As featured in Bulletproof and Mark's Daily Apple!
This keto chicken bacon ranch casserole is simple, delicious, and is a hit with both kids and adults. It's the perfect healthy weeknight dinner that everyone will love - and it even freezes well, too!
This keto chicken bacon ranch casserole is inspired by favorite pizza toppings. All of the flavor, none of the guilt, and kids love it too!
What do we want out of life? I want a few things, but complicated and hard to make recipes are not one of them. This keto chicken bacon ranch casserole really sums up what I want in life.
Simplicity, deliciousness, and all my favorite pizza flavors.
As most of you know, I have a Pizza Problem. (And yes, it deserves capitalization. It's a Serious Situation.)
So my new healthy habit is trying to turn my favorite pizza toppings into other forms of food. That's why I made these Pepperoni and Pineapple Skewers - that's one of my favorite topping combos. A little spicy, a little sweet. Then I made the Pizza Pasta, which has a great spicy Italian sausage flavor to it.
And now, I bring you Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole.
You're welcome.
How to make keto chicken bacon ranch casserole
This chicken bacon ranch casserole is just as easy as its inspiration recipe, the buffalo chicken casserole. I'm a big fan of anything you can throw in a pan, stir, stick in the oven, and call dinner. Amiright?
There are a few prep steps for this one- you'll need cooked chicken breast and bacon, and you'll need chopped veggies. (I like to cook batches of chicken breasts and keep them on hand!)
For the veggies, if you need to save time, you can buy pre-riced cauliflower. Lazy? Yes. More expensive? Yes. Cleaner, easier, and best option with a toddler? Also yes.
So, that's it. You're going to take all your ingredients, put them in a pan, stir, and bake. Weeknight dinner is done.
Can you make this in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker
I honestly haven't tried, but it's on my to-do list! I've had readers experiment with the Buffalo Chicken Casserole in the Instant Pot with great success.
This recipe is very similar, so I anticipate the results would be similar as well.
If you try it, here's what I would suggest:
- Set pot to sauté
- add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
- Sauté chopped onion for 2-3 mins until tender
- Set pot to manual
- Add all other ingredients except ranch dressing to the pot, placing chicken on top
- Set timer to 25 if chicken is frozen; 15 if thawed
- Cover and ensure vent is closed
- After it's done, manually release pressure
- Remove lid, add ranch dressing, mix well
Chicken should be tender enough that it breaks apart right there in the pot! If you try it, let me know in the comments how it comes out.
How long will keto chicken bacon ranch casserole keep in the fridge
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to about a week.
Any longer than that and I would suggest freezing to make sure it stays fresh. Once it's refrigerated, it will get a bit firmer. That will make it easier to cut into squares and freeze in individual portions, if you prefer!
Sometimes I prefer this so I can grab them in a pinch for easy lunches, or defrost just one or two pieces when I need them, rather than the entire casserole.
Is this keto chicken bacon ranch casserole Whole30 compliant
Yesssss this one is! Pizza toppings for the win!
To ensure it is Whole30 friendly:
Make sure that your bacon does not have added sugar, and that if you aren't making a batch of my homemade ranch dressing you have a compliant dressing such as Tessamae's ranch dressing on hand to use instead.
(If you're making the ranch, you might want to start with mayo, or learning about all the parts of making homemade mayonnaise.)
Recipe
Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
This Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is simple, delicious, and is a hit with both kids and adults. A quick and easy Whole30 weeknight meal!
Ingredients
- 1 pound shredded chicken
- 1 medium onion,, diced
- 1 head cauliflower,, riced
- 10 oz package bacon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Lay the bacon out flat on a baking sheet. Place in the 400° oven for 15 minutes or until crispy.
- While the bacon is cooking, rice your head of cauliflower and dice up your onion and place in a 9x11 baking dish. Sprinkle with the salt and stir to combine.
- Remove the bacon from the oven and set aside to cool. Turn the oven temp down to 350°.
- Place the chicken on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until no longer pink. (Leave the oven on!)
- While the chicken is baking, chop or crumble the bacon and add to the dish.
- When chicken is done, chop up or shred in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment on a low speed. Add the chicken to the dish with the cauliflower, onion, and bacon.
- Add the ranch dressing and stir to combine, making sure everything is completely coated.
- Bake at 350° covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more. For the last 5 minutes, turn the oven on broil and crisp up the top, watching closely to make sure it doesn't burn!
- Serve immediately. Top with extra bacon, extra ranch, or fresh herbs for bonus points!
Notes
Leftovers will store in the fridge for up to a week.
Casserole can be frozen before or after cooking, and reheats well. Simply drain off any excess water from the cauliflower after baking or reheating.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6 peopleAmount Per Serving: Calories: 412Saturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 1256mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 28g
If you made this keto chicken bacon ranch casserole, post a photo and tag me on social - I want to see! What's your next keto casserole to make? Mine is this Chicken Burrito Casserole from Paleo Running Momma - YUM! Or, check out these 3 Easy Casserole Recipes that are simple and kid-friendly!
I may earn a small commission off purchases made through affiliate links in this post from Amazon and other sellers. This helps me continue to run the blog and keep providing you fresh content. Thank you for your support!
Courtney
I'm thinking about baking this in individual size glass containers... Would that work? How would you adjust the baking time if this recipe was divided into 4 baking dishes instead of all in one?
Jessica
This is such a good idea, Courtney! I think with the smaller baking dishes, you could reduce the cooking time a bit, as it isn't quite the same density of one big dish. Instead of 30/10, I'd say try 20/10, and just check before taking out to make sure they are hot all the way through. Hope that helps!
Jaymi
For the Instant Pot version, do you cook the bacon at all first? I was conflicted because crispy bacon is the way to go, but I could make extra in the oven and put raw chopped bacon in the IP (then top with crispy). I just don't want raw bacon!
Jessica
I would cook it first, but I haven't tried it without cooking it first!
TT
I want to buy the fresh riced cauliflower. Do you have any idea how much I will need?
Jessica
Hi! I usually buy 2 of the bags at Trader Joes and use all of it. hope that helps!
Tali
This is AMAZING!! The whole family enjoyed it!
Jessica
So glad you love it!
steve
"When chicken is done, chop up or shred in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment on a low speed. "
What???? I'm pretty sure you cannot shred chicken with a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
Jessica
Hi Steve - you can! You can watch it in this video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BO3NWjbB9y-/
Hope that helps!
Erica
Thanks for the great recipe. I tweeked it for my keto plan, and made this today. I added 1/4 shredded mozzarella, grilled the onions in ghee on med-low, and sprinkled more shredded mozzarella over the top when switching to cooking uncovered. Loved it. Can't wait to see how it tastes as leftovers!
Jessica
Yum, cheese! 🙂 That sounds delicious. How were the leftovers? I use my Buffalo Chicken Casserole recipe leftovers as an omelette filling, but I bet this would be great for that as well.
Amy
It looks really good but I'm trying to avoid the salt what do suggest there's alot of sodium in it
Ruben
How much is a serving?
Jessica
Hi Ruben! The nutrition information in the post is based on a 6th of the dish, with 1 casserole making 6 servings. Hope that helps!
K School
My kids absolutely loved this dish and there are no leftovers. "It smells so good! I'd put that scent in a candle!"
I used frozen riced cauliflower for ease. Thanks for the recipe!
Jessica
Ha! A candle! That just gave me a morning laugh. Thanks so much, I'm so happy they enjoyed it! 🙂
Jacqueline
What is considered to be a serving? This will be put on my weekly menu. Got great reviews from everyone!
Jessica
The casserole serves about 6 people, so 1/6th of the pan! Hope that helps. It's tasty and easy. I've heard of lots of people adding different vegetables to it to mix it up as well!
Jen
Has anyone used frozen cauliflower florets instead of riced? My family doesn't care for riced cauliflower but loves cauliflower in general (go figure ?)
Jessica
Haha! I'm sure florets would work just fine. I've heard that frozen riced cauliflower works, so I can't imagine that frozen florets would be any different!
Molly Schlagel
The flavors in this are sooo good, however it does not stick together at ALL. Any tips? Could I add eggs? Thanks!
Jessica
Hi Molly,
It's actually not intended to stick together. You could certainly add eggs if you'd like to - I'd recommend whisking them and then pouring it over the casserole before you bake it!
Johanna Knapp
I really like this recipe. I find I like the left overs even more, I think after the flavors have even more time together. So I have just been making it at the beginning of the week and then use it as my leftovers for lunch. I look forward to my lunch when I take this. I just found this recipe in January and I'm making it today for the third time!
Jessica
So glad you like it, Johanna! I definitely think the flavors blend together better a day or two later. It freezes well too - next time try making a double batch at once and freezing the second one! 🙂
Bev wiley
Can you make it in the crockpot? Nutrition unfit?
Jessica
Hi Bev, I haven't tried making this in the crockpot! I'd be concerned that the cauliflower rice might get a bit mushy being cooked for that long, but you could certainly try it. If you do, come back and let me know how it came out!
Amy
Will this freeze well?
Jessica
Hi Amy,
Yes, it freezes really well! I made a few batches of both this and the Buffalo Chicken Casserole when I was pregnant and we defrosted them later for easy, ready made freezer meals. You could even freeze in portion sizes if you didn't want to defrost the whole thing at once!
Amy Draper
That's great cuz I made a big batch! 🙂
Its quite delicious! I mix it in a scramble with avocado. Great with hot sauce.
I'd recommend this be in a Whole30 rotation! Thanks, Jessica!
Jessica
Oh yum, that sounds delicious. I will have to try that!
Lori Williams
Do you freeze it before cooking in the oven or after? I can't wait to make this!
Jessica
Hi Lori, I froze mine before cooking. If you cook it straight from frozen rather than letting it defrost, you'd just need to increase the cooking time!
Wendy
Made this for dinner and the family loved it I added asparagus and broccoli. Definatly will make it again. Thanks for sharing
Jessica
Hi Wendy,
Love the addition of the extra veggies! It's a great base that you can really add anything to.
Janet
This sounds really good! As you add the ingredients, do you mix them each time or layer them? Thanks!
Janet
Oops! Never mind...I read to the end where it says stir to combine. Making this tonight!
Jessica
Haha, glad you found it! Hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Roselyn
I tried this recipe for the first time this week! So yummy and so easy! Thanks for sharing!
xx,
Roselyn
http://www.thestylelynnlife.com
Jessica
So glad you enjoyed it, Roselyn!
Lisa
So the califlower and onion does not get cooked or sautéed?
Jessica
Hi Lisa,
All the vegetables get cooked when you bake the casserole itself - no need to pre-cook any ingredients other than the chicken!
Kelly B
This recipe is a close second to the Paleo Scaleo buffalo chicken recipe. This is so easy and quick to make and feeds the masses. Love! Thank you!
Kristi
Did you make your own ranch dressing ?to be whole 30 compliant ?
Jessica
Hi Kristi! Yes, I make my own ranch. The recipe is linked in the post! I also just added a direct link in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Wendy
Sounds wonderful! Can you use frozen riced cauliflower?
Jessica
Hi Wendy! I haven't tried using frozen cauliflower rice, but I think it would work! The only thing I can think of is that it might have a bit more moisture to it. If you try it, please report back and let us know how it works!
Sarah
I made this last night with frozen cauliflower rice - it worked perfectly!
KC
Did you just do one bag?