7 Best Protein Sources for Building Muscle On Keto

Building muscle isn’t just about looking like a Greek god or fit warrior queen. It’s about shaping a strong, lean body that keeps up with your active lifestyle and boosts your long-term health.

But here’s the thing: some muscle heads believe ditching carbohydrates means sacrificing your hard-earned muscle gains. Not true! Science shows you can absolutely build muscle while in the fat-burning state of ketosis.[*][*]

The key? Prioritizing the right protein sources.

So we’re exploring the best keto protein picks and sharing the facts behind why these powerhouses are muscle-making machines.

The Health Benefits of Building Muscle

Throw out the idea that muscle gains are just for bodybuilders — adding more lean muscle to your frame goes way beyond aesthetics. With more muscle mass, everyday activities become easier. From carrying groceries to climbing stairs, having a stronger body allows you to move more efficiently.

Plus, research shows adding more muscle to your frame may help you:

• Boost your metabolism and torch more calories at rest.[*]

• Support joint and bone health to reduce the risk of injury, arthritis, osteoporosis, and fractures.[*][*][*]

• Improve insulin sensitivity, helping your body better regulate blood sugar levels and slash your risk of type 2 diabetes.[*]

• Stave off chronic diseases like heart disease, certain types of cancer, and even cognitive decline.[*][*]

So, how exactly does protein help you build muscle and score these perks?

When you lift weights, you create microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. Dietary protein can be used to repair and rebuild these fibers, leading to stronger, bigger muscles.[*] 

That’s why eating protein before or after resistance training has been shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS) — the fancy term for muscle growth.[*][*]

How Much Protein Do You Need To Build Muscle?

Even though keto isn’t officially a high-protein diet (it’s high-fat, adequate protein), it may technically contain more protein than the standard American diet. And that’s a good thing.

Scientists say the current dietary protein intake recommendations were set to prevent lean body mass loss. But they’ve been misinterpreted as optimal intakes.[*] Now they know higher protein intakes promote healthy aging and better athletic performance. They also improve satiety and lead to greater weight and fat mass losses.[*]

So, how do you find your daily protein needs?

Let’s Do Some Protein Math

The amount of protein you need each day depends on your age, body fat percentage, and activity levels.

Generally speaking, you should aim for 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (or 0.55 to 0.91 grams per pound) daily.[*][*] Use the lower end of this scale if you’re strength training a few times a week and the higher end if you hit the racks daily.

Plant-based eater? Up your overall protein intake to ensure you get enough protein to build muscle. Plant-based protein has lower bioavailability, so you'll need to eat more.[*][*] Over 50? You’re losing muscle faster, so you must nosh extra protein to maintain and gain muscle mass.[*]

Plug your stats into an online keto macro calculator to let their techno-wizardry do all this math for you. You can also speak with a nutritionist or registered dietitian to craft your personalized goal.

The Best Protein Sources for Building Muscle On Keto

Add these protein-rich foods to your ketogenic meal planning:

1. Whey Protein

Whey protein is the OG muscle maker. It can maximize muscle gains, as well as improve upper and lower body strength.[*]

Thanks to its high leucine content (an essential amino acid for muscle building), whey protein is particularly effective for stimulating MPS after resistance training. It’s also rapidly absorbed, making it supreme for post-workout protein shakes.

When choosing a high-quality protein powder supplement, look for grass-fed whey protein concentrate as the first ingredient — and ditch the carbs, artificial sweeteners, and other questionable ingredients we keep out of Keto Bricks.

2. Beef

There’s a reason people on a carnivore diet sing beef’s praises: it’s a heavyweight champion boasting an abundance of protein. A 100-gram serving of a ribeye steak or 90/10 ground beef clocks in 28–29 grams of protein.[*][*] Other cuts are similar. 

Red meat is also rich in iron, which is essential for sending oxygen to your muscles for growth, repair, and recovery.[*]

Worried about saturated fat, high cholesterol, and heart disease? Don’t be; there’s no evidence to show these are legit fears with beef intake.[*]

Saturated fat is good for you! It unlocks long-lasting satiety and sparks sustained energy levels on a keto diet. Fattier cuts of beef also offer beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which research suggests may decrease body fat and support muscle-building.[*] 

So opt for grass-fed and finished beef over grain-fed, as it has a better ratio of healthy fats and more CLA.[*]

🥩  Read next: The Nutrient Density of Organ Meats (+ Why You Should Consume Them!)

3. Poultry

Chicken and turkey are versatile, readily available at any grocery store, and budget-friendly, even if you opt for healthier pasture-raised options. High-protein poultry picks per 100-gram serving include:

• Turkey or chicken breast: 30 grams [*][*]

• Chicken thigh: 23 grams [*]

• Ground chicken: 23 grams [*]

• Turkey drumstick: 28 grams [*]

• Ground turkey: 27 grams [*]

Don’t fear the skin or dark meat — you need more dietary fat on keto (not less)! 

4. Pork

Pork is the king of lean meats. So why is it good to eat on a keto diet? Because pork is one of the richest dietary sources of creatine.[*] Creatine boosts energy production, ignites muscle growth, improves post-workout recovery, and offers many other health benefits.[*]

You’ll score nearly 29 grams of protein per 100 grams of pork loin chop.[*] Then bump up your meal’s fat macro with a rich, creamy sauce, cheesy veggies, or a high-fat dessert (like a Keto Brick!).

5. Eggs

Eggs are an underdog when it comes to muscle gains. They’re a complete protein source (with 6 grams of protein per egg) and a treasure chest of essential nutrients in a tiny, affordable package. They’re also versatile — you can scramble, poach, fry, or hard boil them for a quick and easy protein fix.

Don’t toss the healthy fats in those yolks! Studies show that eating whole eggs immediately after resistance training results in greater MPS than eating egg whites solo, despite being matched for protein content.[*]

6. Dairy Products

Dairy products like full fat, no sugar added cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are some of the best protein sources for building muscle but are often overlooked.

First, they’re an excellent source of calcium and amino acids to promote MPS.[*] In one study, eating Greek yogurt during a training program improved strength, muscle thickness, and body composition over a placebo.[*]

Then there’s the real star of the dairy show: slow-digesting casein protein.[*] Casein keeps you feeling fuller longer, promotes muscle growth, and electrifies your metabolism for hours — even while you sleep![*] That’s why these picks are the best foods to eat before bed.

Just skip the low-fat options, which are typically loaded with sugar to compensate for the lost fat.

7. Complete Plant-Based Proteins

A complete plant-based protein source contains all nine essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) in high enough amounts to create and maintain muscle. Animal sources of protein are complete proteins; the same isn’t true for veggie proteins.

For example, legumes (kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.), peanut butter, and whole grains are not complete proteins. On the other hand, quinoa and soybeans (including tempeh and tofu) are — but they’re also high in carbs.

So, the trick to building muscle on a plant-based keto diet is combining sources that complement each other to create a low-carb complete protein.

Our plant-based Keto Bricks contain organic brown rice and pea protein to form a complete amino acid profile. Brown rice is high in methionine, which pea protein lacks, and pea protein is high in lysine, which brown rice lacks.

🌱🐮 Explore plant-based vs. animal protein gains and performance wins in this guide!

Keto Bricks: Let’s Forge a Stronger YOU  💪

Adding these high-protein foods to your keto game plan will empower you to build muscle, achieve your weight loss goals, and perform at your peak — whether you’re chasing deadlines or blazing new trails. That’s why we created Keto Brick: the ultimate performance bar for performers like you.

We pack 88–92 grams of fat from raw, organic cacao butter (nature’s #1 source of fat-burning stearic acid!) and 30–38 grams of protein from grass-fed whey protein concentrate or our plant-based complete protein blend into our Bricks.

With the perfect keto macros (81.5% fat; 12.5% protein; 6% carbs), Keto Bricks have been scientifically proven to elevate ketone levels and kickstart fat burning while you strive for muscle gains.[*]

🔥 Forge the body you deserve! Take the guesswork out of macro-tracking, streamline meal prep, eat more healthy fats, and build healthy habits with Keto Bricks on your team!