Easy Keto Pizza Chicken Bake

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This low carb Easy Keto Pizza Chicken Bake recipe is an easy meal that your whole family will love! Seasoned chicken breasts smothered in tomato sauce, melted mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni slices! Pizza night just got a whole lot more interesting.

pizza casserole without a crust

How to make a keto pizza chicken casserole

If you’re craving chicken pizza but are following a keto diet, this is the recipe for you! First, I tried baking the chicken breasts covered with spaghetti sauce in a baking dish, but the juices from the chicken made the sauce very watery, and the chicken ended up completely tasteless. It tested this recipe in three different ways before I landed on the most flavorful and delicious chicken recipe.

The winning version uses seasoned chicken breasts which I, seared to infuse the most flavor into the casserole. Then I topped the chicken with tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions and baked it until warmed and melted through. It tastes just like chicken parm pizza but without the crust! The best thing is that you can add ANY of your favorite pizza toppings to make it exactly how you like it without the added carbs.

Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:

  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts – Searing the chicken beforehand in various seasonings gives this recipe incredible flavor. For added fat, you could sub boneless chicken thighs instead.
  • Butter & Olive Oil – For searing the chicken and adding extra fat and flavor. The butter helps the chicken to brown nicely.
  • Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Italian Seasonings, Parsley, Crushed Red Pepper, Salt, and Pepper – Don’t be afraid of seasonings. They can take a bland dish and change the taste completely. The crushed red pepper does give the casserole a bit of a kick, so feel free to omit if desired.
  • Low Carb Spaghetti Sauce – You likely won’t find the sauce labeled low carb. Look for a marinara sauce without added sugars. In the notes of the recipe card, I’ve included several different options, as well as their carb counts. Spaghetti sauce works just as well as a pizza sauce for this recipe.
  • Mozzarella & Parmesan Cheese – What is any kind of pizza without melted, bubbly cheese on top?
  • Pepperoni, Bell Pepper, onion, and mushrooms – While these are the toppings included in this recipe, feel free to omit or sub out any topping you don’t love. There is also a list of alternative toppings in this post.

raw chicken cubes seasonedStep 1: Preheat oven. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder and mix well.

seared chicken cubes in a skillet

Step 2: Add butter and olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, brown your chicken on both sides. Scoop out the chicken with a slotted spoon and place it into the casserole dish.

chicken tomato sauce and cheese layered in a casserole dish

Step 3: Top with a low carb spaghetti sauce and spread it out evenly. Next, top with your mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Finish by adding slices of pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms, and onions.

Low Carb Pizza Sauce Options without any added sugar:

  • Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce – 4g net carbs per ½ cup
  • Rao’s Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce – 3g net carbs per ½ cup
  • Lucini Italia Organic Tuscan Marinara Sauce – 3g net carbs per ½ cup
  • Lucini Italia Organic Rustic Tomato Basil – 3g net carbs per ½ cup
  • Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Sauce Marinara – 6g net carbs per ½ cup

pizza chicken casserole layered in casserole dish

Step 4: Bake for 15 minutes, then move to the top shelf of the oven and broil for 2 minutes or until the mozzarella cheese begins to bubble and turn brown.

pizza bake in a white casserole dish

Step 5: Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes before serving. The spaghetti sauce will be a bit thin when you first take it out of the oven but will thicken up if you let it sit for a few minutes. Enjoy!

slice of pizza chicken bake with melted cheese

Low carb chicken pizza casserole options:

I love that you can make this low carb keto pizza bake so many different ways! What’s YOUR favorite pizza toppings? Choose what you like and add them on!

Here are some other delicious low carb keto pizza toppings you can add to your pizza chicken bake:

  • caramelized onions
  • bacon
  • spicy sausage
  • ham
  • hot sauce
  • spinach
  • tomatoes
  • anchovies
  • broccoli
  • ricotta cheese

The pizza bake possibilities are endless! If you have family members who love a topping like mushrooms and some that hate it, do half mushrooms and half another topping!

Can you make this chicken pizza bake in advance?

Yes! You will need to sear your chicken first. When your chicken is ready, layer your marinara sauce, cheese, and toppings as the recipe states. Then you can hold off on baking until later that day or the next. Just place a piece of tinfoil over the top and keep cold in the refrigerator. Then bake for about 20-25 minutes or until warmed through.

slice of pizza bake with chicken on white plate

Other keto chicken bakes you will love:

Don’t miss out!

If you aren’t already following my easy keto/low carb recipe page on Facebook, where I post all my new recipes, I’d love for you to join us! Also, make sure to follow me on Pinterest.

If you are just getting started following a keto diet and would like more information, there are tons of fantastic resources. Amazon has several great books you may want to check out here.

 

How to make this easy keto chicken pizza bake:

chicken with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni in casserole dish
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4.74 from 45 votes

Easy Keto Pizza Chicken Bake

This low carb Easy Keto Pizza Chicken Bake recipe is an easy oven meal that your whole family will love! Seasoned chicken breasts smothered in tomato sauce,  melted mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni slices! Pizza night just got a whole lot more interesting.
Cook Time25 minutes
Resting Time5 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 248kcal
Author: Kasey Trenum

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400° F.
  • Grease a 9 X 13 casserole dish.
  • Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl. Add the spices and mix well to coat the chicken.
  • Add 3 TB butter and 1 TB olive oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. (I used a 12-inch skillet.)
  • Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken in a single layer and brown both sides nicely. (The chicken will turn easily once it has fully browned.)
  • Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the chicken spreading it evenly onto the bottom of your greased casserole dish.
  • Top with 20 oz spaghetti sauce (approx ¾ of a 24 oz jar) and spread it out evenly.
  • Top with 2 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
  • Add pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms, and onions to the top.
  • Bake for 15 minutes then move to the top shelf of the oven and broil for 2 minutes or until the mozzarella cheese begins to bubble and turn brown.
  • Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes before serving. The spaghetti sauce will be a bit thin when you first take it out of the oven but will thicken up if you let it sit for a few minutes.

Video

Notes

Low Carb Marinara Sauce Options without any added sugar:
  • Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce – 4g net carbs per ½ cup
  • Rao’s Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce – 3g net carbs per ½ cup
  • Lucini Italia Organic Tuscan Marinara Sauce – 3g net carbs per ½ cup
  • Lucini Italia Organic Rustic Tomato Basil – 3g net carbs per ½ cup
  • Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Sauce Marinara – 6g net carbs per ½ cup
Here are some other delicious low carb keto pizza toppings you can add to your pizza chicken bake:
  • caramelized onions
  • bacon
  • spicy sausage
  • ham
  • hot sauce
  • spinach
  • tomatoes
  • anchovies
  • broccoli
  • ricotta cheese
The pizza bake possibilities are endless! If you have family members who love a topping like mushrooms and some that hate it, do half mushrooms and half another topping!

Can you make this chicken pizza bake in advance?

Yes! You will need to sear your chicken first. When your chicken is ready, layer your marinara sauce, cheese, and toppings as the recipe states. Then you can hold off on baking until later that day or the next. Just place a piece of tinfoil over the top and keep cold in the refrigerator. Then bake for about 20-25 minutes or until warmed through.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 481mg | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @kaseytrenumblogger or tag #kaseytrenumblogger!

two images of keto pizza bake

 

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14 Comments

    1. Sure. I would prob saute it in butter with the spices for a few minutes for the additional flavor before adding it to the casserole.

  1. 5 stars
    This is so good.. I didn’t even miss the crust 😎 I also really like the simplicity, I am single and a full recipe is too much..but this haves so easily.. Thank you I have yet to be disappointed by a recipe of yours!

  2. 5 stars
    I made this recipe for my husband and I last night and we are both obsessed! I omitted the mushrooms because my husband hates them and it still turned out great. Any idea how long it stays good in the fridge? Thanks!

    1. Awesome! So glad you loved it. I personally hate mushrooms too and pick out every single one.

  3. 5 stars
    This was really good! I used ground chicken and then pepperoni for my husband and mushroom/green pepper for me. Served with a salad. Did not miss the crust at all! Thank you!

    1. Hey Jamie, I do cook mine to temp before putting it in the casserole. I am super weird about meat being cooked well done! lol

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