I have been following a Keto lifestyle since January 2018 and over that time I have lost a total of 88 pounds and learned a lot about what types of recipes and meals help me stick with this low carb life without sacrificing my grocery budget or a ton of extra time in the kitchen.
I consider this our family’s VIP list of keto meals.
Easy to prepare….check. Not too many ingredients….check. Tastes amazing….check.
There are a ton of low carb recipes out there, but I’ve narrowed down the list to the ones we make repeatedly and remain on a regular rotation.
When you find yourself making a recipe all the time, that’s a sure sign that it not only tastes really good, but is easy to make.
Check out this post for more details about why I started a keto lifestyle and how we also save money doing it!
One of my biggest keys to maintaining a keto lifestyle is picking a handful of go-to meals that you love and are easy to make. There are so many great keto meals out there to choose from.
I recommend finding recipes that require very little shopping for additional ingredients and can be made fairly quickly.
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Taco Tuesday doesn’t have to end when you cut the carbs. One of my favorite things about tacos is everyone can make them exactly how they want them. It’s a perfect meal if not everyone in your family is eating keto.
I make the ground beef and season it the way we all like and then everyone makes their own tacos the way they prefer.
I love making taco bowls with seasoned ground beef, sour cream and scooping everything up with cheese chips.
Making crispy cheese chips could not be easier! Just microwave a slice of cheese for a minute and let cool. Once it’s cooled you can break it into crispy cheese chips.
Taco tip: Skip that seasoning packet, it contains a ton of carbs! We season ours ourselves and eyeball the amounts. We typically use salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder, chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika.
It would be pretty hard to find an easier meal than a bunless burger. In the summer, we love to grill them and in the cooler months, we use the air fryer.
You can be as simple or as creative as you want with your bunless burger.
Most of the time, I enjoy my burger with a slice of Muenster cheese, yellow mustard and a sprinkle of Everything but the Bagel seasoning.
The options are endless to get more creative. Use different cheeses, try it with pickles or top yours with avocado slices.
Don’t forget about bunless hot dogs!
I have never been a fan of chicken breast. I can never seem to cook it well without drying it out. That is never the case with chicken thighs. They are basically foolproof and always juicy.
Did I mention that chicken thighs are way cheaper than breasts? We pick up a family pack of chicken thighs when we go shopping and when we get home we separate them into dinner size portions.
If you’re a Costco shopper, definitely check out the organic packs of chicken thighs that are a steal and you can easily make 3-4 family dinners out of them.
Here are our favorite chicken thigh recipes that we use again and again:
Cracklin Chicken from Nom Nom Paleo
Chicken Thighs with Creamy Basil Bacon Mushroom Thyme Sauce from Julia’s Album
No Mess Crispy Chicken Thighs from Jennifer Banz
Asian Chicken Thighs from Nom Nom Paleo
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I'll be posting a recipe roundup #ontheblog tomorrow of my favorite #paleo recipes with 5 ingredients or less. We had one of these quick, simple dinners tonight, Cracklin Chicken from @nomnompaleo. This recipe is crazy good and all you need is chicken thighs (skin on, bone out), ghee and some salt and pepper (or magic mushroom powder 😍) and you're good to go. Check out the full post tomorrow! #michelletamismymarthastewart #chicken #nomnompaleo #5ingredientsorless #organic #eatclean #foodstagram #recipe #paleorecipes #paleolifestyle #whole30 #whole30alumni #whole30recipes #whole30homies #protein #simple #love #magicmushroompowder
A post shared by Dawn @ MadeItLoveitPaleo (@madeitloveitpaleo) on Jul 21, 2015 at 5:38pm PDT
4. Sausage, Carrot & Zucchini Casserole from MadeItLoveItPaleo
I’m all about a great casserole and this one is my favorite.
Everything goes into a casserole dish and gets sliced into individual servings for the week. This casserole is full of veggies and is so satisfying.
→ Recipe: Sausage, Carrot & Zucchini Casserole
If you want to try another variation of a yummy casserole, check out this version using peppers and chorizo!
We love chicken wings at our house! They are affordable and so easy to make. We usually get the wing sections and we don’t even bother to separate them. No need to take the extra step unless you are really particular about eating them as flats and drums.
Here is a roundup of all of our favorite Keto Chicken Wing recipes that we make again and again.
→Keto Chicken Wing Recipe Roundup
6. Crispy Fried Eggs over Greens
I could eat crispy fried eggs over greens every day and never get tired of it. If you’re into creamy, dreamy yolk, then you know what I’m talking about.
I heat butter in a pan over medium-high heat and once it’s nice and hot, I add my eggs. I let them cook until the edges are nice and crispy and the white on top is cooked.
7. Leafy Greens with leftover meat, grass-fed hot dogs or chicken sausage
This is just an extra way of saying “salad”. Yep, salads are a clutch move when eating low carb.
Greens + Meat + Dressing and you have one easy meal on your hands.
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8. Broccoli & Cheese Soup from Wholesome Yum
I eat this soup all the time and literally never get tired of it. This soup is crazy easy and only requires a few ingredients to make.
I make it even easier by using a big bag of frozen broccoli. I only change up one thing in this recipe and that is to add 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, because I think it makes the flavor even better. I also love to add a little crispy bacon on top!
This recipe makes enough for almost two weeks worth of lunch. I freeze it in individual servings using silicone muffin tins.
→ Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Soup from Wholesome Yum
9. Kale & Salmon Cakes from MadeItLoveItPaleo
When we’re cleaning out the pantry, I always make these simple cakes using cans of boneless, wild-caught salmon that I like to keep on hand from Trader Joe’s.
They reheat really well and I love having them for lunch.
→ Recipe: Kale & Salmon Cakes
10. Kalua Pig from Nom Nom Paleo
If you haven’t made Kalua Pig from Nom Nom Paleo yet, you are missing out on one of the best recipes ever – low carb or not. This pulled pork is juicy, tender and you can use the leftovers in so many ways.
I regularly add this to soup and salads, but my favorite way to use it is to add it to a hot pan, get it nice and crispy and serve it with fried eggs and greens.
→ Recipe: Kalua Pig from Nom Nom Paleo
I finally jumped on the chaffle train a few months ago and it’s opened up a whole wide world of meal possibilities. If you haven’t already heard of chaffles, it’s a waffle made from cheese and egg.
No recipe required here kids – 1/2 cup of whatever shredded cheese you want to use mixed with one egg will make two mini chaffles.
Mini waffle makers are everywhere these days, but this is ours and it works like a champ. You can get it at Target and Amazon.
Here is what I like to do with my chaffles:
Taco Chaffles: Ground beef, a dollop of sour cream and cilantro
Barbecue Chaffles: Brisket + sugar-free barbecue sauce (check out this brand, their sauces are amazing!!!)
Open-Face Egg Chaffles: Fried Eggs + a sausage patty
Chaffle Toast: Smear your chaffle with cream cheese and maybe even a sprinkle of Everything but the Bagel seasoning
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Breakfast foods are my favorite. Eggs and bacon specifically are my jam, so I looooove having breakfast for dinner.
Scrambled eggs, fried eggs or an omelette paired with bacon or sausage is a yummy way to change up your regular dinner routine.
I also love to take leftovers and use them to make an omelette. In the picture below, I added my leftovers from a local Mexican restaurant – carnitas, cheese and cilantro – and it made for an AMAZING dinner!
The concept is simple, it’s the insides of an eggroll (with a few tweaks), minus the crunchy wrapper, enjoyed in a bowl.
This recipe is completely and ridiculously easy and it’s now on the menu weekly. It’s delicious, filling and reheats beautifully for leftovers.
Did I mention this is a one-pot meal? That’s right, one pot = one dish to clean. That’s what I’m talking about!
→ Recipe: Egg Roll in a Bowl from MadeItLoveItPaleo
Pork chops are not only delicious, but also really budget friendly. Our favorites are thick, bone-in pork chops. They give the most flavor and are pretty much foolproof when it comes to cooking.
Similar to dark meat chicken – thicker, bone-in pork chops are harder to overcook and are juicier than the thinner, boneless version.
→ Recipe: Oven Baked Pork Chops from Cooking LSL
I love a quick and easy “snacky meal”. Whenever I’m short on time or low on options, I put together a quick meal of low carb goodies. Almonds, cheese, lunch meat and pickles are my favorites that I almost always have on hand.
Just grab a serving of a few of your favorite low carb foods and make a snack plate. It really doesn’t get much easier than that!
I hope you found this list of my go-to keto meals helpful!
When you have several go-to meals that you enjoy time and time again it makes following this low carb lifestyle so much easier.
We save so much time meal planning and grocery shopping, because we rotate some variation of these meals over and over.
If you’re wondering what we eat on the side, it’s always one of two things: Roasted vegetables or leafy greens (spinach or spring mix), sometimes both.
We love serving meals over a bed of greens to make sure we’re getting plenty of veggies. Just grab a handful of greens, throw them on a plate and serve your food on top.
Roasted vegetables are almost as easy. If your favorite veggies take longer to prep, try prepping them over the weekend and cutting them up into bite sized, ready to roast pieces.
We usually go for zucchini, mushrooms, kale chips, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and radishes.
Roasting is a time saver, because all you need to do is throw your cut up vegetables on a large baking sheet, toss with some oil, salt & pepper and into the oven they go. They are cooking themselves while you prep the rest of your meal.
We usually roast everything at 375 for 20-30 minutes (except kale chips which take a fraction of that time). I wait until everything is deeply browned before I take it out.
Check out these recipes for some simple and easy roasted veggie side dishes:
Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
The 15 Go-To Keto Meals that helped me lose 85 pounds! - I consider this our family's VIP list of keto meals. Easy to prepare....check. Not too many ingredients....check. Tastes amazing....check. #keto #ketoaf #ketorecipes I have been following a Keto lifestyle since January 2018 and over that time I have lost a total of 88 pounds and learned a lot about what types of recipes and meals help me stick with this low carb life without sacrificing my grocery budget or a ton of extra time in the kitchen.
