Save This Recipe
Just drop your email here and We'll send it right away!
This one-pan keto green chili chicken is what weeknight dinners are supposed to look like — ready in 30 minutes, made in a single skillet, and under 4 net carbs per serving. The sauce is rich, a little smoky, with just enough heat from the jalapeño and green chiles. Once you try it, it’s going straight into the regular rotation.
Why You’ll Love This
Under 4 net carbs per serving — rich, cheesy, and completely satisfying without the carb overload
One pan, 30 minutes — the sauce comes together fast and the chicken finishes in a ten-minute simmer
Works with leftover chicken — rotisserie chicken makes this even easier on busy nights
Reheats beautifully — the next day it’s arguably even better
Flexible heat level — go mild with just the canned chiles, or leave some jalapeño seeds in for more kick
A Note on the Ingredients
The chicken. Please do not make this harder than it needs to be. Use a rotisserie chicken from the store. Or cook a few chicken breasts earlier in the week and shred them and keep them in the fridge. I almost always have shredded chicken in my fridge now because it goes into everything — salads, this, wraps. Five cups sounds like a lot but it really isn’t once you start pulling the chicken apart.
The cream cheese. It needs to be softened or it’s going to clump in your sauce and you’ll spend three minutes chasing little blobs around with a whisk. I have done this. I’m warning you. Let it sit out for 20 minutes or just cut it into small chunks before you add it to the pan.
The canned green chiles. I use the 4-ounce cans, undrained. The liquid in there has flavor — don’t pour it off. I’ve used both mild and hot depending on my mood and who’s eating. Go mild and let people add jalapeño on top if they want more.
The almond milk. Unsweetened, obviously. I sometimes use a splash more than the recipe calls for if I want the sauce a little looser, which I usually do.
The cheese. I buy a block and shred it myself. Pre-shredded has that anti-caking coating on it that keeps it from melting properly. It’s one of those small things that’s actually worth doing.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I use jarred, I know, I know)
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped — or leave some seeds in if you want heat
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (sometimes I use a little more)
¼ cup heavy cream
3 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into chunks
1 can (4 ounces) green chiles, undrained
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 cups shredded cooked chicken
½ cup additional shredded cheddar for the top
How to Make It
Start with a 12-inch skillet — you want room to work. Melt the butter over medium heat and add the garlic and jalapeño. Sauté for about 30 seconds. Just until fragrant. Watch the garlic because it can go from good to burned while you’re checking your phone.
Now add the almond milk, heavy cream, cream cheese, the whole can of green chiles with their liquid, the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and the first cup of cheddar. Here’s where it can look a little alarming for a minute — the cream cheese might be in little pieces and the whole thing might look like it’s not going to come together. Keep whisking. Lower the heat slightly if you need to. It will smooth out into an actual sauce, I promise. Just give it two or three minutes of steady whisking and some patience.
Once the sauce is smooth and the cheese is melted, add your shredded chicken. Stir it around until every piece is coated. Then sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheddar over the top, put a lid on the skillet, turn the heat to low, and walk away for ten minutes.
The cheese on top will melt completely and the whole thing will look bubbling and golden around the edges. That’s when you know.
Garnish with whatever you like — sliced green onions, extra jalapeño, a few slices of avocado. I usually do green onions and avocado and eat it straight from the pan at the stove, which is not something I admit to company.
Variations
Chicken thighs work great here instead of breasts — the darker meat makes the sauce even richer. Either works. Don’t let anyone tell you you have to use chicken breasts.
A version with a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles (one of those Rotel cans) instead of plain green chiles is worth trying. It’s a little brighter and more acidic — good for summer, though I usually go back to the original.
Once, a while back, I tried adding cauliflower rice directly to the skillet in the last few minutes of cooking. The idea was one-pan meal, very clever. The execution was fine, not great — it made everything a bit watery because the cauliflower released liquid as it cooked. If you want to serve it over cauli rice, just make that separately. Lesson learned.
Leftovers
It keeps in the refrigerator for three or four days. Reheat it in a small saucepan with a tiny splash of almond milk stirred in — this brings the sauce back to life. The microwave works too but the sauce can separate a little; just stir it back together, it’s fine.
I’ve also eaten it cold straight from the container at about 11pm when I didn’t want to heat anything up. Not my proudest moment. Still good.
Freeze it if you want — it’s one of those things that freezes decently well, though the texture of the sauce changes slightly when you thaw it. A little grainy sometimes. Still edible, just not quite as silky as fresh. I usually just scale down the recipe if I’m cooking for fewer people rather than freezing it.
Final Thoughts
This is one of those dinners that works for work lunches, for nights when nobody wants to cook but also nobody wants to order out, for anyone watching their carbs who is also suspicious of food that sounds too diet-y. It doesn’t taste like diet food. It tastes like something that took a lot longer to make.
Keto Green Chili Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and chopped
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 can green chiles 4 oz, undrained
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 5 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese for topping
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeño and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Add almond milk, heavy cream, cream cheese, green chiles, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and cheddar cheese. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Add shredded chicken and stir until fully coated in the sauce.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, cover, and cook on low for 10 minutes until melted and bubbly.
- Serve warm with optional toppings like green onions or avocado.
