Easy Chicken and Cauliflower

This easy, delicious, and healthy chicken and cauliflower recipe is the perfect no fuss family dinner idea. It will tickle your tastebuds and have you out of the kitchen in just 45 minutes! It's also a clever way to get the kids to eat their veggies.

Love cauliflower, check out my original Cauliflower Casserole or my famous Chicken tenders for the perfect fried chicken alternative.

⭐  Low carb chicken and cauliflower casserole

Earlier this month, I shared these delicious and easy cauliflower recipes - whole roasted cauliflower, cauliflower casserole, and air fryer cauliflower. I got a lot of positive feedback, and here I am again with another delicious recipe that will have everyone wanting more. Trust me; this cauliflower casserole is a perfect family meal everyone will love.

I modified this recipe a bit and was impressed with how it turned out - meaty and full of flavor. I added bacon for extra crunch and flavor, a splash of cream to add richness, and cheese to give the meal a little zing. The perfect cauliflower combination!

When you have fussy eaters, recipes like this are fantastic. My oldest does not like cauliflower, yet devoured this without hesitation. So if you're looking for a delicious yet nutritious recipe, this low-carb chicken and cauliflower casserole is perfect.

🍽 What You Need

You'll be glad to know this cauliflower recipe only requires a few pantry staples paired with a handful of common ingredients you most likely have in your fridge or freezer.

Equipment

This recipe involves a little baking and pan-searing but only needs a handful of equipment. And also, since we're using cauliflower florets instead of cauliflower rice, you'll not need a food processor, blender, or anything of the likes -just basic kitchen tools. Here's what you'll need;

• Cast iron skillet
• 9 x 9 casserole dish
• Spatula
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Large mixing bowl

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
• 3-4 chicken breasts, chopped in 2-inch cubes
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 4 strips bacon
• 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 ½ cup cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 fresh chives, chopped
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika

I prefer using skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can sub with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

While this recipe is fantastic in its own right, it does contain a lot of ingredients. If you are looking a quick and simple option, try one of my easy chicken recipes with few ingredients for your next dinner.

🔪 How to Make

• Start by preheating the oven to 350°F (177°C). Don't forget to grease your casserole dish, as this prevents your meal from sticking. You can use shortening, olive oil spray, nonstick cooking spray, butter, coconut oil, or just any oil of your choice. I prefer coconut oil cause it adds a unique flavor to this chicken recipe. Bacon fat works just as great. And since we're using bacon in the recipe, feel free to use the fat after cooking, which is the next step.
• Cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat with either butter or coconut oil. Remove from heat and set aside. Alternatively, you can bake in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes. But I prefer using the skillet cause it's easier, faster and browing the bacon adds extra flavor.
• Set the same pan you cooked the bacon with over medium heat. If you opted to bake, add coconut oil or butter to the pan. Give it a few minutes to get hot, then add chicken breast. I highly recommend seasoning the chicken breast with salt and pepper before hitting the pan for extra flavor. Cook the chicken without moving, 3-5 minutes per side or until it's golden brown.
• Remove the chicken from heat and transfer to a plate. On the same skillet, add the cauliflower florets. Cook while constantly stirring for about 3-4 minutes or until the slices are fork-tender with some nice brown, caramelized spots.
• Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, add sour cream, heavy cream, and seasoning. Mix well until smooth.
• Add the cooked cauliflower and chicken to the sour cream mixture, turn on all sides until well coated, and pour into the prepared casserole dish.
• Chop the bacon into small pieces. Sprinkle the pieces over the casserole, along with cheese.
• Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and cheese is melted and gooey. You can cover towards the end while the cheese is browning.
• Feel free to garnish with fresh herbs. Serve and enjoy!

💭  Top Tips

Here are a few tips you can employ to ensure your chicken and cauliflower turns out delicious;

• You should always season your chicken before pan searing. This gives it a flavorful seared crust as it cooks. Salt and pepper work great, but you can switch things up by adding garlic powder, onion powder, or your favorite spice mix.
• Allow the cauliflower to caramelize. This brings out the natural nutty cauliflower flavor, making the final meal more flavorsome.
• If you're vegan, you can do away with chicken and add more veggies. Some sprouts, zucchini, and parsnips are great additions.

📋 Variations

Just like most recipes, you can play around with this chicken and cauliflower dinner recipe to suit your taste or preference. Customizing a recipe is also a great way to create a memorable meal experience. Here are a few ideas you can try;

Cauliflower: if you're wondering whether you can use riced cauliflower instead of florets, the answer is YES. Here it's just a matter of preference. I had fresh cauliflower, and the chopping was more inviting than pulsing. So if you have frozen cauliflower rice on hand, don't be afraid to use it. But don't let it thaw. Also, if you go for frozen riced cauliflower, I'd suggest you add more cheese for maximum flavor. If you have some cauliflower rice left, you can try my delicious mashed cauliflower recipe.

Veggies: If you want to add more veggies to the recipe, go right ahead. Don't like cauliflower? Snap peas, broccoli, zucchini, and green beans are great alternatives. I've tried them all!

Seasoning: use spices and herbs like Italian seasoning, ranch seasoning, or adobo seasoning to add unique and intense flavor to just about any meal. Onion powder and smoked paprika are also great in intensifying the flavor.

Add-ins: this recipe is 100 percent customizable. Lemon juice, lemon zest, and chicken broth are great flavor enhancers. If they appeal to you, consider adding them to the recipe. Also, if flavor is your top priority, don't forget to garnish your chicken and cauliflower. Lemon wedges, parsley, and cilantro are excellent options you can use.

🥫 Storage

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container. They'll last for 3-4 days. I'm not a fan of freezing casseroles with sour cream, but you can go ahead and freeze. It can last up to 3 months but know the taste and texture won't be as good after reheating.

👪  Serving Size

One-pan dinners are the answer to busy weeknights - little cleanup and quick cook times. This low-carb chicken and cauliflower dinner recipe delivers just that and makes 6 servings!

If you're looking for more cauliflower recipes, browse through our recipe collection (here, you'll find gluten-free, paleo-friendly, keto-friendly recipes, and there's something for everyone).

📋 Recipe

Chicken and Cauliflower

You'll enjoy everything to do with this delicious, easy, and nutritious chicken and cauliflower recipe. It will tickle your tastebuds and have you out of the kitchen in just 45 minutes! It's also a clever way to get the kids to eat their veggies.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 458kcal

Author: Kim Grabinski

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil - or butter
• 3-4 chicken breasts - chopped in 2" cubes
• 1 head cauliflower - chopped
• 1 cup sour cream - or greek yogurt
• ½ cup parsley - fresh chopped
• 3 chives - fresh chopped
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 ½ cup cheddar cheese
• 4 strips bacon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F and grease or line a 9x9 casserole dish. I like to use a spray coconut oil.
• Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium high heat with coconut oil or butter. Alternatively, you can bake it in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes.
• If you cooked the bacon in a skillet, add chicken to brown, about 3-4 minutes each side. (If you chop before cooking it will cook faster, but you can chop after it's seared.) If you baked the bacon, brown the chicken using the coconut oil or butter.
• Remove the chicken from the skillet and add the cauliflower, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the sour cream, heavy cream and seasonings together.
• Combine the chicken and cauliflower in the ranch mixture and then pour into the casserole dish.
• Chop up the bacon into small pieces.
• Sprinkle the cheese and bacon over the casserole.
• Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. (You can cover towards the end if the cheese is browning.)

Notes

Here are a few tips you can employ to ensure your chicken and cauliflower turns out delicious;

• You should always season your chicken before pan searing. This gives it a flavorful seared crust as it cooks. Salt and pepper work just great but you can switch things up a bit by adding some garlic powder, onion powder, or your favorite spice mix.
• Allow the cauliflower to caramelize. This brings out the natural nutty cauliflower flavor, making the final meal more flavorsome.
• If you're vegan you can do away with chicken and add more veggies. Some sprouts, zucchini, and parsnips are great additions.

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 829mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1395IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 273mg | Iron: 1mg