Keto Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli Bake

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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. You won’t even miss your traditional pasta dish.

Keto Chicken Alfredo bake in a skillet with keto alfredo sauce

Keto Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli Recipe

I’ve always preferred marinara sauce over alfredo, but my kids love it and have been asking me to work on a new alfredo sauce recipe for a long time. Since I knew they wouldn’t know the difference if the sauce was keto-friendly or not, I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone by making a creamy keto alfredo sauce that we all could enjoy. My hubby and I can eat this Keto Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli Recipe as is, while the kids can enjoy it over pasta, making an easy-breezy dinner for all of us. This is definitely one keto recipe you’ll want to add to your keto meal plan along with other easy keto chicken recipes.

slices of boneless skinless chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet browning

Melt butter in a cast iron (or another oven-safe) skillet, then throw seasoned chicken breast into the pan to brown. If you prefer, use olive oil instead. I cut the chicken breasts into uniformly sized pieces so they would all cook evenly.

Can I use Chicken Thighs instead of boneless skinless breasts?

Sure! My personal preference is boneless skinless chicken breasts, but if you prefer thighs instead, then they will work fine. Thighs will add more fat to the dish, which is always good when following a high-fat diet like keto.

Can I Use Precooked Chicken in This Recipe?

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. If you use rotisserie chicken, you could have this meal on the table in less than 15 minutes.

making Keto chicken alfredo in a cast iron skillet with grated cheese on top

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. If you like a little kick to your alfredo, you could always add red pepper flakes or even fresh jalapenos.

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. Make sure that the stove is not turned up too high, which can cause the heavy whipping cream to scald and curdle.

Tip: Do not put a lid on the skillet as the condensation from boiling would cause water droplets in the sauce, making it watery.

How can I thicken chicken alfredo without flour?

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. The combination of heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, and cheeses help this sauce to thicken nicely without adding flour or cornstarch.

chicken, broccoli, and Alfredo sauce in the skillet

I used a 12-ounce steam bag of broccoli for convenience, but fresh broccoli works great too. Then I add the chicken and broccoli to the alfredo sauce.

Tip: If you are looking for meatless dishes, you could omit the chicken and increase the broccoli to make a keto broccoli alfredo bake.

Tip: Make sure to drain after steaming; otherwise, any excess water retained in the broccoli florets can thin out the sauce.

Can I Use a Different Veggie in this Easy Keto Chicken Alfredo Bake?

It is super easy to sub in a different low-carb veggie you prefer in place of broccoli in this keto chicken alfredo. Here are a couple of ideas if you need inspiration:

  • asparagus
  • brussels sprouts
  • green beans
  • cauliflower
  • mushrooms

Keto Chicken Alfredo with broccoli with mozzarella cheese shredded on top before baking

I prefer the texture of popping the Keto Chicken Alfredo Bake in the oven so that the mozzarella cheese browns nicely. You could continue to simmer until the cheese melts on top if you’d like, but make sure not to put a lid on the skillet as the water droplets from condensation would cause the alfredo sauce to thin.

low carb chicken alfredo broccoli plated with the skillet in the background

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. If you miss bread, cheesy garlic chaffles would be fantastic as a low-carb sub to garlic bread.

Are there Low Carb Pasta Alternatives?

  1. Zucchini Zoodles – Are made by spiralizing zucchini into noodle shapes. You’ll need a spiralizer if you don’t already have one. They are inexpensive and work great.
  2. 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. If you aren’t familiar, here is how to roast spaghetti squash.
  3. 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. From comments in various keto groups on Facebook I’ve read, it is essential to rinse these several times to neutralize their smell. I’ve read mixed reviews on Miracle and am honestly hesitant to give them a try because I have a very pronounced sense of smell.
  4. Palmini– This low-carb alternative to pasta was featured on Shark Tank. Palmini is made out of the plant Hearts of palm and is only 4g of carbs or 2g net carbs per serving.

 

chicken and broccoli in a low carb alfredo sauce plated with a bite on a fork

How Many Net Carbs in Alfredo Sauce?

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. This particular recipe for Keto Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli has 5 net carbs in an entire serving, including the carbs from the broccoli.

How to Reheat Keto Alfredo Sauce so that it Doesn’t Separate?

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. Here are a couple of methods that yield the best results.

  • Add a bit of heavy cream to a skillet at medium temperature until it warms, then add the alfredo sauce and heat slowly.
  • Rewarm slowly using a double boiler.
  • Rearm in the oven at 375 degrees – add a bit of water to the dish first.

More Low Carb Chicken Recipes:

Don’t forget to make my most popular recipe of all time, Keto Ground Beef Casserole. It never disappoints, and it is total keto comfort food.

chicken alfredo bake with keto alfredo sauce in a skillet
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4.72 from 323 votes

Keto Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli Bake

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Keto Alfredo, Keto chicken Alfredo
Servings: 6
Calories: 549kcal
Author: Kasey Trenum

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Melt 1 tbsp butter in a 10.25 oven-safe skillet. (I use a cast-iron skillet)
  • Season sliced chicken with salt & pepper before placing the chicken in the skillet. Sear on both sides.
  • Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer on low until the chicken is no longer pink.
  • Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
  • Deglaze the pan by pouring 2 tbsp chicken broth into the hot skillet then scraping the bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Leave the bits in the pan as they are extra flavorful.
  • 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.
  • While the broccoli is cooking, add 2 tbsp butter to the skillet along with the minced garlic. Saute for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
  • Add softened cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, and Italian seasoning to the minced garlic, then stir continuously with a whisk on medium heat until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
  • Reduce to medium/low heat and allow the sauce to simmer gently boiling until the heavy whipping cream has reduced and thickened. Keep whisking so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. It will take a few minutes for the sauce to reduce and thicken.
  • Once it has thickened, add the parmesan and pepper jack cheese, then continue to stir until the cheeses melt and the sauce is smooth.
  • Drain steamed broccoli.
  • Add the chicken and broccoli to keto alfredo sauce and stir until thoroughly combined.
  • Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on the low-carb chicken alfredo broccoli mixture, then sprinkle basil on top.
  • 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.

Video

Notes

The nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 6 servings. I divide it evenly. 
Notes:
  • Make sure to drain the broccoli after steaming. Any retained moisture can thin the alfredo sauce. 
  • If the sauce gets too thick, simply add a bit more heavy whipping cream.
  • If the sauce is too thin, continue boiling on low heat with the lid off, and it will reduce. Make sure to whisk continuously. 

Nutrition

Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 35g | Fiber: 2g
Tried this recipe?Mention @kaseytrenumblogger or tag #kaseytrenumblogger!

Keto Chicken Alfredo collage pictures

 

188 Comments

    1. I’m going to make it tonight with cauliflower rice to bulk it up some. I’ll let you know how it turns out if you haven’t already tried it this way.

    2. 5 stars
      I used the cauliflower rice and a bit of xanthan gum to thicken the sauce… Yummy!! My kids asked to have it again 🙂

  1. 5 stars
    Found this recipe yesterday and instantly knew I needed to make it. So I made it for dinner last night. It was a major hit with the hubby and myself. He’s not on a low carb lifestyle but loved it the way it was. We had a good amount of left overs but if he was allowed he would have ate it all!

  2. 5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It will definitely become a staple in my house. 🙂

    1. 5 stars
      Can’t wait to try this!! Could you make it ahead and refrigerate a couple days before?

    1. I don’t think it would freeze well due to the dairy ingredients as they often separate when frozen and rewarmed.

  3. 5 stars
    Soo good! I substituted rotisserie chicken and used a meijer blend of bagged cheese (firehouse, has Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, w/jalapeño habanero and ghost peppers) sooo good! I added a little cayenne pepper too because the cheese isn’t that spicy! Will make this many more times Thank you!

    1. You are just broiling the dish at the end. I have complete instructions in the recipe card.

    1. I divide the dish evenly by the number of servings, which is listed near the top left of the recipe card.

    1. Hi Marissa, the Pepper Jack cheese can be subbed with another cheese that you prefer. I didn’t test the recipe with other varieties of cheese, but I am sure it would be fine.

    2. I live in the U.K. and we can’t easily find pepper jack or Monterey Jack here so I had to use grated cheddar. It was delish!

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