30 Low-Carb Dinners You Can Make in 30 Minutes By Leah Goggins Leah Goggins Leah Goggins is a journalist and an editor at EatingWell. She assigns and edits all kinds of news content, from delicious grocery roundups to new studies in health and nutrition. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 19, 2025 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is the senior nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close Credit: Photographer: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco Carbohydrates are one of the essential macronutrients necessary for overall good health (the other two are protein and fat). Carbs provide your body with energy and fuel for your brain. And while protein tends to get the spotlight regarding muscle, carbs are also necessary for optimal muscle growth and performance. Because every body is different, how many carbs you need might be less than someone else. And with recipes like these—most of which have 14 or fewer grams of carbs per serving—you can quickly have a healthy low-carb dinner on the table any night of the week. Recipes like our Cheesy Portobello Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli and Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles are tasty and so simple that you'll be in and out of the kitchen in no time. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 30 Horseradish-Crusted Salmon with Crispy Leeks Jacob Fox Here, we coat leeks in a bit of cornstarch then pan-fry for a crispy topping for the salmon. Spreading horseradish-spiked mayonnaise over the fish before baking keeps it moist and gives it a peppery bite. View Recipe Save 02 of 30 Cheesy Portobello Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli Jacob Fox Adding nutty Gruyère atop the chicken at the very end and popping it under the broiler takes this dish from delicious to heavenly. If you can't find Gruyère, Jarlsberg or Emmentaler cheese makes a good substitute. View Recipe Save 03 of 30 Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles Diana Chistruga Enjoy classic shrimp scampi lightened up with a white wine butter sauce and zucchini noodles in place of pasta. The tomatoes add some sweetness and color, while the cheese contributes nuttiness and richness. View Recipe Save 04 of 30 Chicken Cutlets with Roasted Red Pepper & Arugula Relish Greg DuPree Currants add a pop of sweetness to the roasted red pepper and arugula topping in this easy chicken cutlet recipe. View Recipe Save 05 of 30 One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli Photography: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Greg Luna Shrimp and broccoli cook quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve this healthy shrimp recipe over whole grains or rice. View Recipe Save 06 of 30 Chopped Power Salad with Chicken Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek Enjoy this filling and colorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor. View Recipe Save 07 of 30 Chicken Salad Jason Donnelly This chicken salad recipe combines Greek-style yogurt and mayonnaise for a creamy dressing. Sweet apple, toasty hazelnuts and crunchy celery balance the flavors and texture. Serve atop lightly dressed greens. View Recipe Save 08 of 30 20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet Photographer: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco Salmon fillets cook quickly and are coated with a delicious creamy sauce made with tomatoes, zucchini and Italian seasoning. This easy salmon dinner is sure to become a new weeknight favorite the whole family will love. The best news: You can get this meal on the table in 20 minutes flat. View Recipe Save 09 of 30 Pesto Salmon Will Dickey Herby and bright pesto coats tender salmon fillets in this quick and healthy fish dish. Colorful cherry tomatoes burst and combine with shallots to complement the pesto in this fast and simple weeknight dinner. View Recipe Save 10 of 30 Arugula, Chicken & Melon Salad with Sumac Dressing Jason Donnelly Sweet and savory find harmony in this salad dotted with ripe melon and tossed in a lemony dressing. Melon balls are so adorable, but making them leaves some fruit behind—whir up those leftovers into a smoothie. View Recipe Save 11 of 30 Crispy Salmon Cakes with Creamy Cucumber Salad Carolyn Hodges In this easy dinner recipe, convenient canned salmon is transformed into satisfying pan-seared salmon patties that are flavored with Old Bay seasoning. To round out the meal, these tasty patties get served alongside a refreshing creamy cucumber and red onion salad. View Recipe Save 12 of 30 Broiled Cauliflower 'Mac' & Cheese Jason Donnelly We replaced pasta with cauliflower in this creamy low-carb "mac" and cheese. A sprinkle of Parmesan on top and a quick trip under the broiler gives this cheesy side dish a savory, crispy crust. View Recipe Save 13 of 30 Lemon-Garlic Steak & Green Beans Jason Donnelly For a steak that's deliciously tender, flavorful and not too fatty, we reach for strip (also known as New York strip or shell steak). It has less than half the saturated fat of a rib-eye but is more tender than leaner sirloin. Here, we cook green beans in the same pan used to sear the spiced steak. All those delicious drippings add richness to the beans—plus there's one less pan to wash! View Recipe Save 14 of 30 Blackened Chicken with Chopped Salad Jason Donnelly In this twist on chopped salad, we coat this blackened chicken with spices common to Cajun cooking, like dried thyme and cayenne pepper. Then, instead of using the traditional method of searing in a cast-iron pan, we take advantage of the warmer weather by grilling outside. View Recipe Save 15 of 30 Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco Ground beef and cauliflower combine to create a hearty weeknight casserole that both kids and adults will love. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream. View Recipe Save 16 of 30 Caesar Salad with Grilled Steak Jason Donnelly Traditional Caesar salad dressing uses egg yolk to make it creamy. Here we use mayo instead for the same rich results without the raw egg. View Recipe Save 17 of 30 Sheet-Pan Balsamic Chicken & Asparagus Ali Redmond This chicken and asparagus recipe is a simple one-pan meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Chicken cutlets are coated in a tangy-sweet balsamic glaze, roasting right alongside tender asparagus for an easy, well-balanced dinner. If you don’t have chicken cutlets on hand, you can easily make your own by slicing two 8-ounce chicken breasts in half horizontally. The thin cut ensures quicker, more even cooking, so everything on the sheet pan finishes at the same time—perfect for a fuss-free, delicious dinner! View Recipe Save 18 of 30 Tofu & Watercress Salad with Mango & Avocado Eva Kolenko This tofu-topped watercress salad is a fresh, plant-based meal perfect for when you want something hearty but are looking to eat less meat. Salad ingredients like mango and avocado add tangy flavor and creamy texture to bring the dish together and level up your green salad or vegetable salad repertoire. View Recipe Save 19 of 30 Ginger Beef Stir-Fry with Peppers Jacob Fox This vibrant, colorful dish is great for those who love a little heat. Adjust the amount of chile-garlic sauce according to your preferred heat level. To smash ginger, use the side of a chef's knife or the flat bottom of a sturdy mug. Serve with cauliflower rice, if desired. View Recipe Save 20 of 30 Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margret Monroe Dickey Amp up your veggie servings with this healthy cauliflower fried rice for a quick low-carb dinner. View Recipe Save 21 of 30 Spinach & Artichoke Chicken Dera Burreson Inspired by artichoke dip, we made a creamy cheese topping to serve on quick-cooking chicken breast cutlets for an oh-so-satisfying meal. View Recipe Save 22 of 30 Spicy Coconut, Chicken & Mushroom Soup Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford Coconut milk tames the heat and combines deliciously with shredded chicken breast in this spicy Thai-inspired coconut chicken soup. View Recipe Save 23 of 30 15-Minute Sheet-Pan Chicken Tenders & Broccoli with Everything Bagel Seasoning Jacob Fox Dinner is ready in only 15 minutes and cleanup is a breeze with these easy broiled chicken tenders coated in everything bagel seasoning with fresh broccoli on the side. The three-ingredient dipping sauce adds just a hint of sweetness and spice. View Recipe Save 24 of 30 Salmon & Avocado Salad Tender salmon tops a hearty salad of red cabbage, carrots and avocados tossed with a creamy dill vinaigrette in this quick, easy dinner. View Recipe Save 25 of 30 Scallops & Cherry Tomatoes with Caper-Butter Sauce These pan-seared scallops come together in just 20 minutes for a delicious, easy dinner. You'll want some zucchini noodles or mashed cauliflower to sop up all the rich, briny sauce. View Recipe Save 26 of 30 Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Grilled Chicken These healthy Greek-inspired cauliflower rice bowls topped with feta, olives, veggies and grilled chicken are impressive yet take just 30 minutes to make. View Recipe Save 27 of 30 Skillet Buffalo Chicken If you like Buffalo wings, you'll love this quick skillet Buffalo chicken recipe. Chicken cutlets are sautéed, then smothered in a creamy-spicy sauce. A side-salad garnish of carrots, celery and blue cheese pulls it all together. View Recipe Save 28 of 30 Crispy Cod with Charred Snow Peas & Creamy Herb Sauce This crispy cod recipe shows you how to make golden fish that's not deep-fried, to put a healthy twist on a classic. And it's super simple—pat it dry and dredge it with a bit of flour before sautéing in a hot pan. View Recipe Save 29 of 30 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets & Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Tomato Sauce This low-carb chicken dinner whips up in only 20 minutes, thanks to thin-cut chicken breast and packaged zucchini noodles. If you have a spiralizer and want to make your own zucchini noodles, use two medium zucchini. View Recipe Save 30 of 30 Vegan Burrito Bowls with Cauliflower Rice These meal-prep vegan burrito bowls are healthier and more flavorful than takeout. Make them early in the week for grab-and-go meals when days are busy. We use frozen cauliflower rice, a low-carb substitute for white or brown rice, to cut down on prep time. View Recipe Save Explore more: Healthy Recipes Mealtime Dinner Low-Carb Dinner Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit