Salads are an excellent way to maintain a ketogenic lifestyle both at home and on-the-go. However, it’s not uncommon to find hidden carbs lurking within many store-bought and restaurant dressings, especially when in the first stages of adjusting to a low carb ketogenic diet. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of versatile favorites, each under 4g net carbs per serving, to help you find the best keto-friendly salad dressings for your table.
Understanding Keto and Salad Dressings
The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a very-low-carb, high-fat diet that has been shown to deliver several health benefits. Non-starchy vegetables like salad greens are low in carbs and a terrific option if you’re following a keto diet. Since the keto diet is specifically a high-fat diet, a lot of salad dressing already is keto friendly, as long as it isn’t secretly packed with sugar.
What to Look for in a Keto Salad Dressing
When shopping for keto salad dressing, there are a few key things to keep in mind:
- Fat Content: The first ingredient should be a type of fat, such as olive, avocado, or MCT oil.
- Natural Ingredients: The ingredients should be as close to nature as possible, such as herbs, spices, lemon juice, and vinegar.
- Avoid Added Sugars: Watch out for added sugars. Many store-bought dressings are high in added sugars or make up for a lack of fat by adding carbs.
Dressings to Avoid
Unsuitable dressings for a keto diet generally pack added sugar or make up for a lack of fat by adding carbs. Dressings to avoid include:
- French dressing
- Fat-free salad dressing
- Traditional honey-mustard dressing
- Catalina dressing
- Pre-bottled vinaigrettes
Featured Keto-Friendly Salad Dressings
Here are 10 keto-friendly salad dressings, all with 4 grams of carbs per serving or less:
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1. Homestyle Ranch
Traditional ranch dressing is often made with buttermilk, but this keto-friendly recipe swaps it out for sour cream, mayo, and heavy cream, providing the same flavor profile with reduced carb and increased fat contents.
- Ingredients: Sour cream, mayo, heavy whipping cream, chopped chives, dried dill, onion powder, garlic powder, fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Nutrition Facts (2-tablespoon serving): Calories: 84, Fat: 8 grams, Carbs: 2 grams, Protein: 1 gram
2. Keto Italian Vinaigrette
This keto spin on a great classic pairs well with almost any salad greens. With ingredients that most people have in their pantries, it can serve as a staple for your keto lifestyle. This Italian Vinaigrette Recipe is a very simple, quick and easy salad dressing recipe made with olive oil, lemon juice, and a blend of seasonings.
- Ingredients: Italian seasoning, light olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, ground black pepper, and Dijon mustard.
- Nutrition Facts (2-tablespoon serving): Calories: 198, Fat: 22 grams, Carbs: minimal, Protein: less than 1 gram
3. Creamy Jalapeño-Cilantro Dressing
With the spicy kick of jalapeño and freshness of cilantro, this simple dressing brings a brightening touch not only to salads but also grilled meats and vegetables.
- Ingredients: Chopped cilantro, sour cream or Greek yogurt, chopped jalapeño, garlic cloves, salt, and water.
- Nutrition Facts (2-tablespoon serving): Calories: 41, Fat: 3 grams, Carbs: 1 gram, Protein: 1 gram
4. Keto Honey-Mustard Dressing
This dressing is not only for salads but can also serve as a zesty dipping sauce for all your favorite keto finger foods.
- Ingredients: Full-fat sour cream, water, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and granular erythritol or another keto-friendly sweetener.
- Nutrition Facts (2-tablespoon serving): Calories: 38, Fat: 2.5 grams, Carbs: minimal, Protein: less than 1 gram
5. Keto Thousand Island Dressing
This keto-friendly take on a classic dressing combines just the right amount of sweetness (from stevia) and acidity (from ketchup and vinegar) to satisfy your taste buds while keeping carbs low.
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- Ingredients: Mayo, reduced-sugar ketchup, apple cider vinegar, finely chopped pickles, finely chopped onion, stevia, salt, and pepper.
- Nutrition Facts (1-tablespoon serving): Calories: 96, Fat: 10 grams, Carbs: minimal, Protein: less than 1 gram
6. Five-Minute Keto Caesar Dressing
Whip up this dressing in just five minutes, toss with some salad greens, and top with a bit of Parmesan cheese for a quick and simple Caesar salad with minimal carbs.
- Ingredients: Garlic cloves, anchovy paste, Worcestershire sauce, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, mayo, salt, and pepper.
- Nutrition Facts (1-tablespoon serving): Calories: 100, Fat: 10 grams, Carbs: minimal, Protein: less than 1 gram
7. Creamy Keto Blue Cheese Dressing with Chives
Whether it’s chicken wings or just plain greens, this whole-food-based blue cheese dressing ensures no added chemicals that many bottled varieties provide.
- Ingredients: Mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, crumbled blue cheese, and fresh chives.
- Nutrition Facts (2-tablespoon serving): Calories: 106, Fat: 12 grams, Carbs: 1 gram, Protein: 1 gram
8. Wasabi-Cucumber-Avocado Dressing
This dressing is especially refreshing on a hot summer day but can be paired with fresh vegetables for a low-carb option any time of year. The wasabi powder can be adjusted to taste, depending on your desired level of heat.
- Ingredients: Avocado, green onion, cucumber, lime juice, wasabi powder, avocado oil, rice or apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and salt.
- Nutrition Facts (2-tablespoon serving): Calories: 75, Fat: 7 grams, Carbs: minimal, Protein: 1 gram
9. Asian Peanut Dressing
Most commercially produced peanut sauces pack a good deal of added sugar, making it hard to fit them into a keto diet. This recipe leaves out the sugar but captures the essence of any great peanut sauce. Use it as a marinade for chicken satay or to top your favorite mixed greens.
- Ingredients: Natural peanut butter, hot water, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, minced ginger, garlic, and pepper.
- Nutrition Facts (2-tablespoon serving): Calories: 91, Fat: 7 grams, Carbs: 4 grams, Protein: 2 grams
10. Keto Raspberry-Tarragon Dressing
This dressing provides a solid dose of antioxidants from fresh raspberries and tarragon, with the added bonus of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil to fuel ketosis. It’s a great option for any type of greens but can also be used to marinate salmon, chicken, and other protein sources.
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- Ingredients: Olive oil, MCT oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, fresh tarragon (or dried), keto-friendly sweetener, salt, and fresh raspberries.
- Nutrition Facts (2-tablespoon serving): Calories: 158, Fat: 17 grams, Carbs: 1 gram, Protein: less than 1 gram
Additional Keto-Friendly Salad Dressing Ideas
Beyond the featured recipes, there are several other options to explore for keto-friendly salad dressings.
Sherry Vinaigrette
Vinaigrettes are a classic keto dressing. These simple emulsions of oil, vinegar, and seasonings bring plenty of flavor to any salad while eliminating excess carbs. This sherry vinaigrette boasts 1g net carbs per serving and brings brightness to dark, leafy greens, like kale or spinach.
Caesar Salad Dressing
When it comes to keto salad dressings, fat is your friend! Not only do healthy fats bring flavor to your salad, but they also help you feel full, which eliminates cravings. This homemade Caesar dressing, at 1.1 net carbs per serving, is great on classic Romaine lettuce; instead of croutons, try adding parmesan crisps for a keto-friendly crunch.
Carrot-Ginger Dressing
A colorful dressing that doubles as a serving of vegetables. While carrots on their own aren’t ordinarily appropriate for the induction phase of Atkins20, a single serving of this dressing has 2g net carbs and is packed full of fragrant herbs and spices like ginger, tamari soybean sauce, and sesame oil. For a low carb take on Chinese chicken salad: combine this keto-friendly salad dressing with iceberg lettuce, cabbage, scallions, sliced chicken, and swap the wontons for slivered almonds.
Feta-Ranch Dressing
Put a twist on a classic keto dressing by combining creamy ranch with tangy feta. This dressing is fantastic for those looking to get some extra protein; each serving has 1.2g of protein to keep you feeling full and energized, and 0.8g net carbs to keep you on track. Try placing some of this keto salad dressing in the center of a plate full of crunchy veggies for a Mediterranean-inspired crudité.
Roasted Garlic Basil Dressing
The extra time you’ll take to roast this garlic is more than worth it! 45 minutes in the oven mellows garlic’s natural pungency into a sweet, caramelized flavor. This recipe blends a head of roasted garlic with basil, olive oil, and parmesan to create a decadent, keto-friendly dressing with 0.8g net carbs per serving.
SkinnyGirl Raspberry Vinaigrette
This raspberry vinaigrette is a bit of an outlier in the keto salad dressing world by virtue of being both sugar free and fat free. It has a rich, strong red wine vinegar flavor and a hint of berry fruitiness.
Chosen Foods Ranch Dressing
Chosen Foods is a good choice made with avocado oil, so it’s rich, satisfying, and fatty. If you love a really herb-rich ranch, this is the best keto salad dressing for you. It’s very dilly.
Garlic Dressing
If you’re a person who always doubles the number of garlic cloves a recipe calls for and who doesn’t mind walking around with absolutely kickin’ breath, this is the best keto salad dressing. It’s tangy and citrussy, but has a powerful, savory garlic flavor.
Tips for Making Your Own Keto Salad Dressing
Once you’ve mastered the quick preparation of these dressings, don’t be afraid to get creative and add other low carb ingredients to these recipes to create a keto salad dressing that is all your own.
Italian Vinaigrette Recipe
In a small container with a lid, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, basil, oregano, and cumin. Tighten the lid on the container and shake well to combine. Store unused vinaigrette in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Use a small airtight jar to store the Italian Vinaigrette recipe in.