12 Easy Keto Recipes For Beginners (2024)

Just starting a ketogenicdiet? Here are 12 easy keto recipes for beginners. These simple recipes are familiar favorites you probably already know how to make!

12 Easy Keto Recipes For Beginners (1)

When you first start keto, it's easy to get confused by all the information on the internet. You may end up thinking you need to buy all kinds of different foods, or that you have to get rid of everything in your kitchen. The truth is lots of everyday foods are keto friendly (see the full list of keto diet foods here).

Many of your favorite foods are keto friendly the way you've always eaten them (hello guacamole!), or with just a few simple tweaks. And it's much easier to get started with keto when you stick to the basics.

These classic recipes are all keto-friendly the way they are traditionally made - no need for fancy ingredients. You can probably make them with pantry staples you have in your kitchen today.Just make sure all of your ingredients are low carb real food (not full of processed food chemicals or sugars) and you're ready to make some of the easiest keto meals ever.

Easy and familiar keto recipes for beginners

These super easy keto recipes are perfect for quick and easy keto meals. Best of all, they are familiar favorites your family will love - as well as easy keto diet recipesfor beginners. They are perfect options for anyone new to keto who needs help coming up with easy and healthy keto meal options.

RELATED:17 of the Best Keto Snacks to Buy Right Now!

Guacamole

I think this is everyone's favorite snack. It's also great on burgers or grilled chicken or in lettuce wraps or tacos - the topping options are endless.

All you need for the best keto-friendly guacamole are ripe avocados, onion, lime juice, salt, and diced jalapeno. You can tweak the ingredients however you want to suit your own tastes by adding more or less of each.

Once avocados hit the air, they begin to oxidize. So, to keep your guacamole from browning, smooth out the top layer, brush on some lime juice, and put plastic wrap over the top. This will allow your fresh guac to stay for a day in the refrigerator before turning brown.

Antipasto salad

This salad is so simple and full of flavor. All the toppings make it a filling lunch recipe or weeknight dinner anyone can make. You probably already have a lot of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge.

Gather some black olives, green olives, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, marinated mushrooms, and pepperoncini or banana peppers. You can sever this antipasto salad on its own or as a delicious side to your keto-friendly meal. It's a great dish for potlucks.

Roast chicken in the oven or whole chicken in the slow cooker

Cook up a whole chicken on the weekend and use it for meals during the week. There's no better dish to mealprep. And thissimple recipe is perfect for beginners! Use the leftovers to make chicken salad or a low carb casserole.

Italian dressing

This classic dressing is super simple - just throw all the ingredients in a jar and shake it up. It's the perfect dressing to add over top of your antipasto salad.

Deviled eggs

Deviled eggs may be old school, but their full of protein and naturally low carb. These are actually considered a staple food for anyone starting their keto journey. They are quick and easy to make, require few ingredients, and are also paleo-friendly. The olive oil in this recipe is also a great way to add more fat to your diet.

Frittata

Frittatas are a great quick meal that you can make with whatever leftovers you have in the fridge! This one is a good low carb option because it eliminates potatoes and cheese.

Some keto-friendly vegetable options you may want to consider adding to your frittata are pumpkin, green cabbage, kale, spinach, broccoli, or cauliflower. Pumpkin is a great substitute if you don't care for butternut squash.

Pulled pork

This is the easiestpulled porkever, and this keto dinner recipe is sure to satisfy everyone. It's so simple with just three ingredients!

Pulled pork is a great source of protein and can be served alongside some of your other favorite keto dishes like chipotle lime mayo coleslaw, a slow cooked or Instant Pot sweet potato, or zucchini noodles.

Chicken soup

Why cook when you can let your slow cooker do all the hard work for you? There's nothing like a comforting bowl of chicken soup. This one cooks in the crockpot so you can come home to an easy hot soup for dinner.

Better yet? It only requires a few ingredients and is also a gluten-free and dairy-free lunch or dinner option when you don't have a lot of time on your hands.

Oven baked salmon

This sheet pan salmon andasparagus dinner is super easy to bake in the oven. Start to finish, this keto meal is faster than ordering take-out. When making this low carb recipe, make sure you work with fresh salmon (or thawed if frozen) and high-quality mustard made with no added sugar.

While it makes a great dinner recipe, it is also something you can meal prep for an easy take and go lunch during the week.

Roasted Brusselssprouts

Roasting the Brussels sprouts with bacon takes them over the top. It's an easy way to dress up this classic vegetable and is a great way to get even a picky eater to try them out. All you need for this easy recipe are clean and trimmed Brussels sprouts, bacon, and a delicious garlic-infused olive oil. Don't have garlic-infused olive oil?

Don't be afraid to make it yourself. Simply place the olive oil in a pan with four garlic cloves and slowly heat everything, making sure to keep an eye on it. Simmer the olive oil and garlic cloves gently until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat, smash the cloves, and let cool. Strain the olive oil, and you have homemade garlic-infused oil to use in the best recipes.

12 Easy Keto Recipes For Beginners (12)

Cauliflower rice

Cauliflower rice is another easy keto-friendly dinner side option you may want to try out. The best part is you can make it in big batches and stock it in your fridge or freezer. Pull it out, and you will have a five-minute dinner side dish with minimal effort.

Cauliflower soup

This cauliflower and celery root soup recipe topped with bacon is a low-carb, delicious lunch or dinner option that is keto-friendly and easy to make, even for a beginner. You can toss all your ingredients into one pot, let it cook, blend, and you will have a hot meal ready in no time.

Easy keto recipes to try

So if you're wondering what's for dinner, try these easy and classic keto-friendly recipes for beginners. They're all easy to make keto diet recipes that require only basic ingredients - nothing complicated or difficult.

Bonus:These best keto recipes are all gluten-free and paleo-friendly as well. And they're all familiar dishes your family will love.

What's your favorite keto recipe?

Are there easy keto dinner recipes your family loves that you include in your weekly meal plan? Leave a comment below and let us know!

12 Easy Keto Recipes For Beginners (2024)

FAQs

What is the best first meal for keto? ›

What to eat in the first week of your keto diet
  • Breakfast: You can fry two eggs in butter and serve them with sauteed greens of your choice.
  • Lunch: Go with a bunless burger and top it with vegetables of your choice (mushrooms, tomatoes, or peppers) and some cheese and avocado.
Jun 15, 2022

What is the simplest way to do keto? ›

Following a ketogenic diet is the most effective way to enter ketosis. Generally, this involves limiting carb consumption to around 20 to 50 grams per day and filling up on fats, such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy oils ( 6 ). It's also important to moderate your protein consumption.

What simple foods can you eat on keto? ›

Foods you can eat on the keto diet include fish and seafood, meat and poultry, non-starchy vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, and zucchini, avocados, berries, nuts and seeds, eggs, high-fat dairy products, olive oil and other oils, and high-cocoa chocolate.

What should I eat first in the morning on keto? ›

Eggs are a great keto diet choice, and you can ply yourself with fiber, vitamins, and minerals by eating an omelet with low-carb veggies. Try onions, mushrooms, garlic, spinach, bell pepper, and squash as options.

What is the single best keto food? ›

Meat and poultry

Meat and poultry are considered staple foods on the keto diet. Fresh meat and poultry contain no carbs and are rich in B vitamins and several important minerals. They're also a great source of high quality protein, which may help preserve muscle mass during a very low carb diet ( 18 , 19 , 20).

What food is not allowed in keto? ›

10 Foods You Can't Eat on the Keto Diet & Their Substitutes
  • Grains and Starches. ...
  • Sugary Foods and Sweets. ...
  • High-Carb Fruits. ...
  • Starchy Vegetables. ...
  • Legumes and Beans. ...
  • Processed Foods with Hidden Carbs. ...
  • Alcohol and co*cktails. ...
  • High-Carb Sauces and Condiments.

What are the golden rules of keto? ›

The basic rules of keto are eating few carbohydrates and emphasizing fat with a moderate intake of protein. In order to be in a state of ketosis, you will likely have to track the amount of carbohydrates you eat by weighing out your food.

What are the top 10 keto foods? ›

These are the top 10 keto foods you should include if you're on...
  1. Salmon. Whether wild or farm-raised, salmon is rich in fat, making it an essential ketogenic diet staple. ...
  2. Eggs. This affordable protein and fat source is highly versatile. ...
  3. Cauliflower. ...
  4. Greens. ...
  5. Avocado. ...
  6. Nuts. ...
  7. Olive oil. ...
  8. Zucchini.

What junk food is keto-friendly? ›

Keto Junk Food Alternatives: Our Top 15 Alternatives
  • Southern Recipe Original Pork Rinds. ...
  • Keto Pizza Bites From Hog Heaven. ...
  • Keto Jalapeño Popper Burgers. ...
  • Family Size Chili & Lime Pork Rinds. ...
  • Keto Donuts - Krispy Kreme* Copycat Recipe. ...
  • Keto Roast Beef Sandwiches. ...
  • Spicy Dill Pork Rinds.
Feb 23, 2024

What can you eat all day on keto? ›

Foods You Can Eat on the Ketogenic Diet
  • Fish and seafood.
  • Low-carb veggies.
  • Cheese.
  • Avocados.
  • Poultry.
  • Eggs.
  • Nuts, seeds and healthful oils.
  • Plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese.
Aug 15, 2023

How many eggs a day can you eat on keto? ›

It's totally fine and safe to eat up to 6 eggs a day while on the keto diet. You can consume even more eggs per day occasionally, as long as you make sure that you eat your greens, healthy fats and proteins from other sources.

Can I eat salads on keto? ›

You can eat a variety of salads on keto, as long as they contain healthy fats and proteins and are low in carbs. Egg salad, grilled chicken salad, shrimp salad, cauliflower salad, arugula salad, cucumber salad, antipasto salad, Greek salad, Caprese salad, and spinach salad are just a few keto-friendly salads to enjoy.

Is peanut butter keto? ›

Peanut butter can definitely be part of a keto diet, but it's best to stick to plain options that are free of extra flavors and sweeteners. Almond butter is a good choice, too, and it's slightly lower in carbs. Additionally, you should be mindful of your portion size if you're trying to lose weight.

What happens on the first 3 days of keto? ›

In the initial stages of a ketosis diet, people may feel more tired and weaker than usual. This fatigue occurs as the body switches from burning carbohydrates to burning fat for energy. Carbohydrates provide a quicker burst of energy to the body.

What foods to avoid when starting keto? ›

You need to limit your consumption of high-carb foods like: - Grains: Rice, wheat, oats, barley, rye, quinoa, buckwheat, etc. - Starchy Vegetables: Potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, yams, corn, cassava, artichoke, etc. - Refined Carbs: Bread, pasta, pastries, tortilla, sandwich, etc.

How do I survive my first week of keto? ›

Tips for alleviating mental and physical fogginess during the first few days of keto:
  1. Go super low carb for the first week (no more than 10g of net carbs per day). ...
  2. Start your diet off with an intermittent fast. ...
  3. Use high-intensity exercise and low-intensity exercise strategically.
Jun 1, 2020

What is the best fast to start keto? ›

A 72-hour fast, or fasting for three consecutive days without any food intake, can help your body enter a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body burns stored fat for energy instead of glucose from carbohydrates.

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