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Keto Pizza Chicken

Annie Lampella, Pharm.D. Recipe developer and pharmacist

Published Updated

27 ratings

Bubbly mozzarella over chicken thighs browned in bacon fat, with a tomato sauce built in the same skillet. This keto pizza chicken has 4.6g net carbs and 32g protein per serving. The bacon comes back at the end for a crisp topping.
  • 4.6gnet carbs
  • 32gprotein
  • 70minutes
  • 4servings
keto pizza chicken in a cast iron skillet
plated keto pizza chicken
pizza chicken one pot
low-carb pizza chicken with bacon
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Most pizza chicken recipes have you lay chicken breasts in a casserole dish and pour jarred marinara over the top. That works, but it's not what I do. I pan-fry bone-in, skin-on thighs in rendered bacon grease, and that single step changes everything. The skin crisps up in that smoky fat, and the fond left in the skillet becomes the base for a from-scratch tomato sauce that tastes like it simmered for hours.

I tested this with boneless breasts early on and stopped. At 400 degrees for 30 minutes, they dried out every time. Bone-in thighs stay juicy through the full bake, and the skin gives you something to anchor all that melted mozzarella to. If you've made my keto chicken parmesan, you already know I'm particular about the chicken cut. This is the same principle.

The anchovy fillets are optional, but I always use them. Two fillets, minced, dissolved into the garlic and red pepper flakes. They melt completely and add a savory depth that people can't identify but always notice. Nobody has ever tasted fish. They just say the sauce tastes richer than expected. If you skip them, a splash of Worcestershire gets you partway there.

This is a keto weeknight dinner I come back to because it genuinely scratches the pizza itch without any crust fuss. The whole thing happens in one cast iron skillet (oven-safe is non-negotiable here), and cleanup is minimal. If you like the pizza-flavor-on-everything approach, my crustless pizza and keto deep dish pizza are worth trying too. And if you want a skillet dinner with a different Italian angle, the keto skillet lasagna uses the same one-pan logic.

For toppings, I go with the bacon that's already in the dish plus fresh basil. But I've also done pepperoni, sliced olives, banana peppers, and mushrooms on top before the broil. Load it up however you want. The low carb skillet method holds up under heavy toppings because the thighs are sturdy enough to support all of it.

For make-ahead meals, cook the chicken fully before refrigerating it. Do not sear raw chicken and refrigerate it to finish baking the next day. To prep ahead without cooking, measure the sauce ingredients and toppings separately and keep the raw chicken refrigerated; once you start searing, continue through the bake until the chicken reaches 165°F.

Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly in shallow containers and use within 3–4 days. Reheat covered with the sauce until the chicken reaches 165°F, then uncover briefly if you want to refresh the cheese topping.

keto pizza chicken for dinner

Allow about 70 minutes, including prep, browning the bacon and chicken, simmering the sauce, baking and the short broil. The sauce starts with half a can of whole tomatoes broken up right in the skillet.

cooked chicken thighs on a plate

The recipe is timed for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Other cuts need different cooking times; use a thermometer to check the thickest part of the meat reaches 165°F without touching the bone.

pizza chicken in a skillet

Use a skillet rated for both a 400°F oven and your broiler. Check the handle and lid ratings too; not every skillet is suitable for the broiling finish.

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The recipe

Keto Pizza Chicken

Print Pin
Prep 10 min Cook 60 min Total 70 min Serves 4

Ingredients

Servings 4

Keto Pizza Chicken Ingredients

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Preheat oven

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

    preheated 400 degree oven

  2. Season chicken

    Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.

    seasoned chicken

  3. Cook bacon

    Heat a large oven-proof skillet to medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until desired level of crispiness. Transfer bacon to a paper towel and set aside.

    cooking bacon in cast iron skillet

  4. Pan fry chicken

    Keeping bacon grease in the skillet, add chicken thighs to the skillet and cook at medium-high heat on both sides until browned (about 7 minutes the first side and 3 minutes the second). Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

    cook chicken thighs in a skillet

  5. Sauté garlic and seasonings

    Add garlic, anchovy, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning to the skillet. Sauté for about 1 minute.

    sauting garlic and anchovy in a cast iron skillet

  6. Make sauce

    Add canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and basil. Break up whole tomatoes with a spatula. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

    simmering tomatoes with broth and basil

  7. Baste chicken

    Return the chicken to the skillet and bake uncovered at 400°F for about 30 minutes, until the thickest part of each thigh reaches 165°F on a food thermometer without touching bone. Continue cooking if needed; color alone does not tell you whether chicken is done.

    braise chicken in the oven

  8. Broil

    Adjust oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese all over chicken thighs. Return skillet to the top rack in the oven and broil until cheese is bubbled and melted, about 2 minutes. Top with more basil and bacon before serving.

    sprinkle mozzarella cheese

Nutrition

Per serving: 1/4 recipe

Calories
436
Fat
31.4g
Protein
32g
Total carbs
5.6g
Net carbs
4.6g

Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze keto pizza chicken?

Yes. Cook the chicken fully, then cool it promptly in shallow containers before freezing with the sauce. Freeze for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat until the chicken reaches 165°F; add a little fresh mozzarella and broil briefly if you want to refresh the topping.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Prep the sauce ingredients and toppings separately, keeping raw chicken refrigerated, or cook the entire dish fully and refrigerate it promptly for reheating. Do not partially cook chicken, refrigerate it and finish cooking later. Reheat cooked portions to 165°F.

What pizza toppings can I add?

I've tried a bunch. Pepperoni is the obvious one and it crisps up nicely under the broiler. Sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, and black olives all work. I add them on top of the chicken after it comes out of the oven, sprinkle the mozzarella over everything, then broil. My favorite combo is pepperoni with banana peppers. Just keep the toppings to a single layer so the cheese still melts evenly. If you want more low carb pizza ideas, try my keto pizza casserole or pizza bowl.

Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?

This recipe is timed for bone-in, skin-on thighs. Boneless breasts cook differently and can dry out if you use the same time. If you substitute them, start checking earlier and use 165°F in the thickest part as your endpoint; the exact time depends on their thickness.

What can I substitute for the anchovy fillets?

I get it, anchovies sound weird in a pizza dish. But I use them because they dissolve completely into the garlic and bacon grease. Nobody tastes fish. They just add a savory richness to the sauce. If you want to skip them, a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce gets you partway to that same umami depth. I've also used a small squeeze of tomato paste as a swap, though it shifts the flavor slightly sweeter.

How do I know when the chicken is fully cooked?

Check the thickest part of each thigh with an instant-read thermometer, without touching the bone. It needs to reach 165°F before the cheese and broiling step. Start checking around the stated bake time and keep cooking if needed; clear juices or a lack of pink are not reliable substitutes for temperature.

How do I get the cheese perfectly bubbly without burning it?

My broiler runs hot, so I've dialed this in through trial and error. Two minutes on the top rack is the sweet spot. I watch it the entire time because it goes from perfectly bubbly to scorched in about 30 seconds. If your broiler runs cooler, you might need 3 minutes. The cheese should be golden with brown spots, not uniformly dark. I also make sure the mozzarella is evenly distributed so there are no bare patches that could burn. If you want another cheesy skillet dinner, my keto chicken casserole uses a similar broil finish.

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Reviews

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4.7 from 27 ratings, 21 written

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Replying to Annie Lampella

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Ernie Johnson

I was sure the anchovies would make this taste like fish and almost left them out. They just melt into the sauce. Way more savory than my usual jarred marinara version. Thanks!

Reply

Annie Lampella

Ernie, I’m glad you kept them in. Two fillets do more for that sauce than anything else.

Reply

Aisha Miller

I made this for dinner last night and the broiled mozzarella on top was so good. Thank you for another one my husband actually asked for again!! 😋

Reply

Larry Z.

It’s been too hot here to run the oven for an hour, so I’m thinking about building the sauce in the skillet and then moving the chicken to the air fryer for the mozzarella part. Would the cheese brown up okay that way? Or do the thighs really need the 400 degree oven to finish cooking through. Happy to wait for a cooler day if that’s the better call.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Larry, I’ve never run this one through the air fryer so I can’t promise on the cheese. The thighs do need that 30 minutes at 400 to cook through. Let me know how it goes if you try it.

Reply

Consuelo

do the anchovies make it taste fishy? my husband will notice and I don’t want to ruin dinner

Reply

Annie Lampella

They dissolve into the garlic and oil. I promise nobody tastes fish, just a savory sauce.

Reply

Heidi

The bacon fat in the sauce is what gets you. Made this twice in one week.

Reply

Joanna

This one knocked it out of the park!! Been keto for a while and pizza is the one thing I still miss, but this totally hit the spot.

Reply

Annie Lampella

I missed pizza more than bread too. So glad this one hit the spot!

Reply

Tamara E.

Four stars. I’ll make it again, but the chicken seasonings need help. Salt and pepper before the sear doesn’t hold up against a sauce that assertive, so second batch I rubbed in garlic powder and smoked paprika before the pan and that closed the gap. The bacon grease plus that tomato base is genuinely good, just don’t shortchange the chicken going in.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Smoked paprika before the sear is the move. Salt and pepper just disappear once that tomato and bacon base comes together. Good catch, Tamara. Might add this to the recipe card.

Reply

Tamara E.

Yeah, the tomato base just takes over everything.

Reply

Hannah

Skin pulls from the bone when it’s ready.

Reply

Annie Lampella

That and the fat around the joint going from milky to clear. I still pull out the thermometer but those two together are pretty reliable.

Reply

Sasha

Doing this Sunday but my only oven-safe pan is a 10-inch, thinking sear in my bigger stainless then transfer to a baking dish for the sauce and broil. Will the split-pan setup mess with how the bacon fat works into the sauce?

Reply

Annie Lampella

Pour every drop of that rendered bacon fat into the baking dish when you transfer, that fat is the sauce base. I’d scrape the fond off the bottom too. Leave it and the tomato sauce will taste flat.

Reply

Sarah

I always bring this now.

Reply

Annie Lampella

I’m so glad it travels well. That broiled mozzarella still looks good after a drive.

Reply

Laura

putting this on the menu for friday night

Reply

Annie Lampella

Laura, good night for it. The sauce is even better made a day ahead.

Reply

Donna

Double the sauce. One batch didn’t make it around the table.

Reply

Priya

First time cooking chicken thighs (I always grab breasts because I panic about undercooking) and I almost skipped the bacon grease step, but the skin came out so golden I wasn’t ready for it. Building the sauce right on top, then straight under the broiler… I kept waiting for a step I missed but that was really it. Skipped the anchovies since I didn’t have any. Would they have made a difference? I still wonder.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Yeah, they do. Not fish flavor, just makes the sauce taste like it’s been simmering way longer than it has. Worth grabbing a tin.

Reply

Danielle

I doubled the recipe on Sunday and portioned everything into four containers for the week. Reheated a portion Monday for lunch and the chicken was still juicy, the tomato sauce hadn’t gotten watery or thin or anything. The mozzarella gets a little rubbery in the microwave, but two minutes back under the broiler and it came right back. Hadn’t done much one-pan chicken before so I wasn’t totally sure what to expect, but this is going into my Sunday prep rotation.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Yeah, microwave wrecks the mozzarella. Two minutes under the broiler is the fix. The sauce staying put is all that bacon fat from the sear.

Reply

Lisa

My husband has a standing rule about not eating ‘diet food’ for dinner, so he was skeptical when I set this on the table. He didn’t say anything about the chicken. He just asked if there was more of the sauce. The bacon grease does something to the tomatoes that a regular stovetop pan sauce just doesn’t, and I think that’s what got him. Already on the list for next Sunday.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Getting asked for more sauce is the best review this recipe gets. Sunday is the right spot for it.

Reply

Kevin D.

Pizza is what I missed most going keto (I know everyone says that, but I mean it). First thing that’s actually scratched that itch. Chicken cooked in bacon fat, sauce built right in the same skillet. I don’t know how it works but it does.

Reply

Annie Lampella

All that fond from the bacon sear gets pulled into the sauce. That’s why it works. Different pan would kill it.

Reply

Alicia

Made this side-by-side with two other keto pizza chicken recipes last week and it’s the clear flavor winner, though I’d budget a full hour rather than 45 minutes.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Yeah, bone-in thighs at 45 is optimistic. An hour is the safer call, especially if they’re on the larger side.

Reply

Rachel

My mom used to make something like this when I was growing up, just chicken braised in tomato sauce with melted cheese on top. I haven’t thought about that dish in years and then I made this and it all came back. The bacon grease base takes it somewhere her version never went though.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Memory food is tricky. Bacon grease takes it somewhere the original never could.

Reply

Beth

I’ve made probably three or four versions of keto pizza chicken and none of them tasted like anything until this one. Cooking the chicken in the bacon grease is what everyone else skips, and you can tell. Going in my regular rotation.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Bacon grease was the part I tested cutting twice and added back both times. Just flat without it. Glad it’s in the rotation.

Reply

Kristen

Pizza night was my Friday ritual before keto. Genuinely thought I was done with that feeling. Made this last Friday, pulled the skillet out from under the broiler, and actually got a little emotional. The bacon fat under the tomato sauce is doing something. Didn’t expect that.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Friday ritual is back then. The bacon fat renders into the tomato and builds something you can’t fake with oil. That’s why I kept it.

Reply

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