Keto Chicken Noodle Skillet
Published March 16, 2025 • Updated March 13, 2026
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I make this keto chicken noodle skillet with a whole rotisserie chicken and lupini noodles for a creamy, high-protein dinner that's ready in about 20 minutes.
Think of this as a cozy bowl of chicken and rice soup, but creamy instead of brothy. I wanted something that tasted like it had simmered for hours, and a whole rotisserie chicken gets you there in about 20 minutes. The roasted flavor carries straight into the sauce, and raw chicken just doesn’t hit the same way. One of my readers brought this to a dinner party, and a scratch soup cook said it tasted like something that had been going all day. That’s the rotisserie doing its thing.
What makes this recipe stand out
- Rotisserie chicken shortcut Shred it while it’s still warm. I learned this the hard way: warm rotisserie pulls apart loose and juicy, but cold rotisserie fights you and shreds into dry, stringy pieces. I get 4-6 cups from one bird, which loads this keto chicken noodle skillet with protein.
- Lupini noodles that actually hold up I’ve tested every low-carb noodle out there, and lupini is the only one that keeps its shape in a hot, brothy sauce the way regular pasta does. Lupini beans are packed with protein and fiber, so the noodles add real substance without spiking the carb count.
- Arrowroot-thickened sauce Instead of flour, I use arrowroot powder for that silky, creamy body without the extra carbs. One thing I figured out after a lumpy batch: let the arrowroot cook a full 2-3 minutes before you add any liquid. Rush it and the whole sauce clumps.
I’ve been making this since I first found lupini noodles, and I went through probably a dozen variations before landing here. The arrowroot was the breakthrough. Before that I tried xanthan gum, which worked but gave the sauce a slightly gummy pull that bugged me. Arrowroot gets you a cleaner thickness. The sauce coats everything without feeling heavy, which is exactly what I want from a weeknight skillet dinner.
The smell when the broth goes in is what gets people. One reader said it reminded her of her mom’s winter dinners growing up, and I get that. There’s something about chicken, celery, carrots, and a creamy sauce together that hits a very specific place. My family requests this by name, not because it’s keto (they don’t care about that), but because to them it’s just a good dinner.
If you love one-pot dinners like I do, my Tuscan chicken pasta and skillet lasagna are two more I keep in heavy rotation. For a similar comfort food feel, try my chicken casserole.
Explore 685+ keto recipe videos with step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to make keto easy.
Ingredients
1 rotisserie chicken (about 4 cups shredded, cooked chicken) -
1/4 cup unsalted butter
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1 cup sliced celery
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1/2 cup sliced carrots
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1/4 cup finely diced onions
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
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1/2 cup heavy cream
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3 cups chicken broth
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6 oz lupini pasta
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon pepper
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Shred the chicken
Remove all the chicken (dark & white meat) from the rotisserie chicken. Shred or chop into bite-sized chunks. Set aside. Should end up with 4-6 cups of shredded chicken.
- 1 rotisserie chicken (about 4 cups shredded, cooked chicken)
Cook the veggies
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the celery, carrot and onion. Cook until vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 1/2 cup sliced carrot
- 1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Add the broth and noodles
Stir in the arrowroot powder or cornstarch and let cook for about 2-3 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Slowly whisk in heavy cream, followed by chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium-high. Stir in the lupini noodles and cook for 4-6 minutes or until the pasta is just al dente. Overcooking the noodles can make them break when you stir in the chicken.
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 6 oz lupini pasta
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use as a substitute for arrowroot powder?
I've tested a few options here. Cornstarch works as a 1:1 swap and thickens about the same way. If you want to skip starches entirely, 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum does the job, but whisk it in slowly or you'll get clumps. My preference is arrowroot because it gives the cleanest texture, but cornstarch is the easiest backup.
How can I lower the carbs even more?
I'd start by cutting the carrots in half or leaving them out entirely. I think they add a lot of flavor to the dish, so I keep them in mine, but the onion and celery carry enough on their own if carbs are your priority. You could also swap the lupini noodles for shirataki or cauliflower rice, both of which are essentially zero-carb.
How do I make this skillet dish with raw chicken?
I use raw chicken thighs or breasts when I don't have a rotisserie on hand. Cube them into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, and sear them in the skillet with the butter first. Once they're golden on all sides, add the vegetables and keep going with the recipe as written. The chicken finishes cooking while the noodles simmer.
Can I replace the heavy cream?
I've made this with full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream and it works well, especially if you're dairy-free. The coconut flavor is subtle once it cooks down with the broth and aromatics. Half and half is another option if you just want something lighter, though the sauce won't be quite as rich. I'd skip nut milks for this one since they tend to thin out and separate in a hot pan.
What brand of lupini noodles do you recommend?
I stick with Carba-Nada or Lupii brand. Carba-Nada has a slightly firmer bite that I prefer for this recipe because it holds up better as the broth cooks down. Lupii is a little softer but still solid. Both are better than shirataki or hearts of palm in a broth-based dish. I order mine from Amazon or Thrive Market since I haven't found either stocked consistently at my local store.
Can I make this in a slow cooker or Instant Pot?
I haven't done a full slow cooker version of this yet, but the challenge is the noodles. Lupini would overcook and turn to mush if they sat in liquid for hours. If you wanted to try it, I'd do everything except the noodles on low for 3-4 hours, then stir them in for the last 10-15 minutes. For the Instant Pot, my hamburger helper uses a similar one-pot approach if you want another quick dinner in that style.
Can I add cheese on top for a baked version?
I've done this and it's good. Shred some mozzarella or a mix of mozzarella and parmesan over the top, then slide the skillet under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden. My chicken alfredo lasagna uses a similar broiler finish if you want to see how that looks. Just keep an eye on it because broilers vary and it can go from golden to burnt fast.
Can I add mushrooms to this?
I've thrown in sliced cremini mushrooms a few times and they work well. Saute them with the celery and carrots so they have time to brown and release their liquid before the broth goes in. They add a nice savory depth to the sauce that I really like. I use about a cup, sliced thin.
Made this with a rotisserie chicken we had from the night before, and my wife (who tolerates most of my keto cooking without complaint) stopped mid-bowl to ask what I put in the broth. She thought I'd added something special. It's just butter and cream, but you'd never know it.
Brought this to a small dinner last week. A friend who is very much not keto was asking about the noodles before she finished her bowl. She'd never heard of lupini pasta and wanted to know where I found them.
Amazon is easiest for Carba-Nada. Whole Foods usually has Lupii if she wants it sooner. A non-keto person emptying the bowl is the only review that matters.
My mom made chicken noodle soup every time I was sick growing up, and I'd kind of written it off as something I couldn't have anymore on keto. Made this on a weeknight and it brought that back. The broth, the cream, the lupini noodles soaking it all up. Close enough.
'Close enough' from someone who grew up on the real thing? I'll take it.
Just made this for the third time and finally feel like I have it dialed in. Shirataki works if you can't find lupini (rinse really well, pat dry before they go in), and they soak up the broth in a way that thickens the whole thing naturally. Also learned the hard way: shred the rotisserie chicken while it's still warm. Way looser and juicier than when it's cold and kind of resistant.
Warm chicken is not optional. You lose like 10 minutes just trying to pull cold rotisserie apart and it never shreds clean. Good call on patting the shirataki dry too - skip that step once and the whole thing goes watery.
Brought this to a dinner last weekend. A woman there who makes her grandmother's chicken noodle soup from scratch said the broth tasted like something that had been simmering all day. I didn't mention the lupini noodles until later.
A scratch soup cook saying that is the real test. The rotisserie carries so much roasted flavor into the broth. Raw chicken just doesn't get there. Smart move waiting on the lupini reveal.
If you let the arrowroot cook the full 2-3 minutes before adding the broth, the sauce sets up without lumping. Learned that the first time. The lupini pasta absorbs a lot of liquid as it sits, so eat it fresh rather than banking on leftovers.
That arrowroot trick is legit. Rushed it once and the whole sauce clumped. Lupini's the same way - walk away for 20 minutes and the broth is gone.
Was skeptical about lupini pasta holding up in broth, but it sat better than any zucchini noodle or shirataki I've tried in a soup.
Shirataki goes slimy so fast in warm liquid. Lupini has actual bite to it. Carba-Nada especially holds up even after it sits in the broth.
Snow day, no lupini in the house, so I subbed hearts of palm pasta and just went with it. It absorbed the creamy broth sauce really well without going mushy, which I did not expect at all. If you're in the same situation, throw it in a minute or two later than the recipe says and it holds up perfectly.
Hearts of palm goes mushy fast. Smart to add it late, and good to know it still soaks up the sauce.
Didn't realize it goes mushy that fast. Good to know.
My mom used to make a chicken noodle skillet every winter when I was a kid, and I hadn't touched anything like it since going keto. Made this on a snow day last week, and the smell when the broth went in just knocked me sideways. The lupini pasta held up better than I expected (I was ready to be disappointed, honestly). Not exactly Mom's, but close enough to matter. Really glad this recipe exists.
Maria that snow day detail got me. The broth smell is exactly right - it's the moment the whole kitchen shifts. Lupini holds up better than most people expect going in, and I think that surprise is part of why this one sticks.
The lupini pasta holds up really well in the broth without getting mushy. Do you recommend a specific brand or are they pretty much all the same?
I stick with Carba-Nada or Lupii brand. Carba-Nada has a slightly firmer bite, Lupii's a little softer but both hold up in broth way better than shirataki or hearts of palm noodles.
My husband had no idea these were low-carb noodles. He asked for seconds.
Jessica that's the best compliment. When they ask for seconds and have no idea it's keto, you know you've got a keeper.
Used leftover rotisserie chicken from Costco. The lupini noodles hold up well and don't get mushy.
Emily rotisserie chicken is perfect for this. And you're right about the lupini noodles - they're the only keto noodle I've found that actually holds its texture like regular pasta.
Good weeknight option. 20 minutes is accurate.
Mark that's what I love about this one. Quick enough for a Tuesday night but still feels like real comfort food.