This easy keto Mexican chicken casserole is so rich and tasty it will be sure to warm you on a cold day. Full of cheesy Mexican flavor, you can throw this low carb dinner together in minutes and then just bake it. This chicken casserole is keto comfort food that has only 6g net carbs per serving and almost 40 grams protein.
You might also like this popular keto buffalo chicken casserole recipe.
The weather is getting colder and that means casserole meals for me. I was in the mood for a Mexican dish but being on a low carb diet I didn’t want to use tortillas and wanted to keep the carbs down.
So I created this super duper easy keto Mexican chicken casserole. It was rich, cheesy and full of chicken so it’s filling too. Perfect keto comfort food for the family especially if you love Mexican food. And it uses simple ingredients and only takes about 35 minutes.
OMG just looking at these pictures makes me wished I had some leftovers. This dish freezes well so if you have leftovers you could freeze servings for a delicious keto lunch.
Recipe ingredients I used and substitutions.
The ingredients I used for this delicious casserole were cooked chicken breast, cream cheese, cauliflower rice, salsa, Mexican cheese, chili powder and cumin. If you want to add a little heat, you can add bit of hot sauce or hot pepper flakes too.
Cooked Chicken
This is the perfect recipe to use rotisserie chicken or and leftover chicken from another meal. I often chop up rotisserie chicken and freeze for recipes like this. You could use chicken thighs too if you want or even leftover turkey.
TIP: I often buy 2 rotisserie chickens when I go to Costco because they are inexpensive and relatively big. I take all the meat off the chickens and portion 1 cup servings into ziplock bags. Then I freeze them for dishes like this. Save the bones to make chicken broth!
Chunky Salsa
I used a medium heat chunky salsa from a jar that I got and Aldi but you can substitute with your favorite brand. Just make sure the carbs are pretty low. The salsa is great because it has onions, garlic, green chiles, tomatoes and more so it adds lots of flavors.
Cheeses
I used a shredded Mexican cheese blend but you could just use shredded cheddar cheese or even Monterey Jack cheese if you want. I think it helps to use a these common cheeses used in Mexican food. And the cream cheese keeps it all together and adds creaminess to the recipe.
Cauliflower Rice
This is mostly used to add nutrition and to make the casserole more filling. You can fresh cauliflower rice by chopping up florets in the food processor. If you use frozen, just make sure to drain any excess water it make contain.
How to make a keto Mexican chicken casserole.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F. Get out a casserole dish and spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Step 2: Add the cream cheese and salsa to a microwave safe bowl bowl and cook in the microwave for a minute or two to soften the cream cheese. Add the seasonings and mix together well.
Step 3: Chop up the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl along with the cauliflower rice and half of the shredded cheese. Then add the cream cheese mixture. Mix well and the spoon the chicken mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
Step 4: Top the casserole with the remaining cheese.
Step 5: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake the casserole for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown on top. Take out and let cool a bit before serving.
Store leftovers of this creamy casserole in an airtight container. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.
You can eat this low carb casserole as is like we did or you could also use toppings like avocado, sour cream, hot sauce, jalapeno peppers, black olive slices, green onions, fresh cilantro, etc.
Serve with a nice green salad and you are good to go!
More low carb Mexican dishes to try.
I have quite a few low carb Mexican recipes on this blog as my family just loves it. Here are a few of my favorite low carb recipes that you might also like.
- keto Mexican meatloaf
- low carb marinated grilled chicken or air fryer chicken thighs
- low carb chicken enchiladas
- keto slow cooker chipotle chicken or salsa verde version
- keto taco burgers, taco stuffed peppers, taco soup or taco salad
Well I must say this was one of my favorite recipes lately. This low carb meal was so easy and comforting and sure to be a family favorite. It would be perfect for a busy weeknight meal. I hope you enjoy it as well.
The nutritional information for 1 serving is 364 calories and:
18.5g fat / 7g carbs / 1g fiber / 39.7g protein = 6g net carbs
Keto Mexican Chicken Casserole
This easy keto Mexican chicken casserole is so rich and tasty it will be sure to warm you on a cold day. Full of cheesy Mexican flavors you can throw this low carb dinner together in minutes and then just bake it. This chicken casserole is keto comfort food that th entire family will love and has only 6g net carbs per serving.
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken breast, cooked chopped
- 2 cups cauliflower rice
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup salsa*
- 8 ounces shredded cheese (Mexican or cheddar)*
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Then spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
- Get out a large microwave safe bowl and add cream cheese and salsa. Microwave for a minutes or two to soften the cream cheese. Take it out and add the spices and mix well.
- Chop the chicken into bit sized pieces. Add along with the cauliflower rice to the cream cheese mixture. Also add half of the shredded cheese. Mix well and spoon into the prepared baking dish.
- Top with the other half of the cheese and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. If after 30 minutes it's not browned enough for your liking on top, you can put it under the broiler for a few minutes.
- Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
The nutritional information for 1 serving is 364 calories and:
18.5g fat / 7g carbs / 1g fiber / 39.7g protein = 6g net carbs
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I used chunky salsa from Aldi which had a lot of carbs and accounts for most of the carbs in this recipe. If you have a lower carb brand go ahead and use that. This is the main source of Mexican flavors.
- I used a Mexican cheese blend which was low carb. Try to find the brand with the lowest carbs or you can grate your own cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.
- This is the perfect recipe to freeze for a low carb lunch. Just portion out the leftovers and place in a freezer container. Microwave for a few minutes to reheat.
- We ate this as is but you could also use your favorite toppings like sour cream, black olive slices, jalapeno peppers, guacamole, avocado, etc. Just add the carb counts if you are on a low carb diet.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 364
Sherry
I enjoyed this! I made just as the recipe is stated. very delicious! thanks!
Denise
Hi Sherry, so glad you liked it!!!
Pamela
I enjoyed this casserole! My husband even went back for seconds. I added black beans in mine and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe
Denise
Hi Pamela, so glad you liked it. I don’t use the black beans for myself so as to keep the carb count low but will try that for my son who loves black beans.
Debbie Adair
I was looking for new keto casserole recipe and found this. LOVELOVELOVE! I like the few ingredients and yet so tasty!
Denise
So glad you liked it Debbie!
Tawni
Absolutely loved this recipe. I used spicy salsa and it gave it such a nice kick. The creamy chicken and crispy cheese crust were awesome! This will easily become a weekly meal for me.
Denise
Hi Tawni, so glad you liked it. You can easily play around with this to make it your own. I like to freeze portions for a quick keto lunch too. Thanks for coming back to comment!
MAMAto3
Can you use raw chicken? Won’t that cook isn’t he oven in about That time?
Denise
Hi, I think you could but I have never done that. I would chop it into very small pieces and check it after 30 minutes to make sure it’s cooked through. If not bake it for 5-10 minutes more. You could also used canned chicken in this recipe if you wanted.
Good luck and I hope you like it!
Helene
Thanks for an easy and tasty recipe. I added a diced red pepper and omitted the cream cheese. I cooked the red pepper in garlic infused olive oil, and added the pre-cooked chicken breasts and heated them with the peppers and salsa. I subbed Konjac rice for the riced cauliflower. I made 2 smaller casseroles and cooked in the air fryer oven at 370 degrees for 6 minutes. I served it with sour cream and diced avocado.
Denise
Hi Helene, glad you liked it and thanks for sharing your tips!
Christina
Hi there! This sounds delicious. What size baking dish do you use?
Denise
Hi Christina, it’s a 8x10inch casserole dish. It says 2.8 liters on the bottom. Hope that helps and you like it!
Becky
Ever since going low carb I have found layered foods are the best! I am always looking for new things to deconstruct and make a low carb/layered casserole with. I use the low carb tortillas from Aldi (much cheaper that alternatives) and then layer them like a lasagna but with endless possibilities for fillings. this adds a couple more carbs but makes you feel like you are having something structured instead of just filling with cheese on top and since I do a 16/8 fast I have a filling meal and it stays within my carb limit
I make a pizza casserole, a cheese coney casserole an a Philly cheese casserole that are big winners at my house this will be a great alternative to my beef enchiladasagna!
Denise
Hi Becky, great ideas! I’ll have to give it a try. I buy those tortillas too (love Aldi) so I’ll be creative with them!
Melanie
Did you use frozen cauli rice?
Denise
Hi Melanie, I never really use frozen cauliflower rice. You can though just make sure to drain all the water out first so it doesn’t make the casserole watery. Hope you like it.
Kelly
Your recipe calls for Cali rice. Are you saying you don’t use frozen?
Denise
Hi Kelly, I meant to say that I never really use frozen cauliflower rice but you can try it. Just make sure to drain any extra liquid from it before mixing it in. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
Jennifer Lorden
Do you use fresh, raw cauliflower rice or frozen?
Denise
Hi Jennifer, I usually make my own by just adding cauliflower to a food processor and pulsing until it looks like rice. That being said you could use any kind of cauliflower rice you want. Just don’t cook it first. And if using frozen, let it thaw a bit and drain any excess water before adding to the casserole. Hope that helps and you like it!
Barbara
I already submitted a review, but just wanted to say that this is a delicious recipe, and easy to fix quickly for company. I use Costco’s grilled chicken that comes cut up in chunks/strips and is found in the freezer section. We don’t have Aldi’s so I used Rotel instead, and will probably add fresh cilantro to the sauce.
It’s a great recipe to take camping, as well. We just reheated it in our oven (you could microwave but I prefer not to) and I served it with tortilla chips for my non-low-carb hubby and pork rinds for myself.
Denise
Hi Barbara, so glad you liked it! Thanks for coming back to comment and share you tips and tricks! Have a good weekend.
Judy
This was the Best Keto recipe I have ever tried! OMG. So delicious. I didn’t have cream cheese so I substituted with sour cream. Thank you for posting.
Denise
Hi Judy, I’m so glad you liked it! And thanks for sharing your tip. I’ll have to try sour cream next time.