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  6. 20 Low-Carb, High-Protein Dinners in 20 Minutes or Less

20 Low-Carb, High-Protein Dinners in 20 Minutes or Less

portrait of Dani
Danielle DeAngelis Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD February 06, 2023
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
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Antipasto Baked Smothered Chicken

When you're having a busy week, try one of these nutritious and flavorful dinners that take only 20 minutes or less to prepare. Plus, with no more than 14 grams of carbohydrates and at least 15 grams of protein per serving, these light yet satisfying meals are perfect for any night of the week. Recipes like our Antipasto Baked Smothered Chicken and 20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet are delicious, filling and quick to make.

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Antipasto Baked Smothered Chicken

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We like the touch of heat that pepperoncini give to this briny chicken, but if you really want to turn up the spiciness, swap them for hot cherry peppers.

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20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet

20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet
Credit: Jamie Vespa
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Salmon fillets cook quickly and are coated with a delicious creamy sauce made with tomatoes, zucchini and Italian seasoning. This easy salmon dinner is sure to become a new weeknight favorite the whole family will love. The best news: you can get this meal on the table in 20 minutes flat.

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Skillet Pork Chops with Peas, Carrots & Pearl Onions

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This superfast one-dish dinner is full of classic flavor and is such a crowd pleaser that you'll want to work it into your regular weeknight dinner rotation. We call for bone-in pork chops to maximize flavor, but boneless pork chops are a fine substitution. To round out this meal a little more, serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

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Teriyaki-Glazed Cod with Cauliflower Rice

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This healthy fish recipe comes together fast with just three ingredients you can always have on hand in your freezer and fridge. Store-bought teriyaki glaze makes a great marinade for cod that doubles as a sauce for the cauliflower rice.

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Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

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Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy, omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal.

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Creamy Chipotle Skillet Chicken Thighs

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Smoky chipotle is the star of this one-skillet chicken thigh recipe. Great for weeknight dinners, this can be on the table in under 30 minutes. Serve with tortillas or over rice or low-carb cauliflower rice with a simple cabbage slaw.

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Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp

Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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Shrimp are coated in sweet heat thanks to hot honey and Sriracha. If you want to take the heat down a notch, use regular honey instead.

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One-Pan Chicken with Basil-Anchovy Butter & Shishito Peppers

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Don't skip the anchovies in this healthy chicken thigh recipe. Their fishiness blends in, adding salty, umami flavor, so that even skeptics of the salty little fish won't protest. And this healthy skillet dinner is cooked in one pan and takes just 20 minutes to prep--in case you need more selling points for this recipe.

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Salmon Caesar Salad

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This easy Caesar salad subs creamy Greek yogurt and buttermilk for the traditional egg yolks and olive oil and mixes in mildly bitter radicchio in addition to classic romaine. Using just a small amount of flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano shaves calories and sodium too.

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Creamy Garlic Skillet Chicken with Spinach

Creamy Garlic Skillet Chicken with Spinach
Credit: Marty Baldwin
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Quick-cooking chicken cutlets are coated in a garlic cream sauce, while spinach adds a boost of color and nutrition in this easy, one-skillet recipe. Serve over pasta or whole grains to soak up the delicious sauce.

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Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole

Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole
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This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too.

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Mediterranean Cod with Roasted Tomatoes

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Oregano, thyme and paprika flavor the cod in this 15-minute, Mediterranean-inspired meal. Olives, capers and roasted cherry tomatoes add color and zest to each bite.

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20-Minute Chicken Cutlets & Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Tomato Sauce

20-Minute Chicken Cutlets & Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Tomato Sauce
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This low-carb chicken dinner whips up in only 20 minutes, thanks to thin-cut chicken breast and packaged zucchini noodles. If you have a spiralizer and want to make your own zucchini noodles, use two medium zucchini.

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Crispy Cod with Charred Snow Peas & Creamy Herb Sauce

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This crispy cod recipe shows you how to make golden fish that's not deep-fried, to put a healthy twist on a classic. Pat it dry and dredge it with a bit of flour before sautéing in a hot pan.

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Salmon with Curried Yogurt & Cucumber Salad

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Three ingredients you probably already have on hand--curry powder, yogurt and lemon juice--meld into a mouthwatering sauce that transforms simple grilled salmon. This healthy and easy dinner recipe comes together in just 20 minutes.

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20-Minute Creamy Skillet Chicken with Corn, Tomato & Basil

20 Minute Creamy Skillet Chicken with Corn Tomato and Basil
Credit: Jacob Fox
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This saucy 20-minute chicken recipe features fresh summer corn, tomatoes and basil. Serve this light and tangy quick dinner over pasta or brown rice.

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Sweet & Sour Pork with a Sesame Crust

Sweet & Sour Pork with a Sesame Crust
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You'll recognize the flavors of sesame, soy and white pepper from the beloved restaurant dish that inspired this recipe for sweet and sour (boneless) pork chops. White pepper is more mild and earthy than black pepper, but either will work here.

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Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans

Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans
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This easy lemon-garlic chicken recipe calls for cutlets, which cook in less than 10 minutes! Can't find them? Make your own from chicken breasts. Place each breast on a cutting board and, with your knife parallel to the board, slice into the skinny side of the chicken breast in a single smooth motion. The side of green beans is cooked right in the same pan as the chicken, so this 20-minute easy, healthy dinner is not just a snap to prepare--the cleanup is a cinch too.

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One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli

One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli
Credit: Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Greg Luna
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Shrimp cooks quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve over whole grains or rice.

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Skillet Lemon-Pepper Salmon

skillet lemon pepper salmon
Credit: Ali Redmond
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Simple ingredients like lemon, cracked black pepper and paprika completely awaken this fall-apart-tender salmon with a crispy exterior. Use this salmon to add protein to a grain bowl or salad, or enjoy alongside roasted veggies.

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    1 of 20 Antipasto Baked Smothered Chicken
    2 of 20 20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet
    3 of 20 Skillet Pork Chops with Peas, Carrots & Pearl Onions
    4 of 20 Teriyaki-Glazed Cod with Cauliflower Rice
    5 of 20 Salmon-Stuffed Avocados
    6 of 20 Creamy Chipotle Skillet Chicken Thighs
    7 of 20 Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp
    8 of 20 One-Pan Chicken with Basil-Anchovy Butter & Shishito Peppers
    9 of 20 Salmon Caesar Salad
    10 of 20 Creamy Garlic Skillet Chicken with Spinach
    11 of 20 Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole
    12 of 20 Mediterranean Cod with Roasted Tomatoes
    13 of 20 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets & Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Tomato Sauce
    14 of 20 Crispy Cod with Charred Snow Peas & Creamy Herb Sauce
    15 of 20 Salmon with Curried Yogurt & Cucumber Salad
    16 of 20 20-Minute Creamy Skillet Chicken with Corn, Tomato & Basil
    17 of 20 Sweet & Sour Pork with a Sesame Crust
    18 of 20 Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans
    19 of 20 One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli
    20 of 20 Skillet Lemon-Pepper Salmon

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    20 Low-Carb, High-Protein Dinners in 20 Minutes or Less
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