Keto Carbonara takes the classic flavors of spaghetti carbonara and subs in chicken for the pasta. My Chicken Carbonara Recipe makes a delicious low carb dinner that is ready in about 30 minutes. This easy recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
Carbonara is one of my favorite flavors of sauce. Rich and creamy with parmesan and pancetta. Could anything be better?
Before switching to a low carb and Trim Healthy Mama eating plan spaghetti carbonara was a go-to when eating out at Italian restaurants. Since then I've really missed that dish. I've thought for a while about how to incorporate that delicious sauce and serving it on a protein-based keto chicken carbonara instead of pasta was a home run. This keto carbonara is a family-pleasing quick meal!
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What is Chicken Carbonara?
Chicken carbonara is just the classic Italian dish made with chicken instead of pasta. The base flavors are Parmesan, bacon, onions, garlic, and cream. Serving this as a chicken entree makes this a naturally low carb and keto dinner.
Ingredients
Boneless skinless chicken thighs - Any boneless chicken works in this. You want it in bite-sized pieces before you start.
Garlic powder, salt, and pepper - You will want this trio to season the chicken.
Bacon - Fresh cooked bacon is best so you have the bacon grease to cook the chicken in. This maximizes the flavor.
Onion & Garlic - This classic duo gives the keto chicken carbonara sauce a rich flavor.
Heavy whipping cream - Heavy cream makes the sauce very creamy and decadent. If you'd like a lighter sauce you can sub in half and half.
Chicken broth - Just a bit to thin the sauce to the perfect consistency.
Egg - Eggs are used in carbonara so the sauce sticks to the pasta. We will use one for the same purpose in this keto carbonara.
Parmesan cheese - Flavorful grated parm adds saltiness.
Italian seasoning - Choose a seasoning blend you enjoy or just make your own combination of parsley, basil, and oregano.
Fresh basil - Fresh chopped basil really packs a punch. Add it when serving or it will lose its flavor.
How to Make Keto Carbonara
Step One: To make the low carb carbonara you first cook the bacon and then cook the chicken in some of the bacon fat.
Step Two: After the chicken is cooked remove it from the pan and make the sauce by cooking down onions and garlic and then adding cream and broth.
Step Three: Add in the cooked bacon.
Step Four: Add in the spinach. It will wilt very quickly when added to the hot sauce.
Step Five: Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and season with salt and black pepper. Serve the keto carbonara with fresh basil.
Common Questions
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes, you can sub in cut up chicken breasts instead of the thighs in this keto carbonara recipe.
Does this Carbonara recipe have a raw egg?
Classically carbonara sauce does have raw egg or egg yolks. But it's not really raw. The heat from the pasta cooks the egg just enough that the sauce is rich and creamy. I included instructions for making this dish with and without an egg.
I really do recommend making it with the egg if you can! I only gave both choices in case you find yourself in a pinch and unable to get eggs or have an egg allergy. This sauce really is so much better with an egg.
Can I sub in another vegetable for the spinach?
Absolutely. You can use spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles (aka zoodles), broccoli, cauliflower, or almost any non-starchy vegetable of your choice. These flavors go well with just about anything.
Or you can skip mixing in a vegetable entirely and have your veggies on the side.
Can I make this into shrimp carbonara?
Yes, shrimp works great in place of the chicken in this keto carbonara! That is a great choice to switch up your low carb carbonara. You can also use pork, beef, scallops, or an assortment of sauteed vegetables.
What should I serve with Keto Chicken Carbonara?
This can be a one-pot main dish or you can serve it with a side salad and keto breadsticks.
If you'd like to have a low-carb pasta sub my favorite is hearts of palm noodles. Shirataki noodles are ok and zucchini noodles work too but of the three I would always choose palm noodles to make this a pasta dish. They are mildly flavored and are firm like al dente pasta. They work great in keto pasta carbonara!
I've also seen many recipes online for keto pasta made from eggs, almond flour, and oat fiber.
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 slices cooked bacon (crumbled)
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 beaten egg (optional)
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
- 2-3 cups fresh spinach
Instructions
- Cook the bacon until crispy and then crumble into pieces.
- Place 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and sprinkle with the garlic powder as well as salt and pepper to taste. Continue to saute the chicken until it is completely cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, at the ½ cup of chopped onion and saute for a few minutes until they start to become tender.
- Add in the minced garlic, and saute for another 30 seconds.
- Whisk in the heavy whipping cream and the chicken broth, scraping the bits off the bottom of the skillet.
- OPTIONAL: Put the beaten egg in a small bowl. Slowly stream the sauce into the egg while whisking it vigorously. Once half of the sauce has been incorporated slowly add the egg mixture back to the skillet while whisking.
- Mix in the parmesan cheese, chopped basil and Italian seasoning.
- Toss in the crumbled bacon, and 2-3 cups of fresh spinach. Cook until the spinach has begun to wilt.
- Add the chicken back into the skillet, and toss to coat in the sauce. Sprinkle in additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer the mixture for 3-5 minutes longer, and serve.
Nutrition
Other Low Carb Chicken Dishes
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
Crock Pot Mediterranean Chicken Recipe
Diane says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING!! Next time, I may add Xanthan gum to make it just a tad thicker! However, it was loved by my kids and husband who did not know that I served them a keto dish. (They has theirs over pasta and I used zucchini noodles instead) I did use the egg in mine and deglazed my pan with white wine before adding the cream.
Katelyn says
SO good! Definitely making again. I halved the recipe and it turned out fine.
Lisa Jones says
This was fantastic and the hearts of palm was fantastic. I hadn’t had the palm before and for some reason had thought it was carby
Brian says
I didn’t have spinach or the chicken broth so I doubled the cream and added mushrooms and asparagus. It was delicious.
Raven says
Fabulous!! Quick prep and great Keto version of one of my favorites! Thanks so much!
Penny says
What is the serving size of this?
Taryn says
1/6th of the recipe.
Heidi says
I doubled my recipe, but it turned out GREAT!!! Thank you so much for such a great Italian recipe!
Evie Wood says
What did y'all serve this with?
Taryn says
Green veggies like roasted broccoli, a salad, or you can have it over a pasta sub like spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or hearts of palm noodles.
Robyn says
I used chicken breast for ours.
This scored 1000/1000 from my exceptionally fussy 9 year old. It's now officially a family favourite.
Pamela says
I made this with breasts (easier to cut into pieces) . It was a big hit.
Jody says
Hi, can I keep this warm in a crock pot for a few hours before serving?
Taryn says
Yes, that should be fine. I might add a little chicken broth so it doesn't dry out.
Jennifer says
Amazing!!!! Even my picky 8 year old LOVED it!! Will be making this again soon, thank you for the delicious recipe.
Pamela says
GREAT recipe! We LOVED it. I did mix in egg noodles. YUMMY! Thank you for this recipe.
Marsha Stephenson says
This was delicious!! I used zucchini instead of spinach & it was awesome. I'll definitely make again.
Anna says
My husband hates cheesy, creamy sauces....and he LOVED this!! The flavor in this dish was phenomenal. And such an easy recipe! Thank you!
Melissa says
This is my favorite meal, ever!
Deb says
Loved the recipe.
My sauce seemed a little runny, was it supposed to be thicker?
Taryn says
Did you add the optional egg? That does help thicken it.
Grace says
My family loved it. I added mushrooms and roasted red potatoes. Definitely a keeper
Sarah Beth says
I made this recipe with the option egg and chicken breasts instead of thighs and it was AWESOME! My husband says it's a new "top 5 favorite." As I type that, he looked at me and said, "I don't want to finish this bite, because it's so good." haha Definitely a keeper for us.
I think I will try to do almond milk sometime in an attempt to lessen the calories and dairy content. Maybe I'll thicken it with some arrowroot powder?
I will note, though, I wish the sauce went a little further, and we only got 5 pretty small servings out of it. If you want to get 6 servings out of it, maybe plan an additional side salad. We were motivated to stretch to 5 servings for the sake of leftovers for lunch, and they were definitely small helpings. I guess we need to cut back our portions anyway, so that works out.
Thanks for this delicious recipe!!
Sarah Beth says
Do you think it's possible to use almond milk?
Taryn says
I think so. Use plain, unsweetened almond milk and start with 1/2 a cup. I would definitely add the optional egg for creaminess if using almond milk.
Nellie Tracy says
Such a great recipe! New favorite for sure!
Sandi says
My family loved this for dinner!
Christie says
I have just made this, I opted to keep the spinach out but the flavour is amazing and will be serving it with slendier fettuccine and maybe a small side salad so we have plenty for lunch. Thank you 😊