22 Low-Carb Dinners You'll Want to Make This Spring

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Published on March 16, 2022

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta Frittata — Photo: Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat

Carbs can always be a part of a healthy diet—but on days when you want to scale back your intake, these recipes will add a pop of flavor to your evening. With less than 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving, these meals make a low-carb eating pattern more delicious than ever. Each recipe features spring produce like lemon, broccoli, spinach and asparagus for a seasonal dish that will keep you coming back for more. Recipes like our Cheesy Portobello Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli and Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta are so tasty, you'll keep them in rotation all season.

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Cheesy Portobello Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli

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.

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Lemon-Garlic Steak & Green Beans

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!

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Chicken & Cauliflower-Rice Casserole

Chicken & Cauliflower-Rice Casserole — Will Dickey

Get your veggies and your protein fix in this easy, gluten-free chicken and cauliflower-rice casserole. Riced cauliflower stands in for traditional rice, making this creamy casserole low in carbs but—with the simple combination of Cheddar cheese and chicken—suitable for even the pickiest of eaters.

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Crustless Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche

Crustless Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche — Dera Burreson

This simple quiche is as easy to make as it is delicious! The egg mixture gets poured directly into the pie pan so you still get the distinctive edges, but skip the hassle of rolling out a crust. Serve for brunch or dinner with a side salad.

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Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta

Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta Frittata — Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat

Serve this spring-vegetable-loaded frittata with an arugula salad and a hunk of crusty bread. Tip: This recipe cooks quickly, so be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.

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Lemon-Garlic Dump Chicken Thighs with Broccoli

Lemon-Garlic Dump Chicken Thighs with Broccoli — Brie Passano

This fuss-free dinner is as easy as dumping chicken thighs, veggies and sauce in a baking dish! As the chicken cooks it adds flavor to the sauce that thickens while it cooks and softens the vegetables.

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Roasted Salmon & Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche

Roasted Salmon & Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche — Jason Donnelly

Gribiche is a classic French sauce made with pantry items including capers, cornichons and Dijon mustard, plus fresh parsley and hard-boiled eggs. It's often served with cold meats or vegetables, but here we pair it with roasted fish and asparagus for a bright and acidic burst of flavor.

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15-Minute Sheet-Pan Chicken Tenders & Broccoli with Everything Bagel Seasoning

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 sweet and spice.

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One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli

One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli — Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Greg Luna

Shrimp cooks quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve over whole grains or rice.

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Spinach & Feta Quiche

Spinach & Feta Quiche — Brie Passano

This quiche skips the crust and delivers spinach, dill and feta cheese in every bite. Enjoy this easy quiche for brunch or make it for dinner and serve with a green salad on the side.

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Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

Spinach & Artichoke Smothered 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.

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Ham & Asparagus Quiche

Ham & Asparagus Quiche — Victor Protasio

This spring ham-and-asparagus quiche is perfect for brunch or dinner with a green salad on the side. If you've got leftover Easter ham, let it shine paired with tender asparagus in this crustless quiche. Emmenthal cheese adds a rich, sharp flavor, but Swiss cheese is an excellent alternative.

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Easy Salmon Cakes with Arugula Salad

Easy Salmon Cakes with Arugula Salad

After making the salmon cakes, we firm them up for 5 minutes in the freezer before cooking so they don't fall apart when they hit the hot oil. You can also make these salmon cakes with canned salmon to make them pantry- and budget-friendly.

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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. Pat it dry and dredge it with a bit of flour before sautéing in a hot pan.

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Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans

Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans

This easy lemon-garlic chicken recipe calls for cutlets, which cook in less than 10 minutes! Can't find them? Make your own from chicken breasts. Place each breast on a cutting board and, with your knife parallel to the board, slice into the skinny side of the chicken breast in a single smooth motion. The side of green beans is cooked right in the same pan as the chicken, so this 20-minute easy, healthy dinner is not just a snap to prepare--the cleanup is a cinch too.

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Sheet-Pan Sesame Chicken & Broccoli with Scallion-Ginger Sauce

In this healthy sheet-pan chicken recipe, meaty bone-in chicken thighs and broccoli florets are tossed with sesame oil and roasted on the same pan for a delicious and easy dinner with minimal cleanup. While the chicken and broccoli cook, whip together the simple scallion-ginger sauce. The sauce would also be wonderful spooned over salmon, tofu or grain bowls; it is easily doubled or tripled!

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Teriyaki-Glazed Cod with Cauliflower Rice

This healthy fish recipe comes together fast with just three ingredients you can always have on hand in your freezer and fridge. Store-bought teriyaki glaze makes a great marinade for cod that doubles as a sauce for the cauliflower rice.

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Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips

The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe--cinnamon, allspice and cloves--may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.

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Easy Sesame Chicken with Green Beans

Easy Sesame Chicken with Green Beans

Sweet-salty hoisin sauce and nutty sesame team up in this easy meal that's cooked on one baking sheet. Serve this sesame chicken with brown rice and sliced cucumbers, drizzled with sesame oil and rice vinegar.

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Cauliflower Chicken Fried "Rice"

Get an extra serving of vegetables and cut back on carbs by replacing rice with riced cauliflower in this healthy chicken fried rice recipe.

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Chipotle-Orange Broccoli & Tofu

Chipotle peppers add kick to this tofu and broccoli stir-fry recipe. If you're shy about spice, cut back on the amount or leave them out completely. Serve over brown basmati rice.

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Broccoli, Mushroom & Beef Stir-Fry

This healthy beef and broccoli stir-fry recipe has a Korean-inspired gochujang sauce. Because stir-fries cook up quickly, have all the ingredients prepped and next to the stove before you turn on the heat. Serve over brown rice or rice noodles.

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