Crack Chicken Casserole
Add this Crack Chicken Casserole to your weekly rotation! Wholesome favorites like juicy chicken, crispy bacon, tender broccoli, and a cheesy ranch sauce make this gluten-free family dinner a must-have.
With over 20 casseroles on this website, it’s clear to see that I love a good, downhome family dinner like this Crack Chicken Casserole! No matter how our dietary needs have changed, I’ve always prioritized a good casserole recipe. First I learned how to make the perfect chicken casserole with gluten-free flour, then I learned how to make a keto casserole without any flour at all! Now I can assure you that this version is the creamiest, most flavorful casserole ever. I added more texture and more seasoning for the perfect comfort food you can make ahead of time!
Love that “crack chicken” flavor combination? Try our Crack Chicken Soup, these Crack Chicken Foil Packs, or our Crack Chicken Crock Pot recipe!
Why you will love this easy chicken casserole:
- Super Flavorful – The “crack” chicken phenomenon has gone viral for a reason… Chicken, bacon, ranch, and cheese are simply an amazing combination! These work great to help convince picky eaters to eat their broccoli!
- Versatile for Dietary Needs – Because we skip “cream of” soups and flours, we can easily make this recipe gluten-free and low-carb! I have not tried this with dairy-free substitutes, but it could probably work if you have alternatives you enjoy.
- Inexpensive and Wholesome – This is a great recipe to prep after a grocery store run when rotisserie chickens are on sale. We stick to very basic, well-known ingredients, and the casserole gives you that nice “stick to your ribs” satisfied feeling without weighing you down.
Crack Chicken Casserole Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you will need for this easy keto chicken dish. Scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements.
- Meat: Chicken and Bacon – Cooked. I’ll frequently cook chicken in the slow cooker during the day to prep for casseroles, but you could easily shred a rotisserie chicken from the store to save time. The bacon should be crumbled.
- Vegetables: Broccoli and Green Onions – I have only used fresh vegetables. I wouldn’t recommend frozen broccoli as I worry it would add too much moisture, watering down the sauce.
- Pantry Goods: Chicken Broth, Ranch Seasoning Mix, and Cornstarch OR Xanthan Gum – Make sure you use the dry ranch seasoning mix, not the liquid salad dressing. The cornstarch and xanthan gum are optional thickeners; you can skip these if you like, but your sauce will be runny.
- Dairy: Cream Cheese, Heavy Whipping Cream, and Cheddar Cheese – These help make it creamy and cheesy! I have not tried these with dairy-free substitutes. Feel free to swap the cheese for something you enjoy more.
How to Make Crack Chicken Casserole
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease a 7×11 baking dish, crumble your cooked bacon, shred your cooked chicken, chop your broccoli into bite-sized pieces.
- Make the sauce. Warm a deep skillet over medium heat, then add in your broth and cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese dissolves, then add in your heavy cream, ranch seasoning, and 1.5 cups of the cheese. Let this mixture come to a simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes until it starts to thicken.
- Thicken the sauce (OPTIONAL). Combine the cornstarch (or xanthan gum) with the cold water to create a slurry. Stir this into your cheese sauce, watching it immediately thicken.
- Assemble the casserole. Pour your chopped broccoli and shredded chicken into the greased casserole dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the cheese sauce over this, then top with the remaining shredded cheddar.
- Bake. Place the casserole dish into the preheated oven and bake 25-30 minutes. Once the broccoli is tender and cheese has begun to brown, remove from the oven and top with crumbled, cooked bacon and chopped green onions.
What to Serve with Chicken Broccoli Casserole
This tasty dish is great on its own, garnished with fresh herbs, bacon, and parmesan. To stretch it further, consider adding an herby salad and a great veggie dish like glazed carrots, smashed brussels sprouts, or green beans almondine. Fluffy buttermilk biscuits (or chaffles if you’re keto) are great on the side as well. Want to really spruce it up? Try adding a drizzle of jalapeno ranch on top!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Allow the casserole to cool completely, then store in airtight containers in the fridge up to 3-4 days. For individual portions, reheat in the microwave (50% power, 1-minute increments). If you meal prepped this and would like to reheat the entire casserole, cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until warmed throughout.
Keto Chicken Casserole FAQs
Yes, this dish works great when you prep it ahead of time! You can make the sauce and assemble the casserole up to 2 days ahead of time (though I recommend leaving the cheese off the top because it will sink over time). Just store it covered in the fridge, let it sit out for 30 minutes or so to warm up, then bake as directed.
We don’t use any “cream of” soups or flour in this recipe, so the sauce consists of cream cheese, heavy cream, and melted cheese. This mixture is delicious, but it doesn’t get thick enough to cling to the broccoli and chicken the way you’re probably used to. Creating a slurry using water and either cornstarch or xanthan gum helps create a more binding texture. You can skip this if you like, but your sauce will run when you start slicing up your casserole.
Sure! Broccoli is a common pairing for “crack chicken” recipes, but you could easily swap this with something like cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, or even spinach. I would avoid high-moisture vegetables (like zucchini) or starchy vegetables (like potatoes) because they could change the texture. Whatever you use, make sure to chop them into easy-to-eat pieces.
More Popular Recipes:
- Keto Cookies
- Vanilla Bean Frappuccino
- Crack Chicken Crock Pot
- Mississippi Chicken Recipe
- Keto Chili Recipe
Get the Recipe: Crack Chicken Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1-ounce package ranch seasoning
- 1 tablespoon corn starch + 1 tablespoon cold water, OPTIONAL (another option: 1 tablespoon xanthan gum + 1 tablespoon water)
- 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ⅓ cup chopped green onions
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a lightly greased 7×11 baking dish spread the broccoli evenly across the bottom and place the shredded chicken on top. Add salt and pepper to taste, set aside.
- Heat a deep skillet to medium heat and add the chicken broth, and cubed cream cheese, stir until the cream cheese has dissolved. Add the heavy cream, ranch seasoning and 1 and ½ cup of the cheddar. Bring mixture to a slight simmer and allow it to cook 4-5 minutes until it has begun to thicken.
- OPTIONAL, but recommended: If you want to thicken the sauce even more (like a cream of soup consistency) you can combine 1 tablespoon corn starch and 1 tablespoon cold water OR 1 teaspoon xanthan gum + 1 tablespoon cold water and slowly pour it into the cheese sauce as you stir. The sauce will thicken almost immediately.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the chicken and broccoli. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the broccoli is tender and the cheese has begun to brown. Top with the cooked bacon and chopped green onions.
Notes
- Net carbs with xanthan gum: 4.4.
- Net carbs with cornstarch: 5.5
