How to Eat Keto at Red Lobster: A Comprehensive Guide

December 7, 2025 •

4 min read

For many, eating out on a ketogenic diet presents a major challenge, but with the right knowledge, it is entirely possible to enjoy a delicious meal at a chain like Red Lobster. With so many potential pitfalls, from breaded seafood to sugary glazes, a strategic approach is key to staying in ketosis.

Quick Summary

Navigate the Red Lobster menu for a satisfying ketogenic meal. Focus on grilled or steamed seafood and steak, swap out carb-heavy sides for low-carb vegetables, and choose your sauces and dressings carefully to maintain your low-carb intake.

Key Points

Avoid All Breaded Items: Fried seafood and crusted proteins are not keto-friendly due to the high carbohydrate content in the breading.
Focus on Grilled or Broiled Seafood: Opt for natural, unbreaded items like lobster tail, salmon, or grilled shrimp skewers.
Request Simple Preparations: Ask for seafood without any sugary sauces, glazes, or marinades, and use melted butter or lemon juice instead.
Choose Low-Carb Side Dishes: Substitute carb-heavy sides like rice and potatoes with steamed broccoli or roasted green beans.
Customize Your Salads: When ordering a salad, ask for no croutons and choose a low-carb dressing like ranch or Caesar.

Navigating the Red Lobster Menu: A Keto Strategy

Eating keto at Red Lobster means being deliberate with your choices, but it doesn't mean sacrificing flavor. The key is to avoid all breaded and fried items, sugary sauces and glazes, and carb-heavy side dishes like pasta, rice, and, of course, the infamous Cheddar Bay Biscuits. By focusing on simply prepared seafood, steak, and vegetables, you can create a delicious and filling meal that aligns with your low-carb goals.

Keto-Friendly Entrée Options

The most straightforward way to build a keto meal is to start with the main protein. At Red Lobster, this means sticking to simply prepared seafood or steak and avoiding any breaded or crusted offerings.

Best Seafood Choices:

Classic Maritime Lobster: Opt for the steamed or broiled version, which has a very low carb count. For dipping, ask for melted butter.
Wild-Caught Snow Crab Legs: These are a fantastic zero-carb option. Dip them in plenty of melted butter for extra fat.
Simply Grilled Salmon: Ask for it without any glaze or sugary sauces. Salmon is a great source of healthy omega-3 fats.
Hand-Crafted Garlic Shrimp Scampi: Red Lobster's scampi is served without pasta, making it a great low-carb dish cooked in a rich butter sauce.
Wood-Grilled Shrimp Skewers: These are a solid choice, and you can add extra grilled shrimp for a richer meal.

Best Steak Options:

7 oz. Sirloin, 12 oz. NY Strip, or Filet Mignon: Red Lobster offers several unbreaded steak options that are naturally low-carb. Pair them with keto-friendly sides for a satisfying surf-and-turf.

Choosing Your Sides Wisely

Sides are where many diners make mistakes. To stay on track, you must skip items like the baked potato (unless you remove the toppings), mashed potatoes, and rice pilaf. The healthiest, lowest-carb side is steamed broccoli.

Keto-Friendly Sides and Add-ons:

Fresh Broccoli: This is your best bet for a simple, green vegetable side. Ask for it steamed with butter or oil.
Roasted Green Beans: Another low-carb vegetable option, often seasoned with garlic.
Side House Salad: Order this without croutons and with a low-carb dressing like ranch, Caesar, or blue cheese.
Side Caesar Salad: Again, order without the croutons and confirm the dressing is low-carb.

Comparing a Standard vs. Keto Meal

Here’s a comparison to illustrate the difference between a typical high-carb meal and a customized keto meal at Red Lobster.


Item	Standard High-Carb Order	Keto-Friendly Order
Appetizer	Mozzarella Sticks	Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail (with no cocktail sauce)
Entrée	Walt's Favorite Shrimp	Wood-Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Sides	Baked Potato, Cheddar Bay Biscuits	Fresh Broccoli, Side Caesar Salad (no croutons)
Sauces/Extras	Cocktail Sauce	Melted Butter
Carb Count	Very High (over 100g)	Very Low (under 10g net)

Customization and Condiments

Your best ally for staying keto is melted butter, which has zero grams of carbs and is an excellent source of fat. Be cautious with glazes and sweet sauces. For marinades or seasonings, ask what's used and request no-sugar options or just a simple squeeze of lemon.

Condiments to Consider:

Melted Butter: Zero carbs, great for dipping lobster and crab.
Ranch or Caesar Dressing: Typically low in carbs, but always confirm.
Lemon Juice: A squeeze of fresh lemon adds flavor without adding carbs or sugar.
Sour Cream: A low-carb option, useful for adding fat to a plain baked potato (if you choose this side).

For a truly keto-compliant experience, consider ordering the Ultimate Feast but specifying substitutions. For example, swap the breaded shrimp for grilled shrimp skewers and the rice for extra steamed broccoli. The flexibility of the menu can be a major advantage for keto dieters.

Conclusion: Enjoying Red Lobster on a Keto Diet is Possible

With a bit of planning and confident communication with your server, dining out at Red Lobster on a keto diet is not only manageable but can also be a delightful experience. By avoiding the obvious high-carb culprits like biscuits, fried items, and sugary sauces, and sticking to the wealth of unbreaded seafood and steak options, you can enjoy a delicious and satisfying meal without breaking ketosis. Always opt for simple preparations, load up on low-carb vegetable sides, and don't be shy about asking for pure melted butter for dipping. You can savor the flavors you love while sticking to your dietary goals.

Sources

Optional Outbound Link

For additional information on low-carb dining and substitutions, you can also consult resources like the Atkins official website.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, the Cheddar Bay Biscuits are not keto-friendly. A single biscuit can contain a significant number of carbs, likely knocking you out of ketosis.

Great keto options include steamed lobster, wild-caught snow crab legs, grilled salmon without glaze, and wood-grilled shrimp skewers.

The jumbo shrimp cocktail is a solid keto appetizer, but be sure to avoid the sugary cocktail sauce and ask for melted butter instead.

A plain baked potato has a high carb count. However, you can make it more keto-friendly by scooping out some of the inside and adding plenty of butter and sour cream.

Melted butter is the best zero-carb option. You can also use low-carb dressings like ranch, Caesar, and blue cheese, but always confirm the nutritional information.

Request that all seafood be grilled, broiled, or steamed without any added glazes. Ask for substitutions like steamed broccoli instead of rice or mashed potatoes.

Yes, you can order a surf and turf meal by combining a grilled steak with grilled shrimp skewers or a lobster tail. Just ensure all items are prepared without any breading or sugary sauces.