Trying to eat keto while following a budget can be hard, but add Thanksgiving to the mix and it can seem impossible! Luckily, that’s not at all the case, as these cheap keto Thanksgiving recipes will show you by letting you create a great meal plan for your fall holiday dinner.
Not only are these recipes low-carb, they’re also low cost, letting you save money while also sticking to your diet this Thanksgiving period.
It’s like a choose your own adventure! All you have to do is select one dish from each section to create your very own Thanksgiving meal plan.
Your friends and family will be more than satisfied with their Thanksgiving feast and you can breathe a sigh of relief that you’re continuing to lose weight without losing money!
How to save money on the keto diet
One of the best ways to save money while eating keto is to make sure that the ingredients you’re using won’t blow your budget.
Whether it’s Thanksgiving or any other day of the year, this is a great way to make sure that just because you’re on the keto diet, you don’t need to spend a fortune.
RELATED ARTICLE: 30 RECIPES FOR DOING THE KETO DIET ON A BUDGET
Luckily, we’ve created a list of these ingredients just for you!
Print it out and stick it on the fridge. That way, you’ll easily be able to double check if the food you’re planning to cook is both keto-friendly and wallet-friendly.
(And you can even keep using it after Thanksgiving as well!)
And there are other great ways to save money on food this Thanksgiving, whether you’re eating Keto or not!
We’ve outlined some of these below, but for some more tips and tricks, check out this article: HOW I SAVED $300 ON GROCERIES IN ONE MONTH
- Prepare as much food as you can ahead of time. During the last minute pre-Thanksgiving rush, prices go up or key ingredients may be difficult to find, forcing you to buy more expensive brands if that’s all that’s available. Check the recipes below for what can be cooked then frozen. And this has the added bonus of reducing some of the cooking stress on the day!
- If you have the space in your freezer, start looking into buying a frozen turkey in advance. They can be far cheaper and taste just as good, although make sure you follow these instructions for defrosting the bird properly. And keep an eye out for deals – in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, some stores even offer a free turkey if you spend a certain amount of money.
- Use cash back offers like those available on Ebates. Thousands of stores are in their system offering cash back of 5% or more of the purchase price of things like groceries and other household goods. It’s free to join and if you sign up through that link, you get a $10 welcome bonus.
- Whether or not you follow the menu below, make sure you prepare a meal plan and a shopping list. This will make sure that you’re only buying exactly what you need – no more, no less – and that you won’t forget anything, forcing you to go back to the supermarket and likely spend more money overall.
Cheap keto Thanksgiving recipes to do dinner on a budget
Remember, there’s no need to do a ton of dishes for it to be a “real” Thanksgiving.
If you only make what you need (and only what people actually like), rather than what you think you “have” to make for Thanksgiving, your guests are going to be happy.
Better yet, your wallet is going to be MUCH happier.
RELATED ARTICLE: 9 ITEMS TO ALWAYS HAVE ON YOUR GROCERY SHOPPING LIST TO SAVE YOU MONEY
So we’ve given multiple options for each part of your Thanksgiving dinner below.
But to make sure you’re saving money, we recommend that you only choose one recipe from each section.
All you have to do is pick a side, a main and a dessert (plus stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce – don’t worry, they’re on the list below too!) and get ready to have a great, low-carb Thanksgiving!
OTHER TIPS AND TRICKS FOR DOING THANKSGIVING ON A BUDGET
Sides
Balsamic Parmesan Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes
Source: Jo Cooks
Recipe at Jo Cooks
This healthy side for your Thanksgiving feast takes only five minutes to prepare. And with only a few key ingredients, this will definitely help you stick to your budget,
Beanless Pumpkin Chilli
Source: Wicked Stuffed
Recipe at Wicked Stuffed
There’s nothing more Thanksgiving than pumpkin (well, except maybe for turkey, but we’ll get to that) so this low-carb chilli with a Thankgiving touch will be a favorite at this year’s dinner table!
BUDGET TIP: The recipe calls for a few different spices but if you don’t have them, feel free not to buy them especially for this dish. Whatever you have on hand along with some salt and pepper will usually do the trick.
Butternut Squash and Feta Gratin
Source: Closet Cooking
Recipe at Closet Cooking
With only a few ingredients and a prep time of less than ten minutes, this is a fantastically budget-friendly addition to your Thanksgiving. It would also be great to make extra of this for leftovers – if your guests leave you some.
Creamed Spinach
Source: Ruled.Me
Recipe at Ruled.Me
This will take you no time at all to prepare before your Thanksgiving dinner but tastes delicious and is so good for your budget. Just toss some frozen spinach in a pan, mix in the other ingredients and you’re done!
Garlic Parmesan Avocado Cauliflower Mash
Source: Simply Taralynn
Recipe at Simply Taralynn
I’m a huge mashed potatoes fan so this keto alternative is a frequent addition to my dinner table. This would be a great potato replacement this Thanksgiving – and takes literally only a few minutes to make!
Green Bean Casserole
Source: Peace, Love and Low Carb
Recipe at Peace, Love and Low Carb
Green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving staple in many homes and there’s no need to give it up just because you’re eating keto! Especially when they’re this tasty – and this cheap!
Roasted Broccoli and Bacon
Source: Nom Nom Paleo
Recipe at Nom Nom Paleo
This is super easy and super tasty! Better yet, you’ll probably have most of these ingredients already, so it’s easy on the waistline and your wallet!
BUDGET TIP: If you don’t have the avocado oil or ghee that this recipe calls for, some olive oil or whatever other oil is already in your cupboard is a perfectly suitable alternative.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts
Source: The Food Charlatan
Recipe at The Food Charlatan
I don’t know at which point of my life I suddenly switched to liking brussels sprouts, but I’m so glad I did. This recipe in particular will make sure that everyone’s getting their vegies this Thanksgiving – and it helps that it tastes amazing too!
BUDGET TIP: This one can be made ahead of time and then frozen to be reheated on the day. Not only does this mean that you’ll save valuable prep time on Thanksgiving itself, but you can also make extra to use as lunches (or for those evenings where you just can’t be bothered cooking).
Mains
We’ve got some turkey recipes and some with other meat as well, just in case you’re doing a more low-key Thanksgiving this year. Either way, they’re all super yum, low-carb and low cost!
Butterflied Turkey
Source: Nom Nom Paleo
Recipe at Nom Nom Paleo
This is a great step-by-step recipe for how to have a deliciously moist turkey this Thanksgiving. If you’ve never roasted a bird before, this one is perfect for you as there are a ton of pictures showing you exactly what to do.
Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Source: Ruled.Me
Recipe at Ruled.Me
That picture speaks for itself, right? Who needs turkey this Thanksgiving when you have something that looks that amazing!
Chicken Pot Pie
Source: Ruled.Me
Recipe at Ruled.Me
This is a great Thanksgiving option if you’d rather not do turkey this year. And it’s perfect for making double to save money on lunches when you’re back at work the week after!
Orange and Sage Glazed Duck Breast
Source: Ruled.Me
Recipe at Ruled.Me
There’s no question in my eyes: duck is the tastiest meat, hands down. So there’s no reason why it can’t feature this Thanksgiving!
BUDGET TIP: The only thing to be aware of is that duck can be a bit expensive, so keep an eye on the price in the months leading up to Thanksgiving to see if you can score a deal then freeze it before the big day.
Slow Cooked Turkey
Source: Love To Be In The Kitchen
Recipe at Love To Be In The Kitchen
If you’d rather not cook a whole turkey, this is a great recipe for keeping in the Thanksgiving turkey spirit. It helps that it’s oh-so-easy and oh-so-CHEAP to make!
Dessert
The highlight of any meal! You’ll be amazed at the low-carb Thanksgiving desserts that are on offer – and your friends and family members that don’t eat keto won’t even know the difference!
No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
Source: Ruled.Me
Recipe at Ruled.Me
What’s Thanksgiving without some pumpkin pie? This no-bake cheesecake version is great for those of us who follow keto – and given that this recipe makes eight servings, the cost per head is amazing!
Pecan Pie
Source: Maria Mind Body Health
Recipe at Maria Mind Body Health
This low-carb pecan pie is a perfect keto-friendly end to your Thanksgiving meal. Just make sure you leave enough room to enjoy it!
Pumpkin Butter Cookies
Source: Keto Size Me
Recipe at Keto Size Me
Peraps you’d rather have cookies to nibble on instead of a full dessert – or maybe you just want a Thanksgiving snack on hand while getting everything ready for the day. Whatever your reason, these low-carb keto Pumpkin Butter Cookies are just what you need.
Pumpkin Loaf With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Source: Peace, Love and Low Carb
Recipe at Peace, Love and Low Carb
The smell of this baking was simply divine – but is it bad to say that licking the mixer arms after making the frosting was almost better? I’m not really sure it matters, but safe to say, you can’t go wrong with this one capping off your Thanksgiving dinner.
Extras
Cranberry Sauce
Source: Thats Low Carb?!
Recipe at That’s Low Carb?!
There are some things you just shouldn’t have to give up if you’re eating keto while following a budget and cranberry sauce is one of them. Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered on both counts.
Dinner Rolls
Source: Healthy Gourmet
Recipe at Healing Gourmet
It can be hard to give up dinner rolls when you start cutting back carbs, especially for soaking up gravy or chilli. Luckily, these low-carb dinner rolls will do just the trick! You could even make them ahead of time and freeze them to simply pull them out and warm them up on the day. They’ll taste freshly baked and you’ll have time to do your other Thanksgiving preparations.
Gravy
Source: Keto Diet App
Recipe at Keto Diet App
Drowning your food in gravy is a Thanksgiving tradition – so this keto version is here to save you! Don’t be put off by the ingredient list, as it may look scarier (and more expensive) at first than it actually is.
BUDGET TIP: It’s fine to substitute food with what you already have to save more money. For example, don’t have ghee? Use another cooking oil And if you don’t have bone broth on hand, any stock that’s already in your cupboard works exactly the same.
Pecan Stuffing
Source: Simply So Healthy
Recipe at Simply So Healthy
Stuffing is usually high in carbs, particularly with all the bread involved. So try this low-carb alternative as a perfect way to get your stuffing fix this Thanksgiving!
What’s the must-have on your Thanksgiving table? Bonus points if it’s a cheap keto Thanksgiving recipe that we can all use!
Just one more thing…
If you liked finding out about 21 Cheap Keto Thanksgiving Recipes That Will Save You Money, why not share it with your audience?
They love saving money this Thanksgiving too, after all!
