Keto Friendly Green Bean Casserole

My Keto Friendly Green Bean Casserole will have your taste buds happy this holiday season. Gone are the traditional green bean casserole with generic canned soup. In place you and low-carb lovers dream, crispy pork rind topping.

Keto Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Whether you like the classic green bean casserole or you are on the side of the fence that says, “no thanks”, this recipe is going to become a family favorite regardless if you follow a keto diet. or not. 

Fresh or frozen green beans are paired with sautéed onion and a delicious homemade creamy sauce with a much better flavor than the popular cream of mushroom soup. Since not everyone in my family love mushrooms like I do, I left them out of this dish. However, I do serve this cheesy mushroom casserole too. A little scoop of this and a little scoop of that…now we’re talking about a holiday meal the whole family will enjoy!

Plus, in this recipe you still get the crunchy topping using pork rinds, and even better, you have extra cheddar cheese flavor. What isn’t there to love about this recipe? 

Ingredients to make keto friendly green bean casserole

• Onion sliced
• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Chicken bullion, low sodium in place of chicken broth
• Salt – I like kosher or Himalayan
• Ground pepper
• Milk – whole milk for the rich flavor
• Sour cream – use full fat, not low or no fat
• Frozen French-style green beans
• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Pork rinds, ground are used in place of crispy onions that you may be accustomed to adding your your green bean casserole dish.

How to make keto green bean casserole dish

STEP 1- In a large skillet saute the sliced onion in butter over medium heat, then season with salt and pepper.

STEP 2 – Add cream cheese and milk, stir until thick and creamy.

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STEP 3 – Stir in sour cream and mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.

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STEP 4 – Fold in the green beans. If you are using fresh green beans.

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STEP 5 – Place in a baking dish and top with cheese. Add pork rinds to the top of the casserole.

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STEP 6 – Bake in the oven at 350°F degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese has melted. For a crispy topping, broil for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

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Can I Use Fresh or Canned Green Beans Instead?

While I don’t recommend using canned green beans for this recipe, due to the added sodium and mushy texture when cooked with the creamy ingredients, you can definitely use fresh green beans.

Four cups of canned green beans are equivalent to around 1 pound of fresh green beans. Simply wash them well, pat with a clean kitchen or paper towel, and trim the ends and cut to your preferred bite-sized length. For tender green beans lightly steam for 4-5 minutes before adding to the recipe as listed in step 4. 

Low Carb Fried Onions

If you are used to having fried onions on your green bean casserole you can definitely cook your sliced onions in the oven ahead of time with a coating of pork rinds or almond flour. This would give a bit more of a crunch with that familiar onion flavor. However, I would add about 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder to the creamy mixture if you leave out the fresh cooked onions.

Personally, I prefer the ease and flavor that cooked onions added to the casserole with the pork rinds for easy crunchy texture. 

Variations on Keto Green Bean Casserole

I love this recipe as it stands, but you can switch out a few things to give a different flavor profile or texture if you prefer. Some of those ideas are below. 

• Add sliced fresh mushrooms to the mixture before baking.
• Use shredded mozzarella instead of cheddar for a creamier mild flavor or add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to the pork rind mix.
• Top with barbecue flavored pork rinds for an extra kick.
• “Fry” the onions as mentioned above for a different crunchy topping. 
• Replace the green beans with asparagus spears.
• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to kick up the heat in the mixture. 

Can I Make This Green Bean Casserole Ahead of Time?

Yes! If you would like to prepare your menu a few days ahead of the holiday, this low-carb green bean casserole can be put together a few days in advance or assembled and put in the freezer. I recommend preparing as directed up until you add the pork rinds to the top. Leave those off until right before you bake them so they don’t get soggy. 

Freezing green bean casserole

To freeze, the easiest way to do this is to prepare this recipe in an aluminum baking pan and wrap it well with plastic wrap before putting it into the freezer. Always make sure you put the date you prepared it, the name of the recipe, and basic cooking instructions on the top for future reference. 

To bake, remove from the freezer, and defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Bake as directed in the recipe card.

Storing leftovers

Leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat in a microwave or oven for 15 minutes at 350°F degrees. You may want to pop in under the broiler to crisp up the pork rinds for a couple of minutes too, but be sure to watch closely so it doesn’t burn.

How Many Carbs are in Green Bean Casserole?

The carb count will depend upon a few factors, but the recipe when calculated in My Fitness Pal shows the total carbohydrates as 8.9 grams an the net fiber as 3 grams. This would result in a 5.9 gram total carbohydrate per serving. 

Some brands of sour cream, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese can have slightly different carb counts. If you are on a very tight macro program, this would be a bit higher than a basic steamed green bean, but still low enough to fit into your daily allowance. I recommend using my keto macro calculator to find out what your goals should be. 

What to serve with keto friendly green bean casserole

Don’t wait for your Thanksgiving dinner menu to serve this casserole. This low carb recipe can be enjoyed all year long. This is an excellent side to my keto fried chicken or instant pot whole chicken recipe that everyone in the family loves.  

More keto recipes

If you are using this as a keto-friendly green bean casserole side during the holidays, make sure to check out my recipe for low carb gravy, easy keto pumpkin pie recipe, this low carb mock cauliflower mashed potato recipe, this mushroom casserole, and these rosemary garlic keto dinner rolls to complete your menu plan.