With fall right around the corner, school back in session for many, and chillier weather approaching, you are going to want to have this super tasty and hearty meal on your radar! Juicy and crispy chicken made with a gluten free breading, and smothered in cheese!
Don’t forget the cheesy based of the casserole made with zucchini, fresh basil and marinara sauce. We have a feeling everyone in your family is going to love it!
We include lots of process pictures in the body of the text, as well as ideas for substitutions and more. Feel free to skip to the recipe card if you’d like to get right into it. This recipe is also available as a Google Web Story here!
Ingredients:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – Cut into strips to make a chicken tenders shape. You could use chicken cutlets or chicken thighs if you prefer. Cooked shredded chicken would also be a great option to use up leftovers.
- Egg & heavy cream – To make the egg wash so the pork rind crumbs can stick to.
- Pork rind crumbs – This is to replace regular breadcrumbs and make the chicken crunchy when we fry it. You don’t have to buy them as crumbs, you could always crush some regular pork rinds.
- Avocado oil – For frying the chicken tenders. You could probably use olive oil if you want, as long as you keep the heat under 375°F when frying.
- Zucchini – We use zucchini as the veggie base for this casserole. Make sure to salt it before you start and let it sit on paper towel or in a colander so the excess moisture can escape, and not end up in your casserole. You could try cauliflower rice, or cabbage instead of zucchini if you prefer.
- Mozzarella cheese – We use a mixture of shredded mozzarella cheese (low moisture, part skim) in the filling of the casserole, and fresh mozzarella to top the chicken casserole.
- Parmesan cheese – Shredded for both inside the casserole and in the breading mixed with the pork rind crumbs.
- Ricotta cheese – For a creamy and rich texture for the casserole filling!
- Dry seasonings – We use a mixture of kosher salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes.
- Marinara – Choose a low sugar version, or even your own homemade marinara sauce. One of these days we will make a recipe for you guys to make your own!
- Fresh basil – Optional, but so good!
How to Make This Casserole Style Keto Chicken Parmesan Recipe:
Place zucchini pieces on a paper towel lined baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt to absorb the excess water. Set aside while you work.
Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. It will need to reach 375°F before adding the chicken.
In a shallow bowl, whisk together egg and heavy cream, then create a dredging station with the pork rind crumbs, shredded parmesan cheese, and remaining salt and pepper, and half the dry seasoning mix.
Dredge the chicken cutlets in the egg wash, then in the pork rind and parmesan seasoning mixture. Press the chicken in to coat well with a thick coating.
Drop into hot oil (keep oil between 350°F and 375°F) and fry in batches until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
After cooking, set aside on a cooling rack over paper towel to catch excess grease.
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Dry zucchini with paper towel, getting rid of as much excess water as possible.
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, half the parmesan, shredded mozzarella, half of the marinara sauce, some fresh basil, remaining dry seasonings, and mix. Add to the casserole dish.
Top the zucchini mixture with chicken pieces, then cover the chicken with remaining marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, and parmesan cheese all over top of the casserole.
Place in the oven and bake until golden and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Cover the casserole with foil if the cheese is browning too much and the zucchini still isn’t soft. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Tips For The Best Chicken Parmesan Casserole:
- We did not include oil for frying in the nutrition facts because it’s impossible to know how much oil your chicken will absorb. The size of your skillet will also determine how much oil you should use. (You will need enough oil to make sure it is 2 inches deep).
- The marinara sauce you use can impact the amount of sugar and carbs in the meal. We love Rao’s Homemade.
- If you don’t eat pork, you can probably use almond flour in place of pork rinds to bread the chicken tenders. We haven’t actually tried it ourselves. Just be aware that it will burn faster.
- Make sure to take the extra step of removing excess water from the zucchini to reduce water pooling up at the bottom of your casserole.
More Keto Recipes To Try:
- Keto Eggplant Milanese
- Cast Iron Cheesy Meatballs
- Keto Lasagna Soup
- Burrata and Prosciutto Salad with Arugula
Need more ideas? Be sure to check out this massive list of over 85+ low carb and keto friendly recipes on our site!
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Until Next Time,
Briana & Chamere
Keto Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Ingredients
For the seasoning mixture (used on the zucchini filling and the chicken parmesan 'breading'):
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the chicken parmesan tenders:
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 pounds chicken breast cutlets (could use tenders)
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 ounces pork rind crumbs (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 ounces shredded parmesan cheese (about 1/2 a cup)
- Avocado oil for frying chicken, about 2 inches deep in your skillet (not included in the nutrition facts, because we don't know how much oil your chicken will absorb.
For the cheesy zucchini casserole mixture:
- 26 ounces zucchini
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to drain excess water from the zucchini)
- 28 ounces marinara sauce
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
- 5 ounces shredded parmesan cheese
- 16 ounces ricotta
- 1 ounce fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
- Start by salting your zucchini with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and setting on paper towel while you work on the rest to draw out excess moisture.
For the chicken parmesan:
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Reserve some of the salt and pepper to add to the breading. Heat the avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Your skillet should be at least 10.25". We use a 12” size.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together egg and heavy cream, then create a dredging station with the pork rind crumbs, shredded parmesan cheese, and remaining salt and pepper, and half the dry seasoning mix.
- Dredge the chicken cutlets in the egg wash, then in the pork rind and parmesan seasoning mixture. Press the chicken in to coat well with a thick coating. Drop into hot oil (keep oil between 350°F and 375°F) and fry in batches until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes on each side. After cooking, set aside on a cooling rack over paper towel to catch excess grease.
For the casserole:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Dry zucchini with paper towel, getting rid of as much excess water as possible. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, half the parmesan, shredded mozzarella, half of the marinara sauce, some fresh basil, remaining dry seasonings, and mix. Add to the casserole dish.
- Top the zucchini mixture with chicken pieces, then cover the chicken with remaining marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, and parmesan cheese all over top of the casserole. Place in the oven and bake until golden and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Cover the casserole with foil if the cheese is browning too much and the zucchini still isn’t soft. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Notes
- We did not include oil for frying in the nutrition facts because it’s impossible to know how much oil your chicken will absorb. The size of your skillet will also determine how much oil you should use. (You will need enough oil to make sure it is 2 inches deep).
- The marinara sauce you use can determine the amount of sugar and carbs in the meal. We love Rao’s Homemade.
- If you don’t eat pork, you can probably use almond flour in its place to bread the chicken tenders. We haven’t actually tried it ourselves. Just be aware that it will burn faster.
- Make sure to take the extra step of removing excess water from the zucchini to reduce water pooling up at the bottom of your casserole.
Nutrition
These nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy and are only estimates. We cannot guarantee the accuracy.
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