One of the most persistent myths about the ketogenic diet is that the food is boring. Chicken and salad, forever. In practice, keto cooking is about substitution and technique — swapping grain-based staples for vegetable-based alternatives, and learning which fats and flavour combinations work best. These 20-plus recipes prove the point: every dish stays under 10 grams of net carbohydrates per serving and can be on the table in 30 minutes or less.
Pair this with our keto meal plan for a complete weekly structure, or start with the keto diet guide if you want to understand the principles first.
Key takeaways
- All recipes contain fewer than 10 grams of net carbohydrates per serving
- Cauliflower is the most versatile keto ingredient — it works as rice, pizza base, mash, and soup
- Keto cooking means substituting grains and starches with vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert are all possible within keto limits
- Tracking macros on home-cooked meals is easiest with a photo-based app
- Batch preparing bases (cauliflower rice, grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs) enables quick meal assembly all week
Breakfast recipes
Keto omelette with avocado and feta
Whisk 3 eggs with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add spinach, crumbled feta, and sliced avocado halfway through cooking. Fold and serve. Preparation time: 8 minutes. Net carbs: ±3g.
Almond flour keto pancakes
Combine 100g almond flour, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons cream cheese, and a pinch of baking powder. Cook small pancakes in butter over low heat. Serve with a few blueberries and a knob of butter. Preparation time: 15 minutes. Net carbs: ±5g per 3 pancakes.
Baked avocado egg cups
Halve two avocados and remove the stone. Slightly enlarge the cavity with a spoon. Crack one egg into each half. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Bake at 200°C for 15 minutes. Net carbs: ±2g per serving.
Coconut milk chia pudding
Mix 3 tablespoons chia seeds with 250ml coconut milk, one teaspoon vanilla extract, and a few drops of liquid stevia. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Top with a few raspberries. Net carbs: ±6g.
Lunch recipes
Tuna salad lettuce cups
Mix one drained tin of tuna with 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, finely chopped celery, lemon juice, and pepper. Spoon into romaine lettuce cups. Optional additions: avocado or capers. Preparation time: 5 minutes. Net carbs: ±2g.
Cream of cauliflower soup with bacon
Soften a small amount of onion and garlic in butter. Add cauliflower florets and stock and cook until tender. Blend smooth. Stir in cream and season. Top with crispy bacon bits. Net carbs: ±7g.
Chicken Caesar salad without croutons
Grill a chicken breast and slice. Toss with romaine, parmesan shavings, and a Caesar dressing made from mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, and anchovies. No croutons needed — parmesan and anchovy deliver the umami. Net carbs: ±4g.
Egg salad in lettuce wraps
Hard-boil 4 eggs, peel, and mash roughly. Mix with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, chives, salt, and pepper. Spoon into large lettuce leaves and roll. Net carbs: ±1g.
Dinner recipes
Cauliflower rice with prawns
Process cauliflower into rice-sized pieces using a food processor or box grater. Fry in olive oil on high heat until lightly golden. Add tiger prawns with garlic, chilli, lime juice, and coriander. Preparation time: 20 minutes. Net carbs: ±6g.
Zucchini pasta with creamy mushroom sauce
Spiralise zucchini into noodles. Fry mushrooms with garlic in butter until golden. Add cream, parmesan, and parsley. Toss zucchini through — cook briefly, as zucchini releases water quickly. Net carbs: ±7g.
Cauliflower pizza
Blitz cauliflower into fine pieces and steam briefly. Squeeze thoroughly dry in a clean tea towel — this is the critical step. Mix with one egg, grated mozzarella, oregano, and garlic powder. Press onto baking paper and bake at 220°C for 20 minutes until crisp. Top with a small amount of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and keto-friendly toppings. Net carbs: ±8g per quarter.
Salmon with garlic butter and asparagus
Pan-fry salmon in generous butter with garlic and lemon. Grill asparagus simultaneously with olive oil and sea salt. Serve together with an extra knob of butter melted over. Preparation time: 15 minutes. Net carbs: ±4g.
Keto chicken tikka masala
Marinate chicken in yoghurt and spices for 30 minutes. Sear in a pan. Make the sauce with a small amount of chopped tomato, coconut milk, garam masala, turmeric, paprika, and garlic. Simmer together. Serve over cauliflower rice. Net carbs: ±9g.
Beef meatballs in tomato sauce
Combine 500g ground beef with one egg, parmesan, dried oregano, and garlic. Form into balls and brown all over. Add sugar-free tomato sauce and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with zucchini noodles. Net carbs: ±7g.
Steak with chimichurri
Pan-fry steak in butter to your preferred doneness. Make chimichurri by blending parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, chilli flakes, and sea salt. Serve with a green salad. Net carbs: ±2g.
Snacks
Guacamole
Mash 2 ripe avocados with lime juice, a small amount of finely diced red onion, coriander, salt, and chilli. Serve with cucumber slices or celery sticks. Net carbs: ±3g.
Keto energy balls
Combine almond butter, ground flaxseed, coconut oil, cacao powder, and a small amount of stevia. Roll into balls and refrigerate. Net carbs: ±2g per ball.
Cheese and nuts plate
The simplest keto snack: a handful of mixed walnuts, almonds, and macadamias alongside slices of cheese. No preparation required. Net carbs: ±2g per handful.
Dessert
Keto chocolate mousse
Whip 200ml double cream to stiff peaks. Separately combine 2 tablespoons cacao powder with stevia and a splash of vanilla. Gently fold into the whipped cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Net carbs: ±3g.
Frozen strawberry sorbet
Blend frozen strawberries with coconut milk and a few drops of stevia until smooth. Serve immediately. Net carbs: ±8g per serving.
Tracking the macros
Home-cooked meals are harder to track than packaged foods because there is no nutrition label. A photo-based tracking app makes this significantly easier — scan the finished dish and get an immediate macro breakdown, including net carbohydrates. This matters more on keto than on most other eating patterns, since staying within a narrow carbohydrate window is what keeps you in ketosis.
Understanding your baseline is also important. See our guide on calories for weight loss to understand how keto fits within your broader energy goals.
Sources
- Kosinski C, Jornayvaz FR. Effects of ketogenic diets on cardiovascular risk factors. Nutrients, 2017. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9050517
- Paoli A et al. Long term successful weight loss with a combination biphasic ketogenic Mediterranean diet. Nutrients, 2013. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu5125205
- Watanabe M et al. Nutritional aspects of the ketogenic diet. Nutrients, 2020. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082339
