Tender Tuscan kale, ground beef, bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes and lemon give this easy, keto-friendly Beef and Kale Skillet tons of flavor!
The verdict is in! After posting this Keto Sheet Pan Pizza recipe a couple of weeks ago, lots of you told us you wanted us to post more keto recipes. Today’s Beef and Kale Skillet is another delicious recipe that will nicely fit into a keto or low-carb eating plan.
But even if you aren’t counting your carbs these days, this Beef and Kale Skillet is just simply delicious, easy to prep, loaded with lots of healthy vegetables, and a meal that everyone will love.
How do you make this Beef and Kale Skillet?
This easy Beef and Kale Skillet is a one-pan meal – so start with a large, covered skillet.
In the skillet, sauté red onion, red bell pepper, diced sun dried tomatoes, and garlic in extra virgin olive oil, and cook until the vegetables start to soften.
Next, add ground beef and seasonings, and cook until the meat is browned.
Finally, add rinsed and chopped Tuscan kale, plus fresh lemon juice. Cover the skillet and cook until the kale is wilted – about 5 minutes or so. Remove the cover and simmer until the liquid in the pan has evaporated.
Last step – sprinkle some shredded, sharp cheddar cheese on top and cover again until it melts. Then serve your Beef and Kale Skillet immediately.
Can I use curly kale or other greens in this recipe?
Yes, although we personally prefer the taste and texture of Tuscan kale (also called dinosaur or lacinato kale). Curly green kale can take longer to cook than Tuscan kale so plan accordingly.
You can also swap in other greens such as Swiss chard, collard greens or turnip greens. (Just be sure to check the carb counts for any substitutions you make.)
What can I serve with this Beef and Kale Skillet?
- A simple spring mix salad with our Favorite Vinaigrette (swap in a couple of Stevia drops (unflavored) for the granulated sugar if you are keto)
- Cauliflower Puree
- Broccoli Rabe
- Mashed Cauliflower and Spinach
You may enjoy these other Kale recipes:
- Tuscan Kale Pesto
- Lemon Basil Chicken with Tuscan Kale and Cauliflower Rice
- Massaged Kale
- Tuscan Kale with Garlic Tomatoes
- Garlicky Tuscan Kale
Beef and Kale Skillet
Tender Tuscan kale, ground beef, bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes and lemon give this easy, keto-friendly Beef and Kale Skillet tons of flavor!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, diced small
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground beef 70/30 (if you can’t find 70/30, 80/20 is fine, but more fat is better on a keto diet)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dry oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 cups Tuscan kale, chopped and packed (rinse well and leave in colander wet)
Juice of one lemon
2/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat then add onion, bell pepper, sun dried tomatoes and garlic and saute for three minutes.
- Add ground beef, salt, pepper, oregano and cumin and cook until browned, about two minutes.
- Add the wet kale and the lemon juice and lower to medium low and cover.
- Cook about five minutes until the kale has wilted. Remove cover, raise heat to medium and cook to evaporate liquid, about 2-3 minutes.
- Sprinkle on cheese, cover and remove from heat. Wait two minutes and serve.
This has been a go to recipe for a couple of years. It’s hearty. Initially I used it because I had an abundance of ground meat and kale. I loved it and have just kept using it. Makes me happy.
Thank you so much Poly!
I made this recipe this evening for dinner. My gut told me that 1 1/2 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt was a it much for a half pound of ground beef. So, I only added 1 tsp. of the salt. Same with the Oregano and the Cumin. It was very tasty. My husband enjoyed it very much. Went back for seconds. But, even he agreed it was still a bit salty. So, next time I make it I will only put 3/4 tsp of the salt and keep the Oregano and Cumin at 1 tsp each.
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback Mae.
I have a garden with tons of kale. Always looking for kale recipes. This was SO delicious. Thank you. Only change is I added a jalepeno and used green pepper. wonderful
Thank you Joyce!
Easy Great Meal….. Instead of Cheddar, next time I will put Feta in it!!!
Thank you
That would be delicious too!
Needs at least a pound of beef to make enough protein for keto. Very flavorful and added more spice b/c of added beef. Just added salt to taste. I will make this again and again. Thanks!
Thank you Katara!
Nice way to eat kale in a tasty healthy meal. We liked the lemon juice and choice of seasoning.
Thanks Diana!
This was a bomb! I didn’t have any sundried tomatoes in hand, so made it without them. Still fabulous, will definitely make again
Thanks Kathrine!
This was easy and flavorful!
Thanks Kim!
We made it again today lol. So good. Even good with lots of olive oil added (extra extra) as we only had leaner ground beef. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes and ideas!
You’re very welcome Lily!
That was absolutely delicious!!! It didn’t even need cheese. ! pecans mixed in at the end was also tasty
Thanks Lily!