This paleo chicken tetrazzini is simple to throw together with rotisserie chicken, grain free spaghetti, a creamy dairy free sauce and optional dairy free cheese on top! It has tons of flavor and is sure to become a family favorite!
Ever since I made my creamy tuscan chicken I’ve been hooked on recreating creamy sauces and making them paleo friendly.
Today I went even further, using grain free spaghetti to recreate a dish that is typically so far from paleo that you couldn’t really imagine a clean version that’s actually GOOD.
But here it is! Chicken tetrazzini. And of course, this would also be perfect with leftover turkey for those of you here post-Thanksgiving!
What You Need to Make this Paleo Chicken Tetrazzini
Ever since Jovial Foods came out with their cassava pasta, I’ve basically stopped cooking with zucchini noodles and spaghetti squash.
If you still need a low carb option however (the pasta is high is carbs due to cassava flour) you can definitely make this with spaghetti squash instead of the pasta!
I don’t really recommend zucchini noodles though since they’ll make the casserole too watery. Not what we’re going for!
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this chicken tetrazzini:
- Jovial Foods spaghetti (or other paleo friendly noodles)
- ghee or vegan butter
- cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken)
- mushrooms
- onion
- garlic
- arrowroot flour, or tapioca
- organic chicken broth or bone broth
- full fat coconut milk, or a dairy free creamer like plain nut pods
- lemon juice
- dijon mustard
- nutritional yeast, optional (this is for flavor only)
- Italian seasoning blend, optional
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
- shredded vegan mozzarella cheese (I used Violife) – the cheese is optional
How to Make this Chicken Tetrazzini
Get your oven preheated and prepare a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain the spaghetti according to package directions.
Place the cooked chopped chicken in a large bowl and set it aside.
Heat a dutch oven or large deep skillet (I used a skillet, but it gets full!) over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the ghee. Cook the mushrooms, then the onions and garlic until soft and fragrant. I like to season the veggies with salt and pepper, too.
Remove from heat and transfer the veggie mixture to the bowl with the chicken and set aside. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons ghee and the arrowroot. Whisk and cook until bubbly.
Add in the broth, coconut milk or creamer, lemon juice and mustard and whisk while cooking. Once the mixture thickens, stir in the nutritional yeast and Italian seasoning and remove from the heat. Stir in sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Combine the chicken and veggies with the sauce, then transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle the vegan mozzarella cheese all over the top, if using.
Bake uncovered until bubbly and the vegan cheese is melted. .
Substitutions for Chicken Tetrazzini
I often have people asking about substitutions for recipes, and luckily this is one that is very flexible!
As I mentioned above, to make it lower carb and Whole30 compatible, sub in cooked spaghetti squash for the cassava spaghetti, and then omit the cheese for Whole30.
On the other hand, if you eat dairy it’s totally fine to sub in heavy cream for the coconut milk, butter for the ghee, and real mozzarella for the vegan version.
For those who can’t stand coconut milk (there are a lot of you out there!) you can sub in plain nut pods creamer or another dairy free milk like plain almond milk.
With almond milk, the sauce will be slightly less creamy, but the arrowroot will still thicken it enough.
You can also freely add in any other cooked veggies that you like – peas or carrots for example along with the mushrooms. If you buy frozen veggies, simply thaw and mix in before the baking step.
I hope you’re ready for a delicious CREAMY casserole that you won’t believe is dairy free and paleo!
Get your pasta cooked and your oven preheated because it’s time for the BEST paleo tetrazzini – let’s go!
Paleo Chicken Tetrazzini {Grain Free, Dairy Free}
Creamy Paleo Chicken Tetrazzini {Grain Free, Dairy Free}
Ingredients
- 8 oz Jovial Foods spaghetti or other paleo friendly noodles
- 6 tablespoons ghee or vegan butter, divided
- 3 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken)
- 1 lb white mushrooms sliced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour or tapioca
- 2 cups organic chicken broth or bone broth
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk *
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend optional
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped, plus more to garnish
- 1 1/2 cups shredded vegan mozzarella cheese I used Violife** - cheese is optional
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13” baking dish with cooking spray. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. You'll want to make sure the spaghetti is al dente for this one since it softens more in the oven! Once done, drain and drizzle with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
-
Place the cooked chopped chicken in a large bowl and set aside. Heat a dutch oven or large deep skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the ghee. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
-
Cook about 4 minutes until softened, then add the onions and garlic and continue to cook another 3 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
-
Remove from heat and transfer the veggie mixture to the bowl with the chicken and set aside. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons ghee and the arrowroot. Whisk and cook until bubbly.
-
Add in the broth, coconut milk or creamer, lemon juice and mustard and whisk while cooking. Once thickened, stir in the nutritional yeast and Italian seasoning and remove from heat. Stir in sea salt and black pepper to taste, and adjust all seasonings to taste.
-
Stir the chicken and veggie mixture plus the pasta into the sauce, then transfer to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the vegan mozzarella cheese all over the top, if using.
-
Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered for 15 minutes or until bubbly and the vegan cheese is melted. Serve hot and enjoy! Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
*You can also use a dairy free creamer like plain nut pods, or if you can have dairy, use heavy cream.
**If you can have dairy, sub in real mozzarella cheese.
Nutrition
Want More Paleo Chicken Recipes? Try One of These!
Chicken Broccoli and “Rice” Casserole
Greek Chicken and Veggie Skillet
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Paleo Running Momma!
I can’t wait to try this as the weather cools! I always enjoy your recipes, but I want to say Thank You for offering delicious recipes that meet a wide range of dietary needs! My husband LOVES pasta dishes, but he doesn’t have the same issues with grain that I do…I have just started using some Jovial pasta products, and he is so happy! I love that you also offered a substitute for the coconut milk! Coconut milk is a staple for me, but when cooking for my elderly-diabetic parents, I have found that it is a bit hard on their systems. NutPods are also a staple of mine, so this made an easy substitution. Know that you are helping so many of us make healthy, delicious meals for our families who have varied dietary needs!
could i use spaghetti squash?
Think this would freeze well?
This looks amazing! Do you think it would work will Palmini noodles too?
Yes that should work well 🙂
Nostalgia moment! I went to a small college in western PA whose cafeteria food was ugh, but man the chicken tetrazzini was DELICIOUS! Can’t wait to make this [much healthier] version and harken back to a simpler time in life. 🙂
SO good! We added more veggies and used jovial cassava noodles, perfection! Thank you!
The Paleo Chicken Tetrazzini looks tasty. I just love seeing it!
Paleo recipes have so many ingredients. Takes a lot of work to write out or follow online. Any chance you’re working on a lunch and dinner cookbook?
So GOOD! I will definitely be making this one again! Thank you so much for your delicious recipes. I feel like I am still getting old comfort food favorites while sticking to my paleo lifestyle and for that I am so grateful!!
Do you happen to have a good idea where to find a rotisserie chicken that is free of carrageenan or other spice/flavorings that aren’t clean? I haven’t checked Whole Foods but everywhere else I’ve looked has stuff that isn’t tolerable for me. Just curious if you’ve found a good option! I love rotisserie chickens but haven’t been able to use them in years! Love every recipe I’ve tried from your site and can’t wait to try this one!
I’ve made this (great recipe) and other chicken dishes that require cooked chicken with grilled Greek chicken. Marinate and grill extra chicken thighs along with those you would use for a grilled family meal. Refrigerate and use the extra ones for this dish within a few days or freeze them already sliced to use in this dish or other dishes (tacos etc).
I saw something that looks like spaghetti with chicken and cheese in it. Yum!
Loved this casserole. Easy to put together and comforting during our epic blizzard.
Excellent recipe, my husband and I loved it and I will make it again iin the future. I used Half and Half for the milk but often use Coconut milk. I used real mozerella cheese and regular butter since we are not Vegans. This recipe is a keeper. It was fun to make.
This was so good!! We added the dairy free cheese recommended and it was delicious!! Ours did take longer for the cheese to melt but it was worth it!
Haven’t made this yet but I am sure it will be good. What would be nice is if there was a way to save recipes on your site, like a recipe box or file. Anyway that might happen in the future?
I had cooked chicken and pasta that I needed to make into a dish and I didn’t want alfredo sauce so I gave this a try! It was delicious!
This looks delicious! Can this be frozen and then cooked after thawing? Would it also work to cook then freeze?