Mediterranean food was one of the cuisines I kept coming back to when I first started eating keto over a decade ago. Most of it is already built around olive oil, fatty fish, lamb, and fresh vegetables: the carb-heavy parts are mostly the pita and the hummus, and both of those have easy workarounds. What I like about this style of cooking is that the flavors do the heavy lifting. You’re getting acid from lemon, funk from feta, richness from good olive oil. No sauce packet required.
I put together 10 recipes that cover a lot of ground: the Keto Gyros and Pesto Chicken Casserole are the ones I keep making on repeat, but the Seared Salmon with Hollandaise has become a serious contender for weeknight dinners. Everything here keeps net carbs low without tasting like it’s trying to be something else. That’s the standard I hold everything to.
If you’re newer to keto and want a starting point, the keto calculator is a good first stop before you start planning meals. The recipes below are a solid foundation.
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Keto Gyros
I had a craving the other day for some nice, big, Gyro sandwiches. You know the ones I'm talking about: hot fluffy bread stuffed w...
Lamb and Halloumi Burgers
A nice change from the normal beef burger, this combination is simply delicious and absolutely bursting with flavor. The lamb minc...
Keto Hummus
The creamy deliciousness of hummus is hard to resist. Unfortunately, so are the high-carb ingredients. Most hummus products and r...
Best Low Carb Tortillas
I will be sharing some keto recipes that call for low carb tortillas in the near future, so I thought I’d share my take on a pop...
Keto Pesto Chicken, Feta, and Olive Casserole
This creamy pesto chicken dish bubbles with your favorite Mediterranean flavors like feta cheese, olives, and basil. This may be y...
Seared Salmon and Asparagus with Easy Hollandaise
This dinner recipe is as impressive as a restaurant meal, but it’s so easy to put together. So, no excuses for eating out again,...
Keto Tuscan Butter Shrimp
Step into an Italian summer with this Tuscan Butter Shrimp recipe. It’s fresh, flavorful, and incredibly versatile—eat it by i...
Garlic Butter Meatballs with Lemon Zoodles
This delicious and nutritious meal ticks all the boxes. It’s gluten-free, keto-friendly, and quick to whip up—it’s sure to b...
Blackberry, Basil and Spinach Pressed Halloumi
This sweet and savory combo is perfect for breakfast or brunch, but could also be part of a light spring lunch. The fresh basil pa...
Grilled Tuna Salad with Garlic Dressing
This salad is as good if not better than the way it looks! Fresh grilled tuna on a bed of greens with onion, cherry tomatoes, and ...
1. Keto Gyros
Per serving: 390 cal | 30.7g fat | 2.4g net carbs | 24.0g protein
The gyro format is mostly about the tzatziki and the thinly shaved lamb, and this version doesn’t shortcut either. Served in a lettuce wrap instead of pita, you get the whole profile (golden-brown meat with a slightly crisp edge, cool yogurt sauce, fresh cucumber) without the bread carbs pulling you out of ketosis. I’ve made these probably 40 times at this point.
Greek yogurt in the tzatziki gives you some protein alongside the fat, and lamb is a solid source of B12 and zinc in a single serving.
2. Lamb and Halloumi Burgers
Per serving: 576 cal | 47.9g fat | 3.3g net carbs | 30.8g protein
Halloumi inside a burger patty is one of those moves that sounds a little odd until you bite into one. The cheese doesn’t melt out: it stays embedded in the lamb, adding a salty, slightly squeaky contrast to the rich meat. Fresh mint in the mix keeps it from getting heavy. The red cabbage slaw gives it crunch without adding much at all carb-wise.
Lamb has one of the higher fat contents of any red meat, and the halloumi adds more. At nearly 48g fat per serving, this one is legitimately filling.
3. Keto Friendly Hummus Recipe
Per serving: 219 cal | 20.0g fat | 5.5g net carbs | 4.9g protein
Standard hummus is off the table on keto because of the chickpeas, so this version uses a lower-carb base while keeping the tahini, lemon, and garlic intact, which are the parts that actually make hummus taste like hummus. My first attempt came out grainy and flat. I was skimping on the tahini and not blending long enough. Once I let the food processor run for a full two minutes, the texture came together.
4. Best Low Carb Tortilla Recipe
Per serving: 139 cal | 11.2g fat | 2.6g net carbs | 2.1g protein
At 2.6g net carbs per tortilla, these hold together well enough to actually wrap things in. The trick in the recipe for getting them perfectly round is worth following exactly: I skipped it once and ended up with irregular shapes that tore when I filled them.
These work as wraps for the gyro recipe above if you want something sturdier than lettuce. The almond flour base gives you some magnesium, which is one of the electrolytes that can run low on keto.
5. Keto Pesto Chicken, Feta, and Olive Casserole
Per serving: 840 cal | 76.0g fat | 5.2g net carbs | 37.0g protein
Pesto, feta, and olives in a bubbling casserole: this one pretty much assembles itself. Chicken thighs stay juicy under all that fat, and the brine from the olives seasons the whole dish without needing anything else. I made this the first time on a night I had almost nothing left in the fridge, and it came out better than most things I’ve planned. The pesto darkens at the edges where it touches the pan, and that slightly toasted flavor is the best part.
6. Seared Salmon and Asparagus with Easy Hollandaise
Per serving: 721 cal | 63.6g fat | 3.5g net carbs | 30.3g protein
The salmon and asparagus go into the same pan, and the hollandaise is done in a blender while everything sears, which means the whole thing is on the table in about 20 minutes if you’re moving. I made this last Thursday after a long day and it felt like more effort than it was. The hollandaise is buttery and silky, with just enough lemon to cut through the richness of the fish.
Salmon is one of the better sources of EPA and DHA omega-3s, the kind linked to lower triglycerides and lower inflammation markers. Two servings a week puts you in a good range.
7. Keto Tuscan Butter Shrimp
Per serving: 428 cal | 31.8g fat | 6.8g net carbs | 28.9g protein
Tuscan butter shrimp is one of those dishes that looks like it came from a restaurant but takes maybe 15 minutes start to finish. Sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, heavy cream, and butter: the sauce comes together fast and coats the shrimp without getting cloying. The trick is pulling the shrimp the moment it curls: 30 seconds too long and the texture goes rubbery. Serve it straight or over cauliflower rice if you want something more substantial.
8. Garlic Butter Meatballs with Lemon Zoodles
Per serving: 393 cal | 29.2g fat | 6.1g net carbs | 25.3g protein
The garlic butter sauce with a hit of lemon is what makes these work. Zoodles keep it light enough that you’re not weighted down after dinner, and the bright acidity cuts right through the richness of the buttered meatballs.
At 6.1g net carbs per serving, this fits into a moderate macro day without much adjustment. Good batch-cooking option too: the meatballs hold up well in the fridge for a few days.
9. Blackberry, Basil and Spinach Pressed Halloumi
Per serving: 424 cal | 32.4g fat | 4.9g net carbs | 26.2g protein
Halloumi pressed against hot cast iron gets a golden-brown crust while staying firm in the center: it doesn’t melt, which is the whole point. The blackberries add a tart sweetness that plays against the saltiness of the cheese, and the basil keeps it from reading as purely a dessert plate. I wasn’t expecting to like this one as much as I did: the sweet-salty contrast caught me off guard the first time. Unusual enough to be interesting, simple enough to make on a random morning.
10. Fresh Keto Grilled Tuna Steak Salad
Per serving: 743 cal | 58.4g fat | 9.8g net carbs | 40.9g protein
Fresh tuna steak on a salad with garlic dressing is a different thing entirely from canned tuna. Seared tuna has a charred exterior and a cool, almost silky center if you pull it off the grill at the right time: the texture contrast is the whole appeal. At 40.9g protein per serving this is one of the higher-protein entries in the list.
Tuna is one of the leaner fish options but still brings omega-3s and a strong amino acid profile. The garlic dressing adds another layer of flavor, and garlic has some evidence linking it to modest reductions in blood pressure.
More Keto Mediterranean Recipes to Try
A few more Mediterranean-style recipes from the site worth bookmarking.
- Easy Mediterranean Cod and Asparagus: Cod and asparagus in a single pan with Mediterranean spices, fast enough for a weeknight.
- Keto Meaty Mediterranean Lunch Bowls: Chicken meatballs over fresh veggies with a sun-dried tomato and basil dressing.
- Keto Mediterranean Breakfast Bowl: A quick breakfast bowl with Mediterranean flavors, good for mornings when you want something beyond eggs.
- Keto Mediterranean Sardine Salad: Sardines, olives, and fresh greens in a Mediterranean-style salad that comes together in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Mediterranean diet naturally compatible with keto?
A lot of it is: olive oil, fatty fish, lamb, eggs, and low-carb vegetables are all staples of both. The main conflicts are legumes (chickpeas, lentils), whole grains, and fruit in large quantities. If you strip those out and keep the fat-forward parts, you end up with something that fits keto well. The keto food list breaks down which Mediterranean staples are in and which aren’t.
Can I eat feta and halloumi on keto?
Yes, both are low in carbs and high in fat and protein. Feta runs about 1g net carbs per ounce, and halloumi is similar. The bigger thing to know about halloumi is that it holds its shape when cooked, which makes it useful in recipes where you’d otherwise need meat for texture. If you’re tracking macros, the keto calculator can help you see how cheese fits into your daily numbers.
What do you use instead of pita bread for keto gyros?
Lettuce wraps are the simplest swap and work well for texture contrast: the crunch against the warm meat is actually good. Low-carb tortillas are the closer structural substitute if you want something you can fold without it falling apart. The Best Low Carb Tortilla Recipe on the site uses almond flour and comes in at 2.6g net carbs each.
How do I keep keto Mediterranean meals from getting repetitive?
The key is rotating the protein: lamb, salmon, shrimp, and tuna all show up in this list, and each one pulls the flavor profile in a different direction. Changing the sauce or herb base (pesto vs. tzatziki vs. hollandaise) also helps more than you’d expect. If you’re planning a full week of eating, the ruled.me meal plan gives you a structured starting point.
I’m new to keto, where should I start with these Mediterranean recipes?
The Pesto Chicken Casserole is probably the easiest entry point: it’s one pan, minimal prep, and forgiving on timing. The Keto Gyros are a close second because the components are straightforward and you can prep the tzatziki ahead. Before you start, the complete keto guide covers the basics so you know what to expect in the first week.
Putting It All Together: Keto Mediterranean Eating
If I had to pick a starting point, the Pesto Chicken Casserole is the easiest to pull off on a weeknight, and the Keto Gyros are the most satisfying if you want something that feels like a real meal. The salmon and tuna entries are worth keeping in rotation if you’re trying to get more fish in: both hit high protein numbers and don’t require much technique. Use the keto calculator to dial in your macros, then pick two or three of these to start.
For your convenience, here are the links to all the recipes I covered in this roundup:
- Lamb and Halloumi Burgers: This lamb burger patty is filled with grated halloumi and fresh mint then served with red cabbage slaw inside a crisp lettuce leaf.
- Keto Friendly Hummus Recipe: Needing a quick snack? Why not try making our keto chickpea hummus recipe.
- Best Low Carb Tortilla Recipe: This recipe is the perfect low carb tortilla substitute, and it includes a special trick to make sure you get perfectly round tortillas each time!.
- Keto Pesto Chicken, Feta, and Olive Casserole: This creamy pesto chicken dish bubbles with your favorite Mediterranean flavors like feta cheese, olives, and basil.
- Seared Salmon and Asparagus with Easy Hollandaise: The salmon and asparagus spears are seared in a single pan, then the easy hollandaise is quickly whipped up in a blender.
- Keto Tuscan Butter Shrimp: Step into an Italian summer with this Tuscan Butter Shrimp recipe.
- Garlic Butter Meatballs with Lemon Zoodles: A childhood favorite gets a healthy twist with this garlic butter meatballs and zoodles dish.
- Blackberry, Basil and Spinach Pressed Halloumi: This sweet and savory combo is perfect for breakfast, but could also be part of a light spring lunch.
- Fresh Keto Grilled Tuna Steak Salad: Needing a quick lunch? Why not try making our fresh keto grilled tuna steak salad with garlic dressing.
If you want to dial in your macros, our keto calculator is the best place to start. And for more meal ideas beyond this list, browse the full recipe collection.
The recipes and nutritional information in this post are shared for informational purposes. If you have health conditions or concerns about the keto diet, please talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making changes to your diet.
Sources
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Health Professional Fact Sheet – NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
- Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids – American Heart Association
- Magnesium and the Keto Diet – Healthline
- Almond Flour Nutrition Facts – USDA FoodData Central
- Health Benefits of Garlic – Healthline
- Garlic and Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analysis – NCBI / PubMed
- Salmon Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits – Healthline
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Triglycerides – NCBI / PubMed
- Lamb: Nutritional Profile – USDA FoodData Central
- Ketogenic Diet: What Is It and How Does It Work? – Mayo Clinic
- Mediterranean Diet 101: A Meal Plan and Beginner’s Guide – Healthline
- Halloumi Cheese Nutritional Information – USDA FoodData Central
- Vitamin B12 and Zinc in Lamb Meat – Medical News Today
- Tuna Fish: Nutrition, Benefits, and Concerns – Healthline
- Electrolytes on a Ketogenic Diet – Healthline
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