Low-Carb Superbowl Goodies (41 Super-Easy Keto Snacks)

Need super-easy keto snacks for the Superbowl game?
Here's 41 low-carb Superbowl food ideas!

Confession time.

I’m not really a Superbowl fan, and neither is hubby.

I’m actually addicted to the television series NCIS, but foodies can never pass up an opportunity to talk about great party food! Especially, since NCIS marathons are a regular activity at our house.

The good news is that Superbowl snacks don't have to be saved just for the Superbowl.

These super-easy keto snacks are great for snacking during the the Superbowl, of course, but you can also take them to family gatherings, use them for the holidays, or any other time you get an urge for something fabulous!

Don't restrict these tasty recipes for just football. Use them regularly, and low carb will stop feeling like a diet and become more of a lifestyle.

To cover my back, I have a few low-carb munchies that I like to always keep the fixings for on hand. Being prepared is an essential aspect of Keto. Otherwise, I might be tempted to dive face down into hubby's gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.

I don’t actually know how many carbs are in those cookies. I’ve been too afraid to figure it out. The homemade gluten-free hamburger buns were scary enough.

Homemade Low-Carb Dips, Salsa, and Cheese Balls

If you’ve ever checked out the ingredient label on a box of Lipton Onion Soup Mix, it reads like a corn-infested chemical soup.

For years, I’ve been making my own dips and cheese balls because they are super easy and taste better than anything you’ll get out of a dip-mix package.

Just start with this basic dip recipe, which is Atkins Induction friendly, or the basic cheese ball (omit the pecans if you're on Induction), and then add whatever you have a hankering for.

Let the dip sit for a day or two to give the flavors time to develop. You’ll end up with a great keto party dip, spread, or cheese ball.

Basic Dip Recipe 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 8-ounces softened cream cheese

Combine sour cream and cream cheese, and then blend until the mixture is nice and smooth.

That’s it.

Nothing could be simpler.

If you are doing high fat, you can also add a cup of mayonnaise to this.

Basic Cheese Ball Recipe

Ingredients:

• 16-ounces softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• assorted extras
• crushed pecans

Combine cream cheese and butter, and then blend until the mixture is nice and smooth. Add any of the following variation goodies you like, and then roll the mixture into one or two balls. Once formed, roll the ball into a plateful of crushed pecans, and refrigerate to chill.

Cheese balls don't have to sit as long as dip, but letting the ball chill overnight will produce the best flavor.

Dip and Cheese Ball Variations:

It is the variations where dips and cheese balls take upon themselves a character of their own.

While dried minced onion and beef bouillon powder is traditional, bouillon is as scary as onion dip mix is, when it comes to chemicals and ingredients that you can't pronounce. I do use it occasionally, but you can also reach for less traditional, but tasty additions, instead - such as:

• minced jalapeno, or other hot pickled peppers
• bacon bits, ham bits, canned crab, or baby shrimp
• chopped or minced red or green onions
• black or green olives, sliced or chopped
• minced pimentos or fresh red peppers
• minced bell peppers in assorted colors
• chopped pecans or walnuts
• grated or crumbled cheeses
• hot and spicy mustard
• minced celery, cucumbers, mushrooms, or radishes
• chopped artichoke hearts or water chestnuts
• spinach, parsley, or cilantro
• assorted herbs and spices
• lemon or lime juices

Serving Ideas for Dips and Cheese Balls

Serve your dips and cheese balls with:

• a nice raw veggie platter
• pork rinds
• bacon chips (cut in squares and bake until crispy)
• cheese chips
• pepperoni chips (just nuke them)
• or almond-thin crackers

My sons are particularly fond of taking a package of softened cream cheese, sitting it on a plate, and then pouring a little bit of homemade salsa over the top. That is what they call dip – quick and easy.

Salsa is also quite good served with pork rinds or homemade cheese chips.

Keto-Friendly Chicken Wings

How to make low-carb chicken wings
for snacking during the Superbowl Game and beyond

Superbowl isn’t Superbowl without chicken wings.

In fact, in our area, they’ve been whining on the news lately because the rumor is that there might not be enough chicken wings in the stores to go around.

That is all the suggestion that most folks need to make a run on wings, so you might want to pick some up early -- just in case the store really does run low.

Since you only get 2 wings per whole chicken, the news has been proclaiming that this Superbowl tradition has made things rough for manufacturers. Companies have to figure out what to do with all of the other chicken parts.

Sounded nuts to me, since few people purchase whole chickens these days. Simpler to just get the chicken parts.

Plus, chicken is so much cheaper than other meats that people tend to eat chicken every single week, especially those on strict budgets, but that was the claim.

I guess they had to come up with some excuse to make the scarcity sound more real.

Hot Wings 

My favorite way to cook chicken wings is to bake them in the oven and then pour a nice hot wing sauce over the top. This sauce is particularly easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon onions powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

You just combine the Louisiana Hot Sauce, melted butter, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper together. Hubby doesn’t do hot, so I don’t make them very often.

Teriyaki Sesame Wings

Teriyaki is one of my husband’s favorite marinades, so I created this recipe back when I was doing a Protein Sparing Modified Fast (PSMF). When I went into my recipe archives to retrieve the link, however, I discovered it was missing!

I went after it for you because it’s a very good recipe. You can get that recipe here. I use this marinade for all kinds of things:

• chicken breast
• chicken legs and thighs
• pork chops
• and occasionally steak

It would also be great with cauliflower rice or low-carb pasta for an amazing low-carb lo mein.

Heroine Wings 

These wings originally came from Dana Carpenter’s book, 500 Low-Carb Recipes, that was published back in 2002. When a friend first gave me the recipe, I didn't know that it was one of Dana's recipes until she stopped by this blog and let me know.

Although the wings are dipped in Parmesan Cheese, they come out of the oven looking like authentic oven-fried chicken made with a flour coating. 

I was pretty shocked.

You can find the original recipe and the way I made them here.

The coating also works with chicken legs, if those are easier and cheaper for you. I actually use legs much more than wings. I'm guessing that the coating would also work for chicken nuggets or chicken strips, but I haven't tried that yet.

BBQ Wings

Although there are low-carb BBQ sauces you can order online from Amazon that are not too bad, especially when mixed with a sugar-free jam and some chipotle chili powder, it’s easy and simple to make your own sauce.

Hunt’s Reduced-Sugar catsup is available in most grocery stores. If not, you can find it at Amazon as well.

It used to be called low-carb catsup, but when interest in low-carb products dropped off, Hunt’s simply took their low-carb catsup and renamed it to reduced-sugar to draw in more customers.

Today, they have renamed it again to: No Sugar Added Tomato Ketchup.

It says No Sugar Added on the label now, probably because tomatoes have their own sugar. At 1 carb per tablespoon, no-sugar added ketchup makes a great low-carb condiment.

Ingredients:

1 cup reduced-sugar catsup
1-1/2 teaspoons vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons spicy mustard

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon of Worcesterhire sauce

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spices

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon molasses

1/8 teaspoon salt

sugar alternative equal to 1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons of sugar-free honey or maple syrup

Toss everything into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer. Let it simmer for 10 or 15 minutes, stirring often.

This barbecue sauce will also work with an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce, but you might want it a bit sweeter. You will also have to add a pinch of xanthan gum to thicken it when you use tomato sauce instead of catsup.

Additional Low-Carb Superbowl Ideas and Keto Snacks

The trick is to always look for great snack ideas that won’t make you feel deprived.

If you attempt to replace some of your favorite party foods with things you don’t like, or that are just okay, it won’t work very well. Especially, if you’re around others who are chowing down on:

• take-out pepperoni and sausage pizza
• quarter-pound hot dogs in soft fluffy buns
• corn chips with creamy dip
• and sweets

You need to create a memorable menu or snack plan that will allow you to look forward to the holidays and special events. How about making:

• Low-Carb Pizza or pizza made with a ground-meat crust
• Super Nachos using pork rinds instead of chips
• BBQ ribs or strips of pork shoulder
• Hot dogs or Bratwurst without the bun
• Cheese, meat, pickle, and olive tray
• Deviled eggs made with any of the above dip variations
• Cold cooked shrimp dipped in faux Honey-Mustard Sauce
• Mushrooms stuffed with sausage, onions, cream cheese, and pork rinds
• Chicken Quesadillas made with low-carb tortillas, sour cream, chicken, cheese, and salsa
• Taco Bar: make up taco-seasoned ground beef and serve with all of the fixings with or without a low-carb tortillas
• Jalapeno Hot Poppers: stuff jalapenos with cream cheese, wrap in bacon, and bake until crispy
• Meat balls with Alfredo sauce, BBQ sauce, or hot-wing sauce
• Chicken Nuggets with BBQ sauce or faux honey-mustard
• Guacamole with lemon or lime juice, and a little salsa for added flavor

Parties and special occasions won’t be boring if you plan ahead and keep a running list throughout the year of tasty-sounding recipes and snack ideas that can spice up your everyday low-carb meals.

While low-carb products shouldn’t become a habit, as they have a tendency to stall a lot of people (probably due to the wheat and corn), they can give your holidays and occasional events an extra-special kick.

So . . . How do YOU spice up your holidays, parties, and special occasions? I'd love to hear about it!