Low-Carb Chicken and Cauliflower Casserole

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 01/23/23
Low-Carb Chicken and Cauliflower Casserole

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 32 mins
Total: 47 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

The cauliflower craze is here to stay. This tasty cruciferous vegetable is low in carbs and high in fiber. It can easily replace rice in texture when processed to a coarse mixture or potatoes when cooked and mashed with salt and herbs. With just 25 calories in one cup serving, cauliflower can bring to your plate 21 mg of vitamin C, which translates to 30 percent of your daily necessary intake of this nutrient. Not bad for a serving of deliciousness.

Our easy one-pot dish makes the perfect meal. Hearty, filling, gluten-free, low carb, and keto-approved, this casserole is a complete meal. The only thing you need to serve is a good appetite—and perhaps a green salad. A little cream, some cheddar cheese, and a variety of herbs jazz up the casserole.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless chicken breasts

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream, or half-and-half

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

  • 1 medium head cauliflower, grated

  • 1 teaspoon dried basil

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, optional

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Low-Carb Chicken and Cauliflower Casserole ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Cut them into cubes and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

    Seasoned chicken on a cutting board

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Heat the oven to 325 F. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and stir.

    chicken cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Cook and stir the chicken until browned on all sides and just tender, or about 10 to 12 minutes total.

    chicicken cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Add the heavy cream to the pan and stir to scrape up any browned bits.

    chicken with heavy cream cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Grease a 7-by-11-inch baking dish or 1 1/2-quart casserole with the vegetable oil. Add the grated cauliflower. Sprinkle the cauliflower lightly with salt and pepper, basil, thyme, and fresh parsley. If using, add the onion powder. Stir well to mix all the ingredients.

    Sprinkle the cauliflower lightly with salt and pepper, basil, thyme, and fresh parsley

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Top the riced cauliflower with the browned chicken, and drizzle all the cream and juices from the pan.

    chicken on top of the cauliflower in the baking dish

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Top the casserole with the shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the casserole tightly with foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

    Low-Carb Chicken and Cauliflower Casserole

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

How Do I Make Riced Cauliflower?

Making riced cauliflower for this or other recipes is very simple. Grated cauliflower makes an excellent rice or couscous replacement. You need a large head of white cauliflower, washed and patted dry with paper towels, and to follow these few simple steps:

  • Remove the thick base of the cauliflower.
  • Cut florets from the head of cauliflower and put them in a food processor.
  • Pulse until the cauliflower pieces are the size of grains of couscous or rice.
  • For coarser grains, use the large shredding disk on the food processor or use a box grater.

Additions and Flavorful Substitutions

Our basic recipe is a great template for you to experiment with using your favorite ingredients. Here are a few of our favorite variations:

  • Use turkey breast cutlets for another low-carb recipe. Even ground lean turkey or ground chicken breast makes a delicious casserole with a different texture.
  • Add vegetables to the pan while browning the chicken. Mushrooms (portobello, Baby Bella, or white), onions, grated carrots, thinly sliced celery, or green peppers are great additions. For a burst of color, toss some minced pimientos with the cauliflower and herb mixture.
  • Make a saucier casserole, replacing the cream with 1 1/2 cups of white sauce. Stir half of it in the pan while browning the chicken. Mix the remaining half of the sauce with the riced cauliflower along with half of the shredded cheese. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese.
  • Use a combination of cauliflower and broccoli for a beautiful color and presentation.
  • Use macadamia nuts for keto-approved crunch and flavor. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of chopped macadamia nuts alongside the cheese before baking the casserole.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
283 Calories
16g Fat
5g Carbs
30g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 283
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 20%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 94mg 31%
Sodium 248mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 42mg 212%
Calcium 168mg 13%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 356mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Cauliflower. FoodData Central. United States Department of Agriculture.