Keto Chicken and Broccoli Skillet
This easy Keto Chicken and Broccoli skillet recipe was a winner in my house. All the kids had seconds or thirds. And it is made in one pan and ready in thirty minutes.
We got home from the pool late one night a couple of weeks ago. It is pretty rough walking in the door at 5:30 with four wet, hungry children. I’m always grateful for the time we have together splashing and playing, but the transition times can be rough.
Luckily, I had a package of chicken tenders in the fridge, and those cook very quickly. I threw them in a frying pan and stared in the fridge for a good five minutes trying to decide what exactly I was going to do with them.
My kids love creamy, cheesy low carb chicken casseroles, like this Keto Chicken and Rice Casserole, so I decided to make the chicken tenders creamy and cheesy in a skillet instead. They ate this Keto Chicken Broccoli Skillet faster than ever. It is that good. If you have leftover broccoli try it in my Leftover Broccoli Casserole Recipe.
Ingredients
With 7 ingredients, you’ll see that it’s super easy to make this gluten free keto chicken and broccoli skillet.
Chicken Tenders – Using chicken tenders is ideal because it’s thinly sliced and doesn’t take but a few minutes to cook. Those busy nights when you don’t feel like cooking, boneless skinless chicken tenders are always ready to save the day!
Cream Cheese – To get the perfectly creamy sauce, using cream cheese is a must. Plus, it adds to the flavor and makes it super rich too. Plus, you’ll get some healthy fats too.
Cottage Cheese – I decided to use cottage cheese to make the cream sauce for this meal lighter and with more protein than a typical butter and heavy cream sauce. My kids and husband had no idea there was cottage cheese in the sauce.
Cheddar Cheese – I almost always use cheddar cheese for this dish. However, you could swap it for any cheese that melts well. If you are feeling spicy, opt for Pepper Jack, or go more satisfying with Mozzarella. It’s best if you buy block cheese and shred it yourself because it melts so much better.
Ham – Deli ham is a fantastic addition to this recipe. You could also use turkey ham if you don’t eat pork.
Garlic Salt – Adding a dash of garlic salt really enhances the way it tastes. Yum!
Broccoli Florets – It’s always a good idea to sneak in some healthy ingredients like broccoli. Not only does it give the dish some bright color, but it also gives you some much-needed nutrients too.
How To Make Chicken and Broccoli Skillet
Don’t you just love one-pot dinners that take less than 30 minutes? I sure do because I know we can eat something healthy without having to do much!
Step One: Begin by spraying a skillet and heating it up with medium-high heat. Place the chicken tenders in the pan and sprinkle with garlic salt. Then cook and flip the chicken halfway through until it reaches 155 degrees F.
Step Two: Add the cottage cheese, cream cheese, and ham to the skillet.
Step Three: Cook the mixture covered and with low heat. After five minutes, give it a stir. Once the cream cheese has melted, add in the broccoli, top with cheddar, and serve. Enjoy!
Expert Tip: After recipe testing, I decided I liked adding the broccoli before the cheddar. So don’t let the photo below trick you. Add the broccoli to the skillet before the cheddar so it soaks up some of the creamy sauce.
Variations
There are many ingredients you can add to this skillet to change the flavor or use up ingredients! Let’s take a look:
- Onions – Dice some onions and cook them in the skillet. If you love onions, it only makes sense to include them in the dish. You could also sprinkle the top with green onions too.
- Garlic – Add some freshly minced garlic to the chicken. So good and an easy way to give an extra boost of flavor.
- Bacon – Take it to the next level by adding some cooked, crumbled bacon.
- Cauliflower – Not in the mood for broccoli? No problem, swap it for cauliflower instead. Cook frozen cauliflower and add it in place of the broccoli.
- Mushrooms – If you are a fan of mushrooms, go ahead and add some in. They are a hearty, earthy addition that pretty taste in this keto chicken and broccoli recipe.
Common Questions
What Kinds of Nutrients Are In This Chicken Skillet Recipe?
You’ll get lots of protein, calcium, fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and more when you make this dish. It’s a great way to get your kiddos to eat something healthy, and they don’t even realize it.
How To Store Leftovers
Keep any leftovers of this stovetop keto chicken and broccoli casserole in a sealed container in the fridge. It will last for 3 or 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing it because cream cheese and cottage cheese can separate sometimes.
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Keto Chicken and Broccoli Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken tenders or breasts cut into smaller pieces
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 cup 4% cottage cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 4 oz cooked deli ham chopped
- 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 24 oz frozen broccoli prepared as directed
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet to medium-high and spray with cooking spray. Add the chicken tenders. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Cook, flipping halfway until fully almost cooked (155 degrees).
- Add the rest of the sauce ingredients (everything except the broccoli) to the skillet.
- Cover it and reduce it to low. Cook for five minutes. Stir. If all the cheese had melted you can add the broccoli and serve. If it hasn't, cook for a few more minutes until it is all melted.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published July 5, 2016. Revised and Republished March 10, 2021.
I’ve actually made this multiple times and it’s delicious! Very filling and something that my kids love too!
Can you use something other than cottage cheese or just omit it?
Cream cheese would work. Or you can omit it if you don’t care about having a creamy sauce.
Love it! Always looking for new recipes
Does cottage cheese break down stop being chunky when you cook it? I’m sure my family would be bothered by the chunks, wondering if I should puree it first….
Yes, the chunks melt. My family had no idea this had cottage cheese in it.
I bet some crispy bacon sprinkled over top would be yummy too! I’ll have to give this a try with some broccoli!
I made this for dinner last night. It was a big hit. I think I will be using this sauce recipe on many things in the future.