How to Build a Ketogenic Breakfast (Plus, a Keto Taco Recipe)

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Many people are intimidated by a ketogenic breakfast because they overthink the process. If you’re just starting the keto diet, breakfast and brunch might seem like the most challenging meal to prep.

Lunches and dinners can easily be made keto by preparing recipes you already enjoy. After all, meals like salads, steak, salmon, and stuffed peppers are inherently low-carb. But what about your favorite breakfast foods? Waffles, oatmeal, cereal, and pancakes are all off-limits.

This guide explains how to prepare a low-carb breakfast and how to rethink your morning meal, plus you’ll learn a few keto-friendly recipe ideas so you can enjoy a delicious start to your day.

How to Prepare a Ketogenic Breakfast

Preparing a keto breakfast is no different than preparing any other meal. Simply focus on your macros, then fill in those macros with nutrient-dense foods. For example, if you’re sticking to 70% fats, 25% protein, and 5% carbs, you know you need a protein source, a low-carb vegetable, and a fat source, either for sauteing or by preparing a sauce.

You can always use the free keto calculator to track your macros accurately.

#1: Pick Your Protein

Virtually any protein source works well for a ketogenic breakfast. But if a low-carb breakfast is still new to you (meaning you grew up on cereal and bagels), you might want to stick to those foods commonly associated with breakfast. This might include scrambled eggs, sausage patties, smoked salmon, and bacon.

Here are a few protein-packed keto breakfast recipes:

• Smoked salmon keto avocado toast
• Savory crustless breakfast keto quiche
• Breakfast casserole with bacon, egg, and cheese
• Turkey sausage frittata
• Keto sausage balls (or fat bombs)

#2: Pair With a Low-Carb Vegetable

Within the standard American diet (SAD), breakfast is hugely lacking in the vegetable department. While eating veggies for breakfast might be a fairly new concept for you, know that it’s important to get these micronutrients throughout the day, rather than just at lunch and dinner.

When selecting a ketogenic breakfast side dish, forgo your typical hashbrowns and select a low-carb vegetable instead. Try shredding zucchini or celery root and frying those up instead of high-carb potatoes.

Here are a few veggie-centric ideas to get you started:

• Avocado egg bowls
• Cheesy bacon Brussels sprouts casserole
• Bacon-wrapped asparagus
• Low-carb “potatoes”

#3: Include a Healthy Fat

Finally, choose a healthy fat to include with your breakfast. These choices might include coconut oil, avocado oil, grass-fed butter, ghee, or bacon fat. You’ll probably be cooking your protein and vegetable in your chosen fat source, but you might also use it in a sauce. When adding flavor to any recipe (not just breakfast recipes), the sauce can make or break the dish. Here are a few easy keto sauces you might want to include:

• Keto avocado dressing
• Homemade ranch dressing
• Fresh keto ketchup

Rethink Your Definition of Breakfast

Most breakfast foods are very high in carbohydrates, which is the exact opposite of what you want on a keto diet. If you can shift about what foods are classified as breakfast options, you’ll spare yourself a lot of headaches.

No matter what you’ve been told in the past, any food can be eaten for breakfast. A bowl of beanless chili made with ground beef, pulled pork, or baked salmon can all be “breakfast foods.”

If this is too great a mental leap, read on for a few other keto tricks.

Find a Keto Version of Your Favorite Breakfast Foods

If there’s a keto version of your favorite dessert, there’s certainly a keto version of your favorite breakfast foods. Here are a few keto recipes you might want to try:

• Instead of breakfast muffins from the corner coffee shop, try these egg muffins (which are also great for meal prep).
• Instead of Belgian waffles piled high with whipped cream, try these gluten-free waffles made with coconut flour and almond flour.
• Instead of whole-wheat toast, try cloud bread (made with cream cheese) topped with almond butter.
• Use this keto bread to recreate your favorite breakfast sandwich.
• Instead of classic carb-laden pancakes, try these delicious keto pancakes.
• Try this crunchy keto granola recipe instead of the oat-filled classic style.

Rethink Your Breakfast Beverage

When first beginning the keto diet, you might want to skip your morning Starbucks run. Lattes, blended coffee drinks, and iced beverages are often loaded with unwanted ingredients (including sugar). Instead, make your own beverage at home. Here are a few recipes to include as part of your new morning routine:

• Boosted coffee is a great way to start your day (and get a healthy dose of extra fats)
• This acai almond butter smoothie is much lower in carbs (and sugar) than your typical acai bowl.
• Swap out that store-bought green juice (which is probably loaded with sugar) for this low-carb keto green smoothie.

You Can Never Go Wrong With Breakfast Tacos

Want to know one more recipe you can enjoy any time of day? Tacos.

Tacos can easily be made into a low-carb, delicious ketogenic breakfast by swapping out the tortilla for a low-carb alternative, then adding in a breakfast protein such as bacon or sausage.

In the recipe below, you’ll create a low-carb “tortilla” using shredded cheddar cheese and egg, then top with bacon, arugula, and cilantro. And the best part? They contain just 4 net carbs per serving.

Your Morning Is About to Get Even Better

Hopefully, this post gave you a solid list of keto breakfast ideas to work into your weekly routine.

Remember, you can easily make a breakfast skillet or a breakfast bowl by focusing on your macros and choosing a protein source, a low-carb vegetable, and a fat source.

If you’re ever at a loss for ideas, simply browse the Perfect Keto breakfast recipe section on this site. These recipes will keep your blood sugar in check, your carb count low, and your body energized throughout the day.

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