21 Low-Carb, High-Protein Skillet Dinners

By

Danielle DeAngelis

Updated on April 16, 2024

Reviewed by Dietitian

Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD

Cheesy Portobello Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli — Photo: Jacob Fox

A healthy and tasty dinner that only requires one skillet? Yes! Talk about super easy cleanup!

Whether you're following the keto 2.0 plan or just looking for healthy, satisfying dinners, these one-skillet recipes have you covered. Each one has at least 15 grams of protein and no more than 14 g of carbohydrates per serving, so you can enjoy a light yet filling meal.

Recipes like our Cheesy Portobello Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli and Low-Carb Cauliflower Fried Rice with Shrimp are nutritious dishes that are simple to prepare any night of the week.

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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 make good substitutes.

02 of 21

One-Pot Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta

One-Pot Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta — Jason Donnelly

Thanks to quick-cooking shrimp, this one-pot meal comes together in record time. Tomatoes add a burst of color and acidity, while chopped basil brings freshness.

03 of 21

20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Garlic Tomato Sauce

Chicken Cutlets with Garlicky Tomato Sauce — Jason Donnelly

This quick-cooking, high-protein chicken dish is perfect for any weeknight. Here, we cook down cherry tomatoes with a little wine until they burst and become jammy—making a luscious sauce to pair with chicken. A pinch of sugar at the end balances the sauce's acidity.

04 of 21

Low-Carb Cauliflower Fried Rice with Shrimp

Low-Carb Cauliflower Fried Rice with Shrimp — Jacob Fox

This fried rice variation uses riced cauliflower instead of traditional rice to lower the calories and carbs. You can adjust the amount of chile-garlic sauce according to taste.

05 of 21

Creamy Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken

A rich and creamy sauce coats chicken breasts in this quick and comforting dinner. If you don't have chicken cutlets on hand, you can make your own by slicing two 8-ounce chicken breasts in half horizontally.

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20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet

20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet — Jamie Vespa

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.

07 of 21

Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice

Amp up your veggie servings with this healthy cauliflower fried rice for a quick low-carb dinner. The succulent shrimp add the perfect pop of protein to this dish.

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Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms

Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms

Whether you scored wild mushrooms at the farmers market, found cultivated maitake or shiitake at the supermarket or just have some baby bellas on hand, this healthy creamy chicken recipe is delicious with any of them.

09 of 21

Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole

Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole — Jason Donnelly

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.

10 of 21

One-Skillet Chicken Paprikash with Mushrooms & Onions

One-Skillet Chicken Paprikash with Mushrooms & Onions

Try this quick and easy one-skillet version of the Hungarian classic chicken paprikash. Serve the chicken cutlets, mushrooms and creamy sauce with a green salad on the side.

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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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Chicken Piccata

Here, chicken cutlets are cooked in a fragrant, tangy sauce featuring garlic, capers, wine and lemon juice. Serve over zucchini noodles to sop up all of the delicious sauce.

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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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Kung Pao Chicken with Bell Peppers

bowls of chicken and peppers

Here's an easy chicken recipe you'll definitely want to add to your dinner repertoire. A quick marinade tenderizes the chicken and infuses flavor in this stir fry. Adding a little oil to finish the marinade coats the chicken and helps keep it from sticking to the pan.

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One-Skillet Creamy French Onion Chicken

One-Skillet Creamy French Onion Chicken — Brie Passano

This easy one-skillet dinner marries the rich and savory flavor of French onion soup with chicken cutlets in a creamy, satisfying sauce. Serve with a simple green salad with homemade croutons for crunch.

16 of 21

Skillet Lemon-Pepper Salmon

skillet lemon pepper salmon — Ali Redmond

Simple ingredients like lemon, cracked black pepper and paprika completely awaken this fall-apart-tender salmon with a crispy exterior. Use this salmon to add protein to a grain bowl or salad, or enjoy alongside roasted veggies.

17 of 21

Creamy Skillet Ranch Chicken & Broccoli

Creamy Skillet Ranch Chicken & Broccoli — Photographer / Brie Passano, Food Stylist / Annie Probst, Prop Stylist / Holly Raibikis

This crowd-pleasing dinner feeds four and can be on the table in just 30 minutes. To top it off, the creamy ranch sauce, chicken and broccoli all come together in one skillet, making cleanup just as easy as cooking.

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15-Minute Shrimp & Coconut Curry with Eggplant

15-Minute Shrimp & Coconut Curry with Eggplant — Brie Passano

In this quick shrimp recipe, shrimp is paired with a coconut curry and tender eggplant. Red, yellow or green curry works well in this quick dinner.

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Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Chicken Cutlets with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

Though a chicken cutlet may be a chicken breast cut in half, this recipe shows how to make chicken cutlets with double the deliciousness. A jar of sun-dried tomatoes does double duty for this healthy dinner idea. The flavorful oil they're packed in is used to sauté the chicken, and the tomatoes go into the cream sauce.

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Cauliflower Chicken Fried "Rice"

Get an extra serving of vegetables and decrease your carb intake by replacing rice with riced cauliflower in this satisfying chicken fried rice recipe.

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Shrimp Piccata with Zucchini Noodles

The tangy lemon-caper sauce in this healthy Italian makeover recipe is a natural with shrimp. Serving it over zucchini noodles (aka zoodles) keeps the dish summery and low-cal.

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