Keto diets don't have to mean sacrificing flavor or your favorite cuisines. Korean food, with its vibrant flavors and emphasis on fresh ingredients, can be easily adapted to fit a ketogenic lifestyle. This article explores several delicious Korean keto recipes, providing options for snacks, quick weeknight dinners, and more elaborate weekend meals.
High-Protein, Low-Carb "Kimbap"
Looking for a healthy snack that satisfies your cravings while keeping your carb count low? Try this high-protein, low-carb "kimbap" recipe. Kimbap, also known as gimbap, is a popular Korean dish traditionally made with rice, vegetables, egg, and meat or seafood, all rolled in seaweed and sliced into bite-sized pieces. "Kim" stands for seaweed, and "bap" stands for rice. This keto-friendly version replaces the rice with eggs, offering a protein-packed and delicious alternative.
Ingredients:
- Seaweed sheets (8x8 inches)
- Eggs
- Greek yogurt (or Japanese Kewpie mayo)
- Rice wine (or dry sherry or mirin)
- Neutral oil or sesame oil
- Cucumber
- Canned tuna
- Garlic powder
- White pepper powder
- Onion powder
- Carrots
- Daikon radish
- Kimchi (optional, for spicy version)
- Sriracha (optional, for spicy version)
Equipment:
- 8-inch square frying pan (recommended for perfectly shaped eggs)
- Sushi mat (optional)
Instructions:
- Egg Preparation: Whisk eggs in a bowl and season with salt and rice wine. Heat a pan to medium heat and add oil (either a neutral oil or sesame oil). Pour beaten eggs into the pan and let the edges firm up. Once firm, use a spatula to lift up the edges and allow the uncooked top to run to the bottom of the pan.Once the top of the egg is mostly firm, flip the egg and allow the top to cook for 20 seconds. Remove from pan to a separate plate. Slice each egg in half so that each piece is 4 inches wide. Repeat the above steps for the remaining 2 eggs.
- Vegetable Preparation: Julienne cucumbers and remove the seeds from the center to avoid excess liquid. Salt and set aside to draw out the liquid. Remember to drain the cucumber before adding to kimbap. Julienne carrots. Slice into 4 inch long sticks. Add to the pan with some sesame oil. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Move to separate bowl. If purchasing pre-sliced pickled daikon, remove from package and slice into the same lengths as the cucumber and carrots. If purchasing full-sized pickled daikons, slice into half-inch wide strips. Then slice the strips into the same lengths as the cucumber and carrots.
- Tuna Preparation: Drain tuna and place into a separate bowl. Add greek yogurt and season with garlic powder, white pepper powder, and onion powder. Mix well. Add more greek yogurt if you'd like a creamier tuna mixture.
- Assembly: Cut each 8x8 seaweed sheet in half so now each half sheet is 4 inches wide and 8 inches in length. Place one sliced egg piece on the half seaweed sheet. There should be about 1.5 inches of empty space left on the top of the seaweed sheet. Assemble tuna, julienned carrots, cucumber, and pickled daikon next to each other. From the side closest to you, roll the seaweed and the ingredients upwards tightly. When completely rolled, dab some water or sesame oil on the closing edges to seal shut.
Tips and Variations:
- Spicy Kimbap: Add chopped kimchi or sriracha to the tuna before mixing. Drain the kimchi well to avoid excess liquids.
- Preventing Soggy Seaweed: Drain all kimbap ingredients well before assembly. Assemble the kimbap just before serving. If you need to make it ahead of time, wrap each roll tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
- Sealing the Kimbap: To keep the seaweed closed, tab the two touches edges with either some water or sesame oil.
- Advance Preparation: You can julienne the vegetables, prepare the eggs, and mix the tuna filling ahead of time. Store each component separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the kimbap rolls.
Keto Korean Beef (Bulgogi)
This Korean Beef recipe is a one-pan dish that is ready in 25 minutes! Tender beef is cooked in a flavorful Korean-inspired sauce that pairs perfectly with cauliflower rice. Traditionally, Bulgogi uses marinated steak cut into tender thin slices and fried up quickly. This quick weeknight dinner recipe is also gluten-free and low carb! A 3/4 cup serving of this is just 3.1 net carbs, so it makes an excellent keto meal with some cauliflower rice or stir fry vegetables!
Ingredients:
- Lean ground beef (or thinly sliced steak)
- Minced garlic
- Sliced or chopped scallions (for garnish)
- Monk fruit sweetener (or other keto-friendly granular sweetener)
- Tamari sauce or soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Grated ginger
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Black pepper
- Cornstarch
- Coconut oil
Instructions:
- Prepare the Sauce: In a bowl, mix together sweetener, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, pepper flakes, black pepper, and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Cook the Beef: In a skillet (preferably non-stick) on medium-high heat, add the ground beef and minced garlic. Break up the ground beef into small pieces and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Remove Excess Liquid: Push the beef and garlic to one side of the pan, then tilt the pan to move all the liquid to the other side of the pan. Use a spoon to remove as much of this excess liquid as you can, discarding it.
- Combine and Simmer: Pour the liquid mixture from earlier over the cooked beef and mix together. Bring to a simmer, cooking for about 5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and coats the beef.
- Serve: Serve beef alongside your favorite keto side, such as cauliflower rice or even in a lettuce wrap. Sprinkle with chopped scallions when ready to serve.
Tips and Variations:
- Meat Options: This sauce is also delicious on pork or chicken if you’d like to mix it up. Impossible or Beyond brands carry ground beef alternatives, or you could replace the beef with sliced mushrooms.
- Sweetener Options: You can use molasses, honey or brown sugar if not watching your carbs.
- Serving Suggestions: This dish is usually served with rice, noodles, or vegetables. To keep things low carb, stick with some basic cauliflower rice or stir fry vegetables. You could try this Low Carb Stir Fry with Shirataki Noodles.
Keto Japchae (Glass Noodles)
Japchae is a traditional dish in Korea, usually made on holidays or special occasions. It's a popular dish for birthdays, weddings and parties. In Korean, the word japchae means "mixed vegetables" (jap = mixed; chae = vegetables). Since switching to a low carb diet, these types of noodle dishes have been off the menu. This recipe recreates a low carb version, using kelp noodles, which resemble glass noodles.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz (340g) kelp noodles
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- Avocado oil
- Sliced beef
- Sliced bell pepper
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Carrots
- Green onion
- Spinach
- Marinade ingredients (soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, etc.)
Instructions:
- Soften the Kelp Noodles: Rinse well under running water. Combine noodles with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Mix well so that all noodles get coated, then let it sit and marinate for at least 10 minutes. Stir every few minutes to ensure all noodles get covered in juice. Once the noodles are soft, add them (including the lemon juice marinade) to 5 cups of boiling water and let simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.
- Marinate the Beef: Place the sliced beef in a bowl and add all the marinade ingredients. Mix to combine and ensure each beef slice is covered in marinade. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Prepare the Vegetables: Wash and slice the veggies. Sauté on medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until the veggies become soft and fragrant. Add the carrots, green onion and spinach, and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, for just a couple minutes until the spinach begins to wilt. Remove the veggies from the pan and put them in a bowl to the side.
- Cook the Beef: Return the pan to the burner. Add the beef (including the marinade), and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The beef is done when the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C). Use a pair of tongs (or a fork) to remove the beef slices from the pan, but leave the juices behind.
- Combine: Pour the noodles into the pan with the beef sauce and stir to coat the noodles with the sauce. Add the veggies and beef back into the pan and stir.
Tips and Variations:
- Vegetable Options: Switch up the veggies! Here are some ideas: asparagus, kale, bok choy, edamame, shredded cabbage, shredded zucchini and bean sprouts. It is also not uncommon to add egg to the dish.
General Tips for Keto-Friendly Korean Cooking
- Rice Alternatives: Substitute cauliflower rice for traditional rice dishes.
- Noodle Alternatives: Choose low-carb noodle options like immi ramen or kelp noodles.
- Sauce Awareness: Check the ingredient list on soy sauce and condiments like gochujang to avoid added sugars. Consider using coconut aminos as a soy sauce alternative.
- Vegetable Choices: Opt for low-carb vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and radish instead of potatoes, corn, and peas.
Other Korean Keto Recipe Ideas
- Korean Beef Short Ribs (Galbi): Marinate beef short ribs in a mixture of jalapenos, sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, and monk fruit for a flavorful and keto-friendly meal.
- Spicy Seafood Ramen (Jjamppong): Create a Korean-Chinese noodle soup with zucchini, cabbage, and mushrooms, omitting the carrots to keep the carb count low.
- Bibimbap: Trade in your typical bowl of rice for veggie-forward cauliflower. Choose anything from ground beef to a pantry staple such as tuna to get a boost of protein. Extra greens will beef up the fiber while you get a dose of healthy fat when you top your bibimbap with a crispy fried egg.
- Beef Bulgogi: Thinly slice ribeye or sirloin steak and allow it to soak up the garlicky marinade for at least two hours.
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