18 Cheap Keto Meals For Easy Dinners
on Oct 25, 2023, Updated Nov 21, 2023
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When following a keto diet, you may find it challenging to make easy and delicious dinners on a budget every night. We’ve rounded up our favorite Cheap Keto Meals and recipes. Most of them are ready in under 30 minutes.
Tips For Doing Keto On A Budget
- Buy in Bulk: Plan meals ahead of time so that you can buy your food in bulk. It’s much cheaper than buying small portions. You can make freezer-friendly low carb meals and store them in the freezer for future use. This will help you to reduce food waste, not to mention impulsive takeout orders!
- Use Frozen Vegetables: Frozen veggies and fruits are much cheaper than fresh ones. You can buy them in bulk and store them in the freezer.
- Buy Cheaper Proteins: Lean ground meats are more affordable protein sources. Canned tuna and salmon are more budget-friendly too.
- Turn Leftovers into Another Meal: Don’t waste leftovers. You can transform them into another meal or freeze them for future use. Check out our leftover chicken recipes and leftover steak recipes to get inspired.
Best Cheap Keto Ingredients
- Eggs: An affordable source of protein and healthy fats that are low in carbs.
- Canned Foods: They are much cheaper than fresh ones. You can buy canned tuna, salmon, beans, corn, and so much more. They have longer shelf time too!
- Cauliflower: This vegetable is a great low-carb and keto-friendly substitute in recipes.
- Ground Meat: Ground beef or turkey are affordable proteins.
- Cabbage: Cabbage is a low-carb vegetable that’s inexpensive and widely available.
- Cream Cheese: A high-fat ingredient for keto desserts and recipes.
- Spices: They are keto-friendly ways to add flavors without much cost.
Best Cheap Keto Meals
Keto Lasagna
Have you tried keto lasagna? This recipe is cheesy and flavorful, replacing traditional pasta with a vegetable alternative with no compromise on flavor. This quick and easy dinner goes easy on the wallet too.
Keto Stuffed Peppers Without Rice
These stuffed bell peppers skip the rice, using a cheesy cauliflower filling instead! They’re keto-friendly and oh-so flavorful. Plus, they’re great on a budget.
Broccoli Salad With Bacon
Ready for a new salad idea? This one has broccoli florets with dried cranberries, sharp cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds and smokey bacon, all tossed in a creamy dressing. One of my favorite cheap keto meals!
Shrimp Soup
This hearty and satisfying shrimp soup has shrimp simmered with plenty of garlic, jalapenos, herbs and a splash of lime. It’s keto comfort food at its best!
Baked Chicken Breasts
Learn the secret to making the perfect baked chicken breasts! This also happens to be an inexpensive keto dinner idea. The chicken breasts are juicy and flavorful out of the oven with minimal effort.
Easy Microwave Cauliflower Fried Rice
Cauliflower rice is an ideal addition to a keto diet. Now you can make it from scratch easily using the microwave thanks to this easy recipe. It comes out fluffy and full of flavor!
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef
I love making this incredibly tender shredded beef using the slow cooker. Simply put an inexpensive cut of beef like round into the crock pot and come home to a delicious, keto-friendly meal!
Homemade Sausage Patties
Skip the frozen sausage patties and make your own for a low-carb breakfast or brunch. This recipe gives you perfectly seasoned, mouthwatering patties in just 20 minutes!
Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
Now you can make chicken fajitas in the Instant Pot! Simply add chicken breasts, bell peppers, onions and fajita seasoning with no marinating required. Voila – an inexpensive keto dinner!
Sous Vide Shredded Chicken
Learn how to make shredded chicken using sous vide for an affordable keto meal. You can use chicken breasts or thighs with mouthwateringly tender results. Perfect for tacos, enchiladas, salads and more!
Chipotle Fajita Veggies
Do you love the Fajita Veggies at Chipotle? Now you can make them at home with just 5 ingredients. Everyone will love this flavorful and colorful dish. Plus, you can skip the takeout!
Yellowtail Sashimi
Learn how to cut yellowtail to make your own sashimi! It’s so much cheaper than Japanese restaurants, and an easy keto meal to make at home.
French Steak Tartare
This steak tartare is just like the one in a French bistro! This minced beef tartare is a fancy meal that is steak connoisseur-approved. Plus, it’s keto-friendly and easy to customize to suit.
Sous Vide Whole Chicken
A whole chicken is a great way to feed a crowd on a keto diet. Instead of boiling or roasting it, why not try sous vide? The meat comes out so tender and flavorful with minimal effort. It’s basically a failproof method!
Sous Vide Zucchini With Parmesan
This could be the best zucchini ever, thanks to sous vide. And it also happens to be an inexpensive dish you can pair with cauliflower rice or other sides to make a keto meal.
Texas Roadhouse Chili
Satisfy those Texas Roadhouse cravings with this chili recipe. Known for this spicy, smoky flavor, this copycat Texas red chili recipe has pork and beef for hearty comfort food.
Keto Sauces
Low-Carb Spaghetti Sauce
This spaghetti sauce is low in carbs but big in flavor. I love to make it in large batches to freeze, so I can pull together a quick keto meal on the go.
Low-Carb Alfredo Sauce
Calling all fettuccine alfredo lovers! Now you can make this dish on a keto diet. The sauce is rich and creamy with butter, parmesan cheese, heavy cream and seasonings.
Other Popular Keto Dinner Ideas
- Keto Fried Chicken
- Keto Meatballs
- Butter Chicken
- Keto Beef Stew
Low Carb Keto Chicken Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded or cubed
- 10.5 ounces canned condensed cream of chicken soup
- 10.5 ounces canned condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 10 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 14 corn tortillas , 6-inch size, halved
- 2 cups cheddar cheese , shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Over medium-high heat, sauté the onion and bell pepper in a large skillet for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, condensed cream soups, tomatoes, and the sautéed bell pepper and onion mixture.
- In an even layer on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, arrange half of the tortillas. It’s okay if the tortillas slightly overlap.
- Spread half of the chicken mixture in a layer over the tortillas. Sprinkle with half of the cheese.
- Repeat this process until all the ingredients are included, finishing with the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and heated through.
- Serve with sour cream and diced avocado.
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
