You will fall in love with this Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole made with simple ingredients in just 20 minutes! Broccoli, Cauliflower, Buffalo Sauce, Full Fat Greek Yogurt, Shredded Cheese, and Shredded Chicken come together in the instant pot for a dinner the whole family won't soon forget! Follow along for extra tips on finding the healthiest ingredients for this irresistibly low carb casserole.
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We set out to develop an easy recipe for busy weeknights that our picky eaters will enjoy. The kids love cheesy buffalo dip but struggle to eat veggies. So we combined 3 of their favorite foods, chicken, greek yogurt, and cheese with buffalo sauce, and viola! An instant hit!
This keto casserole is an easy way to sneak in some good-for-you veggies and satisfy your taste buds. It is sure to be on the regular rotation in no time. It is also a great make-ahead meal to take for lunch the next day for meal prep when you are on the go.
If you are looking for more keto casserole recipes like this, try our Keto Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Keto BBQ Chicken Casserole, Keto Chicken Alfredo, Keto Chicken Fajita Casserole, or our Low Carb Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup. The cooking process for these recipes is simple and some of my personal favorites.
Before we get started with our ingredients, we recommend taking a moment to set some powerful intentions for this recipe. It was my intention to create a healthy, quick, and delicious instant pot recipe that everyone was going to love! In my house, it was a hit! I hope you have the same great results!
Check out our free 7 day clean keto guide and meal plan!
Setting Intentions
Intentions are an integral part of each day and every great recipe. It only takes a quick moment to clear your mind with a few deep breaths and tell yourself exactly what you are doing and why.
It helps tremendously to direct energy in the direction of your goals and intentions and activate your cells to cooperate on your mission!
Curate your intentions to your personal and familial needs and desires. How will the meal go, what purpose will it serve, and how smoothly will the cooking process be are a few points to consider. Some examples of helpful intentions are:
This meal will be quick and fun to make. Everyone will enjoy themselves as we share this time together.
With every bite that I take, my body feels healthier and stronger.
My blood sugar is in the perfect range. I am grateful to have delicious meals that help me to reach my wellness goals.
Every ingredient that I want and need will be readily available when I go to the store.
My body feels fantastic. I digest this food effortlessly well.
Once you have a clear intention set, grab a notepad, and let's head to the grocery store with our full list of ingredients plus tips to pick the best ones!
Ingredients
Chicken- Organic is best. You can grab some chicken breasts and pre-cook them in the instant pot, slow cooker, or oven and then shred it. Or you can purchase an organic rotisserie chicken from your local health food store or Whole Foods as we did. Just shred it up and add it in!
Fresh Broccoli Florets- Organic is always best to avoid glysophate and pesticides. Just grab a large head of broccoli, wash and chop them up into bite-sized pieces.
Fresh Cauliflower Florets- The same as broccoli- Organic is the best. Be sure to cut it into small pieces. works well in this recipe. (hint: cauliflower can be made into cauliflower rice for a different texture but the same great flavor!)
Fage 5% whole milk yogurt- this specific brand of greek yogurt is a clean brand and its 5% yogurt provides a texture similar to cream cheese. In fact, you can substitute cream cheese in any recipe with this!
Grated Cheese- It is important to go for organic with cheese as well. A lot of shredded cheese has hidden preservatives AND starches, which can throw off a keto diet with sneaky net carbs increase.
The best bet is to buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself. Otherwise, be sure to check the ingredients and nutrition labels of your cheese to ensure clean ingredients and no starch. (hint: potato starch is a commonly used additive in shredded cheese)
Use whatever cheese you prefer, but Mexican Blend, Monterey or Colby Jack cheese, or Sharp Cheddar Cheese all work well!
Buffalo Sauce- Be sure to find sugar-free buffalo sauce like Primal Kitchen.
Chives- Organic Chives can be found in the fresh herb section at any grocery store and serve to be a delicious finishing topping to this cheesy broccoli casserole.
Salt and Black Pepper: Himalayan Pink Salt is the best salt to use as it is not processed like regular table salt and contains all trace minerals needed by the human body.
Plus its taste is second to none! Cracked Black Pepper is a nice finishing touch to season alongside this tasty and nutritious salt.
See Recipe Card for Quantities.
Instructions
Add cooked chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, and buffalo sauce to your Instant Pot. Set the pressure cooker setting to high pressure for 1 minute. Quick release the pressure immediately.
Stir in yogurt and half of the cheese until melts slightly.
Scoop into casserole dish.
Broil the casserole for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts. Garnish with chives. Enjoy!
Hint: The reason we add the cheese and yogurt after the pressure cooker is that the cheese will melt and stick to the bottom of the instant pot.
The IP's self-preservation mode will beep and say food burn. This will not allow the pot to come to pressure and this hiccup may confuse the cooking time! So it's best to add the cheese after releasing the pressure.
Substitutions and Variations
For a vegetarian alternative, consider substituting shredded chicken with tempeh or jackfruit!
For a less spicy alternative, you can adjust the level or buffalo sauce. Be sure to add at least one cup of liquid total to the instant pot in order for it to come to pressure! If you want to lessen the spice, add half a cup of buffalo and half a cup of chicken stock.
If you want to choose a non-buffalo chicken broccoli casserole, swap the buffalo sauce for bone broth, chicken broth, or even almond milk for a creamier flavor. Feel free to add extra seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, or rosemary.
The possibilities are endless with the versatility of chicken and broccoli.
If you don't enjoy cauliflower florets, they can easily be substituted for cauliflower rice, wild rice (not keto), spaghetti squash, or zucchini noodles.
For a crispier cauliflower, consider taking an extra step to roast the cauliflower in the oven while the instant pot is going. Add the roasted cauliflower in when you add the cheese and yogurt!
Equipment
6 or 8 qt Instant Pot
Casserole Dish
Cooking Spoon
Chef's Knife
Cutting Board
Serving Spatula
Storage
Store your leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
(Food safety tip: if you purchase a rotisserie chicken please use it right away as waiting with cooked chicken even stored in the fridge will diminish the amount of time the casserole will be good for left over.)
Can also be stored in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months.
Top tip
Be sure to follow the times for this recipe well, as overcooking will cause the broccoli and cauliflower to become excessively mushy
FAQ
While broccoli is not free from carbohydrates, it has a very small amount. A single cup of cooked broccoli has just 2-3 g net carbs. The micronutrients, phytonutrients, and minerals make it a perfect superfood addition to any low-carb recipe or diet!
The carbs in broccoli are non-starchy and paired with healthy fiber and nutrients. The minimal amount of carbs does not need to be counted as the benefits highly outweigh the numbers on the nutrition facts. Many experts believe that eating as much broccoli as you want should not break ketosis if that is your goal.
This depends on the person. Some need 15g of carbs and others can do 30 or even 50g of carbs and under per day to stay in ketosis. This is the general rule that keeps one in a state of ketosis, where the body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.
Related
For more keto recipes try: Keto Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole,
BEST Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup (Low Carb and Keto),
Wild-Caught Pollock with Parmesan Crust (Keto, Low-carb)
For a different instant pot dinner check out:
Health Benefits of Split Pea Soup + Easy Instant Pot Recipe
Pairing
A side of steamed green beans seasoned with garlic and onion powder, salt, and pepper is our favorite side dish for this recipe!
Recipe
Keto Buffalo Chicken Broccoli Instant Pot Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- ½ head broccoli cut into small florets
- 8 oz 5% full-fat Fage yogurt
- 10 oz grated cheese divided
- 12 oz Buffalo sauce check label to ensure 0 carbs
- ½ head cauliflower cut into small florets
- 2 teaspoon chives minced
- â…› teaspoon pink himalayan salt
- â…› teaspoon black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add cooked chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, and buffalo sauce to your Instant Pot. Set the pressure cooker setting to high pressure for 1 minute. It takes about 15 minutes to come to pressure. Once the timer goes off, quick release the pressure immediately.
- Stir in the Fage yogurt and half of the cheese until the cheese melts slightly. It will make a nice creamy sauce. Turn the broil setting on your oven to 400-500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Carefully transfer the mixture into an oven-safe casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese in an even layer on top.
- Broil the casserole for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts and turns a light golden brown color. Remove from oven to cool and add chives on top to garnish. Let cool for a couple of minutes. Serve hot!
Nutrition
Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave the broiler unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
NP says
Such a fun and delicious recipe!
William Hinkle says
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Jomelyn Mauermann says
Thanks for this keto recipe. Im thinking to restart this diet after a few years.
Natalie Perry says
You are welcome. It is delicious!