My All Time Favorite Whole30 Recipes
In a couple days, I’ll be starting what will be my third Whole30. When I did my first Whole30 in 2014, it was a lot less mainstream. Most people hadn’t heard of the program, and it required a lot of explaining for people to understand what Whole30 was and why I was doing it. By the time I did my second Whole30 in 2016, it had become much more widespread. I remember being at happy hour with co-workers, feeling slightly self-conscious about my seltzer with lime and the distance I was keeping from the appetizers, and discovering that two others at the table were doing it as well. Now it feels like almost everyone I know has done a Whole30 or wants to do one, and I often get asked about recipes and resources. Between the two rounds of Whole30 I’ve completed and our numerous stints eating paleo, I’ve tested a lot of Whole30 recipes. Here, I’ve compiled for you the very best Whole30 recipes.
As I’ve said before, Whole30 isn’t hard – it just requires willpower and preparation. By creating a meal plan and dedicating one day a week to food prep, you can set yourself up for success! Over the next four weeks, I’ll be sharing my Whole30 meal plan with you each week. Expect to see some of the recipes below, but I’m also looking forward to discovering some new recipes together!
Salmon & Avocado Breakfast Salad
Salad probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of breakfast, but this just might change that. In the two years since I created this recipe, it’s become an absolute staple in our home.
Serves: 1 Difficulty: Easy Good for: Breakfast, Lunch
Twice Baked Breakfast Sweet Potatoes
If you’re like me and don’t like to wait long to eat breakfast after waking up, I recommend baking extra sweet potatoes ahead of time as part of your meal prep so that they’re all ready to go in the morning.
Serves: 2 Difficulty: Medium Good for: Breakfast
Plantain Frittata with Cajun Chicken Sausage
Plantains were one of the foods that I truly came to love during my first Whole30, and have been eating a lot of ever since. You’ll love this Caribbean inspired dish!
Serves: 6 Difficulty: Medium Good for: Breakfast you can eat all week!
Paleo Shrimp & Grits
This shrimp and grits was rich and creamy, all while being grain and dairy free. My Southern Boy endorses this message.
Serves: 4 Difficulty: Medium Good for: Impressing your friends at brunch
Sweet Potato & Chicken Sausage Hash
Of all the recipes I discovered through Whole30, this is the one I’ve made most often. We frequently make the hash and a batch of Brussels sprouts on a Sunday and eat all week, topped with a fried egg and avocado.
Serves: 6-8 Difficulty: Medium Good for: Breakfast you can eat all week!
Smoked Salmon, Spinach and Avocado Breakfast Scramble Over Sweet Potato Hash
This one is definitely restaurant worthy. I guarantee you’ll never miss bottomless brunch brunch again.
Serves: 2 Difficulty: Medium Good for: Impressing your friends at brunch!
Fig & Pork Ragout
The way the onions caramelize in the balsamic vinegar and mesh with the figs, accented ever so simply with the fresh rosemary really is magical. Best of all, this recipe couldn’t be easier to make.
Serves: 3-4 Difficulty: Easy Good for: Weeknight dinner
Paleo Salmon Cakes
Salmon cakes in the morning, salmon cakes in the evening, salmon cakes at suppertime! Enjoy these over a salad, with fried eggs, or with a roasted sweet potato.
Serves: 8 patties Difficulty: Medium Good for: Everything.
Tandoori Chicken with Curried Pineapple Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower rice is a Whole30 lifesaver, and this has got to be one of the best ways to dress it up. And this reminds me, I want to try this with salmon!
Serves: 4 Difficulty: Medium Good for: Satisfying a craving for Indian food
Ropa Vieja with Cauliflower Dirty Rice and Greens Braised with Bacon
This dish will make you feel like you’re at your favorite Cuban restaurant. The pork is equally awesome with dirty rice as with fried plantains. The difficulty in this dish is in the fact that you’re making three separate components – no single component is hard.
Serves: 4 for the rice, 6 for the pork Difficulty: Hard Good for: When you’re missing a fancy meal at your favorite restaurant
Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls
Instead of individually stuffing each cabbage roll, save yourself the time and effort by eating them deconstructed!
Serves: 6-8 Difficulty: Medium Good for: Cook once, eat all week!
Crockpot Moroccan Chicken
I recommend making at least one big-batch crockpot dish each week that can be eaten in a number of different ways. This one is one of my favorites, and is good with eggs for breakfast, stuffed in a sweet potato, or served with salad and plantains.
Serves: 6-8 Difficulty: Medium Good for: Cook once, eat in many different ways!
Amazing Plantain Nachos
I’m totally obsessed with this recipe. It was satisfy your craving for Mexican, and put your leftover chili or pulled pork to good use!
Serves: 2 Difficulty: Easy Good for: Putting leftover chili to good use
Roasted Chicken Thighs with Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Bacon and Beets
I love how versatile this dish is – you can make it with pretty much any root veggie. You’ll also be thrilled when it comes time to clean up – this requires very few dishes!
Serves:4 Difficulty: Easy Good for: Dinner without a bunch of dishes
Roasted Salmon with Herbed Beet Puree and Smoky Kale Chips
This dish looks and tastes gourmet, but it’s not hard to make!
Serves:4 Difficulty: Medium Good for: To woo your boo
Spaghetti Squash with Swiss Chard, Spiced Nuts, Tahini Tomato Sauce and a Fried Egg
Whole30 can be really meat heavy, and this dish an be a nice break from that. We’ve made this at least a half-dozen times, and love it. The components mean that it is a bit more time intensive – especially for a dish that only serves two – but it’s worth it!
Serves:2 Difficulty: Hard Good for: Vegetarians
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with BBQ Sauce
This dish is a bit of investment – you have to make the BBQ sauce, and to do that you have to make the date paste. But you will use both for many different things throughout your Whole30, and you’ll find many ways to eat this pulled pork!
Serves:6-8 Difficulty: Hard Good for: Cook once, eat all week!
Spaghetti Squash in a Creamy Avocado Pesto Sauce with Smoked Salmon and Asparagus
I first made this recipe with regular spaghetti, but love it equally – if not even more – with spaghetti squash! We eat this one all the time.
Serves: 2 Difficulty: Medium Good for: Weeknight dinner
Paleo Pastelón (Sweet Plantain Lasagna)
This dish will make you fall in love with plantains. I paleofied a Puerto Rican dish I made years ago, and loved the results. The leftovers make an awesome breakfast!
Serves:8 Difficulty: Hard Good for: Cook once, eat all week!
Lemon Garlic Butter Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp and Asparagus
This dish is as easy as it comes. I made it up one night in a pinch, and it quickly made it into our regular rotation!
Serves: 2 Difficulty: Easy Good for: Weeknight dinner
Paleo Shepherd’s Pie
When I first did Whole30 back in 2014, white potatoes weren’t allowed. While they’re permitted now, we still opt for cauliflower.
Serves:6 Difficulty: Hard Good for: When you’re craving comfort food
