Kale is nutrient-rich, but knowing how to prepare it for maximum flavor and health benefits can be complicated. While you may want to get more kale in your diet because of its superfood status,^[1] its bitter taste can be off-putting if not cooked or seasoned correctly.

Different preparation methods–like massaging the leafy green for kale salad recipes, roasting it with grass-fed ghee, or sautéing it with garlic–can bring out its best flavors while preserving its nutrients. Simple techniques can make kale a delicious addition to any meal, whether you’re craving crispy kale chips or a comfort-food side dish.

Explore this guide to learn how to prepare kale to maximize its flavor and health benefits. Plus, we’ve rounded up our top ten recipes with kale for you to try. Let’s dive in!

The Benefits of Kale

Kale has earned its status as a superfood due to its impressive array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This leafy green delivers a powerful nutritional punch, supporting wellness in many ways, from immunity to heart health.^[2]

Kale Nutrition Facts

Kale is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K—crucial for vision,^[3] immune health,^[4] and blood clotting.^[5] Kale also provides minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium, which support bone health^[6] and muscle function.^[7]

As if that’s not enough, kale contains antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, lutein, and flavonoids, which help protect your body against oxidative stress and inflammation.^[8] It contains fiber that aids in digestion^[9] and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels.^[10]

Kale is low in calories but rich in nutrients, making it a delicious and nutritious addition to your meal plan. The key to enjoying kale is knowing how to prepare it properly.

How to Prepare Kale

Kale is super versatile, and its flavor and texture change depending on how you prepare it. The more you know about different ways to prepare kale, the easier it will be to incorporate this nutritious green into your diet regularly.

Preparing Kale Raw

If you don’t prepare raw kale properly, it can be unappetizing and challenging to chew. Its fibrous leaves and slightly bitter taste can be off-putting. Kale can also be chewy and hard to enjoy without the right technique.

Start by removing the tough stems and tearing the leaves into bite-sized pieces for best results. Wash the leaves thoroughly and dry them well. To reduce kale’s natural bitterness and make it tender, massage the leaves with olive oil, lemon juice or salt for a few minutes until they soften and darken in color. This process breaks down the tough fibers, making kale easier to enjoy. Pair raw kale with bold flavors like garlic, nuts, fruits, or a tangy dressing for a delicious, nutrient-packed salad. Or go the desert route and make yourself a kale smoothie.

But kale salad recipes and smoothies are not the only ways to enjoy this green. If you find raw kale challenging to eat, cooking it can be a tasty and easier-to-digest option.

Preparing Kale for Cooking

To prepare kale for cooking, you must remove the stems and chop the leaves into smaller pieces. You can sauté kale with garlic and olive oil for a quick, flavorful side dish or steam it lightly to retain nutrients and vibrant green color. Roasting kale in the oven with olive oil and seasoning creates crispy kale chips, perfect for a healthy snack alternative.

You can also add kale to soups and stews, where it will soften and absorb flavors while maintaining its nutritional benefits. Finally, blanching kale quickly in boiling water can help reduce its bitter flavor, making it easy to incorporate into various dishes.

10 Delicious Kale Recipes

Ready to get more greens in your diet and enjoy the benefits of kale? Explore our favorite top ten recipes with kale to enjoy the vegetable’s incredible versatility and delicious potential.

Dinnertime doesn’t have to be a chore on a low-carb diet. These recipes are simple, robust in flavor and versatile enough to satisfy carb lovers. They deliver the benefits of a low-carb diet, such as weight loss and reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.^[1][2]

From Low-Carb Beef Stir Fry to Keto Buffalo Chicken Casserole to Keto Ramen, here are 20 low-carb dinner ideas to add to your weekly menu.

Why Choose Low Carb Dinners?

People don’t just forgo their favorite carbs for no reason. Plain and simple, low-carb diets are scientifically backed with health benefits. This includes weight management, improved energy levels, and better blood sugar control.

Weight loss is the primary reason people go on low-carb diets, such as keto or paleo. Since low-carb diets emphasize eating more protein and fats, many studies have found that low-carb diets promote weight loss by keeping you satiated (fullness) for longer. They also rev up the metabolism, which encourages rapid weight loss.^[3]

How to Use This List

This list of low-carb dinner recipes solves dinnertime problems. Simply read through the following 20 recipes and click on the one you want to try. You will be led to the full recipe with the ingredients and steps needed.

These cooking and preparation tips also make sticking to a low-carb diet a pinch.

Low Carb Meal Planning

Planning your meals in advance helps you adhere to your diet better, make healthier choices, and save money. Carve out a day each week (ideally at the start of the week) to decide what meals you will prepare and when.

It’s a good idea to choose recipes with similar ingredients. This way, you don’t have to buy or prepare too many extra ingredients.

Low Carb Meal Prep

After you’ve crafted your meal plan and bought your groceries, it’s time to meal prep. Start by putting time aside to do so and ensure you have the right equipment (garlic press, spiralizer, food containers, etc.). It helps to batch cook certain ingredients, such as cauliflower rice, so you have enough to use in different recipes.

Adjusting recipes to suit individual preferences

Proteins are generally interchangeable. For example, when making the Low-Carb Shrimp Pad Thai, you can substitute chicken for shrimp. The spice level in recipes is also completely up to taste. You can add more heat or dial it down.

Low Carb Recipe List

The following low-carb dinner recipes fit the several variations of the low-carb diet.

So whether you’re on keto, paleo, or a general low-carb diet, rest assured that there’s something for everyone.

Whether eaten as an appetizer or the main course, these paleo beef meatballs bring Italian flavors home. Grass-fed ghee is the secret ingredient that keeps the meatballs juicy and tender. These go great with a low-carb sauce, like homemade onion gravy. Serve over cauliflower purée or zucchini noodles.

We promise you won’t miss the bun in this hamburger salad recipe. The major highlights are the caramelized onions, bacon and spices. The flavors and textures mesh harmoniously to convert any salad-hater into a believer.

Thanks to this low-carb recipe, pasta is never off the menu. A lemony butter sauce coats shirataki angel hair noodles. Don’t be surprised if your family licks the bowl!

Comforting, flavorful and oh-so-slurpable — that sums up this keto ramen recipe. Mouth-watering sirloin, vegetables, spices, and zucchini noodles sit in a hot bath of collagen-rich bone broth.

Tortilla, who? You won’t even miss them once you bite into the crunchy romaine lettuce and perfectly seasoned grass-fed ground beef. Plus, it only takes 30 minutes to prepare. Consider doubling up the zesty avocado crema recipe — it goes quick!

Nothing says comfort in a bowl quite like a chicken pot pie. This deliciously low-carb recipe incorporates an almond flour pie crust. The scrumptious filling consists of aromatic spices and shredded chicken.

Whether you’re vegetarian or opting for Meatless Monday, this recipe is for you. It’s packed with nourishing veggies like Brussels sprouts, zucchini, and broccoli.

Simple swaps, such as cauliflower rice instead of white rice and gluten-free coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, make these sushi rolls low-carb. Don’t have the tools or skills to roll sushi? Serve it over cauliflower rice instead.

Prepare for a flavor explosion with this upscale recipe. It’s versatile enough to be added to tacos, burrito bowls or cauliflower mash. Top it off with a drizzle of Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil.

This hearty salad comes together in 15 minutes from start to finish. The pasture-raised eggs, avocado, and wild-caught smoked salmon make it filling enough for dinner.

In addition to being low-carb, this is a one-pan dish that makes cooking and cleanup a breeze. But don’t confuse this dish with a one-hit-wonder. Once you fall in love with the combination of zucchini, garlic, kale, eggs, avocado and spices, you’ll want to devour it again and again.

This family-friendly recipe has only 5 net carbs. Cabbage, ground lamb and cauliflower rice are the star ingredients. With 16 rolls, you’ll have enough to feed the whole family and even have leftovers to freeze or eat throughout the week.

Keto buffalo chicken casserole is sure to tantalize your taste buds. It’s a crowd-pleaser made with staple ingredients like chicken breast, eggs and vegetables.

Here’s the rub: coffee grounds provide a crust that is every energizing as it is delicious. Then, a sous vide cooking technique provides a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Enjoy every delectable bite of this low-carb pad thai that uses shirataki noodles in lieu of rice noodles. You’ll get a good serving of protein from the shrimp and eggs and healthy fats from the cashew butter and Brain Octane Oil.

This protein-packed dish is delicately poached and coated in a creamy, buttery sauce. Best of all, it’s only .5 net carbs! Serve with zoodles or asparagus.

This Asian-inspired stir fry will cure any cravings for Chinese takeout. The beef is marinated in coconut aminos and fresh ginger, so it’s bursting with flavor.

This oven-baked trout recipe is the perfect catch. Unlike other fish recipes that call for sugary glazes, this one delivers low-carb sweetness with raw organic honey. It’s high in protein and takes only 30 minutes to make in the oven.

Prepare a restaurant-worthy dish right at home with this keto coconut shrimp! It’s baked rather than deep-fried, and the creamy cashew sauce is dairy-free.

Who says you need beans to complete a bowl of chili? This low-carb variation on a comforting classic utilizes protein-packed ground beef (or lamb), aromatic spices and wholesome vegetables.

A low-carb diet has numerous health benefits, such as weight loss and management, improved blood sugar and healthier heart health.

These low-carb dinner recipes are what any low-carb diet needs. They take the guesswork out of what you should be eating each day. These are high in protein and healthy fats, can be meal-prepped in advance and add unique tastes and textures to prevent food boredom.