Balancing work, life, and a ketogenic diet can be challenging. Many "quick keto" recipes still require significant prep time involving chopping, sautéing, or marinating. For those moments when you're short on time and staring blankly into the fridge, these simple, readily available keto recipes require no cooking and minimal prep.
Keeping Keto Simple
Keto is manageable even with a busy schedule. Here are some low-effort ways to make sticking with keto easier.
Stocking a "No-Excuses" Keto Shelf
One cheat day can undo a week's progress. A "no-excuses" keto shelf stocked with staples helps maintain consistency:
- Canned fish (tuna, salmon, sardines): Ideal for salads, wraps, or mixed with mayo and mustard.
- Pre-cooked proteins (rotisserie chicken, boiled eggs, grilled sausages): Require zero cooking.
- Quality fats (olive oil, avocado oil, nut butters): Keep meals satisfying and blood sugar stable.
- Low-carb vegetables: Frozen spinach, canned artichokes, pickled veggies, or bagged salad mixes.
Mastering "Zero-Flame" Swaps
Swapping ingredients is an easy way to stay keto:
- Cauliflower rice (fresh or frozen) instead of regular rice.
- Lettuce leaves or nori sheets instead of tortillas or sandwich bread.
- Zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead of pasta.
Batch Prep or Quick Assembly
You don't have to meal prep every bite to stay on track.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
- Batch prep: Cook basics (grilled chicken, boiled eggs, roasted veggies) once and mix-and-match during the week.
- Quick assembly: Skip cooking and rely on ready-to-eat combos using pantry staples.
Many people experiment with different versions of low-carb eating to find what fits their lifestyle best, whether that means strict keto or a more relaxed low-carb plan.
5-Minute Keto Meal Recipes
These recipes take five minutes or less to prepare. Each recipe serves one but can be easily scaled. If the standard ketogenic diet feels too rigid, consider starting with a more flexible approach. There are plenty of keto variations that still deliver results without the full pressure of traditional keto.
1. Avocado Tuna Salad Bowl
- Total time: 3 minutes
- Ingredients:
- 1 can tuna in water (3 oz, drained)
- ½ medium avocado (75g)
- 2 cups baby spinach (60g)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp hemp hearts
- Instructions:
- Halve and pit avocado, scoop into serving bowl.
- Add spinach directly to bowl.
- Top with drained tuna.
- Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle hemp hearts on top.
- Nutrients: Calories: 386, Net Carbs: 3g, Fats: 31g, Protein: 23g
2. Ham, Cheddar & Pickle Roll-Up
- Total time: 2 minutes
- Ingredients:
- 4 slices deli ham (120g)
- 2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
- 4 dill pickle spears
- 1 tbsp cream cheese, softened
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- Instructions:
- Mix cream cheese and mustard in small bowl.
- Lay ham slices flat.
- Spread cream cheese mixture on each slice.
- Place cheese slice and pickle spear at one end.
- Roll up tightly and secure with toothpick if needed.
- Nutrients: Calories: 428, Net Carbs: 3g, Fats: 28g, Protein: 35g
3. Keto Salmon Filled Avocado
- Total time: 5 minutes
- Ingredients:
- 1 large avocado
- 3 oz smoked salmon
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- 1 tsp capers
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- Fresh dill (optional)
- Black pepper to taste
- Instructions:
- Cut avocado in half, remove pit.
- Mix scooped avocado with cream cheese until smooth.
- Fill avocado halves with cream cheese mixture.
- Top with smoked salmon, capers, and lemon zest.
- Season with pepper and dill.
- Nutrients: Calories: 515, Net Carbs: 7g, Fats: 45g, Protein: 20g
4. Keto Mexican Scrambled Eggs
- Total time: 5 minutes
- Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs
- ½ tbsp butter
- ¼ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 2 tbsp salsa (check carb content)
- 1 tbsp sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Instructions:
- Heat butter in non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Whisk eggs with salt and pepper.
- Pour eggs into pan, let set for 30 seconds.
- Gently scramble, removing from heat while slightly wet.
- Fold in cheese while eggs finish cooking from residual heat.
- Top with salsa and sour cream.
- Nutrients: Calories: 425, Net Carbs: 5g, Fats: 36g, Protein: 26g
Vegan/Vegetarian Keto Options
Many vegan or vegetarian keto meals take longer to prep than expected. These recipes come together in five minutes or less and still check the boxes for low-carb and high-fat. Each recipe serves one, but they’re easy to scale.
1. Deconstructed Caprese Salad
- Total time: 3 minutes
- Ingredients:
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into chunks
- 1 medium tomato, sliced thick
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (sugar-free)
- ¼ medium avocado, sliced
- 2 cups arugula
- Instructions:
- Arrange arugula on the plate as a base.
- Layer tomato slices and mozzarella chunks on top.
- Add avocado slices around the plate.
- Scatter basil leaves over everything.
- Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Nutrients: Calories: 645, Net Carbs: 8g, Fats: 55g, Protein: 23g
2. Garlic Chili Silken Tofu
- Total time: 5 minutes
- Ingredients:
- 11 oz (300g) silken tofu
- 1.5 tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce for non-keto strict)
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp garlic chili oil (or ½ tsp each: minced garlic + chili flakes + extra sesame oil)
- 1 tsp black vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 tsp sesame seeds or everything seasoning
- Crushed seaweed sheets (optional)
- Instructions:
- Gently remove tofu from package and place on serving plate.
- Mix coconut aminos, sesame oil, garlic chili oil, and vinegar in small bowl.
- Pour sauce mixture over tofu.
- Top with chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and crushed seaweed.
- Nutrients: Calories: 334, Net Carbs: 8g, Fats: 23g, Protein: 15g
3. Coconut Yogurt with Nuts and Seeds
- Total time: 3 minutes
- Ingredients:
- ¾ cup unsweetened coconut yogurt (full-fat)
- 2 tbsp mixed nuts, chopped (almonds, pecans, walnuts)
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp hemp hearts
- 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Stevia or monk fruit sweetener to taste (optional)
- Instructions:
- Scoop coconut yogurt into serving bowl.
- Add vanilla extract and sweetener if using, stir gently.
- Top with chopped nuts in one section of the bowl.
- Sprinkle chia seeds and hemp hearts over another section.
- Add coconut flakes and dust with cinnamon.
- Nutrients: Calories: 360, Net Carbs: 9g, Fats: 27g, Protein: 10g
Additional Quick Keto Meal Ideas
Here are some additional ideas for quick keto meals that require minimal cooking:
- Summer Salads: Combine berries, creamy burrata, and peppery arugula with a balsamic dressing.
- Mediterranean Salad: Combine fresh dill and lemon with feta, slices of heirloom tomatoes, olive oil, and Atkins Ranch Protein Chips.
- Green Goddess Tuna Sandwich: Combine green goddess dressing with jarred tuna fillets and crunchy red cabbage on cauliflower sandwich thins.
- Italian Grinder Salad: Combine pepperoncini, Italian dressing, chopped vegetables, meats, and cheese.
- Protein-Packed Keto Yogurt: Combine yogurt with keto-friendly toppings for a quick and nutritious breakfast.
- Salmon Salad: Combine canned or smoked salmon with mayonnaise and seasonings.
- Poke Bowl: Combine pre-cooked seafood with avocado, seaweed, and sesame oil.
- Tuna in Cucumber Cups: Fill cucumber cups with tuna salad.
- Lemon Tahini Chopped Salad: Combine chopped vegetables with lemon tahini dressing.
- Keto Pinwheels: Roll deli meat and cheese around a low-carb filling.
- Salmon Salad Lettuce Wraps: Serve salmon salad in lettuce wraps.
- BLT Keto Salad: Combine pre-cooked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and dressing.
- Quick and Easy Keto Sushi: Use cauliflower rice and nori sheets to make sushi rolls.
- Shrimp-Stuffed Avocado: Fill avocado halves with pre-cooked shrimp and a creamy sauce.
- Antipasto and Pepperoncini Salad: Combine antipasto ingredients with pepperoncini and dressing.
- Fennel Salad With Chicken and Arugula: Combine pre-cooked chicken, fennel, and arugula with dressing.
- Eggs + spinach + feta: Scramble or microwave.
- Tuna + mayo + pickles: Use a lettuce wrap or eat with a fork.
- Avocado + smoked salmon + lemon juice
- Deli turkey + cheddar + mustard roll-ups
- Zucchini noodles + olive oil + garlic + parmesan + black pepper
- Ground beef + salsa + shredded cheddar + avocado + sour cream
- Baked salmon + pesto + arugula + cherry tomatoes + olive oil
- Hard-boiled eggs + cucumber slices + smoked salmon + cream cheese + capers
- A plate of boiled eggs with olives and cherry tomatoes.
- A salad made from bagged greens, rotisserie chicken, and dressing.
- Toss together cucumber, tomato, onion, feta, and lettuce with some olive oil and lemon juice and you’ve got a tasty Greek salad in minutes.
- Canned tuna is easy to have on hand and a good high protein lunch or dinner you can whip up in seconds. Combine with mayonnaise, avocado, fresh veggies, or whatever suits your fancy.
- Grab some deli meat and sliced cheese and roll them up for a simple and fast meal option.
- Hard boiled eggs work great on their own, but you can also make a simple egg salad dish in little time.
- Salad bags are the easiest way to get a quick salad with no prep time. Skip any added croutons, corn, dried fruit or other high carb ingredients.
- Zoodles can be enjoyed cold as a simple slaw-like salad tossed in a vinaigrette.
- Fresh or roasted red peppers pair really nicely with goat cheese or cream cheese for a tasty and simple dinner idea.
- Grab a bag of frozen cauliflower rice and stir fry it up with some peppers, carrots, and eggs for a really simple and easy fried rice.
- A hefty and fully loaded greek yogurt parfait can work as a dinner option if you don’t have much else on hand, or perhaps your sweet tooth is calling.
- Fill up on healthy fats and flavor by swapping out bread for avocado. You can stuff with chicken salad, eggs, or just about anything you’d like.
- Lastly, the ultimate no cook meal in a flash has got to be a protein shake.
Eating Out on Keto Diet
When eating a meal out and trying to stick to a low-carb diet, the best things to look for on the menu include lean proteins and low carb veggies.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
- Salads are a great low carb staple and can be found just about anywhere. For the best hunger busting option, choose salads loaded with plenty of protein and healthy fats. Be mindful of high-carb toppings like croutons, dried fruit, and sweetened dressings like vinaigrettes.
- Stir fry is an excellent way to load up on low carb veggies and protein. Skip the rice and noodles, and order the sauce on the side.
- Ceviche is high protein, simple, and naturally low carb.
- Typically sushi comes wrapped in rice, but every sushi restaurant also has the low carb option of sashimi. Some sushi spots even have rice-free roll options to choose from.
- Any grilled, baked, or roasted protein option on the menu is a great choice and can be paired with a simple side salad or any low carb vegetable dishes they serve.
- Kebabs or meat skewers are essentially grilled protein and veggies served on a skewer. Most restaurants only use minimal seasoning and sauces are rare.
- Rotisserie chicken is a flavorful alternative to grilled chicken breasts and easily pairs with any low carb veggie side option you can find.
- Steak is easy to find and is almost always paired with side options that include salad or low carb veggies.
- BBQ without the sugar-sweetened sauce is naturally low carb and can be a decent protein choice when you don’t want to cook. Look for pulled chicken or pork, brisket, or turkey and only use vinegar based sauces.
- While typically served as an appetizer, lettuce wraps can usually make a good low carb meal option while eating out.
- Burgers without the bun are an easy choice when eating out, and you aren’t just limited to beef patties.
- Crab legs or peel and shrimp are both lean proteins that you can find in many seafood restaurants, that will actually fill you up.
- Some pasta restaurants will allow you the option to order any pasta dish without the noodles, but you will need something to replace them with. The solution - a big bowl of roasted veggies or extra protein.
- Broth based soups that don’t have any rice, noodles, or beans in them can be a low carb option in a pinch.
- While not your typical dinner idea, egg based dishes like omelets or frittatas are an easy way to load up on protein and veggies without any added carbs.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto