When it comes to hearty meals, you're going to love this Keto Chicken Parmesan Casserole recipe! Since you're using cooked chicken breast for this simple recipe, it's a fast and easy low carb weeknight dinner that's ready in just 10 minutes of time!
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Eating low carb doesn't mean that you have to give up on flavor and taste. So many people feel that living a gluten-free keto-lifestyle means that they're going to be missing out on their favorite foods, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
When you find a hearty meal that has tasty ingredients and is full of flavor, it's one keto recipe that you don't want to lose. I think that once you make this once, you'll be rotating this into your meal planning menu over and over again.
You can easily pair this low carb chicken parmesan casserole with a nice side salad or a side of freshly steamed veggies, too. The cheesy goodness of the casserole literally pairs perfectly with just about anything that you add to it!
Make sure to try my Keto Turkey Casserole and my Keto Philly Cheesesteak Chicken Casserole for two other great homemade casserole meals.
Ingredients Needed
Since this comfort food recipe is made using simple ingredients, you just might find that you have everything that you need for this chicken parm bake already in your home! When you can save a trip to the store, that makes recipes that much better.
- Chicken breasts - These should be cooked and ready to reheat. I always tend to have leftover chicken from meals, which is the perfect recipe to reuse.
- Marinara sauce - You can measure this exact or add in as much tomato sauce or as little as you want. I like to make my own keto marinara sauce when possible but any store-bought brand without added sugar (such as Rao's) is fine.
- Parmesan - Don't forget the addition of parmesan - it's key!
- Pork rinds - My favorite "surprise" low-carb ingredient. Many people can't tell that I didn't use bread crumbs. Just be careful with added salt when using crushed pork rinds as they can be salty.
- Italian seasoning - This is such a great seasoning that offers all the flavors of Italian home cooking. It is typically a blend of oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.
- Garlic powder - A few shakes of garlic powder will add a ton of flavor.
- Salt - To your taste liking.
- Black pepper - Optional.
- Olive oil - You can also use coconut oil, but that will add a hint of sweetness.
- Mozzarella - Shredded mozzarella is key to all that extra gooey cheese!
How To Make Keto Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Just wait until you see how simple this casserole dish is. You're going to see very quickly why it's one of my favorite keto casseroles to make!
Step One: Warm up the leftover cooked chicken in the microwave.
Step Two: Turn on the oven and preheat the broiler on high. Put the chicken and marinara sauce in the casserole dish.
Step Three: Add the parmesan, pork rinds, and seasoning to a bowl and sprinkle over the chicken once it’s mixed.
Step Four: Put the casserole in the oven for 2 minutes. Watch closely.
Step Five: Remove and add more cheese.
Step Six: Broil again and let cool before serving.
See how simple this recipe is? I told you that it would just take 10 minutes from start to finish! (and it will look like it took you a lot longer than that!)
Variations
Cheeses - Mozzarella cheese is obviously a hit, but you can really use any type of cheese that you'd like. A three-cheese blend would be great, as would any kind of shredded cheese that you like the taste of. Add on some parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
Seasonings - I'm all about the Italian seasoning in this recipe, but adding in other herbs can be good as well. If you wanted some heat, a little bit of cayenne pepper would kick up the spice!
Sauces - The marinara sauce is one of the biggest ingredients in this recipe, but if you're not a fan of marinara, you can try alfredo sauce or pesto sauce in this. Just be sure to check out the carbs of whatever you use to make certain that it's still low carb.
Pork rinds - Sub in flavored pork rinds to kick up the flavor. Make sure to pay attention to the salt level that the pork rinds add to the dish. If they have salt, you might want to skip adding in salt as an ingredient as well.
Serving Suggestions
Zucchini Noodles - Zucchini noodles are a great way to cut carbs because they replace carb heavy pasta. To make them, use your spiralizer or peel the zucchini into long, noodle-like strands with a vegetable peeler. Then just saute for a minute or two and serve.
Hearts of Palm Noodles - Hearts of palms noodles are a great side dish. They have the closest texture to pasta in my opinion.
Spaghetti Squash - Spaghetti squash is a delicious and versatile vegetable. It can be used as an alternative to pasta or as a side dish with different kinds of sauce.
Cauliflower Rice - Cauliflower rice is a great substitute for regular white rice. It's low in carbs and has more healthy nutrients than the real thing.
Caesar Salad - A salad is the easiest thing to make and a perfect complement to Italian cuisine. Start with my simple Caesar dressing and you can make a delicious salad in minutes.
Common Questions
Can you use leftover rotisserie chicken for this recipe?
You can literally use any type of leftover cooked chicken that you want in this chicken parm casserole. The cheese and marinara pair so well with all different types of chicken meat and flavorings.
How do I stop the cheese from getting too brown on top of the casserole dish?
If you're worried that the cheese is going to burn, you can put aluminum foil over the top of the casserole dish to protect the cheese easily. You will want to be certain that you stay close and keep an eye on it so that you can pull it from the oven once it's melted.
Can you freeze keto chicken parmesan casserole?
I wouldn't. While I'm sure it's possible, the melted cheese would make for an interesting texture to unthaw and eat. If you want to meal prep and freeze it for later, I would freeze the chicken on its own. That way, when you're ready to cook this yummy dish, you can just unthaw the chicken and add it to the rest of the recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts cooked and cut into cubes (about 2 pounds)
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- ½ cup pork rinds
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt ***
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella 8 oz
Instructions
- If you are using cold cooked chicken warm it in the microwave before proceeding.
- Preheat the broiler of the oven to high.
- In a 9x13 casserole dish mix the warmed chicken with the marinara sauce.
- In a small bowl mix the parmesan cheese, pork rind crumbs, and seasonings. Sprinkle over the chicken.
- Drizzle the olive oil on the crumb topping. Place the casserole under the broiler for 2 minutes. SET A TIMER. Any longer and the topping will burn. Check it at the 2-minute point. If it is not golden brown and crispy yet broil for 1 additional minute.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and top with the shredded cheese. Return to the broiler and cook for 3 more minutes. At this point, the cheese should be melted and golden. If it is not broil for an additional minute watching closely.
Cathy Smith says
If you haven't tried this, you need too!!!! I'm not a huge italian seasonings person, but it was sooo good!!! My husband loved it too!!!
Kate says
Could you prep the chicken with marinara part and then complete the rest later in the week? Or freeze the chicken and marinara?
Taryn says
Sure. You can prep and refrigerate up to 2 days ahead or freeze it until you are ready to cook.