Budget Keto Beef Meal Prep

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Ground beef meal prep with juicy kefta and low carb keto veggie pilaf.

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Easy Ground Beef Recipes

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This recipe for ground beef kefta is loaded with flavor and 100% keto diet friendly. The beefy kefta have a Mediterranean vibe because they are seasoned with lemon zest, herbs, smoked paprika, and cumin. The key to making flavorful ground beef kefta is to season aggressively – be be aggressive hey!

You want the ground beef kefta to be so tasty that it just slaps your taste buds in all the right places – and remember, overcooking ground beef is a no-no. So if you are not sure when the kefta are done, cut one in half. The last thing you want is dry little sad kefta. 😉

I serve these juicy ground beef kefta with a cool and creamy lemony yogurt sauce. It pairs great with the flavors of the kefta and I absolutely love the temperature difference of hot kefta and cold yogurt.

Keto Ground Beef Recipes

If you are on the keto diet and looking for tasty beef recipes, then you have to make this one. This is an easy keto recipe that anyone can make for meal prep for the week, and it makes 5 servings.

I also have the best stuffed bell pepper recipe that happens to be keto as well. This keto beef recipes is served with low carb veggie pilaf. A traditional pilaf is rice-based. I just decided to get rid of the rice and use all veggies!

Cauliflower and broccoli are chopped into small bite size pieces and cooked with onions, garlic, and mustard seeds. The seeds add a really nice floral flavor to the veggies, much like Indian dishes have.

The key is to cover the pan with a lid. That way the veggies steam while they saute. To add even more flavor, I like to grate in some lemon zest. I mean you don’t call me obsessed with zest for no reason. Fr a bit of texture, I like to add some pecans. You can toast them if you want to make them even more tasty.

Budget Recipes For Ground Beef

If you see that ground beef is on sale, buy in bulk and put it in the freezer. This entire budget friendly meal comes in at under $4 per meal. Can you believe we are getting this kind of nutrition and flavor for such a cheap price!?

The key for budget recipes is to buy when items are on sale and also buy veggies that are inexpensive. Broccoli and cauliflower are always cheap, and they happen to be low carb and delish.

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Kefta with Veggie Pilaf

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 5 meals
Author: Bobby Parrish

This keto diet recipe has juicy beef or pork kefta with low carb veggie pilaf. Major flavor with this ketogenic diet meal plan recipe that will last all week!

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Ingredients

For the beef:

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons each fresh parsley & mint chopped
  • 1.5 teaspoons each smoked paprika & cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic grated
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • Zest of ½ a lemon
  • Unrefined salt & black pepper
  • Avocado oil

For the yogurt sauce:

  • ¾ cup full fat Greek yogurt or dairy free yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon each fresh parsley & mint chopped
  • Zest of half a lemon
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt & black pepper

For the pilaf:

  • 2 medium size zucchini about 12 ounces
  • ½ a head of cauliflower
  • 1 pound of broccoli with stalks or 12 ounces of florets
  • ½ an onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon each fresh parsley & mint chopped
  • Zest and juice of half a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pecans roasted if desired
  • Kosher salt & black pepper
  • Avocado or grapeseed oil

For the Brussels Sprouts(from FB live video)

  • 2 pounds brussels sprouts
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon & smoked paprika
  • 3 tablespoons pistachios, chopped
  • Lemon zest

Instructions

  1. Cook’s notes: Watch the video in this post to see how to cut the zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli for the pilaf. Everything is cut small and similar in size, so they cook evenly.
  2. Make the pilaf by chopping the zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli into small pieces that are roughly the same size, making sure not to use too much of the stalks. Pre-heat a large and wide pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan and then the onions, garlic, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a couple cracks of pepper. Mix well and cook for 6 minutes, stirring often. Add the chopped zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli to the pan along with ½ teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Mix well and place a lid on the pan, you can also use a sheet tray to cover the pan if you don’t have a lid. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring a few times. The veggies are ready when they have softened up, but still have a bite to them. Turn the heat off the pan and add the parsley, mint, lemon zest and juice, and pecans, mix well. Check for seasoning, you may need more lemon juice or salt. Set aside.

  3. Pre-heat oven to 400F. For the beef/pork kefta, add the ground beef/pork to a large bowl along with the remaining ingredients(not the oil), 1 teaspoon of salt, and a few cracks of pepper. Use your hands to mix everything very well. Form the kefta by taking a little of the meat and shaping it like log or football, watch the video to see how I do this. You will have enough beef to make 14-15 kefta. Bake in 400F oven for 20 minutes.

  4. While the kefta are cooking, make the yogurt sauce by combining everything in a bowl and whisking well. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed.

  5. Serve the kefta with some yogurt sauce and pilaf, enjoy! Everything will keep in the fridge for 5 days, you can freeze the kefta for 2-3 months, but I would not recommend freezing the veggies as they will get very soft and watery. The best way to reheat the kefta and veggies is in a 400 F oven for 10 minutes, if using a microwave, cover the container with a wet paper towel and make sure not to overheat, as the beef will dry out.

Recipe Notes

Macros per serving of kefta, each serving is 3 kefta
470 calories per serving
0.35 grams of net carbs per serving
36 grams of fat per serving
30.7 grams of protein per serving
0 fiber

Macros for all the yogurt sauce:
182 calories
6.89 net carbs
10.75 grams of fat
15 grams of protein
0 fiber

Macros per serving of pilaf, makes 5 servings:
85.6 calories per serving
5.33 grams of net carbs per serving
4 grams of fat per serving
4.4 grams of protein per serving
5.6 grams of fiber per serving

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stuffed bell peppers

Keto Stuffed Bell Peppers

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17 thoughts on “Budget Keto Beef Meal Prep”

  1. Casey Lohman

    Hi Bobby! Thank you for everything you do for us! I love your videos, t-shirts, recipes, etc. I have told many friends about you… I work for a national weight organization and have told hundreds of members about your recipes!
    I particularly love the KETO ones, so MORE please!!
    Thanks again!

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      Wow, thanks for the love and spreading the word Casey, much appreciated! Plenty more keto coming, check the keto shrimp burger and fries I just uploaded 😉

      Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      Right on Chris, so glad to hear that! I always say that my recipes are easy enough for beginners, and you are proving it 🙂 Keep rocking the recipes!

      Reply
  4. Cheryl

    Hi Bobby, I am new to this diet and I came across it quite by accident. I have searched many websites and yours is the best user friendly that I have found. I saved some of your recipes and can hardly wait to try them. You will surely be hearing from me soon. Thanks for the recipes!!??

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      fantastic Cheryl, s glad you found us and thanks for the praise on the new site, a lot of work went into it! Let us know how the recipes go 🙂

      Reply
  5. Odendi Mag

    We super super love your keto recipe! my family are living the fat life for almost 4 years, and your low carb high fat, healthy, attractive and yummy meals are thumbs UP! Easy and available in the Philippines. Thanksss for sharing Bob!

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      So glad to hear that!!! Philippines are some of the biggest foodies in the world, so that means a lot 😉

      Reply
  8. Angelea

    Started the keto diet and this was the first recipe I tried making and it was so amazing . I wish the carbs were a little lower but it has so much flavor you won’t care.

    Reply

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