Gone are the times when going on a diet meant that you had to give up on pretty much everything that tasted good and munch on greens or have bland and tasteless foods the whole day.
With the Ketogenic diet, now you don’t have to eat tasteless meals or starve yourself just because you are tired of eating boring healthy food. With this apparently magical but essentially science-based diet, you can lose weight as well as gain a variety of other health benefits just by making a few small variations in your diet. Make it more fatty and cheesy!
To make the task easier for you, here we are giving some keto dinner ideas that are not only easy-to-make but will also be a treat for your taste buds.
Keto Recipes – 5 Low-Carb Dinner Recipes
Here are some of the best keto recipes that everyone should try:
1. Chicken Enchilada Soup
The perfect dinner for cold winter nights, this easy, delicious, and warm enchilada soup is an instant hit among keto dieters.
Ingredients
Serves 8
- Chicken Thighs or Breasts: 2 pounds, skinless and boneless
- Chicken Broth: 5 cups
- Tomato Purée : 2 cups
- Chopped Onion: ½ cup
- Sour Cream: ¾ cup
- Jalapenos: 2, diced
- Butter: ¼ cup
- Taco Seasoning: 3 tablespoons
- Salt: ¾ teaspoon
Directions
In an instant pot or a slow cooker, add the chicken, tomato puree, jalapenos, onions, taco seasoning, salt, butter, and chicken broth. Give everything a quick stir and cover with the pot or cooker lid.
If using an instant pot, make sure the lid and the vent are sealed. Set it to soup function for 20 minutes. Once done, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
If using a slow cooker, set it on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Once cooked, take out the chicken from the mixture and shred it with the help of two forks.
Also, take out about a cup of broth into a bowl, when it is still hot, and mix sour cream into it. Whisk it well to make sure there are no lumps. Pour the broth back into the pot along with the shredded chicken. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
Transfer to the serving bowls and top with chopped avocados and cheese just before serving. Enjoy!
2. Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Made with spaghetti squash, this simple yet delicious skillet casserole will not only satisfy your cravings for a casserole but also for a cheeseburger. Want more?
It’s a one-pot meal, which means you won’t have to spend hours cleaning up afterward.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- Spaghetti Squash: 1 medium
- Ground Beef: 1 pound
- Bacon: 4 slices, chopped
- Sugar-Free Ketchup: 2 tablespoons
- Worcestershire Sauce: 2 teaspoons
- Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
- Salt: ½ teaspoon
- Black Pepper: ½ teaspoon
- Cheddar Cheese: 6 ounces (about 1 ½ cups), shredded
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Cut the squash in half (crosswise) and remove the seeds). Place both the pieces of squash, with the cut side down, on the baking tray and bake for about 40 minutes or until it is very soft.
Scoop out the flesh from the cooked squash and set aside. In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crisp. When cooked, take out on a paper towel and set aside.
In the same skillet, cook the ground beef for 6 to 7 minutes or until it is almost cooked. Add salt, pepper, and garlic, and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes or until it is well-cooked. Add Worcestershire sauce and ketchup to the minced meat. Give it a quick stir and add the squash. Mix everything well and then spread the mixture evenly in the skillet, with the help of a spoon.
Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Cover the skillet with the lid, reduce the heat, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle bacon on top and serve!
3. Rice’ Bowl
When on keto, many people miss rice the most. If you are also craving rice, we have a low-carb version of rice bowl for you to satisfy your taste buds without ruining your diet.
Fresh, light, and filling, this cauliflower rice bowl offers a perfect blend of different flavors and textures and will have you fall in love with it.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- Chicken Breast: 1 pound, cut into cubes
- Cauliflower Rice: 1 pound
- Avocado: 1 large, sliced
- Shiitake Mushrooms: 8-10 ounces, sliced
- Coconut Aminos (or soy sauce if you don’t mind the little amount of sugar in it): ¼ cup
- Mayonnaise: 4 tablespoons
- Sriracha Sauce: 3 tablespoons (or as per your taste)
- Coconut Oil: 3 tablespoons, divided
- English Cucumber: 1, peeled, deseeded, and sliced into matchsticks
- Keto Hot Sauce: 1 teaspoon
- Ground Ginger: 1 teaspoon
- Sesame Seeds: 1 tablespoon
- Salt and Pepper: to taste
Directions
Sriracha Mayonnaise
Mix together mayonnaise and sriracha sauce in a small bowl.
Cucumber Slaw
Toss cucumber with hot sauce and set aside in a cool place until required.
Chicken
Add chicken, salt, pepper, and coconut aminos in a ziplock bag. Close the bag and mix everything well until the chicken is coated. Place the bag in the refrigerator and let the chicken marinate for about 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Once the chicken has been marinated, heat a skillet with a tablespoon of coconut oil and cook the chicken in it until it is cooked through and browned from outside – about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Stir-Fry Mushrooms
In the same skillet you used for the chicken, add another tablespoon of oil and then add sliced mushrooms. Sauté for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and ground ginger, and continue cooking for another 4 to 5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender.
Cauliflower Rice
In a separate large skillet, heat a tablespoon of coconut oil and then add cauliflower rice in it. Sauté the rice until they are soft and cooked – about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper according to your taste halfway through the process.
Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowls. Top with chicken, sautéed mushrooms, sliced avocado, and cucumber slaw. Drizzle sesame seeds and sriracha mayonnaise on top and serve.
4. Stuffed Avocado
This delicious, low-carb recipe hardly takes 10 minutes to prepare and is perfect for days when you don’t feel like eating rich and heavy meals. The best thing?
There’s no cooking involved!
Ingredients
Serves 1
- Avocado: 1, pitted
- Tuna: 1 small can, drained
- Mayo: 1 teaspoon
- Grainy Mustard: 1 teaspoon
- Lime Juice: a few drops
- Chopped Chives: to taste
- Salt & Pepper: to taste
- Sriracha Sauce: to drizzle on top
Directions
Mix tuna, mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, chives, and lime juice in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
Spoon the mixture in the center of each half of the avocado. Top with a drizzle of sriracha sauce and dig in!
5. Alfredo Zoodles
Healthy, delicious and easy-to-make, this recipe is not only great for those on keto but is also perfect for vegans.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- Zucchinis: 4
- Roasted Macadamia Nuts: 1 cup plus ¼ cup for garnishing (optional)
- Hot Water: 1 cup, plus more if needed
- Nutritional Yeast: ½ cup
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 4 tablespoons, divided
- Lemon Juice and Zest: of half a lemon, or according to taste
- Garlic Salt: ½ teaspoon
- Chopped Parsley: for garnishing
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper: to sprinkle on top
Directions
Soak one cup of macadamia nuts in hot water for 5 minutes and then transfer them, along with the water, to a blender jug. Add garlic salt, olive oil, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice and zest into the blender and blend on high speed until you get a smooth paste. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
Remove the ends of zucchinis and then cut them using a spiralizer. Set aside.
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and then add the zucchini in it. Sauté the zucchini until it is wilted, but is still green. Season with garlic salt and then add the macadamia nut sauce. Toss the zucchini well so it is well-coated. Continue to cook for a few more minutes and then transfer to the serving platter. Sprinkle black pepper, chopped parsley, and chopped macadamia nuts (optional) on top and serve hot!
There you have it – some of the best keto dinner recipes that you are guaranteed to love. Try them out and let us know how you found them. You can also host a dinner party for all your friends on keto and make one of these dishes to get tons of compliments on your cooking skills.