skillet, you could use any other kind of skillet. Cast Iron is very affordable and last forever, unlike other skillets that I end up replacing once a year. This Lodge Cast iron Skillet on Amazon is a great price.

Rotel tomatoes, green peppers, and onions in a cast iron skillet

Step 2: Add Rotel to the pan. Rotel is a brand name for a 10oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilis.

steamed riced cauliflower on top of the Rotel tomatoes in the skillet

Step 3: Add a bag of riced cauliflower. I use a steam bag of riced cauliflower as it is easier than using fresh. Make sure to steam it first so that it is nice and tender before adding it to the recipe. I don’t normally like steamed cauliflower, but it will take on the taste of the taco seasonings in this recipe.

Can I taste the cauliflower in this Mexican Keto Skillet?

Gosh, I hope not as I don’t enjoy cauliflower. Thankfully, all the spices in this recipe completely tone it down, and I don’t taste cauliflower at all. I love how the taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, and veggies help the cauliflower blend in with the rest of this dish. My son, who hates cauliflower and is always suspect of hidden veggies in new recipes, didn’t taste it at all.

Taco seasoning with riced cauliflower in a skillet

Step 4: The mixture will boil down and look like this. Allowing the mixture to simmer and reduce allows the seasoning flavors to infuse the riced cauliflower. 

chicken, rotel, and cauliflower rice with taco seasoning in a skillet

Step 5: Next, add the shredded chicken to the mixture. (Here I show you exactly HOW to shred chicken for recipes like this one!) Then top with the shredded cheese. By the time you add the chicken and cheese to this Cheesy Mexican Skillet, you won’t even remember the riced cauliflower. I prefer to use cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack, but feel free to switch it up. I also grate cheese to avoid the fillers added to pre-shredded.

Low Carb Cheesy Mexican Casserole in a skillet

Step 6: Continue simmering in a skillet over medium-high heat until the cheese melts.

Tip: If you are making this ahead of time for meal prep, you could pour it into a baking dish before the cheese melts then rewarm later in the oven to melt the cheese.

Mexican Cheesy Chicken Skillet on a white plate with the skillet in the background and a bell pepper in the back left corner

How do I store Keto Mexican Cheesy Chicken Skillet?

This low carb Mexican recipe tastes even better as leftovers as it gives more time for all the flavors to mesh. It can be stored in the fridge for 3 to four days. You could also freeze for up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time for meal prep?

Absolutely! Follow the steps in the recipe up to adding the freshly grated cheese. Instead of melting the cheese on the stove, pour into a casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. You can store in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. When you are ready to enjoy the casserole, allow the dish to come to room temperature then pop in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes covered with foil until it is hot and bubbly. You can also pop it in the oven right out of the fridge, but it may take a few more minutes to bake.

You can also freeze at the same point. Allow to cool first, then pour into a freezer-safe casserole dish. I often use disposable aluminum pans. Wrap with aluminum foil and freeze. To heat, thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake in a 350-degree oven covered with foil until hot and bubbly. It may take a little longer than 20 minutes. Watch to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Tips for Making Keto Cheesy Mexican Skillet Chicken 

I have found that one skillet or casserole type meals are quick and easy, especially when both of my big kids are playing sports. I appreciate that there aren’t many dishes to clean, and I don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Below I’ve included a few tips I’ve found that further simplify this recipe.

  1. Slow Cooker – By cooking the chicken in my slow cooker first, it cuts back on cooking time so that I can have dinner on the table in a snap. I simply place the boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with chicken broth and salt/pepper. Then, I slow cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
  2. Instant Pot – If you don’t have a slow cooker or forgot to throw it in earlier in the day, you can also cook the chicken in the Instant Pot. You can find detailed instructions to cook chicken in the Instant Pot here.
  3. Grab a rotisserie chicken while you are out and shred that instead, it will drastically cut back on preparation time.
  4. Substitute Ground Beef – Out of chicken, but still want to make this recipe? No problem; you can easily sub ground beef and beef broth instead of chicken and chicken broth for a nice variation. If you keep ground beef already browned in the freezer like me, you can have dinner on the table in a flash.

Keto Mexican Cheesy Chicken Skillet on a white plate with sour cream on top

Topping Ideas for this recipe

There are so many options to garnish Keto Cheesy Mexican Skillet Chicken. I’ve included a few ideas below.

  • onions
  • lettuce
  • sour cream
  • sliced grape tomatoes
  • cilantro
  • salsa
  • sliced avocado
  • guacamole
  • jalapenos

More Keto Mexican Recipes

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4.68 from 199 votes

Keto Mexican Cheesy Chicken Skillet

This Keto Mexican Cheesy Skillet Chicken is incredibly flavorful, filling, and easy to make when you need dinner on the table quickly without skimping on taste.
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Skillet Chicken
Servings: 6
Calories: 295kcal
Author: Kasey Trenum

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a skillet, melt butter, then saute onion, pepper, and garlic until softened.
  • Steam riced cauliflower in microwave according to package directions.
  • Add
    homemade taco seasoning, Rotel, chicken broth, and cauliflower to skillet.
  • Stir to combine then cook on medium/low approx 10 minutes until extra liquid is absorbed.
  • Add cooked chicken and stir well. If the mixture gets too thick, add a little more chicken broth.
  • Simmer on low covered for 5 minutes.
  • Sprinkle cheese on top, cover, and simmer until cheese is melted.
  • Optional: Serve with sour cream, cilantro, jalapenos, etc.

Video

Notes

Tips for Making Keto Cheesy Mexican Skillet Chicken 

Below, I've included a few tips I've found that further simplify this recipe.
  1. Slow Cooker - By cooking the chicken in my slow cooker first, it cuts back on cooking time so that I can have dinner on the table in a snap. I simply place the boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with chicken broth and salt/pepper. Then, I slow cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
  2. Instant Pot - If you don't have a slow cooker or forgot to it in earlier in the day, you can also cook the chicken in the Instant Pot. You can find detailed instructions to cook chicken in the Instant Pot here
  3. Grab a rotisserie chicken while you are out to shred as it will drastically cut back on preparation time.
  4. Substitute Ground Beef - Out of chicken, but still want to make this recipe? No problem, you can easily sub ground beef and beef broth instead of chicken and chicken broth for a nice variation. If you keep ground beef already browned in the freezer like me, you can have dinner on the table in a flash.
There are so many options to garnish Keto Cheesy Mexican Skillet Chicken. I've included a few ideas below.
  • lettuce
  • sour cream
  • sliced grape tomatoes
  • cilantro
  • salsa
  • sliced avocado
  • guacamole
  • jalapenos

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Vitamin C: 39.8mg | Calcium: 300mg | Iron: 1.2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @kaseytrenumblogger or tag #kaseytrenumblogger!

collage of keto cheesy chicken skillet recipe

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239 Comments

  1. This sounds amazing, but when do you add the taco seasoning?? I’ll be making a different Mexican Cauliflower Rice recipe on its own as a side dish or on the zero carb street taco tortillas. Thanks for the recipe inspiration!

    1. Hey Deb, step 3 of the recipe card is where the keto taco seasoning is added. Hope it tuns out awesome!

    1. If you look at the top of the recipe card, you’ll see the number of servings listed. I eyeball it and divide the recipe by that number.

  2. 5 stars
    OMG, so good! I was worried about it tasting like cauliflower, but it didn’t.
    Definitely making again and again! Thank you!

  3. 5 stars
    This is the fourth or 5th recipe of Kasey’s we’ve made and not a bad one yet. The others, this is not difficult and it’s really tasty. The good thing about it is you can cater your spice level with the Rotel. We went for original which was warm but not too hot.
    And, is she indicated at the end of the recipe, you can add plenty of things to dress it up. If you so desire. I’d have to think a little guacamole with this would be awesome. Will do that next time.

  4. 5 stars
    Made this for about the fourth time last night and had leftovers for lunch (reheats well!) I love this recipe. I follow the recipe as is and it’s delicious! Hubby loves it too, even the cauliflower “rice”. It’s so easy and fairly quick to make on a weeknight. I always have rotisserie chicken in the freezer so i almost always have everything on hand. This is one of my go to keto dishes. Thanks for a tasty recipe. You have so many good ones!

  5. You can also purchase low carb or keto tortillas which are 6 net carb. That’s 25% of the original carb content of non keto tortillas.

  6. 5 stars
    Loved it. On keto a week and a half in. This was just like our burrito bowls I usually make. I had tried riced cauliflower before and the whole house smelled like a fart so I was reluctant to try it again. Steamed in a bag is the way to go! No bad smells. Can’t wait to try another of your recipes. Thanks again

    1. Yeah, definitely don’t want the house to smell like that! lol! So glad you loved it. Best of luck on your keto journey. Check out my Facebook group for support, encouragement, and recipes.

  7. 5 stars
    This recipe is my go to! So simple yet delicious. And it reheats so well so I can have dinner and then a couple days of lunches. I also feel good about it because it’s packed full of veggies. Thank you so much. Love your recipes!

    1. Donna, I’ll be honest, I hate turkey! So this is a meat that I do not ever use to substitute for chicken or beef. However, I think beef or vegetable broth may be your best bets. Let me know how it turns out!

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