Lazy keto meals make it simple to eat low carb! These 15+ easy lazy keto recipes are ready in under 30 minutes prep time, plus they're packed with flavor.
By Maya Krampf Updated Published November 8, 2021
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These lazy keto meals are exactly what you need to make following a ketogenic diet super easy AND delicious. They’re the best way way to get all the benefits of a low carb “lazy keto” lifestyle, without hours of time and effort every week!
I have lots of easy keto recipes here on Wholesome Yum, but in particular, this collection of lazy keto recipes will help you create meals with just minutes of hands-on prep time. Mix and match them to create a beginner lazy keto meal plan that keeps you on track.
Tips For Lazy Keto Meal Prep
To save the most time, try these tips when you make lazy keto meals:
Use Prepared Ingredients – Get pre-chopped veggies, shredded chicken, pre-shredded cheeses, and prepared sauces like ranch dressing for maximum time savings. (Or, make them ahead yourself!)
Choose Simple Recipes – Pick easy, all-in-one meals or pair very simple mains with basic sides.
Double Recipes, Then Freeze For Later – Freezing leftovers makes lazy keto diet meals come together even faster the second time around.
Lazy Doesn’t Always Mean “Dirty” – Dirty keto and lazy keto are not always the same thing. You can restrict your carbohydrates, make super simple meals, and eat clean foods at the same time.
Try Intermittent Fasting – Fasting means fewer meals to plan, and it has many benefits when paired with a lazy keto lifestyle. If this is too hard or doesn’t work with your schedule, you could also just do coffee with cream (or bulletproof coffee) for breakfast.
Best Lazy Keto Meals
Save time and stay healthy with these easy lazy keto recipes. They all come together quickly, or take minimal prep time and cook on their own! If you need even more ideas, many of my other keto dinner recipes are also quick and easy.
Keto Korean Beef Bowls
Quick cooking ground beef and savory cauliflower rice create a takeout-style meal in 20 minutes.
One of the best beginner lazy keto meals! It only takes 5 minutes to prepare, and it’s so easy to make ahead (with spinach or broccoli!). Save even more time with shredded rotisserie chicken, pre-cooked bacon bits, and bottled ranch.
Get The Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Recipe
Kielbasa And Sauerkraut
This sweet, tangy, and savory dinner recipe takes 5 minutes to prepare, then develops all its flavors in the slow cooker.
Get The Kielbasa And Sauerkraut Recipe
Instant Pot Steak Fajitas
No more babysitting the pan! Quick cooking in the Instant Pot delivers this dish to your table in well under 20 minutes.
Get The Steak Fajitas Recipe
Broccoli Cheese Soup
The perfect light lunch that stores well in the fridge. With 5 ingredients and 20 minutes, you can make a keto soup that rivals your favorite cafe!
Get The Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Legs
It’s true — your air fryer can make lazy keto meals, too! Serve this juicy, crispy protein with a fast side dish like sauteed zucchini.
All the savory taste of your favorite burger — but it won’t kick you out of ketosis. It takes just 20 minutes, with 2g net carbs.
Get The Big Mac Salad Recipe
Keto Shrimp Scampi
With tender garlic shrimp and spiralized vegetables, it’s one of those easy keto dinners you’ll make on repeat. Done in under 30 minutes, too!
Get The Keto Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Stuffed Pepper Soup
At just under 8g net carbs, this soup captures all the flavor of stuffed peppers (without all the work to stuff them)!
Get The Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe
Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
No need for lettuce! Lazy keto meals like this are perfect for a crowd (whether they follow a traditional keto diet or not). Try it with pan seared pork chops for a complete meal in under 20 minutes.
Get The Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad Recipe
Chaffle Pizza
You might think of chaffles as keto breakfasts, but they work for any meal! This one loads the chaffle “crust” with lots of melty cheese and pepperoni… perfect with a side of sauteed mushrooms.
Get The Chaffle Pizza Recipe
Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
You won’t miss the bun! A cheesy broth and hearty chunks of meat and veggies make a soup so good, you won’t believe it’s 5g net carbs.
Get The Bacon Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
Keto Antipasto Salad
Make lazy keto meals like this when you need a lighter main dish — or serve it a heartier recipe like sausage stuffed mushrooms.
Get The Keto Antipasto Salad Recipe
Cauliflower Mac And Cheese
The best way to make keto vegetables irresistable? Cover them with cheese! This dish makes a mouthwatering main dish or side with just 5 ingredients.
Get The Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe
Keto Bell Pepper Sandwich
As easy and lazy as a conventional sandwich — without the bun!
A lazy keto diet consists of low-carb foods like meat, fish, full-fat dairy and non-starchy vegetables, but limits high-carb foods such as bread, potatoes, sugary snacks and some fruits. If you've tried the keto before and found it too tedious, lazy keto could be a good compromise.
However, as the lazy keto diet does not always induce ketosis, it may not promote weight loss as effectively as the traditional keto diet. A person who is not tracking all of their macronutrients may also be less likely to create a calorie deficit, which is necessary for weight loss.
The cardinal rule to lazy keto is to eat no more than 20 grams of carbs per day. Unlike the original keto diet, you do not have to track your calories. You also do not have to count other macronutrients: fat and protein. The goal of lazy keto and the original keto diet is to help your body enter ketosis.
One of the main reasons people don't lose weight on the ketogenic diet is that they're consuming too many carbs. To reach the state of ketosis — a metabolic state in which your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose — carbohydrate intake must be drastically reduced.
Food and drinks allowed on a no-carb diet include meat, fish, eggs, cheese, butter, oils, water, and plain coffee or tea. If you're less stringent, you can also eat nuts, seeds, non-starchy vegetables, and high fat fruits like avocado and coconut since these foods are low in net carbs.
People who consume too many calories may gain weight, even if they are in a state of ketosis. It is, therefore, important that people keep track of the number of calories that they consume. Sticking to a balanced meal plan can help a person work toward their ideal weight.
Can You Eat Bacon On a Keto Diet? While you may not think of bacon as diet food, most types of bacon fit perfectly into a keto diet plan since they're low in carbs yet high in protein and fat. That means bacon is perfect for snacking on in the afternoon or mixing into your chicken dinner dish for some extra flavoring.
Dieticians have named cheese as the perfect keto food. It's high in fat, contains moderate protein and most varieties are low in carbs, which is what the keto diet aims for. According to functional dietitian Olivia Wagner, RDN, cheese is keto-friendly and can add flavor, variety, and texture to keto meals.
Keto Net Carb Diet. On the ketogenic diet, the "net carb" is the amount of carbs in a food minus the fiber and sugar alcohol. Fiber and sugar alcohol are subtracted because the body does not fully absorb them. The keto net carb diet limits daily carbohydrate consumption to 20-50 grams to induce ketosis.
Combining Keto with a Mediterranean diet plan is simple. Just take the Mediterranean diet and remove the carbs. This means that whole grains, beans, and root vegetables are out—and olive oil and fish are in. You can also eat leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, eggs, poultry and (if tolerated) dairy.
If you do not eat enough fat on keto, your body will go into survival mode. This will have an incredibly negative effect on your wellbeing, as you will feel more hungry, causing your body to prioritize storing fat. This will make fat loss nearly impossible to achieve, so make sure you are eating healthy fats!
"Peanut butter can be a part of a keto diet since it contains mostly fats and protein with very little carbohydrates," says Dara Godfrey, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian in New York City.
Wine and light varieties of beer are also relatively low in carbs — usually containing under 6 grams (g) per serving. Pure alcohol like rum, vodka, gin, tequila, and whiskey contains no carbs. In addition, wine, light beer, and some co*cktails can be relatively low in carbs.
Popcorn is a popular low-calorie snack. And yes, it does qualify as a low-carbohydrate food that can fit into a keto diet. The average American munches on 43 quarts of popcorn per year.
Even if lazy keto means you won't reach the coveted ketosis status, Bradley said this is a moderate version of a low-carb diet that's more sustainable. It can still help with weight loss, reduce cravings, and lower the risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
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