18 Best Keto Recipes Perfect for an Easy and Delicious Keto Diet

black plate of Pan-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms
Photo: Blaine Moats

Because they need to be very low in carbohydrates—most keto-friendly recipe plans suggest sticking to below 50 grams of carbs or less per day—the best keto recipes can be challenging to find. So we've done the math for you and have collected keto diet recipes for every meal of the day. Expect easy keto-friendly recipes for breakfast, low-fuss and low-carb lunches, simple side dishes, keto dinner recipes, as well as satisfying snacks to help you fuel up from morning to night. With this delicious lineup of keto diet recipes, it will feel like a cinch to stick to the high-fat, low-carb plan.

01 of 18

Breakfast: Crab and Asparagus Frittata

Crab Asparagus Frittata
Blaine Moats

You can—and should—still eat seafood in your keto diet recipes. Start your day with a real "catch" of this keto breakfast, which features low-carb asparagus for fiber and freshness. Use whole milk or cream instead of low-fat or fat-free milk to round out the macronutrient ratios to more keto-appropriate levels.

02 of 18

Breakfast: Stuffed Mini Chaffles

Stuffed Mini Chaffles
Jason Donnelly

Trust us, waffles can be among the best keto recipes. They are when the batter starts with eggs and cheese, and calls for just enough flour to hold everything together. Each of these chaffles (translation: cheese waffles) has more fat than carbs, plus they can be dressed up with your favorite fillings and toppings like bacon, chorizo, avocado, cream cheese, hot sauce, and seasonings.

Buy It: Dash Mini Waffle Maker($10, Target)

03 of 18

Breakfast: Blue Cheese-Bacon Cloud Eggs

Blue Cheese-Bacon Cloud Eggs
Hannah Bigot

Your keto-friendly recipe forecast for breakfast: cloudy with a chance of bacon! This speedy option separates the egg whites from the yolks before utilizing them both in different ways for a light-as-air (and light-in-carbs) meal. You'll call for a repeat after one bite of the bacon and blue cheese pairing.

Test Kitchen Tip: Use this whipped egg white technique to make fluffy, keto-friendly cloud bread.

04 of 18

Breakfast: Sausage and Veggie Keto Breakfast Casserole

Sausage Veggie Keto Breakfast Casserole
Dera Burreson, Ryan Krull

This breakfast casserole also happens to be one of our top-pinned recipes, so it has to be good. Start your day with the ultra-filling combo of sausage, cheese, and fresh veggies. An entire dozen eggs and some heavy cream make the custard-like base for the keto casserole recipe. For an extra boost of protein and healthy fats, top with sliced avocados.

Buy It: 3-Quart Glass Baking Dish with Lid($23, OXO)

05 of 18

Lunch: Salmon with Tomato Pesto

Pan-Seared Salmon with Tomato Pesto
Andy Lyons

For an excellent keto diet recipe come noon, pan-sear your salmon for a quickly prepared meal. It takes just 5 minutes or so to score a perfect flaky doneness. Top with a simple homemade tomato pesto and pepperoncini peppers, if you please.

06 of 18

Lunch: Chicken, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad

Chicken Tomato Cucumber Salad
Andy Lyons

Yes, chicken breast is on the leaner side, but with a healthy dose of olive oil and olives, this is a keto recipe you'll make on repeat. (You could also swap in chicken thighs for the breast for a bit more fat.) Add a sprinkle of feta cheese for some extra tang and fat while keeping the carb count to a minimum in this delicious keto salad.

07 of 18

Lunch: Cocoa Almond-Crusted Salmon

Cocoa-Almond Crusted Salmon
Kritsada Panichgul

We're cocoa-nuts about this 30-minute keto diet recipe and its creative crumb coating. Chopped almonds and unsweetened cocoa powder sound like strange partners for salmon. Trust us: It works, and it works well. Plus this low-carb lunch satisfies your chocolate fix without all the sugar.

08 of 18

Lunch: Creamy Keto Roasted Salmon Soup

teal pot of roasted salmon soup
Brie Passano

When you imagine a bowl of soup, chances are you think of something with noodles, rice, dumplings, or perhaps a cheesy toast floating on top. But soup can fall under the keto-friendly recipe umbrella if you infuse the base with cream and skip the carb-heavy mix-ins. Stir in roasted salmon pieces and garnish each bowl with a crispy Parmesan "cracker" to lend a bit more fat.

09 of 18

Lunch: Chilled Avocado Soup

Chilled Avocado Soup
Karla Conrad

No need to wait in line for the microwave at work during the lunchtime rush. This vegetarian keto recipe is at its best chilled. We crown this creamy chilled soup (aka gazpacho) with a healthy drizzle of chili oil for warm flavor on a cold dish.

Test Kitchen Tip: Top your serving with some shrimp or shredded chicken to make this a full meal

10 of 18

Snack: Air-Fried Buffalo Cauliflower

Air Fried Buffalo Cauliflower
Matthew Clark

Yes, we know...keto air-fryer recipes sound silly since the goal is to opt for a high ratio of fat to carbs. But this dish delivers on the flavor and keto-friendly fat front thanks to melted butter that's mixed with the cayenne pepper sauce in the cauliflower coating. Dunk in blue cheese dressing for a game day-inspired snack any day of the year.

11 of 18

Snack: Pressure Cooker Garlicky Spinach and Feta Dip

Pressure Cooker Garlicky Spinach and Feta Dip
Jacob Fox

With a mere 1 gram of carbs per serving, this keto Instant Pot recipe is the ultimate snack to serve at your next gathering. (In addition to being keto, it's gluten-free and vegetarian, too.) To keep this snack uber-low in carbs, scoop up the garlic- and olive-flavored Instant Pot hot dip with cucumber slices, bell peppers, or broccoli or cauliflower florets.

Buy It: Instant Pot Duo($100, Target)

12 of 18

Side Dish: Mushroom Fricassee with Fresh Herbs

Mushroom Fricassee with Fresh Herbs
Blaine Moats

Traditional fricassee involves simmering a protein—typically some cut of meat—in a cream sauce. For this keto dinner recipe side, we follow a similar foundation and trade in umami-rich mushrooms and fresh herbs in place of the protein. The result is a high-fat and high-flavor side dish that pairs beautifully with roast chicken, turkey, beef, seafood...or, you know, a fork.

13 of 18

Dinner: Flat Iron Steaks with Avocado Butter

Flat-Iron Steaks with Avocado Butter
Blaine Moats

Avocado. Butter. How can anything that combines those two ingredients in one package be bad? Taste the delicious, fat-forward duo atop this grilled steak recipe. Not all steakhouse entrées fit keto dinner recipe guidelines, but this DIY dish sure does.

14 of 18

Dinner: Lemon-Thyme Split-Roasted Turkey

Lemon thyme split roasted turkey
Andy Lyons

For a holiday (or for Sunday supper) try this oven-roasted keto dinner recipe. Get a leg up on prep time by slicing pieces prior to cooking. The herb butter-rubbed bird will reach the perfect temp in less than two hours.

15 of 18

Dinner: Steak Jalisco

Steak Jalisco
Andy Lyons

Choose between beef top loin, tenderloin, or ribeye steaks for this protein-packed keto dinner recipe. The hearty steak is accompanied by a rich and spicy pan sauce made from the drippings along with butter, poblano peppers, a splash of tequila, and Mexican crema (it's like sour cream, but with a slightly higher fat content, which is perfect for the keto diet). As if it wasn't indulgent enough, we've topped the low-carb steak recipe with crabmeat for the ultimate surf and turf dinner.

16 of 18

Dinner: Pan-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms

black plate of Pan-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms
Blaine Moats

With just 9 grams of carbs, this entire keto dinner recipe is like a main and a side dish all in one. Beef tenderloin shines in all its succulent glory as the entrée, while buttery, garlic-scented cremini mushrooms act as both the side and the sauce. The key to the meat's terrifically tender, restaurant-quality results: Searing in a skillet before roasting in the oven to a perfect medium-rare (or your desired doneness).

17 of 18

Dinner: Sheet-Pan Chicken with Lemon and Green Olives

Sheet-Pan Chicken with Lemons and Green Olives
Blaine Moats

Had your fill of steak and salmon? Turn to keto chicken dishes like this easy sheet-pan supper. A mix of oil and butter delivers loads of flavor (and plenty of fat for your quota) in this Mediterranean-inspired meal. In place of mashed potatoes or couscous, pair this keto dinner recipe with cauliflower rice mashed with some cream cheese or sour cream

18 of 18

Dinner: Poblanos with Late-Summer Vegetables and Shrimp

Poblanos with Late-Summer Vegetables and Shrimp
Carson Downing

Craving tacos, enchiladas, or burritos, but not all the carbs that come with them? Whip up stuffed peppers instead. Roasted low-carb poblanos act as the shell to hold warmly-spiced shrimp, a speedy skillet succotash, and zippy cilantro-lime vinaigrette. "The dressing made it really sing," says one BH&G home cook who rated this keto-friendly recipe worthy of five stars.

Test Kitchen Tip: Skip the corn and add diced avocado to the top of each pepper just before serving to move this entrée even more into keto diet recipe territory.

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