27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (2024)

Recreate your favorite restaurant dishes at home with these copycat dinner recipes. These recipes are suitable for a diabetes-friendly eating pattern, as each is low in calories and saturated fat and uses sodium-conscious ingredients. While they aren't exactly the same as the authentic dishes from your favorite restaurants, recipes like Vegan Pad Thai with Tofu and Sweet Potato-Black Bean Burgers are delicious takes on familiar favorites.

01of 27

Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (1)

Avocado cuts some of the sour cream in our quick crema loaded with cilantro, for a healthier taco sauce that takes these shrimp tacos to the next level. Shrimp cook up super-fast, making them the ultimate taco filling for a fast weeknight dinner that's also impressive and delicious enough for a weekend dinner party.

02of 27

Cauliflower Chicken Fried "Rice"

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (2)

Get an extra serving of vegetables and cut back on carbs by replacing rice with riced cauliflower in this healthy chicken fried rice recipe.

03of 27

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (3)

A winter classic, this crock pot version of minestrone is heavy on the vegetables and light on the pasta, keeping carbs in check while providing plenty of flavor.

04of 27

General Tso's Chicken

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (4)

In this healthy version of a General Tso's Chicken recipe, we cut the fat and sodium in half from the original version by not frying the chicken and by using half as much soy sauce in this Chinese-takeout favorite. Serve with steamed baby bok choy or sautéed spinach and steamed brown rice.

05of 27

Vegan Pad Thai with Tofu

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (5)

You won't miss the scrambled eggs and fish sauce in this vegan version of the Thai favorite because the flavorful sauce hits just the right balance of sweet, spicy and umami.

06of 27

Sweet Potato-Black Bean Burgers

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (6)

These vegan sweet potato-black bean burgers spiced with curry powder are easy to make. Blending the mixture with your hands gives you a soft, uniform texture then the outside gets crispy by cooking in a cast-iron pan. To make this recipe gluten-free too, use gluten-free oats and serve the patty in a lettuce wrap, omitting the bun.

07of 27

Chickpea Curry (Chhole)

View Recipe

Homemade Chicken Ramen Noodle Bowls

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (8)

Transform canned chicken noodle soup into quick ramen bowls by adding fresh ginger, crunchy vegetables, herbs and a jammy soft-boiled egg. Look for a low-sodium soup that has 450 mg sodium or less per serving.

09of 27

Tofu Tacos

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (9)

These quick vegan tacos, filled with a spicy tofu filling, make a perfect weeknight dinner. To keep them vegan, top them with shredded cabbage, fresh pico de gallo and guacamole. For vegetarians, add crumbled queso fresco.

10of 27

Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (10)

This chipotle-flavored burrito bowl recipe is even better than takeout and just as fast. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthy dinner.

11of 27

California Turkey Burgers & Baked Sweet Potato Fries

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (11)

Inspired by an option at the West Coast chain In-N-Out Burger, this turkey burger recipe keeps the carbs in check with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. The side of sweet potato fries bakes while you prep the burgers, so this entire healthy dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.

12of 27

Oven-Fried Fish & Chips

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (12)

Fish and chips are traditionally sold wrapped in paper to soak up all the grease--not a good sign. To cut the calories in half and reduce the fat, we coat the delicate fish in a crispy cornflake crust and then bake it along with sliced potatoes. Serve with: Coleslaw and malt vinegar or lemon wedges.

13of 27

Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (13)

Fresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don't get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer.

14of 27

Vegan Black Bean Burgers

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (14)

These easy vegan black bean burgers have a healthy dose of fiber thanks to the combination of black beans and quinoa. Cumin and chipotle chile powder give these vegan burgers a Southwestern spin. Using your hands to combine the mixture creates a soft, uniform texture.

15of 27

BBQ Chicken Tenders

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (15)

These crispy chicken "wings," made with boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders, stay crispy with only a light coating of oil--no deep-frying needed. Serve as an appetizer or try them for dinner with crunchy vegetables and dip on the side.

16of 27

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (16)

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

17of 27

Chicken Shawarma with Yogurt Sauce

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (17)

The key to cooking juicy chicken without a spit in this healthy recipe is high heat and dark meat. The yogurt in the marinade gives the chicken both its tender texture and its alluring char. More yogurt in the sauce, along with crunchy cucumbers and herbs, keeps the flavors bright.

18of 27

Beer-Battered Fish Tacos with Tomato & Avocado Salsa

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (18)

Lovers of fried fish get the taste without all the calories, and the salsa adds a fresh, clean note. To complete the Baja theme, serve with black beans, some diced mango and a bit of light sour cream.

19of 27

Chicken & Cucumber Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (19)

We love the crunch from sliced cucumber and jicama in these savory chicken lettuce wraps. Serve with the simple peanut sauce for an easy dinner recipe that will impress kids and adults alike.

20of 27

Better-Than-Takeout Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (20)

This healthy take on burgers and fries swaps in chopped mushrooms for some of the meat in the burger patties, to cut back on calories and saturated fat.

21of 27

Shrimp Piccata with Zucchini Noodles

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (21)

The tangy lemon-caper sauce in this healthy Italian makeover recipe is a natural with shrimp. Serving it over zucchini noodles (aka zoodles) keeps the dish summery and low-cal, but it's also delicious with whole-wheat spaghetti.

22of 27

Spicy Orange Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (22)

With fresh broccoli, ginger, red bell peppers and plenty of fresh citrus, this healthy beef stir-fry is sure to become a favorite. And it's ready in 30 minutes, making it the perfect healthy weeknight dinner. Serve with brown rice.

23of 27

Avocado & Shrimp Chopped Salad

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (23)

The smoky flavors of grilled shrimp and corn in this healthy chopped salad recipe are a tasty match for the creamy cilantro dressing.

24of 27

Chicken Satay Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (24)

Chicken satay moves from classic Thai restaurant appetizer to delicious homemade dinner with this easy meal-prep recipe. A crunchy Asian-inspired slaw serves as the satisfying low-carb base, and the bold, creamy peanut sauce brings a hint of heat to every bite.

25of 27

Kung Pao Chicken with Bell Peppers

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (25)

Here's an easy chicken recipe you'll definitely want to add to your dinner repertoire. A quick marinade tenderizes the chicken and infuses flavor in this healthy version of a take-out favorite. Adding a little oil to finish the marinade coats the chicken and helps keep it from sticking to the pan.

26of 27

Shrimp Scampi

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (26)

Shrimp scampi is a favorite dish at many Italian restaurants but our version takes just 20 minutes to prepare, so it's perfect for a weeknight dinner at home. Large shrimp are cooked with garlic and then served over linguine pasta with a buttery-wine sauce--it's so good your family may think you ordered takeout!

27of 27

Sesame-Garlic Beef & Broccoli with Whole-Wheat Noodles

View Recipe

27 Diabetes-Friendly Copycat Dinner Recipes (27)

A savory marinade with garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil infuses flavor into sirloin steak pieces in this healthy beef and broccoli stir-fry recipe. Tip: Partially freeze the beef for easier slicing.