This keto chicken carbonara has a thick and creamy sauce that’s topped with crispy bacon. Serve it on top of your favorite keto pasta.
What Is Chicken Carbonara
Classic chicken carbonara is a pasta dish with bacon or pancetta, hard cheese, and whisked egg. The sauce is unique because it’s not the same thing as alfredo. It isn’t nearly as rich. It’s milder, so the smoked meat flavors stand out.
You won’t be able to tell this is a keto-friendly recipe. In fact, one of the most noticeable changes I made to the classic version is to use keto-friendly noodles. Almost everything else is the same.
Chicken Carbonara Recipe Easy
You can save yourself time if you pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it. Then, all you have to do is make the sauce and add it to the chicken and keto-friendly pasta.
You can also roast a whole chicken earlier in the week and use it in this recipe too. Fry the bacon ahead of time too.
Change it up and use pancetta instead of bacon. Or mix in some chopped salami with the bacon.
Don’t forget to garnish it with some fresh parsley! It adds flavor and a lovely pop of color.
Keto Chicken Carbonara
Classic chicken carbonara is already pretty low in carbs and high in healthy fats. All you have to do to make it keto-friendly is to use low-carb pasta.
Palmini noodles are my favorite type of keto-friendly pasta. They have the most authentic taste and texture. They are low-carb because they have so much fiber in them.
There are 6 grams net carbs in each serving, so this chicken carbonara is the perfect thing to eat for dinner.
Keto Italian Side Dishes
There are two side dishes that you’ll find at almost every Italian restaurant you visit – breadsticks and chopped salad. Make some keto breadsticks to go with this tasty chicken carbonara.
Add a chopped Olive Garden copycat salad to the table too. Top it with lots of shredded parmesan!
You can also never go wrong with some roasted vegetables. Roast some broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus. They will all taste delicious with this creamy chicken dish.
Best Pasta For Carbonara Sauce
Chicken carbonara is usually made with long, flat fettuccini noodles. Honestly, you can use any type of noodle that you want. Try it with keto spaghetti noodles or some low-carb angel hair pasta.
Palmini makes some delicious fettuccini noodles that look and taste like wheat noodles.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. Eat it later on in the week with other meal-prep favorites.
Chicken Carbonara Recipe
Here’s the list of ingredients that you’ll need to make this chicken carbonara recipe. Exact measurements and instructions are located in the printable recipe card just a little bit further below.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Servings: 4
Net Carbs: 6 net carbs per serving
Ingredients:
Large boneless skinless chicken breasts
Bacon
Reserved bacon grease
Onion
Minced garlic
Heavy whipping cream
Chicken broth
Large egg
Italian seasoning
Fresh thyme for garnish (optional)
Spinach
Parmesan cheese grated
Salt and pepper
Palmini noodles (optional)
Ingredients:
Cook the bacon until crispy, and reserve 2 tsp of the bacon grease.
Add 1 tsp of the bacon grease to a skillet over medium high heat, and saute the chicken that has been seasoned with salt and pepper until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
To the same skillet, add the remaining bacon grease and onion. Reduce the heat to medium, and saute until the onions have softened.
Stir in the minced garlic, and saute another 30 seconds.
Mix in the heavy whipping cream and chicken broth, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Place a bit of the cream sauce mixture into a bowl with the beaten egg yolk, stirring continuously. Whisk the tempered yolk mixture into the sauce, and simmer until thickened.
Stir in the parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, thyme, spinach and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the spinach has wilted.
Return the chicken to the skillet, and toss to coat in the sauce.
Sprinkle with bacon and serve over Palmini noodles if desired.
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Chicken Carbonara
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces
- 4 slices Bacon
- 2 tsp Bacon Grease
- 1/2 Onion chopped
- 2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
- 2 large Egg Yolks beaten
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 3 cups Fresh Spinach
- 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 can Palmini Noodles optional
Instructions
- Cook the bacon until crispy, and reserve 2 tsp of the bacon grease.
- Add 1 tsp of the bacon grease to a skillet over medium high heat, and saute the chicken seasoned with salt and pepper until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- To the same skillet, add the remaining bacon grease and onion. Reduce the heat to medium, and saute until the onions have softened.
- Stir in the minced garlic, and saute another 30 seconds.
- Mix in the heavy whipping cream and chicken broth, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Place a bit of the cream sauce mixture into a bowl with the beaten egg yolk, stirring continuously.
- Whisk the tempered yolk mixture into the sauce, and simmer until thickened.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, thyme, spinach and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the spinach has wilted.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, and toss to coat in the sauce.
- Sprinkle with bacon and serve over Palmini noodles if desired.
Notes
Keto Italian Recipes
If you enjoyed this chicken carbonara recipe, here are some more tasty keto Italian recipes you should make next! They are some of my family’s favorite recipes.
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