Keto Mexican Chicken Casserole
My easy Keto Mexican Chicken Casserole Recipe is rich, creamy, and loaded with flavor. It is excellent served in a cheese tortilla, in crisp lettuce wraps, in cheese taco shells, or on a bed of cauliflower rice. Top with a dollop of sour cream and some cilantro for the perfect main dish.
When I’m not sure what to make for dinner on a busy weeknight, one of my fallbacks is always Mexican food. My entire family loves making their own tacos, no matter what type of meat I have prepared. They scoop some into a tortilla or taco shell, add their favorite toppings, and gobble it up.
With just 5 ingredients and only 5 minutes of prep time, this Mexican chicken casserole is a cinch to whip up. It also only needs to bake for 20 minutes. If you have shredded chicken ready to use, you can have a complete meal on the table in under 30 minutes. And each serving has only 3 net carbs!
Some of our other favorite Mexican dishes are Baked Chicken Fajitas, Keto Chicken Enchiladas, Instant Pot Carnitas, Keto Chile Relleno Casserole, Taco Zucchini Boats, and Crockpot Chicken Tacos. There are enough choices that you could make 2 or 3 and have a whole themed buffet perfect for anyone gluten free.
Ingredients
- Cooked Chicken – Leftover chicken, cubed grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, or pulled chicken all work well. Or change it up and sub in pulled pork.
- Salsa – Mild salsa, medium salsa, tomatillo salsa, or hot salsa. Choose what you like! We normally use medium salsa. If it seems very wet, drain it first.
- Cream Cheese – I use regular full-fat cream cheese, but low-fat should work as well.
- Cheddar Cheese – Or you can use a Mexican cheese blend.
- Chipotle Powder – This adds a nice smoky heat to the casserole. It is about a medium heat level.
How To Make a Keto Mexican Chicken Casserole
1️⃣ Prep
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Then grease an 8×8 casserole dish.
2️⃣ Mix & Layer
Stir the chicken, room temperature cream cheese, salsa, 4 ounces of the cheddar cheese, and ½ teaspoon of ground chipotle pepper. Add kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Once combined well, pour it into the prepared baking pan. Add the rest of the cheese to the top, and add the ground chipotle pepper to the top.
3️⃣ Bake & Serve
Bake the Mexican shredded chicken casserole for 20 minutes or until it’s hot and bubbly. Serve hot and enjoy!
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. In the refrigerator, it will last for 3-4 days. You may also freeze this. It keeps well in the freezer for 2-3 months. Just thaw and bake until hot.
Variations
- Onions & Pepper – Chop up some onions, a jalapeno pepper, red bell peppers, or a green pepper and toss them in with the casserole ingredients. If you love onions, then they are a great option to add.
- Jalapeno peppers – Kick up the heat a little bit by adding some chopped jalapenos. Be sure to remove the seeds before adding them to the casserole. Or mix a can of green chiles into the chicken mixture.
- Cheese – We usually use cheddar cheese, but you can also add in other varieties if you want. Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, Colby, and mozzarella are all great options to consider.
- Beans & Corn – Add a can of black beans and corn. Or layer in corn tortillas for a healthy option with a few more carbs.
- Low Carb Tortilla Chips – Crushed tortilla chips are a great addition. Just sprinkle some on top of this keto chicken casserole after baking or on individual servings. You can easily make low carb chips by baking low carb tortillas until they are crispy.
- Seasonings – Feel free to add some garlic powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, or onion powder when you add the chipotle.
Low Carb Toppings
Toppings always make everything even more delicious! Here are a few toppings that I think you will love with this keto chicken taco casserole.
- Lettuce – Add some nutrients and color to your plate by sprinkling on some shredded lettuce. Opt for dark leafy varieties to get the most nutrients.
- Tomatoes – Dice up some tomatoes or use some cherry or grape tomatoes to add some extra flavor. You can even top with a little more fresh low carb salsa.
- Sour Cream – A dollop of sour cream is a must when eating anything Mexican-inspired. It’s so good and enhances the dish.
- Avocado – Either chunks of fresh avocado or guacamole are nice additions.
- Green Onions – If you love to add green onions to all your meals, be sure to add them to this one, too. They will give you lots of colors, and they taste great, too.
- Cilantro – If you are a fan of fresh cilantro, then you already know how good it tastes on melted cheese and juicy meats. Try it on this casserole dish for a pleasant surprise.
Common Questions
What Kind Of Chicken Should I Use?
You can use any chicken you want as long as it’s cooked and shredded. Rotisserie chicken is a fantastic option. You just need to take the meat off the bone and shred it with a couple of forks. Another idea is to cook chicken breasts or thighs to your liking and add it to the casserole. I will bake the chicken in the casserole dish first, remove it and shred it, mix it with the other ingredients, and then add it right back to the same baking dish! Either way will work well.
What is Ground Chipotle Pepper?
The special ingredient in this recipe is Ground Chipotle Pepper. It adds smokiness and heat. I first tasted a chipotle pepper at least a dozen years ago at my local Trader Joe’s. They were making quesadillas with chipotle salsa, canned chicken, and cheese. I simply had to buy all the ingredients after one bite of that sample. That simple meal became one of our favorite quick meals.
Can I Use Taco Seasoning?
This has a bit of a kick. It wasn’t too spicy for my kids, but if yours are sensitive to heat, you can cut back on the chipotle seasoning or use a homemade taco seasoning, chicken taco seasoning, or keto fajita seasoning instead. You can even mix in my keto enchilada sauce.
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Mexican Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken shredded
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 16 oz salsa
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- 3/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper or taco seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Combine the chicken, cream cheese, salsa, half the shredded cheese, and 1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper. Mix well. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Put in the prepared casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle on the ground chipotle pepper.
- Bake for 20 min or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
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Originally Published April 20, 2018. Revised and Republished February 16, 2026.
I made this for dinner tonight, but I added leftover cauliflower rice to the casserole itself. It was so yummy. It will be fun to play around with other things to add, like leftover roasted cauliflower or broccoli. And different types of salsa! All the options!
Your picture of the casserole is in a 8 or 9 inch square baking dish but your directions say to use a 9 x 13 baking dish. Which is correct, please?
That’s what I was wondering. I’m going to use the 8×8 and if it looks overfull I’ll switch it to the 9×13
I’ve used both. When I originally made this I used a 9×13. When I redid the photos more recently I used a 9×9 instead. Either works 🙂
Can you do it in the microwave instead of heating up the oven in the summer?
Sure! I wouldn’t cook the chicken in the microwave but you can heat the casserole that way if you have chicken already cooked. Or use a slow cooker or instant pot.
Simple, delicious. We ate it with a salad but plan on filling low carb wraps tomorrow.
Thanks!
We loved this. I used leftover turkey and monterey cheese. Delish! Definitely will make again. So easy to make!
Can you add cauliflower rice to this dish?
Sure!
Delicious!! I added a few sliced black olives before baking & then a few thin slices of avocado after it came out of the oven, along with the sour cream & cilantro. Everyone went crazy for it! Definitely a keeper!
Could you make this with ground beef?
Sure! I have a taco casserole with ground turkey or beef too. https://joyfilledeats.com/taco-casserole
Thank you!
Used Trader Joe’s cheddar pub cheese with horseradish because I didn’t have regular cheddar. Had already cooked a whole chicken so shredded some of that. Added some black olives because why not? So delicious and easy. Superhubs says it is his favorite keto recipe so far in our three week stint. Thank you.
Could this be done in the Crock-Pot?
Yes. I like to cook the chicken and drain it before adding the other ingredients so the sauce doesn’t get thinned out from the cooking liquid.
Was wondering the same thing, I’m a night shift nurse and use the crockpot often. Thanks for the tip on cooking chicken first!
What kind of salsa is being used?
I honestly don’t remember. Sorry! I just buy whatever brand is on sale that doesn’t have added sugar. Most salsa is fine.
@tarynasays does work with green salsa, salsa verde??
Yes, that would be yummy!
This was outstanding…. it smelled so good and tasted even better. I made it and served it over lettuce! A perfect summer dinner!
We love the spice, so this will be perfect casserole for us. I hope to have leftovers to give those cheesy tacos a try too!
Chicken is precooked?
Yes, I used leftover shredded chicken.
How many servings is this recipe for. Ty.
Hi Olivia, This has 8 servings. Servings are listed at the top of the recipe box right under course and cuisine.