Low Carb Mexican Chicken Casserole (gluten free)

This mexican casserole is gluten free, dairy free and packed with veggies. This casserole also has a low carb option and a vegan option. I am celiac, lactose intolerant and allergic to almonds. In the begining, it was so hard to find recipes that cater to more than one food allergy or restriction. Afterwards, it was so important that every single one of my recipes cater to people with multiple dietary restrictions and/or food allergies!

This low carb mexican chicken casserole is a perfect recipe for a easy dinner or lunch option when you are craving mexican food! Its packed with mexican flavors but also packed with vegetables. Its a great option for taco tuesday that the whole family will love!

This low carb casserole is made with chicken, cauliflower rice, peppers, tomatoes, black beans, cheese and tortillas, similar to my gluten free taco casserole and my gluten free one pan cheesy taco skillet.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• This delicious casserole is Gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free
• This meal can easily be made vegan but subbing jackfruit instead of shreeded chicken.
• All you need is your favorite taco toppings, some cauliflower rice, corn tortillas and shredded chicken.
• Yes, you can take the easy way and use rotisserie chicken to make your life easier!!
• Its super easy to make. It only takes 10 minutes to prep!
• Its easy to meal prep for lunches for the week.
• It uses one casserole dish so clean up is a breeze.
• You can make it as spicy as you want!
• This Low Carb Mexican chicken Casserole is filling and you can have as much as you want since its packed with veggies.
• Cauliflower rice is a great low-carb substitute for traditional rice, and it adds a lot of flavor and texture to this dish while keeping it low carb. 
• This casserole is also a great option for meal prep. You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and then bake it when you are ready to eat. This makes it a great option for busy weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time to cook.

INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS

Rice

This Low Carb Mexican Chicken Casserole calls for riced cauliflower but you can use any rice you want it just will not be as low of a carb option. You can choose to make it using all or some brown rice or even white rice! 

Cauliflower rice is a low-carb substitute for traditional rice. This low carb taco casserole recipe is made by pulsing cauliflower florets in a food processor until they resemble rice. Cauliflower rice is a good source of fiber and vitamin C. You can buy cauliflower rice pre-riced, or you can make your own. You can also use any other fresh vegetables riced.

Vegetables

This Low Carb Mexican Chicken Casserole is filled with tons of vegetables – peppers, onions, cauliflower. But you can choose to add more veggies if you want it to be even healthier. You can add mushrooms, squash, zucchini, etc. You can even add cauliflower florets. I like to season my fresh vegetables with homemade taco seasoning. You can also use any taco seasoning found at your local grocery store.

If you want to cut down on cook time you can dice up and sautee the vegetables ahead of time as well. Once suteed and fully cooked you can store in an air tight contrainer in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Chicken

You can use premade chicken for this recipe to make it easier if you choose to do so! I’ve used premade chicken in a chipotle sauce before as well as rotisserie chicken. If you want to make this Low Carb Mexican Casserole the easy way you can grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred it by hand when its warm (that is when its easier to shred), and add straight to the casserole.

You can use shredded chicken in this recipe. If you want to prep it youself I put 2 boneless breasts of chicken in the crockpot with 1/2 cup of water and cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours until the chicken is easily shredded with 2 forks. If you cannot break it apart easier it will need more time to cook. I season afterwards with salt and pepper.

You can also cut the raw chicken breasts into 1″ cubes and sautee in a frying pan on medium heat until fully cooked and lightly browned. 

If you do not like chicken you can also use a ground beef mixture for a keto ground beef casserole recipe. This is also a great recipe to use ground turkey in as well. 

Cauliflower Tortillas

This Easy casserole uses corn cauliflower to make it perfect for a low carb diet and a gluten free diet. You can always sub any other low carb tortillas, corn tortillas, almond flour or flour tortillas if you choose to. Flour tortillas are not gluten free. You can also eliminate tortillas all together to keep gluten free if needed. It will be more of a rice bake you can spoon out then a layered casserole but the taste will maintain the same. If you do not have tortillas you can use crumbled taco shells or crumbled hard tortilla chips on top for a fun taco night crunch!

Salsa

This recipe uses chipotle salsa but you can sub any salsa, tomato sauce, or any taco sauce! This creates a sauce and adds moisture to the casserole so it doesnt dry out when baking. 

Cheese

Cheese adds flavor and richness to this casserole. You can use any type of shredded cheese that you like. If you are lactose intolerant, you can substitute dairy-free cheese. You can even mix in cream cheese. I used cheddar cheese but you can also use monterey jack.

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE VEGAN

This Low Carb Mexican Casserole recipe is easy to make vegan by subbing unseasoned shredded jack fruit in the place of the chicken. Its a 1:1 sub which means you can use the same amount of jackfruit for the chicken.

If you dont like jackfruit or dont want a shredded substitute you can double the amount of vegetables and black beans and leave out the chicken for a full vegan taco bake.

You can choose to use vegan cheese or eliminate the cheese alltogether.

For the avocado and yogurt option make sure to use vegan yogurt.

TASTE & TEXTURE

This Low Carb Mexican Casserole is spicy and cheesy and packed with taco flavor. Because it uses taco sauce it is a moist and spicy casserole. The casserole gets crispy along the edges which is my favorite part! Sometimes I leave the casserole in to bake longer so the edges are crispier. The taste of the low-carb Mexican casserole is a delicious blend of savory, spicy, and cheesy flavors. The chicken and black beans add a hearty texture, while the cauliflower rice and tomatoes add a light and refreshing touch. Lots of cheese on top adds a richness and creaminess that ties the whole dish together. The chicken is tender and juicy, the black beans are firm and hearty, the cauliflower rice is light and fluffy, and the tomatoes are juicy and flavorful. The cheddar cheese on top is melted and gooey, and it adds a nice crunch to the dish.

HOW TO MAKE

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

STEP 2

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, meat mixture or taco meat, cauliflower rice, bell peppers, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper.

STEP 3

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray. Spread the mixture evenly in a single layer in the baking dish.

STEP 4

Top with the remaining ingredients with tortillas, overlapping as needed.

STEP 5

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese is melted.

STEP 6

Let the entire Casserole cool for a few minutes before serving.

EXPERT TIPS & TRICKS

• For a spicier Low Carb Mexican Casserole you can add hot sauce to the casserole before baking so its mixed in and evenly distributed! You can also choose to top your casserole with hot sauce if only one person wants a spicy option!
• Don’t overcook the cauliflower rice. This will make it mushy.
• Drain the black beans before adding them to the casserole. This will prevent the casserole from being too watery.
• Season the casserole generously with taco seasoning, chili powder, salt and pepper. This will help to bring out the flavors of the ingredients.
• Bake the casserole until the cheese is melted and bubbly. This will give the casserole a nice golden brown crust.
• Let the casserole cool for a few minutes before serving. This will help to prevent the cheese from getting too runny.
• You can top the individual casserole slices with green onions, black olives, green chiles, jalapeno peppers or fresh cilantro.

HOW TO SERVE & STORE

To serve: Let the casserole cool completely before serving. This will help to prevent the cheese from getting too runny. You can serve the casserole as is, or you can top it with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, salsa, or guacamole. Serve this Low Carb Mexican Casserole directly out of the oven. Its best serve warm. Option to serve this Low Carb Mexican Casserole with ranch or fat free sour cream.

To store in the fridge: The casserole can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. To store, simply cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap or foil. When you are ready to eat, let the casserole sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before reheating.

To store in the freezer: The Low Carb Mexican Casserole can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, simply double wrap the casserole tightly with plastic wrap and foil. When you are ready to eat, thaw the casserole overnight in the fridge. Then, bake the casserole in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted.

To reheat: The casserole can be reheated in the oven, microwave, or on the stovetop. To reheat in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the casserole in a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted. 

To reheat in the microwave, place the Low Carb Mexican Casserole in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through. To reheat on the stovetop, heat the casserole in a saucepan over medium heat until heated through.

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