Sautéed Keto Kale with Bacon and Onions

This Whole30 and keto kale is an incredibly simple, hearty, and healthy dish that can be made in less than 20 minutes. And even though kale is a bit high in carbs, it is also loaded with fiber and nutrients, making it possible to eat it on keto in small servings.

I'm not a fan of kale, but this low-carb kale recipe is a real game-changer. The cream cheese, bacon, onions, and garlic make a huge difference in the way kale tastes.

You can serve this kale as is, or if you want, omit the bacon and serve it with some pork chops, salmon, or chicken fritters.

Table of Contents

• Can You Eat Kale on Keto?
• Here's What You Need
• How to Make Sauteed Keto Kale
• Storing Instructions 
• Recipe

Can You Eat Kale on Keto?

Yes, you certainly CAN eat kale on the keto diet! However, still, it does have some carbs, so you won't be able to eat too much kale.

One cup of raw kale has around 0.9 grams of carbs. But for the same serving size, kale has just 0.07 grams of net carbs, making it compatible with the keto diet.

Besides being low carb, there are also numerous advantages of eating kale. Of course, it is also low in calories - only 31 calories per 1 cup of raw kale. Moreover, it is loaded with various vitamins and minerals: vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, manganese, calcium, etc.

Here's What You Need

With my recipes, I like to keep things simple and quick. Therefore, you'll need only 5 ingredients to make this keto kale recipe. And you can basically buy these products in any grocery store.

Here's what you need to make this sauteed keto kale:

• Kale - I used fresh kale, but if you want, frozen is also OK;
• Bacon - you'll need just a few slices. You should cook them and then chop them up. If you have bacon crumbles, you can definitely use them instead to save yourself some time. I've also tried using ground beef and Italian sausage instead of bacon, and it also tastes incredible;
• Onion - just one medium onion will be enough for this recipe;
• Garlic - I used fresh minced garlic, but you can substitute it with some garlic powder;
• Cream Cheese - I think that this kale recipe tastes best with cream cheese, but if you want, you can substitute it with some heavy cream;

And, well, of course, you'll also need some salt and ground black pepper. Sometimes I like to make my sauteed kale spicy. In such a case, I just add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. Additionally, you can also add some cheese. Parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella, provolone, or cheddar will taste perfectly in this kale recipe.

But keep in mind that when you make some changes to this recipe, the nutritional value of the meal will also change.

How to Make Sauteed Keto Kale

Once you gather all the needed ingredients, you can start cooking your low-carb kale. Here's what you should do next:

1. Cook the bacon. If you are using the original bacon just like I did, you'll need to fry it in your pan until it is crispy and fully cooked. Or you can cook the bacon in your Instant Pot cooker. This way, you can move on to the next step while the bacon is getting ready in your Instant Pot. Once it's ready, chop it up and set it aside.
2. Saute the onion. Chop up 1 medium onion and saute it in your skillet until it's fully cooked. Then remove it from the skillet and set it aside.
3. Cook the kale. Wash the kale, dry it and then chop it up and throw it in your skillet. If you cooked your bacon in the skillet, then there should be enough of the fat left to cook the kale. If not, then you should add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to cook your kale. Once it's cooked, add the cream cheese, garlic, and spices.
4. Prepare it for serving. To assemble your plate, you should place the cooked kale in the middle of it, sprinkle the kale with chopped bacon, and place the sauteed onions around the kale. Or you can just mix everything together and enjoy it that way.

It's best to serve your kale right away. Or just reheat it before serving since it doesn't taste as good cold as it tastes when served warm.

Storing Instructions 

You should store this low-carb kale in an airtight container or on a plate covered with some food wrap in your refrigerator. It can be kept this way for up to 2-3 days.

If you want, you can also freeze this low-carb kale. Just place it in a container or even a zipper bag, and then place it in your freezer. It can be stored like that for up to 2 months.

Whenever you want to serve your frozen kale, just place it in your refrigerator to thaw overnight, and then throw it on your skillet for a few minutes for the extra moisture to evaporate.

Recipe