Saudi keto guide
Navigable
156 dishes68 keto as served106 with a photo
Keto friendliness
Saudi cuisine presents a moderate challenge for keto dieters, requiring careful selection and modification due to its reliance on carb-heavy staples.
Top ingredients
Excellent traditional keto ingredients include lamb, goat, chicken, beef, eggs, olive oil, ghee, and a wide array of aromatic spices.
Danger zones
The biggest carb traps are ubiquitous rice (Kabsa, Mandi), various breads (khubz), legumes (foul, hummus), and sugary dates or desserts.
Best for
This cuisine works best for adaptable keto dieters who are comfortable requesting modifications, focusing heavily on grilled meats, and skipping traditional starchy sides.
28 matching dishes
Lisan Ghanam Maslouq
Slow-Cooked Lamb Tongue with Herbs and Lemon
Succulent lamb tongue slow-boiled until exceedingly tender, then typically sliced and dressed with a simple ye…
1 net2 total1 fibre65 protein25 fat500 kcal
Hashi Salg
Boiled Camel Meat with Keto Sides
Tender pieces of camel meat slow-boiled with aromatic spices like bay leaves, cardamom, and cinnamon until exc…
2 net3 total1 fibre90 protein40 fat700 kcal
Dajaj Maqli (Keto-Style)
Fried Spiced Chicken (without breading/flour)
Crispy and flavorful chicken pieces marinated in traditional spices and pan-fried or deep-fried without any br…
3 net4 total1 fibre80 protein75 fat950 kcal
Haneeth Lahm
Slow-Roasted Lamb with Keto Sides
Tender, succulent lamb slow-cooked in a traditional pit oven (or modern oven) until it falls off the bone. Sea…
3 net5 total2 fibre80 protein65 fat900 kcal
Langosta Mashwi
Grilled Lobster with Spices and Ghee
Fresh lobster, split and grilled to perfection, seasoned with local spices, and often basted with ghee or clar…
3 net3 total0 fibre70 protein28 fat550 kcal
Maqlooba Lahm
Pan-Fried Spiced Lamb Chunks
Tender lamb chunks that are pan-fried in ghee or olive oil with a fragrant mix of spices, garlic, and minimal …
3 net5 total2 fibre70 protein50 fat750 kcal
Rubyan Maqli (Keto Style)
Pan-Fried Spiced Shrimp (with Keto Sides, No Rice)
Fresh shrimp seasoned with garlic, lemon, and Middle Eastern spices, pan-fried quickly until tender and flavor…
3 net4 total1 fibre45 protein35 fat550 kcal
Samak Maqli (Keto Style)
Pan-Fried Spiced Fish Fillet (with Keto Sides, No Rice)
Fresh fish fillet (e.g., Hamour, Najil) lightly seasoned with Middle Eastern spices (cumin, coriander, turmeri…
3 net5 total2 fibre60 protein50 fat700 kcal
Samak Mashwi
Grilled Fish
A whole fish (e.g., hammour, snapper, seabream) or large fillets, marinated simply with lemon, garlic, olive o…
3 net5 total2 fibre60 protein40 fat600 kcal
Dajaj Mashwi (Keto Style)
Whole Grilled Chicken or Grilled Chicken Pieces (with Keto Sides, No Rice)
Whole chicken or chicken pieces marinated in Middle Eastern spices, grilled to perfection, resulting in tender…
4 net6 total2 fibre70 protein55 fat800 kcal
Hamam Mashwi
Grilled Pigeon
Whole pigeon, seasoned with traditional Saudi spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper, often with …
4 net5 total1 fibre70 protein35 fat650 kcal
Kalamari Bil Baharat
Spiced Sautéed Calamari
Squid rings or pieces quickly sautéed in olive oil or ghee with a vibrant mix of Saudi spices, garlic, and a h…
4 net5 total1 fibre45 protein25 fat420 kcal
Kebda Ma'az Mashwi
Grilled Goat Liver Skewers
Tender pieces of goat liver, marinated in a simple blend of spices, lemon juice, and olive oil, then skewered …
4 net5 total1 fibre50 protein28 fat480 kcal
Lahm Mashwi
Grilled Lamb Skewers
Tender cubes of lamb meat, often from the leg or shoulder, marinated simply with onion juice, olive oil, and s…
4 net5 total1 fibre65 protein48 fat700 kcal
Lahm Nashif
Pan-Fried Spiced Lamb/Beef
Tender pieces of lamb or beef, seasoned with Saudi spices, pan-fried until slightly crispy and intensely flavo…
4 net7 total3 fibre70 protein50 fat750 kcal
Rubyan Mashwi
Grilled Prawns/Shrimp
Fresh prawns or shrimp marinated with lemon, garlic, olive oil, and Middle Eastern spices, then grilled on ske…
4 net5 total1 fibre60 protein30 fat550 kcal
Samak Salg
Boiled Fish with Spices
Whole or filleted fish gently boiled in a flavorful broth with traditional Saudi spices, onions, and sometimes…
4 net6 total2 fibre60 protein15 fat400 kcal
Aja Bil Khudar
Saudi Omelette with Vegetables
A fluffy, savory omelette or frittata-style dish, generously mixed with finely chopped fresh herbs like parsle…
5 net8 total3 fibre25 protein35 fat450 kcal
Kebda Ghanam/Baquar
Sautéed Lamb/Beef Liver
Tender pieces of lamb or beef liver, quickly sautéed with onions, bell peppers, and a blend of aromatic spices…
5 net7 total2 fibre65 protein45 fat700 kcal
Mandi Lahm (Keto Style)
Slow-Cooked Spiced Lamb (with Keto Vegetable Sides, No Rice)
Exceptionally tender, slow-cooked lamb, deeply infused with aromatic Yemeni/Saudi spices, typically prepared i…
5 net8 total3 fibre85 protein85 fat1100 kcal
Samak Sayadiyah
Spiced Fish (Sayadiyah Style, without Rice)
A traditional fish dish where a whole fish or fillets are marinated in a rich blend of spices and then pan-fri…
5 net8 total3 fibre70 protein50 fat750 kcal
KAsoon
Dhab Mashwi
Grilled Spiny-tailed Lizard
A very traditional desert dish, Dhab (spiny-tailed lizard) is a prized meat, often grilled whole or in pieces …
1 net1 total0 fibre65 protein20 fat480 kcal
KAsoon
Wabra Mashwi
Grilled Rock Hyrax
Similar to Dhab, Wabra (Rock Hyrax) is another desert delicacy, prepared by grilling the meat after it's been …
1 net1 total0 fibre60 protein18 fat450 kcal
KAsoon
Ra's Ghanam Maslouq
Boiled Goat's Head
A traditional and hearty dish featuring a boiled goat's head, typically seasoned with aromatic spices like bay…
4 net5 total1 fibre70 protein40 fat650 kcal
KAsoon
Haneeth Rubyan
Slow-Roasted Spiced Shrimp
Large, fresh shrimp marinated in a deeply aromatic blend of Yemeni-Saudi spices, then traditionally slow-roast…
5 net6 total1 fibre42 protein32 fat470 kcal
KAsoon
Hashi Harak
Pan-Seared Camel Meat with Spices
A simple and robust dish featuring lean camel meat, cut into small pieces and quickly pan-seared or stir-fried…
5 net6 total1 fibre70 protein35 fat600 kcal
KAsoon
Kabab Meroo (Keto)
Grilled Grouper Kebab
Delicate and flavorful skewers of minced or cubed grouper (Meroo), seasoned with a blend of regional spices, f…
5 net6 total1 fibre45 protein30 fat480 kcal
KAsoon
Kebda bi Dihn
Pan-Fried Liver with Rendered Fat
A deeply traditional dish of thinly sliced lamb or beef liver, quickly pan-fried in rendered animal fat (often…
5 net6 total1 fibre45 protein55 fat680 kcal