Keto chicken bacon ranch casserole is a yummy, kid-friendly dish everyone in the family will love. Perfect to make ahead or for a freezer meal, this low carb recipe will become a favorite way to enjoy chicken.
Are chicken casseroles keto?
The answer is it depends! Many casseroles are based on combining chicken with carb heavy ingredients like rice, potatoes, or pasta.
This one omits all of those carb-laden ingredients but serves up the cozy feel of the classic casseroles with tons of cheesy goodness and a healthy helping of broccoli.
It’s my very favorite keto casserole, and my kids agree! They ask for seconds each and every time I make this.
What type of chicken to use
You have some options for this recipe.
When I make this, I use 3 small chicken breasts. I just season them with salt and pepper, and cook them in the air fryer for 18 minutes, flipping halfway through to avoid dry chicken.
But, there’s no need to cook any chicken ahead of time! If you are looking to cut down on your prep time, you can also use rotisserie chicken, canned chicken or even leftover grilled or baked chicken. Just make sure the chicken is precooked.
How to make Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Step 1: Steam the broccoli. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Then, steam the broccoli. To do this with fresh broccoli, put it in a medium-size bowl with a half cup of water. Then, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave it for 4 minutes. To steam frozen broccoli, follow the cooking instructions on the package. Either way, make sure to drain any excess liquid.
Step 2: Mix everything together. After you’ve steamed the broccoli, add the broccoli, chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheddar, and bacon to a large bowl. Then, mix everything together until it’s all well combined. Next, add the ranch seasoning and mix everything again so that the seasoning is evenly distributed.
Step 3. Assemble the casserole. Now, spoon the mixture into a prepared 9x13 baking dish. Spread it out evenly. Then, top the casserole with the remaining cheese.
Step 4. Bake and enjoy! Finish the casserole by baking it in the preheated oven uncovered for 25 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted. Top with extra bacon crumbles if you’d like, and enjoy!
Making the Casserole Ahead of Time
Aside from how satisfying and delicious this is, one of the best parts of this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time, making it a winner if you meal prep or batch cook for freezer meals.
If you choose to make it ahead of time, you can store the casserole in the fridge for up to two days. Make sure to cover it tightly with foil.
If you are looking to store it for longer, you can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Either way, make sure you hold off on topping it with the cheese until you are ready to bake it.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Customize this to suit your tastes. Feel free to play around with the vegetables. This would also be great with asparagus or frozen spinach.
- Cut down your prep time. Save time by using a rotisserie chicken, frozen broccoli, and pre-packaged bacon crumbles.
- More bacon makes everything better! Save some extra bacon to top the casserole with after it’s done baking.
More Keto Casseroles that you might enjoy:
- Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Cheesy Keto Taco Casserole
- Creamy Chicken Fajita Casserole – Low Carb, Keto Friendly, THM
- The Best Big Mac Casserole
- Ham Casserole with Broccoli and Cauliflower Rice
Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
A cheesy keto casserole made with chicken, bacon, broccoli, and seasoned with Ranch seasoning.
Ingredients
- 5 cups broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 lb cooked chicken breast, cubed
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup crumbled bacon
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese, (for the topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Steam the broccoli. If using fresh broccoli, place the broccoli in a medium-size bowl with a half cup of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 4 minutes. If using frozen broccoli, then follow the cooking instructions on the package. Drain any excess liquid.
- Add the broccoli, chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheddar, and bacon to a large bowl. Mix everything together until combined.
- Next, sprinkle in the ranch seasoning and mix everything again so that the seasoning is evenly distributed.
- Spread the mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish, and top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake in the oven uncovered for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Top with extra bacon crumbles if you'd like, and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 444Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 652mgCarbohydrates: 9gNet Carbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 39g
All nutritional information and calculations are provided as a courtesy. Nutritional values are estimates only. Variations may occur due to product, and brand selection. You should not rely on this information for medical advice.
Kay is passionate about living a healthy low carb lifestyle. She loves low carb comfort foods that are also family-friendly!
Jessica
This is sooooo good! I've never left a comment on a recipe online, but this is an exception. I really enjoyed this recipe. I will be making this again and again. It isn't greasy like other cream cheese/cheddar casseroles. It is a perfect balance of cheese chicken, and broccoli.
Kay Johnson
Thank you so much! I truly appreciate that. I'm so happy that you enjoyed it!
Chad
Absolutely delicious
Joyce
I am a big crock pot fan can this be made in the crock pot and just add the cheeses and the baking to top it say the last 10 minutes
Ryan
Just tried tonight and was pleasantly surprised how good this was. I did use shredded chicken instead of cubed so it was like a little mushier but all in all it was a great dish thank you so much for your recipe.
Kay Johnson
Thank you so much, I'm happy that you enjoyed it!
Katherine
I made this for a couple friends yesterday and they couldn't stop eating it. I gave them the recipe and they are going to make it for themselves.
Kay Johnson
I'm so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed it! Thank you!
Ash
This is the best casserole I’ve ever had. I’m adding to my list of all time favorites.
Kay Johnson
I'm so happy to hear that. Thank you!
Karina
If I am using store bought (keto friendly) ranch dressing how much would I use instead of ranch dip mix?
Kay Johnson
Hi there, I haven't tried this recipe using ranch dressing. However, I would recommend leaving out the sour cream if you are using the dressing. I would use about a 1/2 cup of the dressing since it's a thinner consistency than sour cream. I hope this helps. Thank you!
Monica
Thia was so good, everyone loved it!
Kay Johnson
Thank you!
Irma
Absolutely AMAZING!! I substituted frozen spinach for the broccoli!! My boyfriend is chowing down & said this is a definite favorite!!!
Kay Johnson
Thanks so much! I truly appreciate it. I'm so happy to hear that you both enjoyed it!
Christie
This was great! The only thing I changed was I used French onion dip instead of sour cream because I didn’t have any and added some diced onion.
Denise Jacqueline Pecora
FANTASTIC FLAVOR! WE LOVED IT.