The Ketogenic, or Keto diet, has gained a lot of attention over the last few years, partly due to the dramatic results in weight loss and partly because many people report a huge change in their overall energy levels. The basis for the Keto diet includes very low levels of carbohydrates – no bread or refined sugar, a healthy amount of protein, and foods that are high in fat. If you love butter but never imagined a diet that allowed it, grilling Keto may be perfect for you.
Because this diet is high in protein and fat, it naturally lends itself to grilling and smoking. Today, we're looking at some of our favorite low-carb grill meals, delicious food that anyone, whether they're following Keto or not, can enjoy.
Our Favorite Keto Recipes for Grills or Smokers
A Pit Barrel Cooker can elevate your grilling, and with various sizes, you can cook just for your family or enough for a whole party! Unlike a traditional grill, Pit Barrel® Cookers can be used to prepare many types of dishes, not just grilled food. Therefore, they're best for many types of keto grilled food.
Keto Pimento Cheese Dip
Rich, melted cheddar and jack cheeses, combined with tangy pimento peppers and creamy mayonnaise, make this dip a party favorite. One of our easiest keto smoker recipes, it's made by simply blending the ingredients together in a bowl, then smoking in a cast iron pan. The dip can be served with raw vegetables, such as celery or zucchini sticks, keeping it keto-friendly. Or, for people who aren't eating a keto diet, serve with chips or crackers.
Keto Smoked Cajun Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are the life of any party, and with our elevated Cajun-style recipe, these eggs are enough for a meal. They're perfect for a keto-friendly appetizer, with the traditional deviled egg filling and the addition of sliced Andouille sausage or grilled shrimp. We like to use both, and grill the shrimp skewers in the Pit Barrel® Cooker, plus smoke the egg whites for a delicious, smokey taste. Once the eggs have been smoked and cooled, simply pipe in the yolk filling and top with the grilled shrimp or smoked sausage.
Keto Smoked Chicken Bacon Ranch Dip
We wouldn't blame you if you decided to just dig into this tangy, creamy dip with a fork. Keto-friendly chicken bacon ranch dip is elevated when cooked in a Pit Barrel® Cooker. The smoky wood improves the flavor of the bacon, and when you opt to grill or smoke the chicken in your cooker, you add even more depth of flavor. You can serve it with low-carb tortilla chips, vegetable sticks, or supply chips or crackers for people who aren't eating Keto.
Keto Ghost Pepper Bacon Weaved Smoked Meatloaf
Turn your meatloaf from boring to banging with the addition of ghost peppers and bacon. This recipe uses both ground beef and pork, and the addition of cheese chunks into the meatloaf mix not only helps keep the loaf moist and juicy but adds the extra fat that many keto recipes need. When mixing the peppers, either jalapeno or ghost peppers, make sure to incorporate them with the egg mixture so that the flavor is distributed evenly throughout the meatloaf. Wrapping the meatloaf with bacon helps keep it together while cooking in your Pit Barrel® Cooker, plus the fat from the bacon adds moisture to the meatloaf. We like making a few of these at once and having the leftover meatloaf for keto-friendly lunches throughout the week.
Whole Sea Bass With Spring Salad
Fresh, whole fish and a light spring salad are delicious, refreshing meals on a hot summer's day. Serve an entire roasted sea bass stuffed with fresh lemongrass and thyme for an elegant, easy summer luncheon. The fish may be grilled on the grill portion of your Pit Barrel® Cooker, but be sure to generously grease the grill so that the fish's skin doesn't stick. The high-protein fish makes this a tasty Keto treat, and adding cheese to your spring salad fulfills the fat requirements of a Keto diet.
Smoked Pork Belly
Pork belly is a delicious, high-fat cut of meat, perfect for the bacon-loving keto diet follower. When you slow cook pork belly in your Pit Barrel® Smoker, you infuse the delicious scent of your chosen smoking wood into the pork. The finished product has beautifully rendered fat and fork-tender texture. The best part about this recipe is that you can change it up with whatever kind of meat or game rub you desire, either a spicy cajun rub or an Italian herb blend.
Smoked Ham
Make the holidays special with this foolproof smoked ham recipe. Or, meal prep for a week's worth of low-carb grilled meals by smoking an entire ham in your Pit Barrel® Cooker, then portioning the ham into smaller containers to eat throughout the week. There's no need for additional spices, either, since the delicious flavors from the smoker are imparted into the ham.
Top Sirloin
Top sirloin is a naturally lean cut of meat with marbled fat that creates a richness of flavor. When prepared on the grill of your Pit Barrel® Cooker, the steaks benefit from the slow, low cooking temperatures and the delicious flavors from your game rub and wood. Sirloin is a perfect meat to eat while following a Keto diet since it's high in protein.
Use Your Pit Barrel® Cooker for Your Keto Diet
Your Pit Barrel® Cooker makes Keto meal preparation simple. From grilling high-protein steaks to preparing delicious creamy, cheesy dips for a party, your Pit Barrel® Cooker can help you stick to your keto diet with easy to prepare, fresh recipes. We offer three different sizes to fit your smoking needs, each one with flexible grilling space, hooks for smoking larger cuts of meat, and the right accessories to make your grilling and smoking a success. Check out our vertical drum grill selection, ranging from the 14" junior for smaller meal preparation to the 22.5" PBX model, ideal for either restaurant use or grilling and smoking meals large enough for a party or holiday gathering.