Finding keto-friendly recipes can seem a little daunting, yet it should not be.
Once you get past the typical carbohydrate-loaded surroundings that you see in burger buns, fajita wraps, and pizza bases, you can still replicate the taste.
Create a casserole out of pizza ingredients, or one that replicates a bacon cheeseburger.
You can also load your skillet pan with garlic, cream, and cheese to create a taste session.
Rice is another familiar foodstuff that is also loaded with carbohydrates.
A simple alternative is made by pulsing a cauliflower head and creating Cauli rice.
Just like rice, you can use the foodstuff to take in the delicious flavors of your dish as a straightforward and easy alternative you can create.
These recipes are so tasty that you can share them with friends and family without even mentioning that they are keto.
A lot of these recipes are also ideal for batch cooking. If you have leftovers from a casserole then give it time to cool down, portion it up, and leave it in the freezer for another day.
The Ham, Broccoli, And Mushroom Keto Bake is also an ideal breakfast option that only requires a few minutes heating up to grab it and go.
Quick Answer: Easy, Budget-Friendly Keto Meal Recipes
When you consider popular food items such as burgers, fajitas, and pizzas all containing a base that is loaded with carbohydrates, it can seem tricky to go keto.
However, all you need to do is replace the base or do without it completely.
Meals such as Garlic Buttery Chicken Thighs, Chicken Chorizo Jambalaya, Spicy Paprika Cream Chicken, Pork Fried Cauliflower Rice, Grounded Beef With Cabbage Stir Fry, and Fried Sausage, Pepper, And Cauli Rice can all be prepared in one pan too.
You can use the oven too for Ham, Broccoli, And Mushroom Keto Bake, Bacon And Cheeseburger Casserole, and Pizza Casserole.
Then there are Keto Chicken Fajitas which replace the wrap with a couple of lettuce leaves.
Most of these recipes include meat so you should be able to find a few vegetable-based accompaniments to go with them too.
Easy, Budget-Friendly Keto Meal Recipes – Quick Comparison
| Recipe | Total Preparation Time |
| Keto Chicken Fajitas | 15 minutes |
| Garlic Buttery Chicken Thighs | 40 minutes |
| Chicken Chorizo Jambalaya | 30 minutes |
| Ham, Broccoli, And Mushroom Keto Bake | 65 minutes |
| Bacon And Cheeseburger Casserole | 60 minutes |
| Fried Sausage, Pepper, And Cauli Rice | 20 minutes |
| Pizza Casserole | 50 minutes |
| Spicy Paprika Cream Chicken | 20 minutes |
| Grounded Beef With Cabbage Stir Fry | 30 minutes |
| Pork Fried Cauliflower Rice | 30 minutes |
Keto Chicken Fajitas
Total Calories (per 100g): 101
Total Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Like a burger, you may begin to miss the wrap that typically comes with a fajita. However, this keto version uses lettuce leaves as an ingenious alternative.
Mix a couple of tablespoons of olive oil with Fajita spice mix, seasoning, strips of chicken thighs, and a red pepper.
Once the strips are coated, fry the chicken for around five minutes, and then add in the rest of the mix.
Once the chicken is cooked through and browned, take the pan off the heat and add in the zest and juice of a lime.
Now you are ready to construct your fajita wraps. Place two lettuce leaves, one inside the other to keep it stable, spread on some sour cream, and then add in your chicken fajita mix.
Add in some avocado slices and garnish with some chopped up cilantro.
Garlic Buttery Chicken Thighs
Total Calories (per 100g): 161
Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Chicken is such a versatile dish, it makes the meat ideal when opting for a keto diet.
Here it is served with green beans and comes served with a herby, garlicky, and mustard sauce.
Bring the chicken thighs up to room temperature and pay them dry before adding a sprinkling of salt.
Heat your skillet pan on a medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil with some butter and fry the thighs skin side down until the skin begins to crisp and they can be removed.
For your sauce, combine either Dijon or wholegrain mustard with lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic cloves, dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano.
Fry the green beans then add in the sauce with some more butter and cook until the beans have begun to soften up.
Return the chicken thighs to the pan to heat up for a couple of minutes. Just before serving, throw in some chopped parsley and mix it all together.
Chicken Chorizo Jambalaya
Total Calories (per 100g): 116
Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes
For a quick, easy, and tasty midweek keto dinner option, try this Chicken Chorizo Jambalaya. You only need one pan too so you can save on any washing up.
In your large skillet pan, heat up four tablespoons of olive oil on a medium heat and cook celery, onion, and pepper with some garlic.
Cook until the onion is translucent then add in the sliced chorizo sausage and cubed chicken thighs.
Once the chicken is browned, add in some Cajun spice mix with tomato passata and Cauli rice and cook until the Cauli rice has some bite.
Season and add in some freshly squeezed lemon juice with chopped parsley as a garnish.
Ham, Broccoli, And Mushroom Keto Bake
Total Calories (per 100g): 250
Total Preparation Time: 65 minutes
For a breakfast option there is this Ham, Broccoli, And Mushroom Keto Bake. Cooked with eggs and cheese, it is packed with nutrients to kick-start your day.
Start by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C) and spraying a 10×14 baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray.
Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook some sliced mushrooms until browned and any liquid has evaporated.
Chop your broccoli into florets and microwave in a plastic-wrap-covered cup and cook for a couple of minutes, though you can boil it in a pan too.
Layer up the mushrooms and broccoli with some grated cheese and diced ham then add some seasoning.
Beat the eggs and pour the mixture over then ensure everything is coated with egg. Bake for around 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Serve it hot but once the rest of it has cooled down you can portion it out to enjoy as a tasty keto breakfast during the week.
Bacon And Cheeseburger Casserole
Total Calories (per 100g): 215
Total Preparation Time: 60 minutes
While a bacon cheeseburger is not quite the same without a bun, you can enjoy the taste of one with this keto-friendly Bacon and Cheeseburger Casserole.
Dice up some bacon and fry until crisp in a large skillet pan over a medium heat and then set aside while draining the residual grease.
Add in the grounded beef with onion and garlic, cooking until browned when you can, again, drain the grease.
Next, add in cream cheese, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning to cook over a low heat until combined, stirring all the time.
Place and spread the beef mixture in an 8×8 baking tin and top with the bacon pieces.
In a bowl, whisk together four eggs with heavy cream, pepper, and hot sauce.
Pour the mixture over the beef and bacon in the tan and top with cheese. Bake at around 350°F (180°C) for half an hour or until golden.
Fried Sausage, Pepper, And Cauli Rice
Total Calories (per 100g): 150
Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Yes, sausages and peppers are a great combination yet throw in some Cauli rice and you have a keto-friendly meal in 20 minutes.
Pulse half a cauliflower head in a food processor and microwave on high with two tablespoons of water for seven minutes.
Heat your large skillet pan over a medium-high heat with some olive oil and brown the sliced smoked sausage and then set aside.
Pour in a further two tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the peppers and onion and then add garlic, seasoning, and Italian seasoning to cook until fragrant.
Throw in half a cup of chicken stock, simmer, and then add the cayenne pepper and paprika.
Once all of that is combined, return your sausage and Cauli rice to the pan. Garnish with some chopped up parsley and serve.
Pizza Casserole
Total Calories (per 100g): 455
Total Preparation Time: 50 minutes
That’s right, without the doughy base you can enjoy the delicious taste of a pizza in a keto-friendly casserole.
This is such a comfort food and is a great alternative to a typical pizza.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and coat a casserole dish with either olive oil or a non-stick cooking spray.
Rinse a can of diced tomatoes in a colander over the sink then dry them over some paper towels.
Meanwhile, heat up two teaspoons of olive oil in a large frying pan, add some turkey or pork Italian sausage meat, and brown it off while breaking it up.
Layer it all up beginning with the sausage in the casserole dish, then place on the drained tomatoes, add seasoning and oregano then some pan-fried mushroom slices.
Once your layers are complete, add some halved pepperoni slices and grate over some Mozzarella cheese to create your pizza casserole. Bake for around 25 minutes until the Mozzarella cheese has nicely melted.
Spicy Paprika Cream Chicken
Total Calories (per 100g): 345
Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Who can resist chicken when it is cooked in a garlicky, creamy, and spicy sauce? On a keto diet, you can fix this meal up for the entire family to enjoy.
Get one and a half tablespoons of olive oil hot in a frying pan over a medium heat and pan-fry between eight and 12 chicken fillets with a sprinkling of mixed dried herbs.
Once golden brown, turn down the heat, add another half a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle on the crucial garlic and paprika.
Turn over the chicken fillets, add some chicken stock, and then single cream to leave to simmer. Add more seasoning to taste and serve.
Grounded Beef With Cabbage Stir Fry
Total Calories (per 100g): 300
Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Beef and cabbage go really well together and you can create your own keto stir fry on a budget by combining the two ingredients with a few others.
Start with the sauce which is a combination of soy sauce with sriracha which you can mix in a bowl.
Brown off the grounded beef and then throw in some cabbage which has been turned into a raw coleslaw mix.
When the cabbage has wilted, turn down the heat, throw in your sauce with some freshly grated ginger then turn off the heat after a minute. Garnish with some sliced scallions and sesame seeds
Pork Fried Cauliflower Rice
Total Calories (per 100g): 179
Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Pork Fried Rice is also known as Japanese Chahan and can typically be found in a Japanese ramen shop.
In this case, the rice is substituted with cauliflower to create a delicious keto meal.
First, create your Cauli rice by chopping the cauliflower to florets and pulsing in a food processor until granulated.
Sauté the Cauli rice in a frying pan with some heated oil over a medium heat for five minutes then remove it from the pan.
For the fried rice, create a two-egg omelet and then remove it to chop up while you fry some pork belly in garlic with mini capsicums, and spring onions.
Return the cauliflower and omelet pieces back to the pan, throw in some soy sauce and cook until hot and combined.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Foods Are Available Unlimited On A Keto Diet?
Though the Ketogenic Diet can seem specific, there are several food items that you can enjoy as much as you want.
These food items include avocados, eggs, low-carb veggies such as mushrooms, and chicken.
Fish, seafood, cheese, nuts, seeds, and plain Greek yogurt are also included.
What Is Considered As ‘Lazy Keto’?
The ‘lazy keto’ diet is where someone restricts their daily calories to only include an intake of carbohydrates to 10% or less.
By reducing their intake of carbohydrates, an individual aims to lose weight and lower their amount of body weight.
The key point of a ‘lazy keto’ approach tracks an individual’s intake of carbohydrates but not their intake of fat and protein.
Which Foods Contain Zero Carbohydrates?
What helps a keto diet become relatively easy to follow is that there are so many different foods that have zero carbohydrate content.
The most popular ones include fish, seafood, meat, fats, and oils which provide the basis for several keto-friendly meals.
There are other food items too yet these may require more intrinsic checking to check that they contain no carbohydrates.
Such foods include sweeteners, condiments, seasonings, and beverages that may be zero carbs but you will have to check the labeling.
Does A Keto Diet Burn Belly Fat?
Yes, a keto diet has been found to be an effective way of burning belly fat.
The ketogenic diet can go a long way to reducing an individual’s overall weight, their abdominal trunk fat, and body fat. It can even be more effective than a low-fat diet.
Easy, Budget-Friendly Keto Meal Recipes
You may be worried about giving up the carbohydrates yet you need not be when going keto. Here are a few easy, budget-friendly keto meal recipes you will love
Ingredients
Directions
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- Click the recipe name and visit the website
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Recipe Video
Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.
I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!
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