Unlock the Best Keto-Friendly Condiments for Flavor Without the Carbs!

If you're following a ketogenic diet, you're likely meticulous about analyzing food labels and tracking your carbohydrate intake. However, have you considered the sauces and condiments you use? While many might appear harmless, some are packed with hidden sugars and carbs that can disrupt ketosis. This comprehensive guide will help you navigate the world of keto-friendly sauces and condiments, ensuring you can enjoy flavorful meals without compromising your dietary goals.

What Is the Keto Diet, and Why Do Sauces Matter?

The ketogenic diet involves consuming low carbs, moderate protein, and high fats to encourage your body to enter ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state where your body burns fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. The fewer carbs you consume, the quicker you will enter ketosis.

Sauces and condiments can be sneaky sources of carbohydrates, often containing added sugars and unnecessary ingredients. Therefore, knowing which sauces are keto-friendly is essential for sticking to your goals without sacrificing flavor. Sauces matter because they can easily add hidden carbs and throw you out of ketosis, hindering your progress. Uh oh!

Benefits of Using Keto-Friendly Sauces

Incorporating flavorful sauces into your keto meals can help keep you satisfied and motivated on the diet. Here are some benefits of using keto-friendly sauces:

Enhances Flavor: Elevate simple dishes with bold, low-carb flavors.
Adds Healthy Fats: Many keto-friendly sauces, like mayonnaise and guacamole, are packed with the healthy fats your diet needs.
Keeps Meals Exciting: With the right sauces, your meals never have to feel repetitive or boring (which is very easy on the keto diet).

Keto-Friendly Sauce Options

Here's a breakdown of some sauces that complement your keto lifestyle perfectly:

1. Hot Sauce (Sugar-Free Variety)

Hot sauce is a keto-friendly gem. Made with chili peppers, vinegar, and spices, it’s incredibly low in carbs and calories. Just ensure there’s no added sugar by checking the label.

We recommend trying craft hot sauces like Mikey V’s Pineapple Habanero hot sauce for a bold flavor twist! Just remember, not ALL hot sauces are keto friendly, you need to choose ones that don't contain sugar. Avoid ones with more sugar, like Sriracha. Oh, and not to mention, chili peppers are great for your health!

2. Mayonnaise

Traditional mayo, made with egg yolks and oil, is a keto staple. In fact, if you choose the right one, it's one of the most friendly keto sauces to use. Mayo can be great because it has no sugar or carbs, it’s full of fat (which is exactly what you need on keto), and it’s absolutely delicious. If you’re avoiding canola oil or other vegetable oil, you can find some that are made with avocado oil, or olive oil. It doesn’t get any better than mayo. Look for versions made with avocado or olive oil for a healthier option.

Tip: Use mayo as a base to create your own dressings by adding fresh herbs and spices.

The Chosen Foods Classic Mayo is a great option, with its creamy and tangy flavor coming from avocado oil, organic eggs, organic mustard, organic distilled white vinegar, and organic rosemary extract.

3. Mustard

Mustard, especially yellow or Dijon, typically contains no carbs or added sugars. Avoid honey mustard unless it specifies sugar-free sweeteners like erythritol or stevia.

It's similar to hot sauce; it can be AMAZING on the keto diet, but you need to check the label and ensure that it doesn't contain sugar… otherwise, you should skip it. Mustard is a staple condiment that you should have in your diet arsenal. Made with distilled vinegar, water, 1-grade mustard seed, salt, turmeric, paprika, spice, natural flavoring, and garlic powder, it’s a no-guilt condiment you can use for any keto meal.

You can also make your own homemade mustard that is keto friendly.

4. Guacamole

Avocados are a keto superfood, and guacamole is the perfect creamy, low-carb accompaniment. Keep it simple with basic ingredients like lime, garlic, and cilantro to avoid high-carb additives like tomatoes or onions. Avocados are the keto superfood - high fat, high fiber AND low carb. They’re great! Make sure you take it easy on the high carb aromatics and vegetables though. Don’t put too much tomato or onion in there.

You can find some store-bought ones that are keto-friendly, but always make sure to check the label and ensure it doesn't have too much tomato and onion, as that can add up on the carbs. On the keto diet, you have to avoid carbs at all costs! Guacamole is filled with healthy monounsaturated fat and is low in carbohydrates, making it perfect for dipping your raw veggies or keto-friendly chips into.

5. Soy Sauce (or Coconut Aminos)

Soy sauce is excellent for marinades and stir-fries, but use it sparingly due to its sodium content. If you’re avoiding soy, coconut aminos make a sweeter, slightly higher-carb alternative. Always check for hidden sugars before pouring! Soy sauce is amazing. Beef and broccoli is a perfect keto dish. There are a few carbs in soy sauce but because of how salty it is, it’s hard to do too much of it, especially if you salt your food as well. Some people don’t like the soy though, in which case coconut aminos does the same trick.

Soy sauce is a staple in many Asian cuisines and adds a rich, savory flavor to dishes. However, traditional soy sauce is not keto-friendly as it contains high amounts of carbohydrates. You'll need to check the labels. The 365 Organic Reduced Sodium Shoyu Soy Sauce is a popular option, with only 1 gram of net carbs. Seasoned keto dieters also opt for Tamari, a Japanese soy sauce made from soybeans, as an alternative.

Be careful though, there are more carbs in the aminos so check the bottle before you start pouring it on liberally. This one also makes a good keto marinade with some garlic powder, black pepper, and apple cider vinegar. I’m not kidding about the carb count on the aminos though.

6. Ranch Dressing

Ranch fans, rejoice! Ranch is one of our favorite condiments, and thankfully is keto friendly. Many store-bought ranch dressings are low-carb and high-fat. Ranch dressing can add creaminess to your keto meals, making it all the more flavorful and appetizing.

Look for sugar-free or keto-branded options for peace of mind. Combine ranch with hot sauce for a fiery dip that pairs wonderfully with veggies.

Other Keto-Friendly Condiments

Here are some additional keto-friendly condiments to consider:

Olive Oil: Olive oil is 100% fat and contains zero carbs, making it a very important ingredient in the ketogenic diet. The Mantova Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Lemon is a sure-keto brand, containing 0 net carbs.
Avocado Oil: Avocado oil is one of the top sources of fat for the keto diet. It’s also rich in essential nutrients, antioxidants, and monounsaturated fats. In the market are condiments with avocado oil as the main ingredient, such as the Primal Avocado Oil Mayo.
Salsa: Salsa is one of the many keto-friendly condiments that can add a burst of flavor to your meals without the guilt. The La Preferida Organic Medium Salsa is considered one of the top keto-friendly salsas in the market, containing only 1 gram of net carbs per 1 tablespoon serving. Fresh homemade salsa might be my favorite keto condiment. The combination of fresh garlic, red tomato, onion, jalapeños, and cilantro is the perfect flavor boost, and it is 100% keto-friendly.
Pesto: While pesto is most commonly used for pasta (not something you can eat in the keto diet), it’s a pretty versatile condiment that can flavor your chicken, vegetables, eggs, and seafood. Highly versatile with a bold, nuanced flavor and delectable consistency, our tasty basil pesto is a must-have in your keto kitchen. Made with a harmonious blend of fresh basil, garlic, and pine nuts, our take on this classic low-carb sauce also features tangy capers and bright lemon zest and juice, delivering a unique kick and heightened freshness that keep things feeling light. For an earthier twist on classic pesto, broccoli presents itself as the perfect keto-friendly addition. Cilantro is known for being a divisive ingredient, but for those of us lucky enough not to have inherited the gene that makes this vibrant herb taste like soap, this zesty cilantro pesto is a game-changer, putting yet another new spin on this well-loved sauce. The inclusion of bright and bold cilantro and lively lemon juice ensures that this pesto remains thoroughly refreshing.
Blue Cheese Dressing: Blue cheese is naturally low-carb, but it’s important to be selective about the type of blue cheese you consume on the keto diet. Keto dieters will swear by Toby’s Blue Cheese Dressing & Dip, a tantalizing condiment made of rBST-free cultured milk, expeller pressed non-GMO canola oil, live milk & blue cheese cultures, mustard flower, and other organically sourced ingredients.
Tahini: Tahini is a Mediterranean sauce made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It has an earthy flavor that’s slightly bitter, best paired with salads and raw veggies. Tahini is low in carbohydrates but high in fats and protein. The Once Again Organic Unsweetened Tahini with Lemon is the best keto-friendly storebought Tahini, made with dry roasted, organically grown sesame seeds and organic lemon powder.
Horseradish: Horseradish, a spicy root vegetable from the mustard family, is another keto-friendly condiment that can add a unique pungent flavor to your keto dishes.
Heavy Cream: Unbeknownst to many beginner keto dieters, heavy cream can be considered a keto-friendly addition to coffee and desserts. 1 tablespoon of the Natural by Nature Heavy Cream contains 0 grams of carbs.
Cream Cheese: Everyone loves cream cheese - the dense, creamy, yoghurt-like texture adds a subtly tangy and sweet flavor to bland dishes. The Philadelphia Cream Cheese is a crowd favorite thanks to its buttery texture and flavor.
Chili Oil: Chili oil can be drizzled on everything and is amazing for cooking with. It adds heat and flavor to fried foods and can be found in most supermarkets.
Sour Cream: Sour cream is amazing, tastes great and adds fat to lean protein like eggs. Make sure you get the full fat stuff though, this is one of those foods where the low fat stuff is much higher in carbs. I’m going to say it over and over. Make sure you read the package and know what the serving size is because it’s easy to overdo it. Cottage cheese has 3 or 4 net carbs a serving so less is more here. Sour cream is great on all kinds of foods. Speaking of tacos and sour cream, do you know what goes great with those foods and everything else?

Sauces to Avoid on Keto

Not all sauces are created equal. Some are brimming with hidden sugars and should be avoided or replaced with keto-friendly versions:

Ketchup: Regular sweetened ketchup is a no-no for the keto diet. But nutritionists have found a loophole with sugar-free ketchup. (unless it’s sugar-free, like Primal Kitchen’s keto ketchup)
BBQ Sauce: BBQ sauce is a great way to add flavor to your meat - so long as you opt for low-carb options. (opt for low-carb options like G. Hughes)
Sweet Chili or Teriyaki Sauces
Tomato Sauce and Paste: Ketchup, tomato sauce, and tomato paste are not very keto friendly. Tomatoes are one of the higher carb veggies and there are usually some added sugars in there. That being said, there are some great options out there for lower sugar versions but they still have some carbs. Use them sparingly and make sure you know what the serving size is.
Hummus: The creamy deliciousness of hummus is hard to resist. Most hummus products and recipes rely on chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - a legume with ~5 grams of net carbs per ounce. Rather than avoiding hummus altogether, we’ve decided to convert it to the keto side.

Avoid sauces listing high-carb sweeteners like corn syrup or cane sugar in the first few ingredients.

Keto-Friendly Sauce Recipes

Here are some keto-friendly sauce recipes to try:

Keto Alfredo Sauce: Thick, savory, and so decadent you won’t be able to stop yourself from going back for more. That’s how we like to describe this keto alfredo sauce. Often, thick cheesy sauces are made using flour and butter to make a roux. However, this recipe completely bypasses this process, which makes it easier to cook, and low-carb friendly.
Keto Cheese Sauce: Cheese sauce is one of those foods that never fails to satisfy. Thick, gooey, and of course, cheesy, this keto cheese sauce can be whipped up very easily. Serve it on vegetables, with your favorite keto nachos, or even just on its own as a dip. Here are a few tips to make sure that this is the best keto dip you have ever tried. First, make sure you use unsweetened almond milk.
Keto Lemon Curd: This low-carb, high-fat Keto Lemon Curd has a buttery and sweet taste with a sour lemon undertone. Making the best low-carb lemon curd only requires four ingredients and a few easy steps. The tartness of the lemon is complimented by the sweetener, butter, and egg yolks.
Keto Pizza Sauce: This keto pizza sauce recipe is simple to make and tastes amazing. All you need are some quality canned tomatoes, stock, olive oil, and a few herbs and spices and you’re good to go. It makes an excellent pizza sauce but can also be used in pasta dishes as well. To make the sauce, cook all the ingredients in a saucepan and then let it simmer for 15 minutes. Simple as that.
Vegan Gravy: A rich, moreish gravy doesn't need to contain meat. If you're looking for a plant-based alternative to serve alongside a meat-free roast, our vegan gravy delivers just as much flavor and depth as traditional animal-stock-based gravies. Made with a vegan chicken stock base and poultry seasoning, it maintains the same savory and herbaceous notes as its meaty counterparts while boasting a beautifully velvety texture, thanks to the use of a slurry.
Keto Romesco: Smoky, tangy, and packed with bold flavor, this tomato-based sauce from Spain is a game-changer if you're looking to upgrade your grilled meats and veggies. Our keto-friendly take on classic romesco omits bread as a thickening agent, keeping things low-carb without compromising the sauce's indulgent and creamy texture.
Chimichurri: There's no denying that a keto diet can, at times, start to feel a little heavy. That's where chimichurri comes in. Fresh, vibrant, and packed with flavor, this herbaceous and bold sauce adds vitality to an array of dishes, and is particularly useful for livening up a steak. Aromatics like garlic, cilantro, and oregano, combined with an assortment of fresh herbs, deliver a powerful punch, while acidic ingredients such as red wine vinegar and lemon juice help cut through excess richness.
Tartar Sauce: Although classic fish and chips as you know them may be off the menu while you're on a keto diet, you can still enjoy the sharp yet creamy delight of tartar sauce (arguably the best part of the dish) without compromising your carb count. Our quick and simple recipe combines rich mayonnaise with piquant dill pickles and aromatic dill, resulting in a perfectly balanced tart and tangy sauce to serve alongside your favorite low-carb seafood dishes.
Hollandaise Sauce: Hollandaise sauce, made from egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice, is the perfect keto-friendly option for upgrading your low-carb brunch or lunch. And though many of us are somewhat reluctant to make this iconic creamy condiment from scratch, it's actually incredibly easy, with our lemony version coming together in under 20 minutes. Delicious drizzled over roasted vegetables or meats, this creamy, savory, and subtly citrusy sauce offers instant elevation to whatever it's paired with, providing a touch of luxury without spoiling your diet.
Au Jus: A little more sophisticated than gravy and with more depth than a simple stock, a rich and savory au jus is the key to elevating your keto-friendly dishes by adding a touch of luxury without messing up your macros. Our recipe for a simple yet utterly delicious and flavorful au jus contains beef drippings, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth, gently simmered until the sauce reaches a perfectly pourable consistency.
Satay Sauce: The rich and nutty flavor of satay sauce is pretty distinct and utterly delicious. Though most store-bought versions often contain added sugar, making them unsuitable for a keto diet, our satay-style peanut sauce dials back the sweetness, making it a perfectly acceptable - and deliciously moreish - addition to this low-carb lifestyle. Just make sure to use sugar-free peanut butter; after that, a tablespoon of honey is all that's needed to provide a subtle, floral sweetness, bringing each serving to no more than four grams of net carbs.
Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing: If you're craving the creamy and tangy taste of Caesar dressing without the dairy, our vegan Caesar salad dressing has you covered, delivering all the well-known and beloved flavors of this classic dressing via simple, plant-based alternatives. A base of nutty, earthy cashew cream ensures a velvety smooth texture with a subtle sweetness that arguably triumphs over more traditional dairy-based Caesar dressings - without contributing excess carbs.
Tomato Confit: Sweet, caramelized flavors are uncommon on the keto diet due to the high amounts of sugar they typically contain. However, if you're craving a little burst of juicy sweetness, tomato confit might be your solution. Made by slow-roasting cherry tomatoes with olive oil and Aleppo pepper, our delicious tomato confit serves as the perfect flavor-packed topping - utterly indulgent, yet keto-friendly.
Remoulade Sauce: Originating in France and now considered an integral part of Louisiana Creole cuisine, remoulade sauce is a zesty and creamy condiment made with mayonnaise and flavored with an array of spices and seasonings, giving it both its distinctive taste and eye-catching color. Our keto-friendly version of this classic dipping sauce is made with spicy Dijon mustard, potent horseradish, and nuanced Worcestershire sauce.
Rajas con Crema: Delivering the perfect blend of smokiness and creaminess, rajas con crema - a traditional Mexican dish featuring roasted poblano peppers and onions in a creamy cheese sauce - is a standout keto dish.
Tzatziki: Vibrant and fresh, tzatziki brings liveliness to an array of dishes and is especially useful for keto meals featuring heavier, richer ingredients like red meat and cheese, as its acidity helps cut through excess richness. Featuring mint, garlic, and cucumber, our recipe for this classic Greek condiment delivers a cool and refreshing hit, whether you're dipping, drizzling, or spreading it.
Peppercorn Sauce: Peppercorn sauce is a well-known and well-loved accompaniment for steak and, with relatively few carbs, makes an ideal topping for those following a keto diet. While black peppercorns deliver a piquant, bold kick, their green counterparts create a milder, more aromatic sauce with a more prominent herbaceous note.
Lime Aioli: Creamy, garlicky aioli is delicious in its own right, but adding lime to the mix elevates it from a humble dip to the star of the show. Its creamy texture is beautifully complemented by the vibrant acidity and subtle sweetness of lime juice, creating a dip that brightens up whatever it's paired with. Served alongside our shrimp and chorizo skewers, this dip harmonizes wonderfully with smoky, sweet, and lightly spicy flavors, enhancing the sumptuously tender textures for a low-carb meal that feels incredibly indulgent.
Buffalo Wing Sauce: Buffalo wing sauce is the perfect addition not only to your chicken wings, of course, but also to any keto dish you want to imbue with a bold, spicy kick.
Sugar-Free Tomato Sauce: Anyone who's followed a keto diet for some time knows the frustration of trying to find tomato sauces at the supermarket that aren't packed with extra sugar. It can sometimes seem as if any tomato-passata-based sauces are entirely off the menu, but our recipe - featuring just tomatoes, salt, and a few basil leaves - remains relatively low in carbs, making it a great fit for a keto diet.
Sofrito: Sofrito, a staple in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine, is a vibrant, aromatic blend of peppers, onions, garlic, and herbs, used both in cooking to enhance flavors and as a topping or side to add a final flourish to finished dishes. Made without added sugar, our sofrito is an excellent choice if you're after a fresh, lively keto-friendly sauce with a bit of bite.
Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: There's nothing quite like Worcestershire sauce, with its unique blend of tangy, savory, and sweet flavors. Typically made with anchovies to give it that distinct umami quality, regular Worcestershire sauce is not vegan. However, our plant-based alternative is both vegan and keto-friendly, made from apple cider vinegar and soy sauce and flavored with cinnamon, garlic, and pepper for the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory.
Morel Mushroom Cream Sauce: If you're looking for a rich, savory, yet luxuriously creamy sauce to serve alongside your favorite low-carb pasta alternative, look no further than our delicious, earthy morel mushroom cream sauce.
Blue Cheese Dip: For those who do not follow a plant-based lifestyle, cheese is an integral ingredient in the keto diet. As such, it makes perfect sense to incorporate it into sauces whenever possible, not only for its comforting flavors and textures, but also to add extra fat to keep you satisfied and energized in the absence of carbohydrates. Blue cheese, in particular, with its piquant taste and rich, creamy texture, makes for an excellent sauce when crumbled into a mix of mayonnaise and yogurt for the ultimate tart and tangy dip.
Keto Taco Seasoning: With the right taco seasoning mix, you can turn a bland keto meal into a 5-star dish. Unfortunately, taco seasoning packets and DIY recipes often come with unnecessary net carbs from added starches, flours, and/or sugar.
Keto Hummus: The creamy deliciousness of hummus is hard to resist. Most hummus products and recipes rely on chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - a legume with ~5 grams of net carbs per ounce. Rather than avoiding hummus altogether, we’ve decided to convert it to the keto side.
Keto Nutella: Nutella is the perfect example of something that should be keto-friendly but is far from it. Although there are some sugar-free Nutella-like products, they rarely match what I can make at home.
Keto Condensed Milk: Life is better, and sweeter, with condensed milk! Imagine what you can make with it: flan, custard, dulce de leche - the possibilities are endless! I used half and half of allulose and erythritol.
Keto Pickles: Sweet, sour, spicy, and absolutely addicting. These pickles combine multiple layers of flavor into a simplistic pickle that you can add to almost any dish. On a ketogenic diet, a little bit of crunch is never a bad thing, either. These little guys will not only add flavor, but they will add a great texture to almost anything you put them with.

How to Choose the Best Keto-Friendly Sauces

Check the Label: Look for sauces with 0-1g net carbs per serving.
Avoid Hidden Sugars: Check for sugar, honey, or high-fructose corn syrup in the ingredient list.
Stick to Simple Ingredients: Fewer ingredients usually mean fewer carbs.
Make Your Own Sauces: One of the best ways is to make your own keto friendly sauce.

FAQs About Keto Sauces

Q: What sauces can I have on keto?
- A: Stick to sugar-free hot sauce, mayo, mustard, guacamole, soy sauce, and ranch dressing. Always check labels for hidden carbs and sugar.
Q: What condiments are not keto-friendly?
- A: Regular ketchup, BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, and sweet chili sauce often contain sugars and should be avoided or replaced with low-carb alternatives.
Q: What sauces have no sugar?
- A: Most hot sauces, yellow mustard, and olive oil-based dressings are sugar-free and keto-compatible.
Q: Is mustard sauce keto-friendly?
- A: Yes, yellow and Dijon mustard are typically keto-friendly as they have no carbs. Avoid sweet or honey mustard unless it’s clearly labeled keto-friendly.

Elevate Your Diet With Keto Friendly Sauces!

By choosing the right condiments, you can enhance your meals while staying on track with your keto diet. When considering what sauces are keto friendly, remember to prioritize low-carb options, avoid hidden sugars, and opt for sauces made with simple, natural ingredients.

Choosing the right sauces can make or break your keto experience. Whether you’re dousing your eggs in hot sauce or spreading guacamole on lettuce-wrapped burgers, the right flavors can keep you satisfied and motivated.

The Importance of Seasoning

This may not exactly be a condiment, but you need to flavor your food. Fresh herbs, seasonings, and spices are the difference between eating bland flavorless meals (which basically require some condiments to make taste palatable) and super satisfying, flavorful meals. An easy way to make great homemade sauces is to take a condiment and then add some extra spices and herbs to give it even more flavor. Also, as a side note, there are some great seasoning blends out there too if you just want to get something in the oven quick without putting a lot of time into finding a recipe. Common seasonings like salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric, curry powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper are all low-carb and keto-friendly.

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