For those embracing a ketogenic lifestyle, steak dinners offer a delicious and versatile way to stay on track. High in fat, moderate in protein, and virtually carb-free, steak is a natural fit for keto. This guide explores a variety of keto steak recipes, from simple skillet preparations to more elaborate dishes, ensuring there's a perfect option for every taste and occasion.
Understanding Keto and Steak
The ketogenic diet centers around drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This metabolic shift forces the body to enter a state of ketosis, where it begins to burn fat for fuel instead of glucose. Steak, with its favorable macronutrient profile, becomes a cornerstone of many keto diets.
All steak has zero carbs and high fat, making it a great option for those following a keto way of eating. Many focus on high-quality grass-fed red meat on keto. Sirloin steak nutrition facts note that it has zero carbs and is nearly half protein and half fat.
Quick & Easy Keto Steak Recipes
15-Minute Marinated New York Strip Steak
Perfect for a date night or a quick weeknight meal, this recipe utilizes a Greek yogurt marinade to tenderize and flavor the New York strip steak. If thinking about New York strip steak makes your mouth water, you must try this marinated New York strip steak recipe.
Air Fryer Steak
Cook a perfectly browned and juicy steak in less than 15 minutes using a Ninja Foodi or regular air fryer. Utilizing your air fryer is a perfect way to make steak. Cook up a perfectly browned and juicy steak in less than 15 minutes with this Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Steak recipe.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
10-Minute Spicy Thai Beef Salad
This low-carb, spicy Thai beef salad recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep. You can’t go wrong with 10-minute meal prep. This low carb, EASY spicy Thai beef salad recipe takes just 10 min to prep!
Garlic Butter Steak Bites
These juicy chunks of steak, seared to perfection in garlic butter, can be a quick high-protein, low-carb snack or the main part of a meal like a keto burrito bowl. Make juicy garlic butter steak bites in your air fryer with this Air Fryer Garlic Butter Steak Bites recipes.
Flavorful Keto Steak Dinner Ideas
Surf & Turf
Combine juicy, rosemary-flavored filet mignon steaks with keto shrimp scampi for an ultimate surf & turf experience. You’d pay big bucks at a restaurant for this one! The Ultimate Surf & Turf recipe, featuring juicy, rosemary-flavored filet mignon steaks and Keto Shrimp Scampi. Skip all of the pots and pans with this easy Air Fryer Surf and Turf recipe. Uses a regular or dual zone air fryer. Cajun Shrimp and Boneless Strip Steak.
Ranch-Seasoned Beef Top Sirloin
This easy beef top sirloin steak recipe uses ranch dressing mix as the main seasoning, offering a flavorful and convenient option. Ranch Seasoning includes many herbs commonly paired with steak. So, it’s the perfect way to season up this beef top sirloin without too much work. A recipe for easy beef top sirloin steak that uses ranch dressing mix as the main seasoning. Includes tips on how to cook top sirloin steak. Plus, other keto steak recipes and recipes that use ranch spice mix.
Keto Blackened Steak Salad
Take your salad up a notch with perfectly blackened steak. This Keto Blackened Steak Salad is the full meal deal. No wimpy side salads here.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Marinated Flank Steak with Roasted Vegetables
Marinated flank steak with roasted mushrooms, tomatoes, and zucchini is a flavorful and easy steak dinner idea. This Marinated Flank Steak with Roasted Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Zucchini is one of my favorite, easy steak dinner ideas! This Marinated Flank Steak with Roasted Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Zucchini is perfect for any time of the year.
Skillet Steak with Mushroom Cream Sauce
A tender, juicy skillet steak smothered in a mouthwatering mushroom cream sauce comes together in just 30 minutes using one pan. This mushroom sauce is to die for! Creamy and delicious, and still on plan for your Keto lifestyle! This tender, juicy skillet steak smothered in a mouthwatering mushroom cream sauce, comes together in just 30-minutes and with one pan.
Keto Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
The Instant Pot lets you get that takeout flavor you’re missing in the same amount of time. Our Keto Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry has all the flavor of your favorite takeout dish, without all the carbs!
Flank Steak Fajitas
Mix things up this Taco Tuesday with these delicious and keto-friendly Flank Steak Fajitas! Tired of the same old ground beef tacos on taco Tuesdays?
Keto Garlic Steak & Mushrooms
Garlic, mushrooms, and tender steak come together in this quick keto dinner. Do you know those nights when you’re craving something tasty but don’t have the time to whip out an amazing meal? When that happens, I turn to a simple recipe like this Garlic Steak & Mushrooms.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Easy Chinese Pepper Steak
Experience a flavor explosion with this Easy Chinese Pepper Steak. With a few small changes, it's easy to make this classic take out dish into a keto friendly meal the whole family will love! Experience a flavor explosion with this Easy Chinese Pepper Steak. With a few small changes, it’s easy to make this classic take out dish into a keto friendly meal the whole family will love! Only 3.4g net carbs per serving.
Steak and Eggs
This is a complete and filling meal that is just about as close to zero carbs as you can get. This keto-friendly breakfast has basic components: butter, steak, marinade and eggs.
Keto Steak Recipe Variations
Cheesesteak Creations
Explore keto-friendly cheesesteak options like Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers and Philly Cheesesteak Lettuce Wraps for a satisfying twist on a classic.
Steak on Skewers
Meat on skewers is the perfect tailgate food or keto appetizer. Shish kebab (shish kabob) is so easy to prepare and ready in just 30 minutes.
Bacon Cheese Walnut Crusted Steak
A bacon cheese walnut crusted steak that is simple to make but ever so tasty.
Steak Cooking Methods
Air Fryer
The air fryer provides a quick and convenient way to cook steak.
Sous Vide
Sous vide is a way to obtain perfect even cooking.
Oven-Seared Steak
This makes your steak cravings just that much easier. Here’s a fool-proof oven method for the perfect sirloin steak.
Reverse Sear
Try out this new technique and be amazed.
Grilling
Grilling adds a smoky flavor to steak.
Choosing the Right Cut of Steak
All steak has zero carbs and high fat, making it a great option for those following a keto way of eating.
- Ribeye: Known for its rich marbling and bold flavor, ribeye is a fattier cut that stays juicy and flavorful. For a medium-rare result, grill ribeye for about 4-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
- Strip Steak (New York Strip): Leaner than ribeye but with a great beefy flavor, strip steak has a firmer texture. Grill it for about 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Is New York strip keto?New York Strip steak is a great option for keto because of its nutrition facts. It has zero carbs and a moderate amount of fat per serving.
- T-bone or Porterhouse: These cuts combine a tender fillet on one side of the bone and a strip steak on the other, so you get two textures in one. Thicker than most other cuts, they need a bit longer-about 5-6 minutes per side for medium-rare.
- Flank or Skirt Steak: These lean, flavorful cuts cook best over high heat for just 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare.
- Sirloin: Yes. Sirloin steak nutrition facts note that it has zero carbs and is nearly half protein and half fat. So, people can opt to include it in a keto way of eating if they choose to enjoy steak. Lean, juicy, & very affordable. Not as tender as other options, but a great pick for steak bites!
- Tenderloin: Also known as Filet Mignon. Tenderloin is mild in flavor, boneless, and very tender. It’s also quite pricey!
For pepper steak, flank steak, top sirloin, and top round steak are great choices for this pepper steak stir fry. They are relatively inexpensive and slice nicely against the grain for thin slices.
Keto-Friendly Steak Sauces
- Garlic Butter Sauce: Making garlic butter sauce is super simple. Simply add the garlic and the butter to your skillet over low-medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add in your steak bites or whatever else you’re making, and the garlic butter sauce will make everything delicious!
- Hollandaise Sauce: Made with unsalted butter, egg yolks, fresh lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and salt and pepper.
- Mushroom Cream Sauce: This mushroom sauce is to die for! Creamy and delicious, and still on plan for your Keto lifestyle!
Tips for Cooking the Perfect Keto Steak
- Bring Steaks to Room Temperature: Take the steaks out of the fridge at least 15-20 minutes before cooking.
- Pat Steaks Dry: For a good sear, pat the steaks dry with a paper towel before seasoning and cooking.
- Avoid Moving the Steaks: When you first put the steaks on the grill or pan, resist the urge to move them around.
- Opt for Thinner Steaks for Even Cooking: Thick-cut steaks can be challenging to cook evenly in a pan.
- Let Steaks Rest: After grilling, let the steaks rest under foil for about 5 minutes.
- Even with velveting, you still want to make sure to slice the steak very thinly. This is easiest to do when the steak is partially frozen. It shouldn’t be rock solid, but it shouldn’t give completely as you try to slice it. Sear the steak in batches. This allows for more even cooking and you can make sure each piece cooks through perfectly. Again, this takes a but more time but makes a world of difference to the texture and flavor. If your sauce is thin after you have cooked it for a bit, push all of the meat and vegetables to one side of the pan. Whisk another quarter teaspoon of glucomannan or xanthan gum into the sauce. It should thicken up quickly.
- Drain excess water out of the pan as the steak cooks. I prefer the steak to get really crispy and for this to happen, the water will need to be drained off. Use a cast iron skillet. It is my favorite way to get a nice crispy skin on chicken and steak. Season the steak liberally! A lot of time people will under season and the steak comes out bland. I will season before cooking and again once it is almost done.
Keto-Friendly Side Dishes for Steak
Since writing this post, I’ve created a collection of the best keto side dishes for steak. It includes options to help you use some of the recipes below to make a complete steakhouse meal like my creamed spinach and mashed cauliflower. It also features some simpler options like my then these Sautéed Green Beans.
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Creamed Spinach
- Mashed Cauliflower
- Grilled Asparagus
- Wilted Spinach
- Steamed Broccoli
- Low-Carb Potato Salad With Cauliflower
- Easy Sautéed Fresh Green Beans With Crispy Prosciutto
- Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes With 5 Ingredients
- Low-Carb Keto Cucumber Salad
- Instant Pot Collard Greens
- Keto Mashed Cauliflower or Keto Grits
Storing and Reheating
This steak dinner is best enjoyed fresh, as steak and hollandaise sauce don’t reheat well without losing texture or flavor.
- Steak: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Hollandaise Sauce: Store any leftover sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm very gently over low heat or use a double boiler to prevent separating.
To reheat the full, unsliced steak, you can pour reserved marinade over it and warm it covered in the oven (350 degrees F) until it reaches about 120-125 degrees F. To reheat sliced steak (whether sliced before or after refrigerating), you can use the same oven method (won’t take as long as a full steak) or microwave in 20-second increments at 50% power until warm.