Want to try Paleo, but not sure where to start? Keep reading for 10 easy Paleo recipes for beginners!
What is the Paleo diet? The Paleo diet is based on the types of foods presumed to have been consumed by early humans. If you are abiding by the Paleo diet, you must cut out processed foods, artificial sweeteners, dairy, pasta, legumes, and grains. The diet consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, meats and fish.
Starting the Paleo diet is great for making sure you get your recommended intake of fresh fruits, vegetables and protein. Because you’re eliminating grains and legumes, you’ll need to refuel yourself with vegetables and fruits containing a lot of fiber. Trying the Paleo diet is also an ideal way to curb your fast food addiction. Weight loss is a positive benefit of going on the Paleo diet, but you still need to be mindful of your daily calorie intake. Certain foods allowed on the Paleo diet are high in good fats like meat, fish, and some fruits and vegetables so you need to be careful with how much you eat even though you’re eating healthy.
Cutting out all these foods you’re used to may seem a little daunting at first. Maybe you’re a bread lover like me and the thought of avoiding fresh french bread, pasta, and burritos is making you question why even try Paleo. The truth is, you can still eat burgers, burritos, wraps, and even pizza! These foods are just going to look a little different, but I promise they’ll taste just as good!
1. Hamburgers
Hey, you don’t need a bun to have a delicious hamburger! The only parts we’re excluding off our hamburger is the cheese and bun. Don’t be shy with the toppings! Add delicious pickled onions, fresh tomatoes, and sliced avocado. Top your burgers with whatever veggies you love the most, you can’t go wrong. If you think this burger is a bit too messy to eat, try wrapping it in large romaine leaves.
What You’ll Need:
1 Lb lean ground beef
3 Sliced tomatoes
6 Romaine lettuce leaves
2 Sliced avocados
Pickled red onion
1 Tsp sea salt
1/2 Tsp cracked black pepper
1 Tsp cumin
Coconut oil
Form 6 burger patties with the ground beef. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, and cumin on both sides. Heat up coconut oil in a skillet and sauté patties for about 4 minutes on each side. Now we’re ready to assemble the burgers! You can assemble them any way you like, but I prefer to place the romaine leaf on the bottom, and from the bottom up top with tomato, patty, pickled onion, and avocado slices. See? You don’t have to give up burgers with the Paleo diet!
~For the pickled onion:
1 red onion
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
3 garlic cloves cut in half
1 tsp sea salt
The best tip for amazingly quick pickled onions is to slice the onion very thinly. Once you have sliced your onion, pack it into a jar. In a saucepan heat up the vinegars, water, sea salt and halved garlic cloves and bring to a simmer. Pour the liquid into your jar and seal. Let stand in room temperature until cool. Now you’re ready to eat! Quick pickled onions should be refrigerated and are best when eaten within 3 days.
2. Wild Mushroom Frittata
Eggs are a huge part of the Paleo diet. If you’re looking for a scrumptious filling Paleo breakfast idea, look no further!
What You’ll Need:
1 Sliced Scallion
1 Tsp sea salt
1/2 Tsp cracked black pepper
6 Eggs
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 Lb sliced wild mushrooms- Chanterelle, porcini, and morel
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan heat up 2 tbsp butter and toss in sliced scallion, and your sliced wild mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes. Meanwhile beat eggs and coconut milk. Add salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.
3. Grilled Chicken Tacos
Who needs tortillas anyway? Here’s a yummy recipe for a Paleo taco!
What You’ll Need:
4 Grilled chicken thighs – cubed
6 Iceberg lettuce leaves
2 Sliced avocados
2 Diced tomatoes
1 Diced English cucumber
Salt & Pepper to taste
Iceberg lettuce delivers a satisfying crunch, and it’s easy to roll. Combine all ingredients and place a heaping spoonful on each leaf, then roll! Simple as that!
4. Lemon Ginger Salmon & Garlic Asparagus
The perfectly ideal Paleo plate consists of 50% meat or fish and 50% vegetables. This dish delivers incredible taste with a great source of protein and fiber. Salmon is also such a versatile fish that can be used with a variety of flavors, and cooked in several different ways like grilling, broiling, baking, and frying. Is your mouth watering yet?
What You’ll Need:
1 Lb wild caught salmon fillet
2 Sliced lemons
Minced ginger root
4 Chopped garlic cloves
1 Bunch asparagus
1 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tsp cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp coconut oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat coconut oil in a saucepan and add chopped garlic and minced ginger and sauté. Descale your salmon fillet. Place your salmon fillet on a baking sheet and brush with coconut oil, garlic, and ginger mixture. Assemble sliced lemons on top of the fillet.
Meanwhile chop bottoms off asparagus stems and roll in remaining coconut oil. Place the asparagus on the baking tray with salmon and sprinkle the veggies and fillet with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes and try not to eat the whole thing! Leftovers are good for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
5. Chicken Cacciatore
Once in a while you’ll find a delicious, already Paleo recipe that barely needs any tweaking at all. I present to you- chicken cacciatore. A yummy plate full of sautéed chicken and veggies in a perfect herb tomato sauce.
What You’ll Need:
2 Tbsp coconut oil
4 Chicken thighs
1 Chopped red bell pepper
2 Chopped scallions
4 Chopped garlic cloves
2 Diced tomatoes with juice
Salt & pepper to taste
3 Tbsp drained capers
In a large saucepan heat coconut oil and add chicken thighs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté and brown chicken thighs for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken onto a plate, and add your vegetables; red bell pepper, scallions, and garlic and sauté. Add int he tomatoes with juice and the capers. Reduce to make a thick sauce. Add the chicken thighs and cook together for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked thoroughly.
6. Paleo Pizza!
I put an exclamation mark on this one because I’m so excited! Pizza is one of my absolute favorite foods, and I’m excited that it doesn’t have to be a “guilty pleasure” anymore! Want to know how to make a gluten free, dairy free Paleo pizza that’s FULL of flavor?
What You’ll Need:
Tapioca and almond flour crust
2 Chopped tomatoes
1 Chopped garlic clove
Bunch spinach leaves
Spicy sausage
1 Chopped red onion
2 Tbsp coconut oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat up coconut oil in a saucepan and sauté all ingredients. Assemble toppings as desired on the tapioca and almond flour pizza crust, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Play around with topping variety, obviously you can use whatever Paleo toppings you’d like.
7. Grilled Chicken Salad
Sometimes a classic stays a classic and there really is no need to change it. A grilled chicken salad is just that, a simple staple food and already Paleo.
What You’ll Need:
Chopped iceberg lettuce
Grilled chicken cubes
Cherry tomatoes
Sliced avocado
Chopped cucumber
Pickled red onion slices
Toss together and enjoy this fresh recipe! Cold salad with warm grilled chicken is to die for.
8. Sweet Potato Chips
Now I know once in a while we all get these cravings for something salty and crunchy, like a bag of Lays of Cheetos. Good news! Chips aren’t off the Paleo menu either!
What You’ll Need:
2 Sweet potatoes
Sea salt
Coconut oil
Bunch of thyme
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Peel sweet potatoes and and use a mandolin to slice them so that the slices are super thin. The thinner the slices, the crispier the chips. Chop thyme. Toss the sweet potato slices with sea salt, coconut oil, and thyme and assemble on a baking tray. Bake chips for 10 minutes, flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes! With chips under 50 calories per serving, there’s no reason not to indulge!
9. Salmon Burgers
Salmon is as versatile as a fish can get and it’s a great source of protein, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and contains antioxidants. Really, you should be eating salmon at least once a week. Here’s another fun Paleo salmon idea!
What You’ll Need:
1 Lb Salmon
1 Egg
1/2 Cup coarse bread crumbs
1 Minced shallot
1 Minced garlic clove
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 Lemon
Use a food processor to shred the salmon so the patties bind easier. Add egg, bread crumbs, shallot, garlic, and season with salt and pepper. The consistency should be similar to that of ground beef. Squeeze half a lemon into the mixture. Form the salmon mixture into patties and grill for 4 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other.
Use iceberg lettuce to wrap your salmon patty in and add a bunch of tasty toppings such as tomatoes, pickles, red onions, and avocado slices or whatever you like!
10. Asian Chicken Wrap
It can be tough ordering Chinese take out when you’re on a Paleo diet. But when you cook at home you can ensure you’re using the freshest ingredients and that it’s safe for your particular diet whether it’s Paleo or gluten free. Good news! Here’s a recipe for an Asian inspired chicken wrap!
What You’ll Need:
1 Lb grilled chicken thighs
Iceberg lettuce
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Minced garlic clove
2 Chopped green onions
2 Tbsp chopped cashews
After grilling the chicken thighs and washing the iceberg lettuce leaves, chop the chicken into fine cubes and add ginger, garlic, onions and mix together. Now assemble your wraps! Place a large spoonful of the chicken mixture into each lettuce leaf and sprinkle with chopped cashews. Easy, quick, delicious, and satisfies your Asian food craving while being good for you!