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Make it easy to stick with your healthy lifestyle even on busy nights with these Quick and Easy Keto Dinner Recipes. With over 40 delicious ideas, you can stick to the keto lifestyle while still making low carb family meals everyone will enjoy. And they are all gluten free, too!
Quick and Easy Keto Dinner Recipes
If you have started a low carb or keto diet for weight loss, to manage certain medical conditions, or for some of its other possible benefits, you always need new ideas. And these low carb recipes need to fit into your busy life.
This means that they have to be dinners the whole family will love as-is. Or flexible enough that you can easily add another side dish for family members that aren’t cutting carbs. That way you won’t have to make every member of the family a different meal.
You’ll find over forty low carb dinner recipes right here to get you started. See how to make eight of them right here in this video, then keep scrolling to get all the recipes.
But first, let’s get a little background on the low carb and keto lifestyle.
What is a low carb diet?
Typical recommendations are to get 45-65% of your calories per day from carbohydrates. This is about 225-325 grams per day based on a 2000 calorie diet. There are different low carb diets that allow for different carb levels and different ratios of the three macronutrients, carbs, protein, and fat. In general, though, most low carb diets have a limit of 20 to 60 grams of carbs per day.
You’ll need to research and evaluate the different low carb and keto diet options and discuss your plans with your doctor. These are simply some low carb recipe ideas once you’ve gotten started on this new lifestyle.
What foods should you avoid on a low carb diet?
- Obviously, sugar is the first item to avoid on a low carb diet.
- You’ll also be drastically cutting or eliminating grains and products made from grains, including rice, bread, oatmeal, and pasta.
- Beans will only be consumed in limited quantities if at all, depending on your carb limits.
- You’ll need to limit fruits, especially those higher in natural sugars and lower in fiber.
- Some starchy vegetables will also have to be reduced or removed from your diet. This includes potatoes, sweet potatoes, and even large amounts of carrots and winter squash.
What can you eat on a keto diet?
Despite eliminating or cutting down on high carb foods, there are still plenty of options left.
- Meat and seafood is always a great low carb choice.
- Most vegetables are low in carbs, especially lettuce and other greens, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, and summer squash.
- Instead of pasta, it’s easy and delicious to cook spaghetti squash or zoodles to have with your favorite sauce.
- Some fruits are lower in carbs and high in fiber, such as berries. These can be eaten in controlled amounts.
- Dairy products like cheese, milk, and yogurt are great options. Just watch for added sugar in low-fat products or those with added flavors.
- Nuts can also be a great choice but watch your portion sizes.
- If you are really craving sweets, there are natural sweeteners like stevia and Swerve, which is an erythritol sweetener that is great for baking.
Low Carb Dinner Ideas for Family Meals
If you are wondering, “What can I eat for dinner on a keto diet?” There are lots of answers right here for you!
40+ Low Carb and Keto Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights
These easy keto and low carb dinner recipes are delicious, healthy meals for busy nights. You are sure to find some new ideas the entire family will love!
Chicken or Turkey Low Carb Dinners
The best part of chicken enchiladas in a family-friendly low carb dinner recipe that is ready in about 30 minutes.
With only three ingredients, you can pop them in the oven or air fryer for a quick dinner.
Served over cauliflower rice instead of the traditional jasmine rice, you can definitely enjoy this easy version of the classic Indian dish on a low carb diet.
Tender and juicy bites of chicken are marinated with garlic, lemon juice, herbs and more, then stacked up on a skewer and grilled! Don't forget the Greek Salad!
A lighter and veggie-packed version of the traditional Greek comfort food. To make this truly a keto dinner you’ll want to reduce the number of carrots a bit.
A simple, healthy, and fresh dinner from your crockpot makes a great low carb dinner with zoodles.
Paleo & Whole 30, too!
This quick and easy low carb dinner has plenty of Mediterranean flair.
Skip the feta to make it Paleo & Whole 30, too!
An easy marinade recipe infuses exotic citrus flavors into juicy drumsticks you can cook on the grill or bake in the oven.
Paleo & Whole 30, too!
A healthy version of one of your favorite takeout foods. A kicked up marinade made with real orange adds tons of flavor to the chicken, just be sure to use an orange marmalade that doesn’t use added refined sugars.
Not strictly keto, but it is Paleo too!
If you miss creamy, hearty pasta dishes, this is the low carb dinner recipe you need to satisfy those cravings. The recipe calls for turkey sausage, but you can use pork sausage too.
An easy chicken recipe that adds plenty of flavor to your basic roasted chicken.
Paleo & Whole 30, too!
A simple marinade filled with exotic flavors brings mild but flavorful Indian-inspired flair to this low carb dinner recipe.
Paleo & Whole 30, too!
With only four ingredients and a few short minutes, you’ll soon be licking your fingers and your lips as you enjoy this recipe.
Use ghee instead of butter to make it paleo and Whole 30 friendly, too!
Grab a few handfuls of any herbs you have on hand to make this simple, flavorful low carb chicken dinner.
Paleo & Whole 30, too!
Intense, exotic aromas and flavors for a gourmet meal you can enjoy even on busy nights.
Paleo & Whole 30, too!
Kick up your basic chicken salad and serve it over a pile of salad greens or in a lettuce wrap.
Soaking chicken breasts in a Greek yogurt marinade before grilling keeps them moist and juicy, while infusing them with a ton of fresh flavor.
You’ll love the warm chicken stir fried with fish sauce, spicy fresh chiles and lime juice on top of cold, crisp lettuce cups.
Paleo too!
Take baked ziti up a notch by keeping all the cheesy deliciousness but ditching the carbs.
Your favorite salad is more fun to eat when you turn it into a meal you can eat with your hands, especially with a drizzle of Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing.
Your favorite Indian dish is a weeknight low carb dinner you can whip up in no time when you use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the store. Just be sure to serve it over cauliflower or broccoli rice.
Beef or Pork Low Carb Dinner Ideas
Make it in your pressure cooker or crockpot for the ultimate low carb comfort food. Hearty and delicious, even without beans.
Paleo and Whole 30, too!
The classic casserole gets a veggie-packed makeover with all the flavors you love.
A family-friendly quick and easy dinner you can make in less than 20 minutes in a single skillet. Made with ground beef, it's budget-friendly and just as delicious as Asian takeout favorite, but healthier.
Classic Bolognese sauce is hearty and flavorful. You'll love it over your spaghetti squash or zoodles.
An easy crock pot recipe with tons of South American flavor in the pork, then topped with cheese, and a fresh and spicy Aji sauce that whips up in a few minutes. Just skip the corn when assembling the bowls.
You’ll love this healthy ground beef taco salad for a fast family dinner that each person can make with their favorite toppings! It’s filled with fresh greens, colorful veggies, hearty Instant Pot taco meat, cheese, and sour cream.
Creamy blue cheese and perfectly seasoned meat make these NY strip steaks and ribeyes a drool-worthy dinner option. Fire up your grill, grab a glass of wine and prepare to be transported to a 5-star restaurant!
To make this truly low carb, you'll have to skip the corn. But with so many other amazing flavors going on from the grilled steak and asparagus to the fresh tomatoes and parmesan cheese, you won't even miss it.
Whether you want breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast, this quiche with beef and burger toppings fits the bill.
A simple marinade with only five ingredients adds incredible flavor to this grilled steak.
Paleo and Whole 30, too!
If you love brinner, these little egg cups are perfect and you can have the leftovers for breakfast.
Simply seasoned, perfectly seared, and served with a simple sauce that has a flavor reminiscent of the classic cocktail but using wine instead of vodka for a rich and flavorful twist that perfectly complements the beef.
Everything you love about stuffed peppers in a cozy soup you can make in your Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stove!
Transform the classic Italian comfort food recipe into a juicy hamburger topped with tomato sauce and cheese and serve it on a portobello “bun”.
The classic dish gets a lighter and low carb makeover with spaghetti squash instead of the traditional egg noodles.
Better than a restaurant, and you can travel to Greece without going any further than your grill or grill pan.
Paleo and Whole 30, too!
The classic combo of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil adds a ton of flair to a simple steak.
Be sure to use a homemade or store bought tomato sauce that doesn’t have sugar and this dump and go crockpot recipe is super easy and packed with flavor.
Paleo and Whole 30, too!
The traditional Greek or Middle Eastern dish reinvented in a lighter, lower carb, gluten free, veggie filled way.
Take the classic savory flavors of spring and put them in a mini individual crustless quiche perfect for brunch or a low carb breakfast for dinner.
Meatless Low Carb Dinner Recipes
This baked eggs dish is packed with healthy veggies and protein.
This simple sauce is better than a restaurant and keto-friendly when you serve it over spaghetti squash or zoodles.
While this is can be a delicious side dish for a Mediterranean meal, it also makes for a nice light vegetarian low carb dinner.
Rich and creamy and cheesy and dare I say even better than the broccoli cheese soup from Panera without the gluten and carbs.
Everything you love about eggplant parm without all the work and carbs of breading and frying.
You only need four basic ingredients to whip up this easy low carb breakfast for dinner with a kick. You can even top it with additional Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing.
A vegetable-filled, healthy, gluten free, vegan version of this Asian-inspired favorite that makes a light and meatless low carb meal.
If that’s not enough, my friend Carolyn from the blog All Day I Dream About Food has a number of amazing keto cookbooks. I’ve shared some of the recipes from her cookbooks right here on the blog, and I love them all. In fact, in the list above you’ll some of her keto dinner recipes like Chicken Enchilada Skillet and Stuffed Pepper Soup. Her recipes are so good that these are definitely worth picking up if you need more low carb dinner ideas!
