Calling all Mexican food fans, this low carb Mexican casserole is the dish you’ve been waiting for! Sure to curb all your burrito-like, cheesy, flavor-packed cravings without hardly any carbs…
As far as delicious Low Carb Casseroles are concerned, this is one of our family’s favorite Mexican chicken recipes to date!
Since finding low carb recipes for Mexican food can be challenging, I LOVE innovative low carb dinners like this that give us the best of both worlds — the flavor, texture and satiating capabilities we know, love, and crave, sans carbs!
Is your mouth watering yet? Let’s do this…
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What I Love About This Low Carb Mexican Casserole Recipe
I love that this low carb Mexican casserole recipe is ready in under an hour and it’s doable on a busy weeknight. It’s got a deep creamy satisfying flavor profile that’s indescribably good, and the best part is that there’s only 4 net carbs per serving!
Here are even more great qualities to love:
- It’s savory Mexican food
- Creamy cheesy deliciousness
- Really easy to make
- South of the border spices
- Versatile recipe
Recipe Notes
Here’s everything you need to know about making this low carb Mexican chicken casserole:
Ingredient Notes
Chicken – This low carb Mexican casserole is cheesy protein packed deliciousness on a plate but that doesn’t negate its convenience factor. For instance, you can always pick up pre-cooked chicken on the way home.
I love using rotisserie chicken for this low carb Mexican casserole recipe.
Just make sure that you take the time to shred the chicken before using it in your recipe. It creates plenty of nooks and crannies to carry the yummy sauce.
Veggies – Feel free to use white or red onion, or any additional veggies – whatever you have on hand according to your preference.
Sautéing your onion and bell pepper is really important in this low carb Mexican casserole recipe, as it helps bring out their sweeter mellow flavors.
Herbs – You’ll also want to blend your spices together in a medium bowl before adding the other ingredients. This will help ensure they are evenly distributed in your low carb Mexican casserole recipe for the best South of the border flavor profile.
Cilantro – Save the fresh cilantro for when your casserole comes out of the oven. Fresh herbs are delicate and sprinkling them on a warm casserole exposes them to just enough heat to release their fragrant aromas and deep aromatic flavors.
Tools To Make
The tools you need to pull off this low carb Mexican casserole are so simple — They’re probably already sitting in your kitchen!
Here’s what it takes:
- A knife – for chopping veggies
- Heavy bottomed pan – for sautéing veggies
- Large bowl – for blending spices & mixing ingredients
- 9×13 casserole dish or large skillet – for baking
See? -No crazy kitchen gadgets required!
Storing Tips
Storing your low carb Mexican casserole recipe is simple. You can use saran wrap and foil to store leftovers in the casserole dish and slide it into the fridge.
My casserole dish has a fitted top (which makes traveling a lot easier) but I still put the saran wrap underneath the top for storage (just to be on the safe side).
Can You Freeze This?
Yes, you sure can. This low carb Mexican casserole recipe can go right into the freezer after it cools, for ready-made low carb meals!
I like to slice this recipe up, and place each slice in a labeled ziplock — that way you’ll have pre-portioned freezer meals at your finger tips!
Meal Prepping Tips
This low carb Mexican casserole is one of those out of this world, healthy dinner ideas that makes a mouth-watering delicious dinner. I like whip up two batches of this stuff.
I divvy up one into single serve portions that I can grab for lunches and dinners during the week and the other one stays whole. Then into the freezer they go!
That way I can pull out just what I need during the week and I have a whole one in the freezer whenever company drops by.
Recipe Variations
Making low carb Mexican casserole is so much fun and it’s simply scrumptious. There are a few easy changes you can make to customize this recipe, so it suits your personal preferences and dietary goals.
Here are just a few of the small variations for this fragrant South of the border low carb Mexican casserole recipe:
- Substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream – Adds protein and a few carbs but is lower in fat and I don’t taste a difference!
- Use enchilada sauce instead of salsa – Make a low carb chicken enchilada casserole. You can still serve with salsa if you like.
- Switch out the chicken for ground beef or sausage – The flavor is just a little saltier but adds iron and protein.
- Add green chilies and jalapenos – Mexican food is often spicy and if that’s you, then go for it!
- Try using different cheeses – Just because its Mexican food doesn’t mean you have to use pepper jack!
How Can I Make This Healthier?
Oh yeah, you sure can! Try swapping out the onions and peppers for your favorite low carb veggies like cauliflower rice and mushrooms.
You could also just make cauliflower rice casserole or zucchini enchiladas for a new flavor twist. Of course, if you’re really looking for a veggie casserole there’s always the tried and true low carb green bean casserole!
Can I Use Ground Meat?
Absolutely! Using different types of meat is an easy way to toss a subtle flavor twist into this low carb Mexican casserole recipe.
I mean, a low carb chicken casserole is always awesome, but you could also make a ground chicken casserole (lots of people forget this one).
Now if you’re trying to maximize your protein intake, you can also go with a low carb meatloaf instead.
What Kind Of Veggies Can I Sneak In?
I’ll go for Yellow squash! It is low in net carbs because of the dietary fiber.
You can use it in your low carb Mexican casserole recipe, or you can even make spaghetti squash casserole. It’s a tasty low carb squash casserole that makes a wholesome nutritious meal.
And If you miss your mashed potatoes with gravy, making a low carb shepherd’s pie is worth a try!
Can I Make This Spicier?
Of course, you can! I’m a sucker for spicy and I love adding jalapenos to this low carb Mexican casserole recipe!
Low carb taco casserole is another great recipe to spice up with jalapenos and chilie peppers.
How Can I Add More Protein? (Cheese, Fish, Etc.)?
Doubling the meat in this dish is a great way to up the protein without adding any carbs!
OR! Add more cheese, yummm! Aside from pepper jack cheese, try adding fluffy, gooey, and flavor rich mozzarella! (Like this zucchini lasagna or this cabbage lasagna)
Looking for other protein rich casseroles? Try making a low carb tuna casserole that’s packed with protein!
Low Carb Mexican Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 White or Red Onion
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Cups Sour Cream
- 1 Cup Salsa spicy or mild depending on preference
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Pepper Jack Cheese shredded
- Cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cook the chicken anyway you’d like. Allow chicken to cool, then shred it into bite sized pieces.
- Chop bell pepper and onion. Add them to a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper, and saute until softened. Remove from heat.
- In a bowl, mix chili powder, cumin and oregano. Add sour cream, salsa, cooked veggies and shredded chicken and stir to combine.
- Pour contents of bowl into an 8x8 casserole dish or large skillet (I used my 9” skillet, which I also used to sauté the veggies — one dish for the win!).
- Pour heavy cream evenly over the top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until casserole is warmed all the way through and the cheese has lightly browned.
Notes
Nutrition
More Healthy Casseroles Recipe
Making healthy casseroles are a great way to prep for the week and feed a hungry crowd if you have the right recipes. Not everyone is carb conscious but these low carb casseroles are delicious enough to satisfy the heartiest appetites.
People don’t mind eating low carb when it’s irresistibly delicious and many times they don’t even know it! Here are some more healthy casseroles recipes for you to try:
- Low Carb Cheeseburger Casserole – Great for busy weeknights!
- Low Carb Pizza Casserole – Who needs crust anyway?
- Loaded Cauliflower Casserole – The most versatile superfood in a yummy casserole.
- Healthy Breakfast Casserole – A nice way to fuel your day.
- Low Carb Breakfast Casserole – Forget those high carb fast food options!
Conclusion
This low carb Mexican casserole recipe satisfies my South of the border craving without undoing any of my carb conscious work! I love Mexican food and I missed it terribly when I first went low carb.
This recipe satisfies my craving and gives me the flexibility to create some new flavors too. The best part is that it’s ready in under an hour.
Let me know what you think in the comments below! Did you try any variations? Enjoy!
