5 Easy Carb-Smart Dinner Ideas

Try these easy carb-smart dinner ideas when you want high-protein meals that still feel satisfying. From chicken Caesar salad to lettuce-wrapped burgers, these recipes are filling without the extra carbs.

Find these and hundreds more free recipes inDinner123.

Carb-Lite Chicken Caesar Salad

Grilled chicken and romaine without a crouton in sight.

30 minServes 4

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Char- Broiled Sirloin Steak with Cabernet Butter Sauce

Tender sirloin with a rich wine flavour.

45 minServes 6

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Creamy Beef Cauliflower Bake

Beef, cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach, and a creamy Parmesan topping.

30 minServes 4

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Jerk Chicken

Bold island spice and a rum marinade.

1 hr 30 minServes 4

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Lettuce- Wrapped Burgers

Cheeseburgers with special sauce.

25 minServes 4

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Carb-Lite Chicken Caesar Salad

30 min · Serves 4

Created and tested by real human beings.

These and hundreds more free recipes onDinner123.

Coming soon for Android and iPhone.

Carb-Lite Chicken Caesar Salad

A carb-lite chicken Caesar salad with parmesan and a creamy Greek yogurt dressing.

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 large romaine lettuce, chopped into large pieces

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shaved or grated

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

Method

•In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Rub the mixture evenly over the chicken.

•In a medium bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Refrigerate the dressing while cooking the chicken.

•Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer. If the pan is crowded, cook it in batches.

•Cook the chicken for 6–8 min on the first side, until browned and it releases easily from the pan.

•Flip the chicken and cook for 4–6 min more, until golden brown and the thickest part reaches 165°F / 74°C.

•Move the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 min, then slice it.

•Put the chopped romaine in a large salad bowl. Add the sliced chicken.

•Drizzle with the dressing, then top with parmesan and chives. Toss gently and serve.

A Dinner123 kitchen recipe, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

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Char- Broiled Sirloin Steak with Cabernet Butter Sauce

45 min · Serves 6

Created and tested by real human beings.

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Char- Broiled Sirloin Steak with Cabernet Butter Sauce

Ingredients

1 top sirloin steak (also goes by the name: center cut, top butt, and hip)

Salt

ground black pepper

Olive oil

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, sliced thinly and brought to room temperature

½ cup Cabernet Sauvignon wine

1 shallot, puréed until smooth

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

Method

Steak

•Brush both sides of steak with olive oil and season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

•Preheat your broiler. Place a rack in the highest position of the oven and one just below it. Place a sheet of aluminum foil that has been crimped around the edges on the lower rack.

•Place the steak on the upper rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center of the steak and keep the oven door open with a tube of aluminum foil.

•Cook until internal temperature reaches 140°F for medium rare — a warm red center, 155°F for medium — a pink center, and 165°F for well done — little to no pink (carry-over will take it 5 degrees).

•Remove to a plate, dab butter slices evenly on top, and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest 10 min before slicing thinly across the grain on a 45 degree angle.

Cabernet butter sauce

•Combine wine and shallot in a medium skillet over medium high heat.

•Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting until the last piece has been incorporated before adding the next piece.

Serving

•Serve steak warm with the Cabernet Butter Sauce.

Adapted from the Wikibooks Cookbook, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Creamy Beef Cauliflower Bake

30 min · Serves 4

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Creamy Beef Cauliflower Bake

This skillet bake combines beef, cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach, cream cheese, panko, and Parmesan.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 large cauliflower

½ cup panko

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

8 oz mushrooms

½ cup cream cheese

4 green onions

4 cups baby spinach

Method

•Preheat broiler. Heat oil in a large oven-safe frying pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add beef, mushrooms, green onions, salt, and pepper. Cook about 7 minutes, breaking up beef, until browned.

•Add cauliflower and ½ cup water to the frying pan. Cover with a lid or foil and cook about 5 minutes, until cauliflower softens.

•Stir in spinach and cream cheese until creamy.

•Sprinkle panko and Parmesan on top. Put the oven-safe pan under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until golden. If your pan is not oven-safe, transfer mixture to a casserole dish first.

A Dinner123 kitchen recipe, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

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Jerk Chicken

1 hr 30 min · Serves 4

Created and tested by real human beings.

These and hundreds more free recipes onDinner123.

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Jerk Chicken

Ingredients

½ tsp ground allspice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp freshly-grated nutmeg

½ tbsp dried thyme

2 tbsp dehydrated lemon peel

3 tbsp dark rum

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

¼ cup brown mustard

Method

•Combine rum and mustard, and rub all over chicken.

•Combine remaining ingredients and rub all over chicken. Refrigerate for at least 1hr, but it is better to marinate overnight.

•Place chicken on a greased, preheated charcoal grill. Cook, turning constantly until internal temperature reaches 165°F — or until the juices run clear and the meat is opaque with no pink at the thickest part. Remove and let rest for 10 min.

•Serve.

Notes, tips & variations

•The spices always included allspice because the berries of the pimento tree are the source of allspice.

•When cooking the meat, barbecue is by far the best technique—failing that, oven bake. Basting with beer is worth trying.

•Serve with rice and peas.

Adapted from the Wikibooks Cookbook, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Lettuce- Wrapped Burgers

25 min · Serves 4

Created and tested by real human beings.

These and hundreds more free recipes onDinner123.

Coming soon for Android and iPhone.

Lettuce- Wrapped Burgers

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb (680 g) ground beef (80/20)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

4 slices cheddar cheese

8 large butter lettuce leaves

1 large tomato, sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

8 dill pickle slices

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Method

•Mix mayo, ketchup, and mustard for special sauce. Set aside.

•Gently mix ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 patties.

•Heat a skillet or grill over medium-high. Cook patties 3–4 min per side. Top with cheese in the last minute.

•For each burger, layer 2 lettuce leaves, special sauce, patty, tomato, onion, and pickles.

•Wrap the lettuce around the burger and serve.

A Dinner123 kitchen recipe, licensed under CC BY 4.0.