The ketogenic diet, characterized by a very low carbohydrate intake (typically 20 grams or less per day) and a high-fat consumption, necessitates careful meal planning to ensure adherence and achieve ketosis. Preparing your own food is crucial for staying within keto carb goals, but this often demands significant time and dedication in the kitchen. This article offers a variety of keto-friendly recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, making it easier to maintain a ketogenic lifestyle without sacrificing time or flavor.
Streamlining Keto Meal Prep
Meal prep burnout is a common challenge, regardless of dietary preferences. To combat this, adopting efficient meal prep strategies is essential. Two primary approaches include batch cooking complete recipes and bulk prepping ingredients. Batch cooking involves preparing large quantities of entire recipes and dividing them into individual meals, while bulk prepping focuses on cooking individual ingredients separately for later assembly.
Mastering "mise en place," a French term meaning "everything in its place," is key to successful meal prep. This involves planning recipes, creating a detailed grocery list, and organizing the kitchen before cooking. Ensuring all necessary ingredients are readily available streamlines the cooking process.
Quick Keto Breakfast Options
Even with a busy schedule, a nutritious keto breakfast is achievable. These recipes are designed for convenience and speed, perfect for those on the go:
Keto Egg Bites
These protein-packed egg bites are pre-portioned for an easy grab-and-go breakfast.
Read also: Comprehensive Keto Guide
Chia Seed Pudding
A simple chia seed pudding can be customized with various keto-friendly toppings and flavors.
Low-Carb Oatmeal
Swap starchy oats for nuts and seeds to create a keto-friendly oatmeal.
Keto Pancakes
Pancakes can be meal prepped ahead of time, ensuring a delicious and compliant breakfast option.
Speedy Keto Lunch and Dinner Recipes
These recipes showcase the versatility of keto cooking, offering quick and satisfying meals for lunch or dinner:
Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad with Salmon
This tangy and hearty salad combines the richness of salmon with a zesty lemon parmesan dressing.
Read also: Easy Dinner Recipes
Keto Chicken Salad Wraps
Using guacatillo, a creamy avocado-based sauce, these salad wraps are both flavorful and easy to assemble.
Peruvian-Inspired Ceviche
Inspired by coastal Peruvian and Mexican dishes, this ceviche recipe is quick and refreshing.
Keto Mac & Cheese
This keto-friendly mac and cheese uses cauliflower as a base, offering a comforting dish without the carbs.
Salmon Cakes
Salmon cakes are simple to make and can be incorporated into various meals throughout the week.
Low-Carb Chili
By omitting beans and increasing the meat content, a classic chili recipe can be easily adapted for a keto diet.
Read also: Nutritious Dinner Ideas
Keto Beef Stew
A hearty beef stew can be made keto-friendly with a few minor adjustments, perfect for slow cookers or instant pots.
Keto Taco Casserole
This cheesy taco casserole provides a Tex-Mex fix while adhering to keto guidelines.
Burger with Caramelized Onions
A classic burger recipe can be made keto by combining a burger patty, bacon, and caramelized onions.
Keto Chicken Parmesan
This keto-friendly chicken parmesan uses low-carb flours for a delicious crust, making it ideal for meal prepping.
Keto Avocado Toast
This avocado toast recipe offers a quick and satisfying low-carb breakfast or snack.
Keto Coconut Cashew Fried Chicken
Using a unique blend of low-carb flours, this fried chicken recipe can be prepped in batches for easy meals.
Peanut Butter Chicken Curry
Cook this chicken curry using peanut butter as the base of the sauce, along with plenty of chilli and spices.
Egg Foo Yung
Enjoy a version of Chinese scrambled eggs. It takes just 10 minutes to make, and you can add your choice of protein - prawns, chicken, tofu or char siu pork.
Pork Souvlaki
Serve speedy pork souvlaki skewers when you’re in need of a quick and easy midweek meal. Serve with flatbreads and yogurt and chilli sauces on the side.
Goan Mussels
You can add any other seafood to this quick aromatic green curry - prawns can go in with the coconut milk and clams with the mussels.
Keto Pizza
Make a keto version of pizza with a crust made using cauliflower rice, coconut flour and flaxseed. Top with parmesan, tomatoes, rocket and olives for a flavourful meal.
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
Unlock the flavours of cauliflower with a red pepper, olive and caper salsa, topped with almonds. Healthy and vegan, it makes a tasty light lunch or supper.
Soy & Butter Salmon Parcels
Make these tasty soy, honey and butter salmon parcels on a barbecue for the taste of summer. Serve with a refreshing cucumber and sesame salad on the side.
Thai Broccoli Rice
Replacing rice with broccoli that's been blitzed to grains makes a colourful and healthy, quick-cook vegetarian keto meal.
Peanut Butter Chicken
You'll love this new, budget chicken dish. Any leftovers freeze well and make a handy lunch.
Pastrami-Style Steak & Mustard Mayo
Pair sauerkraut and mustard mayo with steak to make a sensational combination. Serve with chips or mash, or make into an amazing steak sandwich.
Tarragon, Mushroom & Sausage Frittata
Serve up this filling frittata in just 20 minutes. With tarragon and mustard to boost the flavour and asparagus to top up your greens, it's also rich in folate.
One-Pot Coconut Fish Curry
Cook our easy one-pot curry in just half an hour, with only 5 mins prep. Serve with rice and yogurt, it's ideal for feeding the family quickly, on a budget. Or serve with cauliflower rice for a keto-friendly dinner.
Cashew, Chilli & Lime-Crusted Fish
The full-flavoured crust gives a hint of heat to this Indian-style meal. Serve with sautéed greens for a keto-friendly dinner.
Crisp-Skin Fish with Asparagus
Jill Dupleix's impressive yet easy salmon dish is perfect for a dinner party or keto-friendly midweek meal.
Baked Salmon & Leek Parcel
A simple salmon dish, parcelled up to seal in the flavours. With creamy mascarpone and fresh leeks, this keto-friendly fish supper is easy and rich in omega-3.
Crustless Quiche
Make an easy crustless quiche to cut out the faff of making pastry. It's packed with cheese, smoky pancetta and green veg for a lovely lunch or picnic dish.
Ginger & Soy Salmon en Papillote
Steaming the salmon in a parcel, in its own marinade, with the spiralized veg, ensures the fish is juicy and full of flavour. Serve with cauliflower rice for a keto-friendly meal.
How to Make Cauliflower Rice
Pulse cauliflower in a food processor to make cauliflower rice. This easy side dish is much lower GI than regular rice and ready in just 10 minutes.
Slow Cooker Aubergines
An easy vegetarian slow cooker recipe, packed with summer flavours - ideal if you're busy, simply put it on in the morning and it'll be ready come supper time.
Summer Courgetti & Meatballs
Use a spiralizer or julienne peeler to make spaghetti-like 'noodles', then top with pork meatballs and a garlicky, creamy sauce.
Greek Bouyiourdi
Enjoy this baked feta with tomatoes, garlic and chilli as part of a meze lunch. It's perfect for scooping up with warm pitta breads alongside a Greek salad or use keto bread for a keno-friendly version.
Steak & Aubergine Salad
Rustle up this protein-packed salad in just 25 minutes.
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken
Bacon and ranch is an absolute match made in heaven. If you’re as obsessed with this flavor combination as we are (how could you not be?), then this chicken dinner should be your new weeknight staple.
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Whether you’re skipping carbs, trying to eat more vegetables, or are just looking for a lighter side dish so you can eat more orange chicken (relatable!), this cauliflower fried rice is for you.
Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Spaghetti Squash
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Cauliflower can be a delicious and healthy alternative to the classic. Try this easy, gluten-free pizza recipe once, and you’ll see why we’re cauliflower obsessed.
Keto Chicken Parmesan
Lemon-Brown Butter Salmon
Keto Beef Stew
Making beef stew keto-friendly only means a couple simple swaps. It's still silky and every bit as comforting as the original. In this keto recipe, we make up for the lack of thickener by ensuring that we really reduce the stew to create something rich and stick-to-your-ribs good.
Cowboy Butter Steak
This recipe calls for searing a bone-in ribeye, then basting it with a zesty, smoky butter until the outside has a perfectly brown crust, and the inside is tender and medium-rare.
Garlicky Greek Chicken
Keto Pork Chops
Cacio E Pepe Egg Noodles
This lightened-up version calls for making your pasta from scratch-the good news is it's SO much easier than it sounds. All you need is a good nonstick pan. It's so simple and yet so fun to make and, of course, absolutely delicious.
Philly Cheesesteak Lettuce Wraps
French Onion Pot Roast
Keto Beef Stroganoff
Feta & Herb-Crusted Salmon
Keto Bacon Chicken Thighs With Garlic Cream Sauce
Keto Mac & Cheese
This version takes out all the trouble children (ahem, PASTA) without sacrificing flavor. The pork rind topping is totally optional, but we think it adds a pleasant crunch.
Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
Satisfy your Japanese takeout cravings with this easy Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry that can be on the table in 25 minutes or less!