Firing up the grill or the smoker? Nothing beats the flavor of food cooked outdoors, and if you’re on a keto or low-carb diet, keto BBQ recipes are always a perfect pick. Hungry? Read on and check out this collection of delicious recipes plus helpful tips and advice for getting the best flavor from your grill and smoker!
Keto BBQ
Whether you’re grilling or smoking, you can pile on the flavor when you opt for keto BBQ. Just about any kind of meat, seafood, and vegetable can go on the grill or the smoker to infuse every bite with flavor. Add your favorite keto rub to chicken, pork and beef and kiss it with flames until perfectly cooked. Or, marinate vegetables and seafood and sear them over a high heat until perfectly grilled.
Best Things To Smoke in a Smoker
I’ve smoked everything from big, cheap hunks of pork (mmmm keto pulled pork) to Brussels sprouts, but hands down, some of my favorites on the smoker include:
- smoked chicken breast
- smoked pork (wrap pork loin in bacon and smoke it)
- beef tenderloin – is simply amazing and melt-in-your-mouth-tender on the smoker
- asparagus – the light smoke flavor transforms this grassy vegetable into something amazing!
Gas or Charcoal Grill?
This is a personal preference. Gas or propane grills have the benefit if firing up and heating up quickly, and you can control the temperature much more easily. The downside is that you don’t get quite the same level of flavor as you would from a charcoal grill.
Charcoal takes longer to heat up and maintaining the temperature is a bit harder. You will have to manipulate the coals to avoid hot spots, but the flavor is unbeatable.
Wood vs Pellet Smoker
Like choosing between a charcoal and gas grill, using a wood or pellet smoker is a personal choice. For me, I love my Traeger pellet smoker. I love that I can easily control the temperature, even turning up the heat to grill over high heat.
There are a variety of easy-to-use pellets too, with everything from hickory and mesquite – which are better for longer smokes and heartier meats – to applewood and cherry which is better for pork, chicken, and seafood.
Wood-fired smokers require more care and attention, regulating the temperature by adding wood or letting the coals die down. But, the flavor is well worth the effort.
Scroll down for some truly amazing meat smoker recipes.
Keto BBQ Sauce or Keto Rub?
Deciding between a rub and a sauce is also a personal choice. Some recipes clearly call for one or the other, but if you want to double up on the flavor, give your meat a good rub with your favorite keto rub and then when cooked, add your favorite keto BBQ sauce. Smoked pulled pork is especially good when done like this, but you can experiment to find all your favorite meats, sauces, and rubs.
Hungry? the BEST BBQ Keto Recipes are Below!
Wrapped in bacon and slowly smoked until tender and delicious, this Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin is easy, impressive, and in-your-face delish!
Firing up the grill? Don't forget about adding the veggies! Loaded with flavor, keto grilled vegetables are a must whenever you're doing keto BBQ.
Zero net carbs and loaded with flavor, these tasty Beef Kefta Kabobs will transport you miles away to the Mediterranean!
Fun to make and delicious to eat, Lemon Oregano Chicken Kabobs are a must for summer grilling.
With an easy rub and a quick trip on the smoker, you can infuse oodles of flavor into humble chicken breasts. Smoking chicken breasts is a must-try!
When you really want to impress, Smoked Beef Tenderloin is the way to go. Melt in your mouth flavor makes this an outstanding dish for every occasion.
A quick and easy rub transforms humble chicken thighs turning them into a meaty favorite the whole family will love.
Top grilled beef, chicken, or seafood with this Garlic & Herb Butter and transform every bite into bliss!
Add a punch of freshness and crunch to your smoked chicken or pork with this amazing Keto Cucumber Salsa!
Simple and tasty, this is a great recipe for keto BBQ chicken.
Easy Keto Grilled Mojo Skirt Steak is a very simple, tender, marinated steak recipe that has citrus, spices & Latin flavors. It is low carb, keto, paleo & Whole30.
Tender shrimp in a zesty lime cilantro marinade, grilled to perfection and served with a creamy avocado dipping sauce.
Juicy, slow cooked ribs on your pellet grill are a must this summer! Fall off the bone and tender.
Learn everything you need to know about how to smoke a beef chuck roast on your charcoal or pellet smoker with this easy, step by step tutorial.
You can't beat smoked ribs in the summer. They have so much flavor with little effort.
These grilled chicken legs are marinated in a fresh herb marinade before getting thrown on the grill. Double your marinade as a salad dressing for an easy summertime supper!
This Keto BBQ Chicken is my go-to chicken recipe. Seasoned chicken is cooked to juicy perfection and then homemade BBQ Sauce brings everything together with a zippy, refreshing punch.
These low carb grilled vegetables are served with slices of mozzarella balls! The perfect side dish for a summer's day
Grilled prawns marinated in fresh herbs, chili, garlic and lemon juice, and served with a creamy avocado dip.
This keto marinade for chicken gives your grilled meat tons of flavor. It's perfect for any summer barbecue. Just whisk the ingredients together and let the meat soak for at least an hour before cooking.
These keto baby back ribs will quite literally be the best ribs you will have ever eaten! They fall off the bone without being overcooked and falling apart, have a nice bark (or crust), and are loaded with flavor!
Here's a super easy recipe for grilled okra! This smoky low carb side dish is seasoned with paprika, garlic, and cumin, and is perfect for the summer!
Infused with flavor, theres's nothing quite like these grilled chicken legs to really please a crowd!
Delicious and meaty, this is one of the best burgers you'll ever eat!
This easy smoked beer can chicken with dry rub is just what your summer needs. Directions for smoker and grill.
A quick and tasty approach to keto friendly ribs on the grill, this recipe will walk you through the process of using the “hot n’ fast” technique on your smoker and making some killer ribs.
Smoked onions are the best side dish ever! Just a few slices on a burger kicks it up to a whole new level.
These are most wonderful! Thanks for sharing them! I look forward to many fine meals!
You’re most welcome! Be sure to come back and tell me which recipes you try! ~Jenn