Low Carb Pork Recipes You Need to Try!
Today, we want to share with you some of our favorite low carb pork recipes including smothered pork chops, bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, pulled pork stuffed peppers, and more. You won’t be disappointed!
Low Carb Pork Recipes
We love the versatility of pork! There are so many ways to prepare pork that extend beyond your typical pork chops, potatoes, and carrots. Don’t forget about the many different cuts of pork as well!
What are all of the different cuts of pork?
There are essentially 12 different cuts of pork, which include the following:
- Bacon
- Pork Chops
- Pork Belly
- Pork Steak
- Ground Pork
- Ham
- Loin Roast
- Pork Rib Roast
- Sausage
- Shoulder
- Ribs
- Tenderloin
What should I eat with pork?
According to Pork.org, “Pork is the most widely consumed and versatile protein in the world; it’s easy to cook, adaptable to just about any recipe and very tender and juicy.” Today, we are going to introduce you to some delicious keto pork recipes that you’ll love!
What are the benefits of eating pork?
Pork is rich in nutrients, accessible, and affordable. Pork is also very easy to incorporate into any balanced, healthy diet, and is definitely keto-approved!
How do you tenderize pork?
There are 4 primary methods for tenderizing pork. These include:
- Using a meat mallet
- Brining the pork
- Using a tenderizing marinade
- Using an artificial meat tenderizer
Using a meat mallet
Before seasoning or cooking your pork, you will want to break up the muscle fibers of the pork using a meat mallet, or even an ordinary fork if you don’t have a mallet.
Brining the pork
Typically, brining involves soaking the meat in salt water to make it tender and moist. You can also add herbs and spices to the brine to add flavor to your pork recipe!
Using a tenderizing marinade
A successful tenderizing marinade must contain an acid or a tenderizing enzyme to help break down the muscle fibers of the pork. Citrus juice, vinegar, and wine are commonly used in tenderizing marinades.
Using an artificial meat tenderizer
Artificial meat tenderizers are typically found in powder form, but can be liquid as well. The active ingredient found in most artificial tenderizers is Papain, which is a natural chemical found in papayas.
Is pork keto-friendly?
Yes, basically all meats are keto-friendly! Pork is a protein with no carbs (depending on how it is cooked), so it won’t throw you out of ketosis. Some cuts, like bacon, are quite fatty. These qualities are favorable for someone on keto due to the low carb, high fat nature of this diet.
Is pork a carb?
No, pork is not a carb. As stated above, pork naturally contains mostly protein and fat, with no carbs. However, pork chop recipes are often breaded, which would definitely add carbs to the recipe.
What is the nutritional value of pork?
There are several different cuts of pork, but the nutritional content of a 3 oz pork chop with visible fat is:
- Calories: 215
- Protein: 23 g
- Carbs: 0 g
- Fat: 12.9 g
Is a pork chop healthy?
Pork chops are filled with nutrients that allow our body’s to function properly. Pork is high in protein with can support lean body mass. Pork is a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Choose pasture raised pork when possible. Pork raised on the pasture will have a better fatty acid profile than conventionally raised pork (more omega 3 and less omega 6).
Hormones and antibiotics are fat soluble so when choosing fattier cuts of meat be sure to choose pasture raised! Check out this article we wrote about high fat foods to include on a keto diet.
Is it okay to eat bacon on keto?
Yes, all types of pork (including bacon) are completely fine to eat if you are following a keto diet. Bacon is high in fat and contains zero carbs, making it a very keto-friendly food.
What is uncured bacon?
Uncured bacon is bacon that has not been cured using artificial sodium nitrites. Instead, the bacon is cured using celery salt as a more natural method of curing.
Curved vs uncured bacon
In cured bacon, sodium nitrite is an artificial ingredient added to the bacon during the curing process to prevent bacterial growth on the meat. Nitrates and nitrites are often avoided, as studies have linked them to colon cancer. However, uncured bacon is actually cured using celery salt, which contains naturally occurring nitrates.
Check out these great low carb pork recipes!
We’ve got keto pork chop recipes, keto pulled pork, and many more!
Bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers : The Keto Queens
Smothered pork chops : Low Carb Yum
Zucchini and Goat cheese Stacks with mint, pine nuts and crispy prosciutto – An Edible Mosaic
Low carb pork lo mein : I breathe I’m hungry
Nana’s Pork and Sauerkraut – The Crumby Kitchen
Pulled pork stuffed peppers : Low Carb Yum
Balsamic glazed asparagus and bacon : The Keto Queens
Easy roasted pork shoulder : I breathe I’m hungry
Bacon Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats – The Crumby Kitchen
If you found this post and you’re ready to start a keto diet, check out our 5 Day Budget Keto Meal Plan. You’ll get 5 days worth of recipes and eat for under $5 per day!
Or if you’ve been doing keto for a while and just need a little help meal planning, we’ve got you covered! We now offer Keto Meal Plans and you can try a week for free!
If you loved this post or any of our recipes, please leave a comment below. We love hearing from you! You can also tag #theketoqueens on social media. To stay up-to-date, FOLLOW US on Instagram @theketoqueens, Twitter, and Facebook.
Xoxo, Lara & Faith
Love some of the pork recipes especially the asparagus and bacon.