How much protein is in these recipes?

Each recipe page lists nutrition per serving, covering calories, protein, carbohydrate and fat, estimated from the ingredients and the number of servings. Actual figures depend on the cuts and brands you buy and how evenly the dish is shared out, so treat them as a guide rather than a measurement, and use them to compare one dish with another.

What is a high-protein breakfast?

Boerenomelet, a thick Dutch farmer’s omelette with fried potato, bacon, leek and gouda, takes about 45 minutes. A full English breakfast of bacon, sausages, eggs, black pudding, mushrooms and beans comes together in about 35. For something softer, cháo gà is Vietnamese rice porridge cooked in chicken broth and finished with shredded chicken and ginger.

What is a quick high-protein dinner?

Cajun blackened fish is ready in about 20 minutes, and a smash burger, with the beef pressed thin onto a very hot pan so the edges turn crisp, in about 25. Fish en papillote, chicken teriyaki and beef chow fun each take around 30 minutes from start to finish, which makes all five realistic on a working day.

Is high protein the same as low carb?

No. High protein describes how much of a dish is protein; low carb describes how little of it is starch and sugar. Many recipes here come with rice, noodles, bread or pastry, such as chicken katsu curry and chicken pot pie. A few carry both tags, including Cajun blackened fish, Cobb salad and buffalo wings. Neither tag is medical advice.

High-protein recipes

These high-protein recipes are meals where meat, fish, poultry or eggs are the centre of the plate rather than a garnish. Each recipe page shows nutrition per serving, estimated from the ingredients, so you can check the protein figure and compare dishes before you start cooking. Chicken, beef, pork, lamb and fish all appear, cooked the way they are in kitchens from Vietnam to Brazil.

On a weeknight, chicken teriyaki and fish en papillote are ready in about half an hour. Bulgogi rewards marinating ahead, boeuf bourguignon is for an afternoon at home, and boerenomelet, a Dutch farmer’s omelette packed with potato and bacon, turns eggs into breakfast for two.

155 recipes

What the high-protein tag means

A recipe carries the tag when meat, fish, poultry or eggs make up the bulk of each serving and protein accounts for a large share of it, judged from the estimated nutrition on the recipe page. It is general guidance for choosing a meal, not dietary or medical advice.

Portions matter as much as ingredients. The figures on each page are per serving, so a pot of chicken adobo divided between six people instead of four gives each of them less. If you are working to a target set by a doctor or dietitian, go by the per-serving figures and their advice.

Chicken, beef, fish or eggs: choosing a dish

Fish cooks fastest. Cajun blackened fish is seared in a smoking cast-iron pan, and chermoula fish is grilled hard under a paste of coriander, parsley, garlic and cumin. Chicken thighs stay juicy under strong heat, which is why they are used for chicken teriyaki, chicken shawarma and butter chicken.

Tougher cuts of beef and lamb need time instead. Boeuf bourguignon braises for an afternoon in red wine, bulalo simmers beef shank for three hours, and fårikål leaves lamb and cabbage in the pot for two hours or more. Eggs cover the rest: boerenomelet for breakfast, chawanmushi as a silky savoury custard, and avgolemono, where they thicken a chicken broth.

Cooking high-protein meals ahead

Braises tend to improve after a night in the fridge, so boeuf bourguignon, chicken adobo and brown stew chicken are good candidates for cooking once and eating twice. Chicken tinga, shredded chicken in a smoky chipotle sauce, goes into tortillas one night and over rice the next.

Some dishes depend on a marinade, so plan ahead: buttermilk fried chicken sits in seasoned buttermilk for at least four hours, ideally overnight, and chicken shawarma needs at least two. Set the number of servings to cover the week, and the ingredients you still need go onto your shared shopping list, grouped by aisle.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein is in these recipes?: Each recipe page lists nutrition per serving, covering calories, protein, carbohydrate and fat, estimated from the ingredients and the number of servings. Actual figures depend on the cuts and brands you buy and how evenly the dish is shared out, so treat them as a guide rather than a measurement, and use them to compare one dish with another.
What is a high-protein breakfast?: Boerenomelet, a thick Dutch farmer’s omelette with fried potato, bacon, leek and gouda, takes about 45 minutes. A full English breakfast of bacon, sausages, eggs, black pudding, mushrooms and beans comes together in about 35. For something softer, cháo gà is Vietnamese rice porridge cooked in chicken broth and finished with shredded chicken and ginger.
What is a quick high-protein dinner?: Cajun blackened fish is ready in about 20 minutes, and a smash burger, with the beef pressed thin onto a very hot pan so the edges turn crisp, in about 25. Fish en papillote, chicken teriyaki and beef chow fun each take around 30 minutes from start to finish, which makes all five realistic on a working day.
Is high protein the same as low carb?: No. High protein describes how much of a dish is protein; low carb describes how little of it is starch and sugar. Many recipes here come with rice, noodles, bread or pastry, such as chicken katsu curry and chicken pot pie. A few carry both tags, including Cajun blackened fish, Cobb salad and buffalo wings. Neither tag is medical advice.

High-protein recipes

155 recipes

What the high-protein tag means

Chicken, beef, fish or eggs: choosing a dish

Cooking high-protein meals ahead

Frequently asked questions

More ways to browse

Cuisines

Meals

Diets

Quick and easy

Autumn