Homemade Keto Stuffing Recipe

This is delicious and easy to make Keto Stuffing to go with your next turkey meal. It’s so good that it can be a meal in itself too. It’s the best homemade stuffing!

Well, this is a food that is so near to my heart because I always made a delicious sausage stuffing every time I made a turkey dinner or stuffed pork chops.

In fact every time my friends and family would eat my stuffing everyone raved about it and said it was always the highlight of the dinner. So because they all felt that way I would make a HUGE amount and would send them home with leftover stuffing.  

In our immediate family, we all fought over the leftovers and made sure that I made enough so that we all could eat it for a few days. My husband would always make turkey soup and throw some of the stuffing in that too. 

So now I’m so happy that I can duplicate the recipe and make a low carb stuffing that is just as tasty as the original! My son in law loved it and ate it for a few days, so I would say that it passed the test and has now replaced my original. 

Traditional Stuffing vs Keto Stuffing

The base of most traditional stuffing is bread. Sometimes real bread, sometimes prepared stuffing that comes in a bag or box with spices, and then other things are added to the breading.

Some people like their stuffing simple without a lot of added ingredients. Some people like to add sausage and veggies like me. 

But since we are trying to keep our carbs low, we have to be careful what we use in our sausage stuffing. That’s why I chose to use pork rinds, which just happen to be carb-free.

So anytime that you start with ingredients that have zero carbs, chances are it’s gonna be a lot easier to keep your carb count low by the time you get done with making your recipe. As far as the sausage, that’s carb-free too.

Is Stuffing Unhealthy?

What makes regular bread stuffing unhealthy is the carb count in it. Most people make their stuffing using practically all bread with a touch of other things, like apples, onions, celery, sausage, etc.

Doing that, it adds so many carbs to the meal that it becomes unhealthy, especially for people who can’t process carbs very well. 

That’s why you need an alternative, and so my daughter and  I have created a healthy stuffing you can eat instead!

Is this Stuffing Low Carb/Keto?

Yes, I’m happy to say that our stuffing recipe is Low Carb/Keto. With only 5 main ingredients it’s an easy job to make this stuffing taste delicious without adding too many carbs.

Ours is made out of onions, celery, chicken broth, sausage, and pork rinds, along with some seasonings & spices. 

So if you are looking for Low Carb Sausage Stuffing, this one is 2.2 Net Carbs per ½ cup serving. You can actually have 2 or 3 servings and still not use up too many carbs for the day!

What is the Difference between Stuffing and Dressing?

Really there is no difference between dressing and stuffing. Typically years ago it was called “stuffing” because it was stuffed inside the turkey cavity whereas dressing was put in the oven in a separate baking dish. But they both were prepared the same exact way. 

I think it also was a matter of which part of the country you are from and also what era or time frame we are talking about. People in different states say words different than other states and also our grandparents or parents have different names for things than us. 

But rest assured no matter what you call it, dressing or stuffing, this Keto dish is delicious!

What Ingredients are in a Low Carb Stuffing? 

Celery – One of the most flavorful veggies in a lot of things, especially chicken soup and also an essential part of your stuffing. Without celery, it would not taste the same, and it gets that nice crunch to it. You may think that celery is a more bland veggie, but trust me….don’t skip it.

Onions – Who doesn’t love onions? They speak for themselves because they add so much flavor to lots of foods and this stuffing is no exception.

Chicken Broth – Any chicken broth will work. It adds more flavor to your stuffing than using water, but if you don’t like the broth or for some reason don’t have any at home you could always use just water.

Pork Rinds – A wonder food for a low carb diet. I have always liked to snack on them but since I have needed to cut carbs out of my diet I have found other ways to incorporate pork rinds into other recipes. This is one of them. They don’t have any carbs which makes them so much fun to add to things. 

Sausage – I like Perri hot sausage but you can use any brand of your choice, sweet or hot. Perri comes in links and you just cut the links open and take out the meat and throw away the skin. There are some brands of sausage that do come in ground-up form, so feel free to try one of those. 

Spices – Parsley, thyme, black pepper. All 3 of these spices add to the finishing flavor of your stuffing. Without spices, food would be blander. They add so much as in the case of this stuffing. 

Do You Put Eggs in Stuffing?

I personally have made my original stuffing and my new Low Carb Stuffing with egg and without egg. The reason that you can add eggs to your stuffing is that eggs are used as a binder to hold your stuffing together. 

I personally like it both ways and really don’t find much of a difference. However, one word of caution is to make sure your other ingredients are cool enough to add the egg because if it’s too hot then your egg will start to cook in the stuffing which will then give you scrambled eggs in the stuffing.

Chicken Broth or Water?

As you might imagine, chicken broth is much better than water, it has more flavor. I made it both ways to try it out. In my opinion when you use water to blend all the ingredients for the stuffing its good, but when you add the chicken broth it makes the stuffing taste complete. 

I feel all the ingredients combined together is what makes it the best stuffing. If for some reason that you can’t eat chicken broth, then feel free to use water and it will still be good to eat. 

Different Variations of Keto Dressing

Even though I chose to use pork rinds in my stuffing because I love pork rinds and I felt that they add good flavor and texture. But you can also make Keto Bread with almond flour.

I have not tried to make too many classic Keto bread recipes yet but I have seen recipes for them and have read about it, so I can only imagine what the bread would be like. 

It’s probably more like a traditional bread stuffing. I have to say that I have not tried making it yet, but that’s one of my winter projects to learn how to make low carb bread, and then I will try to make my stuffing with the almond flour bread. 

Some people add nuts to their stuffing, so that’s perfectly fine to do. Nuts are good on Keto or Low carb diet but if you need to be careful on your calorie count, don’t add too many.

And of course, if you are allergic to nuts then omit them.

Apples are also a popular ingredient in stuffing, but they do have some carbs so only add a small amount to your stuffing to add some apple flavor if you wish to.

How to Make Keto Stuffing

So making your Keto Stuffing is very simple.

In a frying pan lightly brown up your ground sausage meat and cook thoroughly. Keep it tender and soft not overcooked and crunchy.

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Take sausage out of pan and place in a large bowl. Leave the meat drippings in the pan.

In the mean-time chop onions and celery and place in a frying pan with enough water to cover them. Saute and simmer until cooked.

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Next mix in your seasonings. Add to taste.

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Add to your bowl with sausage to the pan.

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Break up pork rinds and add to the bowl.

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At this point you will need to add a bit more chicken broth, so pour in enough broth to desired moistness. Blend together.

Bake in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees until heated through. 

Should I Cover Stuffing When Baking?

Yes, I would recommend covering the stuffing if it’s in a baking dish, with a piece of foil or glass lid. That way your stuffing won’t dry out. The lid or foil will help your stuffing to remain moist if covered. 

At this point, since the ingredients for the stuffing are already cooked, when you put it into the oven it only needs heating up to blend all of the flavors together, which should only take about 30 minutes. After that, you will have the best, hot, low carb sausage stuffing.

If you are serving turkey with stuffing, the turkey takes a lot longer to cook than it does to heat up the stuffing, so make sure you allow about 30 min before your turkey is done before putting it in the oven so that it doesn’t dry out. 

If you want your Keto stuffing to be crunchy on the top then bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 min and then put the broiler on it for the last 5 min.

Other Diets this Recipe is Good for

Gluten-free– Another great recipe that is good for anyone with a gluten allergy. Just pork rinds and vegetables and sausage, all gluten-free ingredients.

Dairy-Free – Another winner recipe for all of you who are not able to eat any dairy. Just meat and veggies.

Sugar-Free – There is not a drop of sugar in our Low Carb Stuffing

Nut-Free – A lot of recipes that are Keto and Low Carb use Almond Flour but for those with a nut allergy there are things that they can not eat. But here is one that is good for you. Just veggies and sausage.

What Goes Good with Stuffing? 

Well, we all know that the first thing that we think of when you eat stuffing is a roast turkey. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. If you need help we can show you everything you need to do to make a perfect roast turkey.

You could also make chicken as it also goes well with stuffing. 

Another thing that I especially like with stuffing are pork chops, especially stuffed ones! They are one of my favorites.

Just get your pork chops made double thick and have the meat department cut a pocket in the pork chops and fill them with stuffing. They are really yummy and a favorite of my family. 

Cranberry Sauce goes well with your Keto Stuffing so be sure to check out our Low Carb Cranberry Sauce recipe so you can make these Autumn staples together!

Can You Stuff a Turkey with this Stuffing?

Yes, you can stuff your turkey. Traditionally that’s how it got its name. But there are a couple of drawbacks to stuffing your turkey.

The cavity is small, even in a very large turkey, so not all of your stuffing will fit into it and as a result, you will still need to put the rest of your stuffing into a baking dish anyway.

If you leave any stuffing in your turkey when putting away your turkey into the refrigerator, you may be creating some dangerous bacteria in the cavity of your turkey.

When you fill your turkey with stuffing, especially a big turkey, It takes longer to cook and then when you think it’s done, sometimes it’s not done through and through so you end up with the white meat drying out and the inside not cooked.

All of these factors should come into play when deciding whether or not to use your dressing as stuffing.

What Can you Stuff a Turkey with Besides Stuffing?

Some people stuff the cavity of the turkey with veggies, such as onions, carrots, and celery, which keep your turkey moist, keep it from drying out.

This technique is not for the purpose of eating but more for the purpose of keeping your turkey moist and flavorful.

Can I Make Stuffing the Day Before?

Yes, by all means, you can make your stuffing the day before. But it may not be a good idea to put the egg in it if you are going to store it overnight, because it is raw and bacteria could contaminate your stuffing.

So if you are going to put the egg into your stuffing then mix it into your stuffing just before baking it. 

Whatever you do, if you make your stuffing the day before, refrigerate it alone. Do not try to save time by stuffing the turkey ahead of time and refrigerate them together because bacteria will build up inside the turkey cavity and make you very sick. So keep them separate.

How to Store Stuffing 

I don’t know about you but I love leftovers. I swear that everything tastes better the next day when the flavors really have time to soak in.

When you are done with your meal then just store your stuffing in an airtight container or dish and refrigerate. It will keep for about 4-5 days if it doesn’t all get eaten up before that! 

If you have leftovers for the next day, you can either heat up a big portion for everyone eating, in the oven or you can each take your own portion on your own plate and stick it in the microwave for 1-2 min and you will have piping hot stuffing. It’s as simple as that.

How to Freeze Stuffing 

If you want to make a big batch, you can freeze your stuffing and then eat it even months later.

The same directions are true for freezing as in the refrigerator in that, the key to freezing anything is to make sure to make things as airtight as possible. 

Airtight containers and Ziploc freezer bags are always an essential part to make sure that what you freeze stays as fresh as possible. 

More Keto Side Dish Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other Low Carb Side Dishes to go along with your meal then try our:

• Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/Bacon
• Keto Mashed Potatoes
• Low Carb Green Bean Casserole
• Low Carb Butternut Squash Casserole
• Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce

They all are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will be a hit at your next party!

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