Recipes · Meal
High-Protein Dinner Ideas
High-protein dinners that still feel like dinner.
Dinner recipes here run 10g to 59g of protein per serving, and most are built around a full portion of meat, poultry, or seafood instead of a smaller anchor like eggs or yogurt.
It's also the meal with the most range in how it actually gets made: sheet-pan, slow cooker, stovetop, whatever fits the night. High protein doesn't mean low-carb by default either. Plenty of what's here still includes a full serving of pasta, rice, or potatoes alongside the protein.
At a glance
- Recipes
- 31
- Protein per serving
- 10g to 59gmedian 33g
- Most protein
- Chicken Ramen59g
- Fewest calories
- Air Fryer Tofu125 calories
- Quickest
- Chickpea Salad15 min
High-Protein Burger Bowl
A high-protein burger bowl with seasoned ground beef, cheddar, crisp romaine, pickles, and a Greek yogurt burger sauce: 45g of protein and 11g of carbs per serving.
High-Protein Taco Bowl
A low-carb, high-protein taco bowl: homemade taco-seasoned ground beef over cilantro-lime cauliflower rice with pico, avocado, and cheddar. 45g of protein per serving.
High-Protein Air Fryer Tofu
Crispy air fryer tofu with a cornstarch coating and soy-sesame glaze: a high-protein, low-calorie, vegan dinner in 25 minutes.
High-Protein Egg Roll in a Bowl
Ground turkey, cabbage, and a quick sauce in one skillet: all the flavor of an egg roll, none of the fried wrapper, and a genuinely high-protein, low-carb dinner.
High-Protein Meal Prep Bowls
High-protein chicken meal prep bowls with rice and broccoli: batch-cook once, four lunches ready to go.
High-Protein Salmon Bowl
A high-protein salmon rice bowl with avocado, cucumber, and edamame: a high-fiber dinner with a simple soy-sesame dressing.
High-Protein Air Fryer Chicken Thighs with Broccoli
Air fryer chicken thighs and broccoli, cooked together in one basket: a high-protein, low-carb dinner with minimal hands-on time.
High-Protein Air Fryer Salmon
Air fryer salmon with lemon, garlic, and dill: a high-protein, low-carb dinner ready in 20 minutes with no oven preheat.
High-Protein Baked Chicken Parmesan (Almond Flour Crust)
Baked chicken parmesan with an almond flour crust instead of breadcrumbs: high protein, low carb, and genuinely crisp without frying.
High-Protein Black Bean and Quinoa Bowl
A high-protein vegan grain bowl with black beans, quinoa, corn, and avocado: high-fiber, no meat or dairy.
High-Protein Chicken Ramen
High-protein chicken ramen built on a fast, concentrated broth with rotisserie chicken and a soft-boiled egg, ready in about 20 minutes.
High-Protein Chicken and White Bean Soup
A high-protein, high-fiber chicken and white bean soup: bloomed spices, a full pot of cannellini beans, ready in about 30 minutes.
High-Protein Chickpea Salad
A high-protein vegan chickpea salad with hemp hearts, cucumber, and tomato: no-cook, high-fiber, ready in 15 minutes.
High-Protein Chili
A high-protein beef chili with kidney beans and real spice: low-carb, meal-prep friendly, ready in the slow cooker.
High-Protein Crockpot Chicken
Simple slow cooker shredded chicken with a light spice rub: a high-protein, low-carb base for meal prep.
High-Protein Garlic Butter Steak Bites with Zucchini Noodles
Garlic butter steak bites over zucchini noodles: a high-protein, low-carb dinner ready in about 25 minutes, one skillet start to finish.
High-Protein Grilled Chicken Thighs
Simple grilled chicken thighs with a paprika-garlic rub: a high-protein, low-carb, low-calorie dinner ready in under 30 minutes.
High-Protein Grilled Salmon
Simple grilled salmon with lemon and garlic: a high-protein, low-carb dinner ready in under 20 minutes.
High-Protein Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Grilled shrimp skewers with garlic and lemon: a high-protein, low-carb, low-calorie dinner ready in under 25 minutes.
High-Protein Grilled Steak
Grilled flank steak finished with garlic butter: a high-protein, low-carb dinner ready in under 30 minutes.
High-Protein Lentil Soup
A high-protein vegan lentil soup with carrot and celery: high-fiber, stovetop, and freezes well.
High-Protein Mac and Cheese
High-protein mac and cheese with a blended cottage cheese sauce: 15 minutes, one pot, no roux.
High-Protein Meatballs
Baked high-protein meatballs in marinara, made with almond flour instead of breadcrumbs: a gluten-free, low-carb dinner ready in under 45 minutes.
High-Protein Pasta
High-protein pasta with a blended cottage cheese sauce: no meat, no protein pasta required, just a simple technique for a much higher protein plate.
FAQ
How much protein should dinner have?
Recipes in this collection range from 10g to 59g per serving. Most are built around a full portion of meat, poultry, or seafood, and the plant-based dinners land lower on average.
Do high-protein dinners have to be low-carb?
No. High protein and low carb often overlap because meat and eggs naturally carry more protein and fewer carbs than bread or pasta, but a dinner can be high in protein and still include a full serving of rice, pasta, or potatoes.