15 Low-Carb Dinners You Can Prep in 15 Minutes

By

Danielle DeAngelis

Published on November 25, 2022

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Grilled Flank Steak with Tomato Salad

You can prepare a delicious dinner in 15 minutes or less with these simple recipes. And with no more than 14 grams of carbohydrates per serving, these dinners can make meeting your nutritional goals that much easier. Pair recipes like our Lemon-Garlic Butter Scallops and Air-Fryer Salmon with Horseradish Rub with a side salad for a quick yet complete meal.

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Grilled Flank Steak with Tomato Salad

Cutting the steak immediately after cooking breaks all the rules on meat cookery, but in this recipe we do it intentionally in order to capture the juices and incorporate them into the dressing. Serve this grilled flank steak recipe with crusty bread to soak up the deliciousness.

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Lemon-Garlic Butter Scallops

In this healthy scallop recipe, lemon brightens up sweet scallops. Serve the lemon-garlic butter scallops alongside sautéed spinach with a piece of toasted whole-grain bread to sop up the buttery sauce.

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Air-Fryer Salmon with Horseradish Rub

Air-Fryer Salmon with Horseradish Rub

A crust of fresh horseradish, parsley and capers turns delicately crispy on this air-fried salmon. It's an impressive dinner that's also super simple to make. If you can't find fresh horseradish, use a high-quality prepared product. Be sure to drain and squeeze it to remove as much moisture as possible.

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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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Rosemary-&-Garlic-Basted Sirloin Steak

cast iron skillet with steak

Master the perfectly seared sirloin steak with this easy method, while playing with fresh herbs to enhance the flavor. The key to success: letting the meat come to room temperature before adding it to the pan to ensure it cooks evenly. Rosemary and garlic give it an irresistible herby finish. For the best results, let the steak rest before serving.

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Sheet-Pan Lemon-Pepper Chicken

Sheet-Pan Lemon-Pepper Chicken

This easy-to-assemble combination of citrus, fresh herbs and pepper comes together quickly, uses very few dishes and leaves you time to prepare a side dish while the chicken cooks in the oven. This easy sheet-pan dinner feels like a fancy French chicken dish, but you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry.

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Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy, omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal.

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Healthy Oven-Fried Pork Chops

These whole-wheat panko breadcrumb-coated pork chops get just as crispy as fried chops, but they're healthier. Oven-frying saves you fat and calories while producing chops that are crispy on the outside, yet juicy inside. Serve with steamed broccoli and baked sweet potato for a satisfying weeknight dinner.

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Honey-Garlic Salmon

A simple marinade of soy sauce, lime, honey and garlic adds tons of flavor to salmon with ease. Just a few ingredients make this quick and tasty recipe perfect for a busy weeknight. Serve with brown rice or quinoa and a green salad.

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Slow-Cooker Lemon-Pepper Chicken Thighs with Broccolini

What if you could have tender, slow-cooker chicken thighs and crisp Broccolini to feed four with 10 minutes of hands-on time and eight common ingredients? Now, you can, and here's the recipe to prove it. Garnish with fresh oregano leaves and additional kosher salt and black pepper, if desired.

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Skillet Pork Chops with Peas, Carrots & Pearl Onions

This superfast one-dish dinner is full of classic flavor and is such a crowd pleaser that you'll want to work it into your regular weeknight dinner rotation. We call for bone-in pork chops to maximize flavor, but boneless pork chops are a fine substitution. To round out this meal a little more, serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

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Salmon & Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce

Looking for a recipe to help you eat more heart-healthy fish and veggies? Add this salmon and asparagus dinner to your rotation. Not only is it healthy and delicious, this sheet-pan dinner is also easy to make and a breeze to clean up.

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Quick Shrimp Scampi

Many scampi recipes involve cooking the shrimp with the other ingredients. You can do that here, too, but the benefit of cooking the shrimp separately is twofold: it's easier not to overcook them, and you can whisk in the butter to create a smooth, emulsified sauce. Serve as an appetizer or as a main course with rice, orzo or your favorite grain, spooning the garlicky sauce over everything. It's also great with crusty bread.

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Brown Butter Seared Scallops

Get perfectly cooked scallops every time with this easy method. Sea scallops (the large ones) are sautéed in butter that turns deliciously nutty as it cooks, to make a super-fast, special dinner. A splash of lemon juice and fresh herbs finish the dish. Round out the menu with sautéed spinach and brown rice or orzo.

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Slow-Cooker Turkey Thighs with Herb Gravy

Those who love tender, moist dark meat will love these slow-cooker turkey thighs. If turkey thighs aren't available, ask your butcher to cut up a whole turkey and give you the bone-in thighs. Feel free to substitute an equal weight of chicken thighs for the turkey thighs, if desired. This pairs well with a simple side of steamed green beans.

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