Low-Carb Sauce Recipes

Find healthy, delicious low-carb sauce recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Zucchini Noodles with Pesto & Chicken

Rating: Unrated
8
This healthy summer dinner subs zoodles for pasta to help use up your zucchini bounty--as well as slash calories and carbs. Once the spiralized zucchini has time to soak up the herby pesto sauce, this chicken and pesto pasta makes particularly good leftovers.
By Carolyn Casner

Dill Mustard Sauce

Rating: Unrated
1
This tangy mustard-dill sauce recipe is delicious served with smoked salmon, used as a vegetable dip or spread on a sandwich.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Quick Turkey Meat Sauce

Rating: Unrated
3
This lean Bolognese is made with ground turkey instead of ground beef and the result is just as delicious! Plus, finely chopped mushrooms are incorporated into the sauce (undetected!) for an easy way to eat more vegetables. Serve this healthy, hearty sauce with your favorite pasta, or over polenta with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
By Carolyn Casner

Thai Chicken

Rating: Unrated
1
A 20-minute entree that's sure to please picky eaters at your table, this Asian-inspired Thai chicken recipe is a great choice for last-minute dinners. If you have a little extra time, pair it with flavored rice and crisp-tender pea pods (see associated recipe) for a complete meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Jason Mraz's Guacamole

In this easy guacamole recipe, musician Mraz prefers California Hass or Reed avocados because they are the creamiest. Adjust the heat, tang or other flavorings to suit your tastes.
By Jason Mraz

Pork Medallions with Cranberry-Onion Relish

Ready in just 30 minutes, this pork tenderloin dish will please the whole family!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Puttanesca Pork Chops

Rating: Unrated
2
This flavorful pork chop dinner recipe is proof that bold Neapolitan puttanesca sauce can liven up more than just spaghetti. Unlike brined olives like Kalamatas, oil-cured olives have a meatier bite because they're coated in salt then macerated in oil. Look for them on olive bars or with other Italian products. Serve with sautéed broccoli rabe and whole-wheat orzo.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Cajun Salmon with Greek Yogurt Remoulade

Rating: Unrated
1
Paprika and garlic powder make a quick Cajun-inspired seasoning that flavors salmon fillets in this easy dinner recipe. Traditionally, remoulade sauce is prepared with mayonnaise; here, we substitute nonfat Greek yogurt for a lighter version.
By Dina Cheney

Chicken with Tomato-Balsamic Pan Sauce

Rating: Unrated
1
Fennel seeds give this tomato and balsamic sauce an extra kick, but if you don't have them on hand, try using cumin or coriander seeds, or 1 teaspoon of a ground herb or spice. Serve this easy chicken breast recipe with whole-wheat spaghetti or crusty bread to sop up the sauce. Save the unused chicken tenders in an airtight container in your freezer for up to 3 months. Once you have enough, thaw them out for another use.
By Julia Clancy

Avocado Pesto

Rating: Unrated
11
Avocados add a silky consistency and cheese-like richness to this dairy-free pesto recipe. Toss it with pasta, spread it on baguette slices to make bruschetta, or use it for a healthy mayo substitute on your sandwich.
By Jason Mraz

White Wine Lemon-Caper Sauce

Rating: Unrated
1
Got leftover white wine to use up? Lucky for you, using white wine for cooking can ramp up the flavor of your dish. Make this mouthwatering lemony sauce that's great for drizzling on roasted chicken, fish, halloumi or tofu. Or, use it as an easy homemade pasta sauce.
By Breana Killeen

Tahini Sauce with Lemon & Garlic

Rating: Unrated
2
Tahini, which is a paste made from ground sesame seeds, makes sauces and dressings super creamy without any dairy or mayonnaise. Use it as a salad dressing, a spread on sandwiches, or a sauce for falafel (see associated recipe, below).
By Carolyn Casner

Inspiration and Ideas

Honey-Soy-Ginger Glaze

Honey-Soy-Ginger Glaze

Keep this super-simple, versatile glaze on hand and you will be able to elevate any type of grilled or roasted meat, poultry, seafood or vegetable to company fare. Wait until the food has 5 to 10 minutes left to cook before brushing with the glaze. Then turn often, brushing with glaze, to create a glossy crust.
Gochujang Stir-Fry Sauce

Gochujang Stir-Fry Sauce

Rating: Unrated
1
Get Korean street-food flavor with this quick and healthy homemade stir-fry sauce. Use it for stir-fries, as a marinade for chicken, beef or pork or for tossing with Asian noodles.
Coconut Shrimp with Creamy Dipping Sauce

Coconut Shrimp with Creamy Dipping Sauce

Rating: Unrated
2
Pickled Garlic Cloves

Pickled Garlic Cloves

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Rating: Unrated
12
Garden Tomato Sauce

Garden Tomato Sauce

Rating: Unrated
1

Sheet-Pan Sesame Chicken & Broccoli with Scallion-Ginger Sauce

Rating: Unrated
5

In this healthy sheet-pan chicken recipe, meaty bone-in chicken thighs and broccoli florets are tossed with sesame oil and roasted on the same pan for a delicious and easy dinner with minimal cleanup. While the chicken and broccoli cook, whip together the simple scallion-ginger sauce. The sauce would also be wonderful spooned over salmon, tofu or grain bowls; it is easily doubled or tripled!

All Low-Carb Sauce Recipes

Simple Vegan Pesto Zoodles

Zucchini noodles, or "zoodles," are a gluten-free, low-calorie substitute for traditional pasta in this easy and fresh vegan dinner. For best results, toss the zucchini pasta with the basil pesto sauce and serve right away.
By Hilary Meyer

Grilled Salmon with Blueberry Sauce

This quick and simple recipe pairs grilled salmon with a sweet and nutritious blueberry sauce. Serve it with steamed snap peas for a colorful and great-tasting meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Provençal Fish Fillets

These fork-tender fish fillets reflect the cooking style of the Provence region of France. Dishes from the area often include olive oil, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and olives--and you'll find all of those in this 25-minute entree.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Ragù alla Bolognese (Classic Bolognese Meat Sauce)

Rating: Unrated
21
This is a version of the famous meat sauce of Emilia Romagna, of which Bologna is the capital. Giuliano Hazan's family is from Emilia Romagna, and he learned to make Bolognese sauce from his mother, Marcella, who learned it from her grandmother, Mary. Its classic pairing is with homemade tagliatelle or pappardelle but it's also very good with rigatoni, shells or any substantial pasta shape, preferably one with ridges, that has nooks and cavities to trap the sauce. Adapted from How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan; Scribner, 2005.
By Giuliano Hazan

Homemade Hot Sauce

Rating: Unrated
11
This homemade hot sauce makes good use of the bountiful tomatoes, onions and peppers in your garden or farmers' market. Adjust the heat to your preference: in our tests, two habaneros yielded a pleasantly spicy sauce without excessive heat--take it up a notch for spicy-food fans by adding extra hot peppers.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chicken and Asparagus Rolls with Garlic Cream Sauce

Chicken and fresh asparagus spears pair nicely with the garlicky cream sauce in this recipe. Chicken tenderloins can be costly but you can save some money by using skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into strips.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Peanut Dressing

Rating: Unrated
1
This creamy peanut dressing is as versatile as it is flavorful. Use it to dress kale or noodle salads, to jazz up hearty grain bowls with roasted tofu or chicken, or as a dip for spring rolls or fresh vegetables. If you prefer a thinner dressing, whisk in more water a teaspoon at a time.
By Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Soy Sauce Eggs

Rating: Unrated
2
Try this salty-sweet hard-boiled egg recipe as a swap for deviled eggs at your next party or as a midday snack. Or serve on top of your next ramen noodle bowl.
By Kathy Gunst

Open-Face Barbecue Tilapia Sandwiches

Grilled fish nestled on a bed of crunchy coleslaw and capped off with a drizzle of barbecue sauce makes these diabetic-friendly sandwiches sure to please.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Ginger-Garlic Dipping Sauce

Rating: Unrated
2
In addition to being a delicious dipping sauce for dumplings, this can be used as a marinade for chicken, pork or tofu.
By Ying Chang Compestine

Avocado Mayo

Creamy avocado becomes an amazing burger or sandwich spread when mixed with a touch of mayo in this healthy condiment recipe. It's particularly good on a BLT.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

New Mexican Red Chile Sauce

Rating: Unrated
4
This earthy chile sauce is super simple to make and is delicious on enchiladas or burritos. Or use it as the braising liquid for chunks of pork shoulder.
By Cheryl & Bill Jamison

Skinny Guacamole

Rating: Unrated
2
This delicious guacamole recipe replaces half the amount of high-calorie avocado in a traditional guacamole recipe with a stealth, low-calorie vegetable--zucchini--to cut 100 calories and 6 grams of fat so we can eat more guacamole with fewer calories. We use the microwave to cook the zucchini until it's very tender, but you can steam it on the stovetop if you prefer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cilantro Chutney (Kothmiri Chatni)

Rating: Unrated
1
Indian chutneys (or chatnis) are savory, vibrant and exploding with flavor, with a thin, saucy consistency. In this green chutney recipe, cilantro creates the basic sauce that serves as a condiment for many Indian snacks, street foods and sandwiches. The serrano chile gives it quite a blast of heat, so use less if you like a tamer sauce. Try this chutney in place of your favorite hot sauce.
By Shefaly Ravula & Amee Meghani

Double-Tahini Hummus

Rating: Unrated
2
You'll look like an expert with this easy hummus recipe that produces the lightest, silkiest hummus you've ever had. Chilling the cooked chickpeas ensures that when they're blended with the oil and cold tahini the hummus will come out creamy rather than oily. In a pinch, you can use the quick-soak technique (see Step 1), reduce the chilling time and still get great hummus.
By Michael Solomonov

Matbucha (Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce)

This slow-cooked tomato sauce recipe takes a little time but yields incredible results. Use it as a topping for chicken or salmon, stir it into a soup or stew, or use it as the base for an amazing pasta sauce.
By Michael Solomonov

Cream Cheese Frosting

Rating: Unrated
2
This healthy and easy cream cheese frosting recipe is ready in just five minutes and makes enough to frost the top and sides of one 9-by-13-inch sheet cake. We made this frosting healthy, with less saturated fat and calories than traditional versions, by using reduced-fat cream cheese instead of full-fat cream cheese, using Greek yogurt in place of butter and keeping sugar to a minimum.
By Katie Webster

Cider Gravy

Rating: Unrated
6
Make this low-fat gravy in the roasting pan while the turkey rests. Apple cider adds rich fall flavor.
By Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

Flank Steak with Chimichurri, Asparagus & Cauliflower Rice

This elegant steak dinner for two features asparagus drizzled with a bright chimichurri sauce. A bed of cauliflower rice sops all the extra juices, but you could stir the herby sauce into the rice for extra flavor. This dish is easy enough for a weeknight dinner but delicious enough for date night or a dinner party.
By Carolyn Casner

Chimichurri Chicken

Chimichurri is a no-cook herby-garlicky sauce from Argentina and Uruguay. It's delicious on grilled proteins and vegetables. Here, we use it to double the flavor of basic grilled chicken breasts. The chicken is both baked with and topped with this flavor-packed sauce.
By Carolyn Casner

Basil-Cream Sauce

Like an Alfredo sauce with a little added pizazz, this easy sauce recipe is great over pasta with chicken or even to top steak and green beans. Grate your own Parmesan instead of buying pre-grated--the cheese will melt better for a silkier sauce.
By Marianne Williams

EatingWell Lobster Dipping Sauce

Dip your lobster in this lightened-up lobster butter sauce recipe to save about 125 calories and 11 grams saturated fat compared to dipping your lobster into straight melted butter.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mexican Pickled Carrots

Rating: Unrated
5
This Mexican-style pickled carrot recipe is great for topping tacos, tostadas and/or quesadillas or as a side to any South-of-the-border entrée. These spicy carrots are also delicious added to a bowl of soup or tossed with spring greens, feta cheese and just a drizzle of olive oil.
By April McGreger

Green Beans with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

A much healthier take on the old-fashioned green bean casserole, this version thankfully skips the canned soup and fried onions! Fresh green beans are cooked until crisp-tender and topped with a garlicky-thyme mushroom sauce, shallots and crumbled chèvre.
By Diabetic Living Magazine
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