Keto Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli Bake
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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:
- 37 Keto & Low Carb Casserole Recipes You Must Try
- Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken Recipe
- Low Carb Chicken Philly Cheesesteak
- Keto Chicken Casserole
- Easy Keto BBQ Chicken Casserole Recipe
- Keto Cheesy Mexican Skillet
- Italian Baked Chicken and Sausage
- Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
- The Ultimate Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole Keto Recipe
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.
Keto Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli Bake
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter, divided
- 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp chicken broth
- 12 oz steam bag of frozen broccoli
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup pepper jack cheese, grated
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1/4 tsp basil
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.
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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
Recipe calls for basil, when does that go into the skillet? Is it a topper?
Never mind… I just read too fast. Found it!
Hi. The instructions for the basil is listed in step 13. I’ve copied it below for your convenience.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on the low carb chicken alfredo broccoli mixture then sprinkle basil on top.
Rave reviews all around from my family! So good! Will definitely be a weekly staple! THANK YOU!!!!
Yayyyy!! So glad everyone loved it.
Delicious! Rich and decadent sauce!
So I know this is probably not the greatest idea but do you think it would still be ok if some was frozen???
I would not feeze this recipe as dairy products don’t freeze well.
How many ounces is one serving of this?
The number of servings is listed at the top of the recipe card. I simply divide it evenly by that number. I don’t measure.
Beyond amazing! I was expecting this to be good based on the reviews but it exceeded my expectations! I didn’t even miss the pasta I used to include with Alfredo.
Fantastic! I am so glad you loved it.
Can you use a casserole dish if you don’t have a cast iron skillet?
Sure!
So good!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Yum! We added cauliflower and bacon. Also added a little more cream cheese and heavy cream than what was called for. We will definitely make again!
Sounds delish. I love adding bacon. The added crunch really makes it yummy.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing it! I had never made Alfredo sauce before, and this was a winner. Absolutely delicious! I made a few changes based upon having a teenager with a huge appetite and a husband with celiac disease. I used 3 lbs of chicken breast, and 1 12-oz box of Barilla gluten-free penne. I had a lot of fresh broccoli on hand, probably 2 lbs, so I chopped it all up and used it. My trick for cooking the broccoli is to wait until the pasta has about 2 minutes left to cook, and then throw the broccoli in with the pasta for the last 2 minutes, It cooks perfectly! I didn’t have pepper jack cheese, so in addition to the Parmesan, I used up odds and ends of various cheeses in the fridge. I had so much chicken and broccoli that I decided to double the garlic and the sauce recipe. I baked the whole delicious concoction in a baking dish for 20 minutes, and then broiled the cheese on top…it was really good! Thank you, Kasey!
Great! I’m so glad you loved it. The subs sounds delish.
Could you do this recipe in the instant pot?
I’ve only made it as is, so I’m not sure.
Only 1 oz of cream cheese? Making this tomorrow and just checking as most recipes use a block or half a block.
Yes! It’s only 1 oz but feel free to use more if you’d like.
Mmm mmm! So delicious! The only changes I made were using a bag of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots blend, and omitted the pepper jack cheese. Excellent!
Great! SO glad you enjoyed it.
This recipe is amazing ! I use chicken thighs and grill them til they’re half
Cooked and continue cooking them in the pan I’m going to use.
Sooooooo delicious
Sounds like a great way to cook the chicken ahead of time. So glad you enjoyed it.
Really really good..fast, easy and satisfying!!
Fantastic! So glad you loved it.