This Paleo Chicken and Rice Casserole is a Whole30-friendly and low carb twist on a classic comfort meal that your entire family will love!
When it comes to warm, comforting meals, casseroles are the way to go and they are so easy to make. I didn’t grow up eating too many casseroles in our Korean household, but I do appreciate them these days as the weather cools down and I want to throw something in the oven.
Paleo Chicken and Rice Casserole Casserole
However, chicken and rice are a classic, budget-friendly combo that I think most of us ate in one form or another since we were kids. This Paleo Chicken and Rice Casserole puts a healthy, low carb twist on the original version by using cauliflower rice instead of regular rice, and nutritional yeast instead of cheese. If you have no problem digesting cheese, you can add it in instead. This version was still creamy and so delicious without it and I didn’t miss the cheese at all!
Great for Leftovers and Freezer-Friendly
I made this Paleo Chicken and Rice Casserole a week ago and have been enjoying the leftovers so much that I’m thinking of making a double batch in my 9×13 casserole dish. You can even freeze individual portions and reheat them later. I tried it because I get asked if my recipes are freezable almost every week, so yes, these freeze and reheat beautifully!
The bacon bits are optional but I highly recommend it! The crunchy, salty texture complements so well with the creamy base, and honestly… who doesn’t love bacon? Hope you are enjoying the transition into Fall and being able to turn on the oven without your house feeling like a sauna!
Paleo Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower or 4 cups of pre-riced cauliflower
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp tapioca starch
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- Optional: 3 slices for bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x9 baking dish.
- If your cauliflower isn't riced, quarter the head of cauliflower and remove the stems. Grate the florets with a box grater, or place the florets in a food processor and process into small crumbles that resemble rice.
- Heat coconut oil or ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add cauliflower rice and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat and transfer the mixture into the baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut milk, nutritional yeast, tapioca starch, egg, salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Pour over the cauliflower rice and mix well.
- Here you have 2 choices: Pound the chicken flat so each piece is at even thickness OR cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste, and press into the cauliflower rice mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with bacon crumbles.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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Wow! This is probably the best casserole recipe I’ve seen in a while, Jean! Can’t wait to prepare and taste this dish. Can I use almond instead of coconut milk?
Thanks so much for your kind words! I like the creaminess of coconut milk, but I think almond milk will work just fine. Hope you like it!
This was really good! Way better than I expected. Will definately make again!
So glad you liked it!
I’ve tried finding a sub for nutritional yeast with no luck. This ingredient doesn’t agree with me. Any suggestions for a sub?
You can just leave it out. 🙂
This was a really good base recipe, but in the future I’d make a few changes:
1. I would cook the bacon in the pan first, take it out with a slotted spoon and then cook the onions and carrots in the bacon fat instead of ghee to build flavor.
2. I wouldn’t cook the cauliflower rice for a full 5 mins – I’d probably just mix it in. My finished product was really mushy and a little unappealing as a result.
3. I would use chicken breast instead of thighs. My thighs left pools of oil/fat in the pan as they cooked.
With a few small modifications, I’d definitely make it again!