Summer is just around the corner and what better way to kick off the grilling season than with a delicious Keto BBQ Chicken Casserole? This recipe not only satisfies your craving for classic BBQ flavor but also incorporates wholesome, clean ingredients that will leave you feeling nourished and satisfied.
And the best part? You can make your own homemade BBQ sauce with just a few simple ingredients. So pull out your slow cooker and casserole dish and get ready to indulge in a hearty, mouthwatering meal that won't derail your healthy eating goals.
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Making Homemade Sauce
In the beginning, it can be a challenge to find healthy sauces and dressings when eating clean. One of the first things you will learn when making the switch is about the ingredients in these products.
Many of the conventional brands and filled with unhealthy ingredients that can trigger pain, inflammation, fatigue, and illness.
In recent years companies have been introducing organic brands with simpler ingredients to satisfy more health-conscious consumers.
While some of these are better than the alternative, the best option is to make your own sauces and dressings. The BEST part is that it is simple and easy to do!
Stay tuned as we teach you how to make slow cooker chicken in homemade low carb bbq sauce.
Next, we transform it into a rich and decadent cheesy bacon casserole with hidden veggies.
This BBQ chicken casserole recipe is a family favorite recipe inspired by another keto casserole on the menu: Keto Buffalo Chicken Broccoli Casserole.
If you are looking for more low-carb casseroles try our Keto Chicken Fajita Casserole, Keto Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole and Keto Chicken Alfredo too!
Making a low carb dinner does not have to mean low taste. If you are working on a low carb or keto lifestyle, we can help you do it the healthy way with whole foods and quality ingredients without sacrificing taste. Check out our beginner's guide to clean keto with a free 7 day meal plan!
No one will even notice this delicious casserole is packed with good-for-you vegetables. Even our picky toddlers approved! Let's get cookin'!
Setting Intentions
Here at Mindfully Healthy Living, we know that a healthy recipe always includes a healthy mindset and positive intentions. Setting clear intentions helps to direct energy in the direction of your goals and desires. Taking the time to ground yourself and get clear with what you intend to create, sets the stage for your day, month, and meal.
It helps your subconscious to conspire in your favor to heal and strengthen in mind, body, and soul. All it takes is a few deep cleansing breaths to ground and formulate your intentions. To learn more about how to set intentions check out this post: Manifesting Your Life with Intentions and Affirmations.
Some examples of intentions are:
My intention is to make a delicious meal that makes me feel fantastic. Every bite I take helps me to feel stronger and healthier.
My blood sugar levels are within the healthy range. My blood pressure is perfectly balanced.
This meal I am about to make will go smoothly and taste wonderful. Everyone will enjoy themselves; this dinner will be a success!
I am incredibly grateful for the ability to choose clean, healthy, foods to feed my family.
Ingredients
Grab your list and let's get ready to head to the grocery store!
Chicken Breast: Skinless, boneless chicken breasts that are organic are best with this recipe. You can also use organic boneless chicken thighs for a slightly richer flavor of chicken. They should work the same.
Barbecue Sauce Ingredients:
Bragg's Liquid Aminos- Liquid aminos is a soy sauce alternative that is gluten-free and is made from non-GMO soybeans. For a soy-free alternative, try coconut aminos instead. Tamari, which is fermented soy sauce, is also a healthy alternative that will give the same savory umami flavor of these ingredients, without the sketchy ingredients that most conventional soy sauces tend to have. Like liquid aminos and coconut aminos, tamari is wheat and gluten-free and is less likely to have preservatives and additives. Coming from fermented soybeans, it is higher in protein and antioxidants, while lower in calories.
Tomato Paste: Organic tomato paste is best. Only a few cents more than the conventional paste, it comes from organic tomatoes and avoids artificial additives and preservatives. Definitely worth it.
Organic RAW Apple Cider Vinegar: Be sure it is raw and unfiltered. This means it still has "the mother" in it. The mother is a good bacteria (probiotics) that is very beneficial to gut health and more. It is also a signal of a higher quality product. This helps to add to the flavor of the delicious tangy BBQ sauce we are making from scratch.
Worcestershire Sauce: A little goes a long way. It contributes to the delicious savory flavor of the sauce.
Pure maple Syrup: Pure maple adds a sweet flavor. If you are being extra strict with your sugar intake, you can make it a completely sugar-free BBQ sauce by substituting pure monk fruit instead. Notable, one TB of pure maple syrup, as the recipe calls for, has 13 g net carbs. Split between 5 servings, is 2.6 g per serving. On a keto diet, that is considered acceptable. Be sure to use pure maple syrup with no other ingredients. Check out this article on the benefits of maple syrup and date syrup and how to choose the right product.
Pure Monk Fruit: Monk fruit adds a sweet taste without any sugar whatsoever. Monk fruit is one of the healthiest natural sweeteners with no carbohydrates. Be sure it is pure monk fruit with no additives. Oftentimes, manufacturers mix it with erythritol which is a sugar alcohol that can cause gastric upset.
Spicy Brown Mustard: This mustard combines with all other ingredients for the perfect tangy flavor profile.
Dried Mustard Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Chipotle Chili Powder
Smoked Paprika
*For all spices, organic is best. If that is not possible, ensure there aren't added preservatives or additives on the ingredient list. The name of the spice should be the only ingredient!
For the Casserole
Baby Spinach: Organic is best. Leafy greens are sprayed with pesticides regularly and are often high on the dirty dozen list. Spinach adds another layer of texture and is a nutrient-dense food. You can also use frozen organic spinach for ease of mixing.
Fage Yogurt 5%: It is important to get 5% yogurt for the texture. It is full-fat whole milk yogurt. It has a consistency that is thick and creamy just like cream cheese, but it is healthier, with more protein. If you can't find the 5%, it will still be okay to use regular Greek yogurt or organic sour cream.
Colby Jack Cheese: Organic is best. It is also best to purchase a block of cheese and shred it at home. Shredded cheese in the grocery store has hidden starches (read: carbohydrates). These starches are also accompanied by preservatives and artificial ingredients that act as stabilizers or mold inhibitors.
Organic block cheese shredded at home is worth the extra step! If you prefer, you can add or substitute cheddar cheese. We would like to note that cheddar can be a bit more inflammatory than other cheese alternatives.
Uncured Bacon: Crispy bacon crumbles are used as an additional flavor and texture. Uncured is important, as cured meat contains dangerously carcinogenic curing agents. Read more in our article on cured vs uncured pepperoni. Uncured turkey bacon can also be used and is quite delicious!
Cauliflower: Roasted cauliflower is a delicious treat and adds a carbohydrate-like texture and flavor to the meal. Organic cauliflower is best. Cauliflower rice can be used alternatively for a smaller texture than florets.
Avocado Oil: Avocado oil is one of the healthiest cooking oils with a high smoke point. Coat the cauliflower with your favorite seasonings like salt, black pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Extra virgin olive oil can be used if the temp is set to 400.
Organic Chives: The perfect garnish. Organic is best. You can find it in the fresh herbs and spices section in the produce section of the grocery store. Green onions work well, also
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Mix together BBQ sauce ingredients
Add chicken and sauce to slow cooker. Cook on medium heat for 3 hours or until the chicken can be shredded with a fork.
3. Shred the chicken. Add yogurt, 1 cup of shredded cheese, spinach, and bacon bits. Stir on medium heat allowing spinach to wilt.
( Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F. Coat the cauliflower florets with oil, garlic, onion powder, pepper, and salt. Roast cauliflower for 15-20 minutes. .)
4. Turn oven temp to 350. Scoop the shredded chicken mixture onto the roasted cauliflower and sprinkle the remaining cheese to the top. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Remove from heat and garnish with chives and your choice of toppings. Enjoy!
Hint: Cook the bacon extra crispy so it is easier to crumble!
Variations and Substitutions
To make the sauce more/less spicy, adjust the chipotle chili seasoning amount.
For another low-carb vegetable alternative to cauliflower, consider using cooked spaghetti squash for the base.
Sub Liquid aminos with Coconut aminos or tamari sauce (fermented soy sauce)
Instead of making your own BBQ sauce to cook the chicken in, you can buy organic and sugar-free BBQ sauce like Primal Kitchen brand.
For a meatless meal, omit the bacon and use jackfruit instead of chicken!
To keep it sugar-free, omit maple and substitute pure monk fruit. Approx ⅛ tsp.
In a pinch, you can skip the slow cooker and buy a rotisserie chicken. Shred it, adding the homemade sauce and additional casserole ingredients before baking.
Equipment
Casserole dish
STAUB Ceramics Rectangular ...Shop on Amazon
Chefs knife
J.A. Henckels International...Shop on Amazon
Cutting board
Hiware Extra Large Bamboo C...Shop on Amazon
Instant pot or slow cooker
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Elec...Shop on Amazon
Mixing bowl
Pyrex Smart Essentials 3-Pa...Shop on Amazon
Spatula
Cooptop Silicone Spatula Se...Shop on Amazon
Can opener
Beneno Multifunctional Heav...Shop on Amazon
Storage
Store in a glass airtight container for up to 4 days. Store in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months.
Top tip
Using a hand mixer helps to effortlessly shred the chicken!
FAQ
Traditional BBQ sauces contain sugar and other starches that add to your total carbohydrates. If you choose sugar-free barbecue sauce or make your own, you will be safe to eat on a keto diet. Our homemade BBQ sauce is delicious and keto-friendly.
When you heat sugar at high temperatures it will condense and turn to a thick gummy texture. It may also burn and cause free radicals that damage your cells. The sugar does remain, after cooking and will contribute to your total carbohydrate intake.
Vinegar has an acidic flavor that balances the sweetness and creates a tangy flavor profile. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is the preferred addition to homemade BBQ sauce as it is the least processed version and has just the right level of acidity.
As slang, those in the health community refer to eating highly processed meats, cheeses, oils, and sauces that are devoid of real nutrients as "dirty keto". While doing this might contribute to ketosis, it will also contribute to health problems by clogging the arteries, overloading the liver and gallbladder, and increasing exposure to carcinogenic ingredients. It is always best to find high-quality protein and fat balanced with nutrient-dense vegetables for a healthy balance.
Related
If you're interested in keto-friendly coffee creamers check this article out. If you are looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
A side salad, steamed broccoli, or green beans go well with this BBQ chicken casserole!
Recipe
Keto BBQ Chicken Casserole (With Homemade BBQ Sauce)
Equipment
- Chefs knife
- cutting board
- Mixing bowl
- spatula
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast
For the chicken and bbq sauce
- ¼ cup Braggs liquid aminos
- ⅓ cup water
- 6 oz can tomato paste organic
- 2 TB APPLE CIDER VINEGAR with the mother
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 TB PURE MAPLE SYRUP
- 1 pinch of pure monk fruit can sub ¼ teaspoon more maple for ⅛ teaspoon monk fruit
- 1.5 TB spicy brown mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon dried mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon chipotle Chile powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
For casserole
- 3 oz baby spinach fresh or frozen with fresh, close the lid for a few minutes and stir until it wilts..
- 5 oz 5% Fage Greek yogurt
- 2 cups Colby or Monterey Jack cheese shredded and divided
- 6 strips uncured bacon fried and crumbled
- 1 head organic cauliflower cut into small florets
- 1 TB avocado oil
- 1 TB chives minced
Instructions
- Add all the Ingredients for the barbecue sauce in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Place the raw chicken breast at the bottom of the slow cooker (or instant pot with slow cooker setting) and cover thoroughly with your homemade bbq sauce. Cook on medium heat for 3 hours or until the chicken can be shredded with a fork. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165F minimum.
- (While waiting on the chicken, fry up the bacon and let it cool. Once cool, break into small crumbed pieces and set aside. )
- Shred the chicken. Add yogurt, 1 cup of shredded cheese, spinach, and bacon bits. Stir to combine. (If using the instant pot, keep the heat on or turn to saute mode for 2 minutes after stirring while the spinach wilts)
- ( While the chicken is cooking, preheat the oven to 425F. Toss the cauliflower florets with oil and some garlic and onion powder, pepper, and salt. In a casserole dish. Roast cauliflower for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat.)
- Change oven temp to 350. Scoop the shredded chicken mixture on top of the cauliflower and add the remaining cheese to the top. Bake at 350 for 20 min or until cheese is lightly golden brown. Remove from heat and garnish with chives and your choice of toppings. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Final Thoughts
Love making this Keto BBQ Chicken Casserole? Let us know how it went in the comments below! Tag us on social media @mindfullyhealthymama on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube and @mindfullyhealthyliving on Facebook.
Have a healthy day!
Natalie
Katherine McLee says
This sounds really good! BBQ sauce can be lovely but I agree it can be too sweet for certain things! This sounds really doable even for those who aren't completely confident making things from scratch! Thank you for sharing!
Natalie Perry says
Thank you, yes it is so easy!