Low carb Side Dishes for Steak: 12 Restaurant-Quality Recipes

Are you looking for steak side dishes that are not pasta, bread, or potato.? This list of low carb side dishes for steak will blow your mind.

Is it just us, or are most of the recommended steak side dishes high in carbs and not keto-friendly?

We love a good steak dinner, but visiting our favorite steakhouse revealed one serious issue: almost all steak sides are potatoes, bread, rice, or pasta.

We sure wouldn’t let this issue get in the way of our favorite protein source, so we tried looking for steak side dishes that are:

a.) low carb,

b.) easy to make at home, and

c.) deliver the authentic steakhouse experience.

Well, look no further.

We rounded up all our favorite sides in this list, which all fit the requirements.

From keto-friendly sauces to healthy vegetable sides and low-carb versions of the classic sides, we’ve got every side dish you want.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s dig in!

12 Quick and Easy Low-carb Side Dishes for Steak

Create the authentic steakhouse meal at home with these fantastic side dish ideas:

1.   Mashed Cauliflower- The Classic Side Dish Done 4 Ways

Per serving: 28 calories, 0.6g fats, 2.3g, and 2.2g net carbs

No steakhouse dinner will ever be complete without mashed potatoes. Luckily, we found the perfect low-carb alternative—mashed cauliflower. (*)

Besides being low-carb, this recipe is also easy to make. You can quickly whip this up if you know how to chop and boil water.

But here’s the part: you can prep this classic side dish in 4 different ways! The recipe will teach you to make the following variations of flavors:

• Buttery,
• Cheesy,
• Mustard,
• And Curried.

With all these fantastic options, it’s even better than your run-of-the-mill mashed potatoes.

Reminder: Please remember that the nutrition facts only cover plain mashed potatoes. It will vary depending on the flavorings you’ll add.

Pro Tip: Use a food processor, stick, or immersion blender to create a smooth texture. (*)

On the other hand, go for a potato masher if you enjoy the bite of cauliflower clumps. (*)

Editor’s Tip: Top the mashed cauliflower with crispy bacon bits for added crunch and a fat content boost.

Learn more: https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/low-carb-mashed-cauliflower-4-ways/

2. Rutabaga Fries– Keto French Fries

Per Serving: 96 calories, 6g fats, 1g protein, and 6g net carbs.

Tender and juicy steak with hot and crispy fries is a match made in heaven. But unfortunately, it’s not a duo that’s made for keto.

Just when you thought you could no longer enjoy this combo, Rutabaga fries come to your rescue.

We love swapping potatoes with rutabaga because it:

• has half the calories and carbohydrates and 4 times the fiber of potatoes. (*)
• crispy on the outside and tender on the inside when roasted—just like French fries!
• gives off a more neutral flavor as compared to zucchini.
• can be easily sliced into fries shape.

It fits all the requirements—nutrition, texture, and flavor. What more can you ask for?

Pro Tip: If you want to stock up on these fries, blanch them first before freezing them.

Editor’s Tip: Serve this with any low-carb dip to boost flavor. Our favorite is this low-carb ranch dressing. (*)

Learn more:https://www.wholesomeyum.com/keto-rutabaga-fries-recipe/

3. Creamed Spinach– Restaurant Side Dish Made Low Carb

Per Serving: 238 calories, 25g fats, 4g protein, and 2g net carbs

The creamed spinach dish in steakhouses seems keto-friendly since it has a vegetable as its main ingredient. Unfortunately, that restaurant side dish contains about 15g of net carbs or more because butter and flour are used to achieve its crave-worthy thick texture.

Well, this won’t be a problem with this low-carb creamed spinach recipe. It cuts down the carb content by half by reducing the amount of liquid used and increasing the cheese content.

This is a win-win since the cheesier it is, the better, right?

Pro Tip: Use frozen spinach for easy prep.

Editor’s Tip: When using frozen spinach, let it thaw in the pan first before adding the heavy cream and cheese mixture to prevent the sauce from thinning.

Learn more:https://drdavinahseats.com/keto-creamed-spinach-recipe

4. Wedge Salad– A Steakhouse-style Side Dish

Per Serving: 265 calories, 21g fats, 13g protein, and 4g net carbs.

You can only enjoy this classic steakhouse side dish on keto when you skip the dressing. We don’t like a bland salad, and that’s why we were happy to have found this recipe that delivers all the wedge salad’s amazing flavors without the carbs.

Like the restaurant version, it has juicy tomatoes, crispy bacon, firm and tender eggs, and creamy blue cheese dressing, delivering textures and flavors that will tickle your taste buds.

Not only that but these delicious ingredients are also loaded with fats and proteins that can fill you up and keep you satisfied.

But wait, there’s more. You likely already have these ingredients in your pantry, so you can easily make this at home.

Learn more:https://seekinggoodeats.com/blue-cheese-wedge-salad-recipe-keto-salad/

5.  Keto Shrimp and Grits – For the Ultimate Surf ‘N Turf Meal

Per serving: 401 calories, 28g fats, 33g proteins, and 4.4g net carbs.

With its cheesy, creamy, and a bit spicy flavor, these keto shrimp and grits are our go-to comfort food. But recently, we figured out that it can also be one of the best low-carb side dishes for steak.

It has the same delicious flavor and intriguing textures as the classic shrimp and grits but with a low-carb twist: it uses cauliflower instead of potatoes.

The result is a rich, comforting, fiber-rich, gluten-free side dish that’s super filling and highly satisfying.

Pro Tip: Use an immersion blender instead of a potato masher to achieve a smoother texture. (*)

Editor’s Tip: Add crisp bacon bits and keep the shrimp tails on for a crunchy touch.

Learn more:https://www.maebells.com/keto-shrimp-and-grits-under-5-net-carbs

6. Eggplant Parmesan – Crispy, Gooey, and Tangy

Per serving: 266 calories, 18g fats, 18g protein, and 5g net carbs.

If you always order your steak with lasagna (like us), you’re probably missing it by now (we do!).

Well, this eggplant parmesan is about to end your misery.

This simple baked dish features layers of crispy breaded eggplant slices with fresh marinara and gooey mozzarella cheese in between, delivering the same lasagna flavor minus the carbs.

Even the breading is low-carb because it’s made of keto bread crumbs and seasoned with parmesan cheese and herbs. (*)

Recommended substitution: Use almond flour or meal if you don’t have keto bread crumbs. (*)

Learn more:https://thebigmansworld.com/keto-eggplant-parmesan/

7. Avocado Chopped Salad– Perfect Summertime Accompaniment

Per serving: 132 calories, 12.1g fats, 1.3g protein, and 3g net carbs.

Are you looking for a light and refreshing side to your steak? This avocado chopped salad is definitely what you need.

This summertime classic contains vegetables and fruits popular during the warmer months—avocados, tomatoes, and cucumbers, so the meal is incredibly refreshing yet still extra tasty.

Despite its light taste, this salad is filling thanks to the healthy fats from the avocadoes. (*)

But that’s not even the best part.

What we love the most about this is the ease of preparation, which involves only three steps: chopping, drizzling, and tossing.

Pro Tip: Add tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper to spice up the salad.

Editor’s Tip: Make steak tacos and top it off with this salad for a more creative way of serving your steak.

Learn more:https://www.ketofocus.com/recipes/keto-avocado-cucumber-salad/

8. Spaghetti Squash – Light Pasta Substitute

Per Serving: 42 calories, 1g protein, and 8g net carbs.

Serving steak with this spaghetti squash recipe is like hitting two birds with one stone. You not only get to enjoy a great low-carb pasta alternative, but you’ve also found a delicious way of getting your fiber in.

As if that’s not enough, it’s easy to prepare because you can make it in three ways—via oven, microwave, or slow cooker. We prefer the oven route among these three options because it delivers that al dente texture we love.

Lastly, you can serve it with any keto pasta sauce you like, making it one of the most versatile low-carb side dishes for steak on the list.

Pro Tip: Serve the pasta with butter and garlic if you want something easy, quick, and simple.

Editor’s Tip: Place the pasta in squash boats, so it can also be a feast for the eyes.

Learn more:https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash-video/

9. Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus– Savory and Healthy

Per serving: 102 calories, 6g fats, 9g protein, and 1g net carb.

Why settle for a simple roasted asparagus in a steakhouse when you can make a cheesier, smokier, and tastier version at home with this prosciutto-wrapped asparagus recipe?

The mere addition of prosciutto already elevated the side dish’s taste and gave it a more savory flavor.

But that’s not all. The prosciutto is smeared with cream cheese, adding a cheesy taste and creamy texture.

Finally, the wrapped asparagus spears are perfectly roasted, giving them a lip-smacking smoky flavor.

Pro Tip: Cook it in the air fryer if you don’t have time to roast it. This cooking method won’t give it that smoky touch but will provide the asparagus spears with a crispier exterior.

Editor’s Tip: Swap the olive oil with balsamic vinegar to infuse slight sweetness and add caramelized taste to the dish.

Learn more:https://thatlowcarblife.com/prosciutto-wrapped-asparagus/

10. Oh My Steak Sauce– A Flavorful Addition

Per serving: 152 calories, 16g fats, 1g protein, and 1g net carbs.

A flavorful sauce can elevate a simple steak dinner, but most steakhouse sauces are loaded with sugar. Containing only 1g of net carbs, this homemade sauce is a great exception.

While it’s low in carbs, it’s definitely high in fats and flavor since it uses butter as its base.

As if that’s not enough, it’s also seasoned with flavorful ingredients like Dijon mustard, shallots, garlic, horseradish, and fresh herbs.

Without a doubt, these fantastic flavors will have you saying, “Oh my!” in just one sip.

Learn more:https://thenovicechefblog.com/oh-my-steak-sauce/

11. Keto Biscuits- Just Like Red Lobster’s

Biscuits and gravy are like peanut butter and jelly—they’re better together. Unfortunately, biscuits are a no-no for keto dieters.

We’ve been missing this combo for a while now, so this keto biscuit recipe is heaven-sent.

With this recipe, you can enjoy cheddar biscuits with a garlic butter glaze taste, just like Red Lobsters’, with just a fraction of the carbs (only 2 grams). That’s because it uses almond flour instead of the regular flour.

It’s also far from the bland and saggy keto biscuits we’ve tried because it contains two types of cheese (cheddar and cottage cheese) and a whole lot of butter and garlic.

It delivers garlicky, cheesy, buttery goodness in every bite, and we’re already drooling just thinking about it!

Learn more:https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/keto-biscuits/

12. Mushroom “Risotto”- Rustic Rice Alternative

Per serving: 275 calories, 25g fats, 8g protein, and 5g net carbs.

If you love rice as much as we do, then this low-carb mushroom risotto will definitely excite you.

The recipe uses cauliflower, so you can focus on the dish’s delicious flavor without worrying about carbs. The mushroom toppings are added so you can enjoy a hearty, earthy taste and meaty texture in every bite.

Last but not least, the dish is packed with two cheeses, different types of seasoning, and a hefty amount of heavy cream and butter to give it a thick and creamy texture and rich taste that conceals the cauliflower’s flavor.

Pro Tip: Use at least two mushroom variants to give this deeper and more complex flavor. We highly recommend portobello and white-cup mushrooms.

Learn more:https://lowcarbinspirations.com/creamy-keto-mushroom-cauliflower-rice-risotto/

The Bottom Line

With these easy, low carb side dishes for steak, you can enjoy a restaurant-quality steak experience at home without worrying about your carbohydrate consumption.

All you need to do is follow our recommendations, tips, and tricks, and you can throw a fancy keto-friendly feast at home anytime, all the time.