You might think that on a keto diet you can’t enjoy stuffing, but that’s not true. This Keto Stuffing Recipe is buttery and delicious – just the way you expect it to be.
» You might also like this Easy Keto Turkey Gravy.
Thanksgiving does not have to be stuffing-less because you’re on a low carb or keto diet. In fact, there are plenty of ways to enjoy all your Thanksgiving favorites, like this keto Thanksgiving stuffing, our favorite cauliflower “mashed potatoes” and these great low-carb Thanksgiving side dishes.
The biggest hurdle to making low carb stuffing is finding bread that is low enough in carbs to still make this a keto stuffing. But don’t let that stop you! There are plenty of options.
What Low Carb Bread to Use
There are many brands making low-carb bread these days. You can find it at most large grocery stores.
The brand I use in the UK is called Liv Life and has 3.8 net grams of carbs per slice. Trader Joe’s has a Sprouted 7-Grain Bread that’s 4 net grams per slice. There are many others, like Sola and even Franz has a keto bread now.
Just take a look at your grocery store to see what’s available. If you’re not able to find anything with a low-carb count, you can always make your own keto bread.
How Many Carbs Are in Keto Stuffing?
In this recipe, there are 5 net grams of carbs per serving. That’s using 3 slices of low carb bread with 3.8 net carbs per slice.
Due to the fact that you likely cannot use the same keto bread that I used, your carb count will vary based on the bread you’re able to find. If you stick to a low carb bread that is around 4 net carbs per slice, your carb count will be the same as mine.
If this carb count is still a bit too high for you, you can cut the bread to 1 or 2 slices, or you can leave the bread out and make sausage stuffing without the bread.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Keto bread – There are many brands making low-carb bread these days. You can find it at most large grocery stores.
- Olive oil – Using olive oil will add healthy fats to the soup. You can use avocado oil or any other cooking oil as well.
- Ground sausage – See the notes below.
- Veggies – Celery, onion, mushroom, and garlic.
- Seasonings – Salt, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper.
- Butter
- Chicken stock – Use low-sodium chicken broth or 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 of a bouillon cube.
What Sausage to Use
If you’re wondering what type of sausage to use for this recipe, it’s flexible. To me, the best sausage to use is one that has some seasoning mixed in. I use spicy ground sausage (Jimmy Dean Hot), because it has a ton of flavor and it’s not too spicy.
I’ve also used spicy Italian ground pork, I’ve removed the casings from Italian sausage, and I’ve used plain ground sausage. If you use plain ground sausage, you might want to add some additional seasonings (oregano or Italian seasoning).
Whatever sausage you use, just make sure it doesn’t contain extra hidden carbs in the form of sugars.
How to Make Keto Stuffing
Step One: Toast the Bread
We start by toasting the bread in the oven. Cut it into small cubes and spread it out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Toast it at 350° F for about 5-8 minutes, until the bread starts to get golden in color.
Once it’s done, add the bread to a lightly oiled 8″x8″ baking dish.
Step Two: Brown the Sausage and Sauté the Veggies
The sausage needs to be browned and crumbled into pieces. So add the sausage to the skillet and start browning it. I make sure it gets a good crust on it because that all equals more flavor!
Once the sausage is browned, add the celery, onion, and mushrooms. Sauté it all together for a few minutes to soften the veggies. Then add the garlic and the spices and mix it all up.
Now transfer the sausage mixture to the baking dish with the bread.
Step 3: Drizzle with butter and chicken/turkey stock
Drizzle the butter over the mixture in the baking dish, covering as much of the stuffing as possible. Then pour the stock over the mixture.
It will be quite wet, with about a 1/4″ pool of liquid at the bottom. Don’t worry! That’s how it’s supposed to be. Don’t over stir the mixture, or the bread will start to break down.
Step 4: Bake the stuffing
The last step is to bake the stuffing. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Then remove the foil and stir the stuffing. Then return it to the oven for another 20 minutes.
At the end of the 20 minutes, all of the liquid should be soaked up or evaporated, so the stuffing is moist on the bottom and crispy on the top.
Serve it while it’s still warm or keep it in the baking dish to be reheated later on.
Can Keto Stuffing Be Made Ahead?
Yes, you can make keto stuffing ahead. It does need to be prepared and baked, then it can be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for a few weeks.
In order to reheat it, remove it from the freezer or refrigerator and bake it for 10-15 minutes, until heated through and crispy on top.
Tips & Notes
- You can make your own low-carb bread or buy one. Look for a bread that is not too dense.
- A sausage meat that is seasoned is the best option from a taste perspective. Try something like Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage.
- You can make this without the bread. Just double the amount of sausage.
More Thanksgiving Recipes to Try
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Keto Stuffing Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 slices keto bread cubed (75g)
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces ground sausage
- 1/2 cup celery chopped (75g)
- 1/3 cup onion chopped (50g)
- 5 mushrooms sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter 40g
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Lightly oil an 8×8” baking dish.
- Spread the cubed bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and transfer to the baking dish.
- Meanwhile, crumble and brown the sausage in a skillet on medium high heat. When almost cooked through, add the celery, onion, and mushroom. Cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat. Add the garlic. Stir in the salt, rosemary, thyme and pepper.
- Transfer the sausage mixture to the baking dish.
- Drizzle the butter evenly over the top of the mixture. Then drizzle on the chicken stock. Stir well to coat.
- Cover the dish with foil and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and stir. Return to the oven for an additional 20 minutes.
Notes
- You can make your own low-carb bread or buy one. Look for a bread that is not too dense.
- A sausage meat that is seasoned is the best option from a taste perspective. Try something like Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage.
- You can make this without the bread. Just double the amount of sausage.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Read More About a Low-Carb Lifestyle
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Laura is dedicated to a low-carb lifestyle after losing 52 pounds on the keto diet. As many of us do, she struggles with her weight and has found that one of the only diet lifestyles that allows her to maintain a healthy weight is a low-carb diet. She shares her favorite low-carb recipes here that are both easy to make and full of flavor, so you don’t even miss the carbs.
I didn’t think it was possible to enjoy stuffing on a keto diet — thanks so much for proving me wrong!
You’re welcome! I fooled the whole table with it last year. They never know it was keto.
This is an amazing alternative for regular stuffing!! Thanks for the tips on breads to buy, it’s really helpful. Doubling the sausage is never a bad idea, either 🙂
Very true! You can’t go wrong with extra sausage.
We usually do a full carb stuffing but this year for our Canadian thanksgiving we tried this recipe since my husband is trying a Keto diet. We really enjoyed the sausage mixed with the mushrooms which we usually don’t incorporate.
That’s great, Clara. I find that the mushrooms add a bit of extra umami.
Looks delicious. I know my family would love this!
Who knew there was a keto-friendly stuffing recipe? This is brilliant!
Wait until you try it. I can’t tell the difference between this one and my regular stuffing.
This stuffing was delicious, thank you for creating this.
I’m happy you liked it Patricia.
Can you make the bread cubes a week in advance, or will they turn to rocks or maybe get too crumbly?
I’m using Keto Culture brand white bread.
Frances, the bread will be way better if you make the cubes when you need it instead of ahead of time.
I made this for Thanksgiving. It was a big hit!
It was mushy so I baked it an extra 20mins
I also added extra sage and chopped water chestnuts.
I know the water chestnuts add a few carbs but it’s been my personal secret ingredient in stuffing for decades.
It adds a nice little crunch.
I doubled your recipe to 8 servings, and adding an 8oz can of Dynasty brand WCs which added 16 carbs, or 2carbs per 1/2 cup.
Worth it. I’m only low carb though, not keto.
So happy to hear that you liked it. I love the addition of the water chestnuts, that’s a great secret ingredient!