Maple-Cinnamon Pork Kabobs (Atkins Diet Recipe)

Shish Kabobs made with pork and vegetables
make a cheap, easy, Atkins Phase 2 meal.

Getting tired of eating pork chops? Looking for something new you can do with a pork roast?

These Maple-Cinnamon Glazed Pork Kabobs are affordable, full of flavor, and best of all? They are only 2-1/2 net carbs each!

Don't settle for plain grilled pork on keto. Just combine some soy sauce, sugar-free maple syrup, and fragrant cinnamon to really wake up your taste buds!

I like to buy in bulk, and I've been doing it for so long now, it's become a permanent part of my nature. While initially, it was a budget thing, today, it just makes financial sense to not spend more for food than we have to.

Luckily, low carb doesn't interfere with that quirk at all.

These Shish Kabobs are Cheap, Low Carb, and Gluten Free

When I first created this recipe, we had picked up such a large package of pork on our last trip to Sam's Club that we had been eating quite a few pork chops.

I loved their economy pack of bacon, frozen vegetables, Davinci syrups, and bricks of cheese, which we purchase at Costco today. Buying in bulk means you have to figure out what to do with those large packs of meat.

That night, I just couldn't look at another pork chop. I needed to do something different than simply grilling them.

I had been wanting to do kabobs again, ever since they turned out so well when the in-laws were home for Memorial Day weekend, but I just hadn't gotten around to it.

Until now.

Shish Kabobs are inexpensive, and low in carbs, depending on the type of vegetables you decide to use, so I don't know why it took me so long to do them again.

They are extremely simple to do.

And since they contain both meats and a variety of vegetables, they are a keto one-dish wonder. Perfect for company and family alike.

Just thread a skewer with marinated meat and vegetables, grill, and eat. Nothing could be easier. Or more tasty.

Keto-Friendly Shish Kabob Tips

Make it easy on yourself and pick up some boneless loin chops or a nice-sized boneless shoulder roast for these tasty kabobs. It will make cutting up the meat go quick and easy if you don't have to fight with the bones.

Marinade packets from your local grocery store can also be a time saver, but not all types of powdered marinade mixes are low carb, and it's simple to recreate what's in them yourself.

The ingredients on all of the various marinade mixes I've used has been fairly consistent. Most contain:

• vinegar
• oil
• water
• spices

So I went with that as a guide.

Since I was watching my fat intake back then, rather than mixing the low-carb bbq sauce with 1/2 cup butter like I did on Memorial Day, I cut the extra fat down to a couple of tablespoons.

That's really all you need to get that buttery flavor I was looking for.

However, if you can use the extra calories, and doing low-carb high-fat, you can certainly add more butter if lots of butter isn't a problem for you. You can also add an extra tbsp or two of oil to the marinade, especially if you're trying this with a more tender cut of pork.

Oil prevents the meat from getting too soft while it soaks. However, I've never had that problem with the boneless loin chops, since they aren't all that tender to begin with, due to their lack of fat.

Maple-Cinnamon Pork Kabobs

Makes 12 kabobs
About 2-1/2 net carbs each

Ingredients:

4 boneless, loin pork chops (or other cut)
2 Italian sausage links
unseasoned meat tenderizer
2 tablespoons lite soy sauce or reduced-sodium tamari (San-J is gluten free)
2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup or 1 teaspoon maple extract
2-4 tablespoons water (use higher amount with the extract)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 yellow onion, cut into squares
medium-sized bell pepper, cut into squares
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1/2 cup low-carb bbq sauce
2 tablespoons butter, or more

Cut each pork chop up into 9 chunks. Wet the chops, sprinkle heavily with tenderizer, and stab all over with a fork. If you're using a fattier cut of pork, the tenderizer won't be necessary.

Place the pork chunks in a zip-lock bag that is large enough to hold them comfortably. Slice each sausage into 6 equal pieces using a serrated knife and add to the bag.

[Today, I no longer use meat tenderizer because I have no idea if its gluten free, or not. Instead, I use a teaspoon of baking soda sprinkled over a pound of meat cubes. You do need to let the meat cubes marinate for several hours if you decide to do it this way.]

In a bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, syrup or extract, water, cinnamon, and baking soda. The mixture will be really bubbly due to the reaction between the vinegar and baking soda needed to tenderize the meat.

Pour the marinade into the zip lock bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, then close the bag.

The baking soda is going to make the bag expand a bit, so now and then, re-open the bag and let the air out. You'll also want to turn the bag over to evenly distribute the marinade, now and then too.

When ready to cook, cut the onions and bell peppers into large chunks. Slice the squash. Remove the pork chunks from the marinade, wash, and dry thoroughly.

Thread kabob skewers with meats and vegetables.

I used 3 chunks of pork and 1 chunk of sausage per kabob. Place on a large cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Make sure you don't use "baking spray." It contains flour.

Heat the low-carb barbecue sauce and butter together in a small saucepan until melted.

Brush on both sides of kabobs.

You can grill them or cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes.