Cajun pork bites are a family friendly, low carb entree. Served w/ green beans, cauli rice & a creamy Cajun sauce to complete the meal!
With fewer than ten ingredients, all of them simple, Cajun pork bites make a great weeknight dinner. This recipe originated from our low carb meal plans so it's low in carbs and keto-friendly. It's also totally delicious, whether or not you limit carbs.
You'll start by cubing your pork chops and tossing with Cajun seasoning. You can control the spice level of this dish by how much seasoning you use. Next, you'll brown the cubed pork in olive oil before removing to make room for the green beans. The green beans cook in the same pan, making for easy cleanup as well as tons of flavor.
Once the green beans have cooked, you'll add the pork back into the pan, followed by some heavy cream. Finally, serve your creamy, spicy pork and green beans over cauli rice. Dinner is done!
One Skillet Cajun Pork Bites
Ingredients
For the Pork:
- 2 # pork chops
- 2 T Cajun seasoning
- 1 T olive oil
- 4 cups green beans
- 1 cup heavy cream
- S&P
For the Cauliflower Rice:
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 head cauliflower (or 1 bag cauli rice)
Instructions
For the Pork:
- Trim 4 cups green beans.
- Cut 2# pork chops into 1 inch cubes.
- Toss the cubed pork chops w/ 1T Cajun seasoning (for less heat use 1/2T).
- Heat 1T olive oil in large saute pan over med-high heat. Brown pork for 2-3 minutes. Flip over and brown 2-3 mins more. Remove pork to a plate.
- Pour 1/2 cup water into the hot pan and deglaze the bits at the bottom.
- Add 4 cups green beans & 1T Cajun seasoning (for less heat use 1/2T). Cover, lower heat and simmer 8 mins.
- Add pork back to pan and cook 3-4 mins uncovered. Stir in 1 cup heavy cream and continue to simmer ~2-3 mins. Add S&P to taste.
- Serve over Cauliflower Rice.
For the Cauli Rice:
- Remove core, leaves, and any dark spots of cauliflower. Coarsely chop, make sure it is completely dry and set aside.
- Place chopped cauliflower in food processor. (May have to do in multiple batches). Pulse until it is small rice-like texture. Careful not to go too far or it will be mushy.
- Heat 1T of olive oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add cauliflower rice and cook, stirring frequently, until desired texture ~10mins.
- Serve with One Skillet Cajun Pork Bites.
Cajun Pork Bites Variations
While the recipe is totally delicious as is, I always encourage you to experiment in the kitchen and make it your own! Only you know which veggies your family will love the most, the spice level you prefer, etc. Here are a few simple variations on Cajun pork bites:
- Adjust the spice! If you're sensitive to spice, start with half and add more from there as needed.
- Mix up the veggies. If you're not a fan of green beans or you have other veggies in your fridge to use up, by all means, give it a try. This recipe is really flexible. Just adjust the cooking time as necessary. This is a great list of low carb veggies if you need to keep the meal low in carbs. Peppers, broccoli or kale would all be delicious here.
- Change the base. You could serve the Cajun pork bites over zoodles if you prefer. Or, if you're not low carb, try rice, quinoa or pasta!
- Switch the protein: Cajun shrimp or chicken would be delicious as well! Adjust the cooking time as necessary if you switch the protein.
What are the macros for this low carb pork recipe?
Each serving of this meal has about 51.8 grams of fat, 71.4 grams of protein, 19.8 grams of carbs, 6.1 grams of fiber and 13.5 grams of net carbs.
I always include a macro breakdown for each meal in our low carb meal plans. I want to make it as easy as possible for you to eat how you want to eat and meet your goals! If you're interested in trying out the meal plans for free, you can sign up for a Prep Dish free trial here!
Can I meal prep this one skillet dinner?
Yes! Like all Prep Dish recipes, this one skillet dinner is designed for meal prep. It's a simple dish so there isn't much you need to do ahead but I find doing little tasks like prepping the vegetables ahead of time makes dinner come together so much easier!
To prep ahead, start by washing and trimming your green beans. Next, you'll cube your pork chops. Finally, make your cauli rice, unless you're using bagged. That's all there is to it! With these simple steps completed, this meal comes together super quickly, perfect for a busy weeknight.
What's the nutrition like for Cajun pork bites?
I have a background as both a chef and a dietitian and these experiences influence every recipe I create! I want each dish to be tasty enough that it's something you really look forward to, but also nutritious enough to leave you feeling great. This dish strikes that balance, if I do say so myself!
Here are a few of the nutritional highlights from Cajun pork bites:
Green Beans (Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Folate, Manganese)
High in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C and Calcium, green beans are great for your heart and immune system. 1 cup of raw green beans has about a quarter of your daily vitamin C needs and 15% of your daily vitamin A needs. The manganese in green beans is good for your metabolism.
Cauliflower (Vitamin C, Vitamin K, B Vitamins, Potassium, Manganese, Magnesium)
Containing tons of vitamins and nutrients, cauliflower is a great choice to regularly include in your diet. It's particularly high in vitamin C, fiber and certain antioxidants that may slow the growth of cancer. Cauliflower is also high in choline, which is important for brain health.
Pork (Thiamine, Selenium, Zinc, B Vitamins, Iron)
Pork provides substantial amounts of thiamine, selenium, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, iron and, of course, protein. It's especially high in thiamine, more so than many other types of meat.
Cajun Seasoning
As with any seasoning blend, the exact spices in cajun seasoning vary. The popular McCormick Cajun seasoning contains garlic, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, chili pepper, sea salt, onion, paprika and red & green bell peppers. Many of these ingredients provide nutritional benefits. Garlic may reduce the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol and some types of cancer. It also may help prevent colds and other minor illnesses. Chili peppers are very high in vitamin C and are also a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, potassium and copper. As always, look for seasonings without added sugar or chemicals for maximum nutrition.
I want more low carb meal prep recipes!
If you're looking for low carb meal prep recipes, you've come to the right place! Every week our subscribers receive a low carb meal prep meal plan (along with three other meal plans: gluten free, paleo and super fast!) The low carb meal plan features 5 dinners and a low carb snack. So it's fair to say I have quite a bank of delicious meal prep recipes to suit a low carb lifestyle. Below are three of my favorites!
Chili Relleno Casserole
So cheesy and savory, this dish is everything a casserole should be. The tangy salsa verde and poblano peppers perfectly offset the creaminess for a super satisfying, crowd pleaser of a meal.
Italian Sausage Pizza Soup
I'm a huge fan of pizza soup and so are our subscribers! This latest iteration features Italian sausage, mushrooms, black olives and parmesan, giving you all of that craveable pizza flavor, without the carbs,
Slow Cooker Italian Pork
I love cooking pork shoulder in the slow cooker. It results in incredibly tender meat and I always have leftovers, which is a huge win! The pork pairs so well with cherry tomatoes, goat cheese and Italian seasoning here.
For even more resources on low carb meal prep, check out my article on How to Craft a Low Carb Meal Plan or sign up for a Prep Dish free trial to see what it's like to have the meal planning done for you!
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