You've been wanting to start a Keto Diet but you're concerned that a higher protein and high fat diet will cause your grocery budget to go through the roof. Cheap keto meals are totally possible if you eat the right foods and know how to be a savvy shopper.
Are whole foods more expensive than processed packaged artificial foods? Often! But if you're serious about feeling great and losing weight, eating low-cost food with real ingredients is the way to accomplish that.
Let me assure you, that as a frugal mama who also likes to eat whole foods that are low carb and work for my keto following hubby too, there are tons of cheap keto meals you can make in a snap.
Finding cheap keto meals is totally possible and will make it easier to keep that grocery bill down. Regardless of what you read elsewhere, keto does NOT have to be an expensive diet.
Whether you're looking for cheap keto chicken meals, ground beef, turkey, and more, you'll love the variety of these cheap low carb recipes.
Cheap Keto
Just knowing the best low-cost protein options can make or break your keto grocery budget. And shopping at the least expensive grocery stores in your town, cutting coupons, and shopping at Costco helps keep groceries down too.
Here are some of the leanest meat cuts you can buy to keep your Keto Diet meal costs down:
- ground meats - beef, chicken, turkey, or pork
- bone-in poultry - chicken thighs, breasts, drumsticks, wings. Buying meat with the bone still in and even the skin still on will always cost less than cuts with the bone removed.
- frozen chicken- breasts, thighs, or chicken tenderloins
- sausages - We stock up on these when they're on sale and Costco sells them in large packs.
- canned tuna
- pork cuts- pork almost always costs less than other cuts (unless it's something pricy like baby back pork ribs). We're talking pork shoulder roast to make pulled pork, pork ribs (regular not the baby back), pork tenderloin or chops that often go on sale, and of course, bacon!
- pork ribs
- casseroles and soups
- vegetarian dishes
- frozen fish like tilapia
- protein powder- you might be surprised to see this on the list, but a meal made with 30 grams of protein will almost always cost less than meat protein.
- Eggs
- tofu
Cheap Keto Meals
What's even better is that not only are these low carb and keto dinners cheap, they're also so quick and easy to put together! They also make fabulous leftovers for your lunch and for easy meal prep ideas.
Whether you're craving tacos, burgers, a hearty soup, lasagne, macaroni and more, we have tons of budget low carb and cheap keto meals for you! Here are 20 of our favorite cheap keto recipes from our site, but also from other keto blogs we like.
Our top tips for eating the cheapest keto meals:
- Eat inexpensive cuts of meat and protein sources
- Stay away from expensive processed keto snacks
- Shop grocery store sales and use coupons
- Buy foods in bulk to save on large quantity pricing
- Use a meal plan to only buy what you need for the week
- Make recipes with simple ingredients, such as a protein paired with low carb vegetables
Our Top Cheap Keto Recipes
Here are our top cheap keto recipes on our website that are inexpensive to make but also easy! None of us have time to spend countless hours in the kitchen cooking complicated recipes with special ingredients.
Low Carb Crack Slaw (Egg Roll in a Bowl)
If you haven't yet tried our keto egg roll in a bowl, also known as keto crack slaw, you've just found one of your new favorite recipes!
It just has a few ingredients and only takes 15 minutes to cook and is basically considered a deconstructed egg roll. You can easily swap out the ground pork for beef, chicken, or turkey depending on what's on sale.
Green Chili Casserole
This easy keto green chili casserole is not only inexpensive, it uses simple ingredients and bakes in only 20 minutes.
One of my favorite keto cost saving tips is to cook with frozen chicken like we did with this easy cheap keto recipe. You've save big on chicken by purchasing frozen, even better yet? Use frozen chicken tenders instead of the more costly chicken breasts.
Salsa Chicken
Things don't get much easier than 3 ingredient salsa chicken! You can even use chicken thighs instead of breasts and just cook for less time to 165 F.
Stuffed Bell Peppers Without Rice
These simple keto stuffed bell peppers are a low carb take on the traditional rice-filled classic. Buying the peppers in bulk or on sale will keep the cost down, or grow them in your garden like we did this year!
Ground meats are also one of the least expensive cuts of meat, which also makes it easy to do cheap keto.
Country Style Ribs
By chance you have a pressure cooker, our ribs recipe is super popular on our site. So moist and juicy, everyone will think these were slow cooked all day long!
We LOVE eating country style ribs, not only is a super affordable cut of meat, they're always a crowd-pleaser.
Pizza Soup
You can't go wrong with low carb pizza soup! Not only does it cost less to make than buying a whole pizza, soup is easy to stretch and take to lunch or freeze for later.
MORE Cheap Low Carb Recipes
Here's additional cheap low carb recipes from some of our favorite low carb bloggers. All of these simple keto meals look absolutely delicious!
Low Carb Big Mac Bites
Find the recipe at Homemade Interest
Zucchini Lasagne
Find the recipe at Savory Tooth
Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps
Lettuce wraps using last night's dinner leftovers is always a cheap and simple meal idea. Whether it's our pulled pork lettuce wraps, taco leftovers, shredded Mexican chicken, or even leftover casserole.
Air fryer sausage and veggies
Low Carb Broccoli Cheese Soup
A vegetarian dinner is always a great way to cut costs with some of your meals. A hearty low carb soup like our keto broccoli cheese soup is always a must when you're craving comfort food.
Garlic Mushroom Chicken Thighs
Find the recipe at Sweet C Designs
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Find the recipe at Eat Well 101
Low carb mac and cheese
Eating vegetarian meals is another way to do keto on a budget, and when you're craving pasta, comforting keto mac and cheese is a great idea.
Easy Keto Pulled Pork
Find the recipe at the Beauticle
Pulled pork anything is always a family favorite around our house. Especially close to summer you can often find pork or pork ribs for under $2/lb!
Cooking with pulled pork goes along way and it's even easier to stretch when mixed with low carb vegetables in a lettuce wrap.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
More Keto Dinners You'll Love
- 25 Easy Keto Dinner Recipes
- 30 Keto Casserole Recipes
- 14 Low Carb Wrap Recipes
- 16 Keto Side Dishes
- 32 Keto Soup Recipes
- 30 Days of 30 Minute Keto Meals
- 21 Easy Keto Meals for Beginners
- 10 Best Keto Crockpot Recipes
- 8 Keto Buffalo Chicken Recipes
- 20 Keto Instant Pot Dinner Recipes
- 14 Keto Bacon Recipes
- 23 Keto Ground Beef Recipes
- 25 Keto Chicken Dinner Recipes
