Tangy Worcestershire Sauce Keto Recipe + 5 Low Carb Brands

When considering Worcestershire sauce for a keto diet, its compliance depends on its ingredients and carbohydrate content. We’ll delve into the Worcestershire sauce keto aspect, provide a flavorful recipe for homemade Worcestershire sauce, and suggest several low-carb or carb-free sweeteners for crafting this sauce at home.¹

Lastly, we will list several store bought Worcestershire sauces that are both ketogenic and very low in sugar.

Worcestershire Sauce & Its Compatibility with Keto

Beginners starting weight loss diets usually have to adjust to the new “rules,” guidelines or lifestyle changes, whether counting calories, added sugars, or total macros; those on the keto diet will need to focus on the amount of carbs in everything they eat and drink to ensure that ketosis is maintained and that the body keeps burning fat instead of consumed carbs.

Ideal foods, sides, and sauces on keto will be high in fat and protein content and very low in carbs–and the less processing the better.

Regrettably, Worcestershire sauce undergoes extensive processing, potentially categorizing it as “dirty keto” owing to both its processing and ingredient composition. Yet, to definitively determine its keto suitability, we need to ascertain its carbohydrate content.

Source: Kelsey Todd via Unsplash.com²

Prior to jumping into the carbs, let’s go over a few things that everyone should be cautious of when it comes to this tangy sauce.

Firstly, Worcestershire sauce and the kidneys have a difficult relationship in which research has suggested that this type of sauce may not just be damaging but even toxic to the kidneys and may lead to renal stones–so much so that the term “curry kidney” came about.³ This harmful relationship between sauces, spices, and the kidney is supported by further research that determined a much higher incidence of renal stones in countries such as Mexico and India where diets are traditionally spicier with curry and other customary spices.⁴

Those with sensitivity to food additives should also be very wary of Worcestershire sauce as well, as this is one of many food additives high in vasoactive amines.

Vasoactive amines are produced by bacteria inside the bottle during storage or fermentation and can lead to increased gastric acid secretion, heart palpitations, headaches, tachycardia, and gastrointestinal discomfort if consumed.⁵

Traditional Worcestershire Sauce Ingredients

Even if a food or drink is low carb, the ingredients make it either clean keto or dirty keto. Let’s take a look at the full ingredient list of Worcestershire sauce before discussing its nutrition value.

Each traditionally made Worcestershire sauce contains:

• Anchovies
• Caramelized Sugar Syrup
• Distilled White Vinegar
• Garlic
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Molasses
• Natural Flavor
• Onion
• Paprika
• Salt
• Spice
• Tamarind Extract

Unfortunately several of these ingredients are unfit for the keto diet–caramelized sugar syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and molasses. Caramelized sugar syrup is made by simply heating or browning sugar for a more caramel-like spiced flavor and aroma; since it is essentially heated sugar, both this ingredient and molasses are given high rankings on the glycemic index (GI) due to their immediate effect of raising blood glucose levels and likelihood of kicking someone out of ketosis.

High fructose corn syrup is the other non ketogenic ingredient in Worcestershire sauce. Not only is it highly processed, but also has a very high GI rating and is linked to health issues including cardiovascular disease, fatty liver, and cancers.

Any one of these would likely be acceptable and wouldn’t be enough to make Worcestershire sauce unsuitable for the keto diet but the combination of all 3 problematic ingredients and processing means those who are hoping to stay in ketosis should avoid this sauce altogether–if made the traditional way.

Worcestershire Sauce Carbohydrate Content

For those following a ketogenic diet, it’s recommended to avoid original Worcestershire sauce. Those on a less carb restricting diet such as intuitive eating weight loss may choose to incorporate this sauce into their eating habits, but even then it is advised in moderation due to processing and carb load.

On the other hand, should you try the keto diet, you should be prepared to drastically limit your consumption of carbohydrates to just 20-50 grams of carbs per day and focus primarily on fat and protein intake.⁶

One tablespoon (17 grams) of Worcestershire sauce has 3.3g net carbs, translating to over 19g carbs in each 100g serving. In just a one tablespoon serving this sauce could be okay, but the carbs will quickly add up especially for those who like to douse their food in sauce or use it regularly and could knock someone out of ketosis even without consuming any other carbs throughout the day.

All in all, Worcestershire sauce is acceptable for keto in extremely small servings–but we recommend either making your own version with fewer carbs or opting for specific lower carb store bought brands instead.

Tangy Low Carb Worcestershire Sauce Recipe That’s Keto Approved

Since Worcestershire sauce can be used for just about anything from a steak marinade to a light glaze or to drizzle over a burger or salad, we don’t want to leave you hanging by simply saying those on the keto low carb diet should not enjoy this sauce.

Source: Crystal Jo via Unsplash.com⁷

We’ll do you one better–we have created a Worcestershire sauce recipe that’s keto approved and could be indulged in on many other trending diets too because–due to our alternative sweetener option and low carbs–we’ve created a recipe with 85% fewer carbs than traditional Worcestershire sauce.

Check out our ingredients and step by step instructions below for the best tangy Worcestershire sauce right from your own kitchen.

Best Low Carb & No Carb Sweeteners to Use in Homemade Worcestershire Sauce

Though we opted for liquid aminos in our recipe, below we have covered several more of the best sweetener alternatives to the traditionally included sugar, molasses, and high fructose corn syrup. Here are our favorite low carb and carb free sweeteners to use in your own Worcestershire sauce or other homemade keto dishes and desserts.

• Allulose: Quite similar in taste to real sugar, allulose has 4 grams of total carbs per teaspoon, but even 3 teaspoons of allulose spread throughout the 15 servings of our homemade recipe above (if used in place of liquid aminos) would come out to less than 1g net carbs per serving.
• Coconut Aminos: Coconut aminos are another suitable ketogenic option with just 1g net carbs per teaspoon.
• Erythritol: Although erythritol contains 4g total carbs per teaspoon, the body does not metabolize any of this so erythritol is fully ketogenic with 0g net carbs.
• Monk Fruit Sweetener: Another carb free alternative to customary Worcestershire sauce sweeteners is monk fruit with 0g net carbs.
• Stevia: With zero net carbs, Stevia is a great keto sweetener option but is extremely sweet and should be used in lower amounts to not throw off the overall taste of your homemade sauce.
• Sucralose: Sucralose is free of both carbs and calories but is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar so if you opt for this sweetener in your Worcestershire recipe, we advise adding it to taste so as to avoid over-sweetening.

5 Keto Worcestershire Sauce Low Sugar Brands (Store Bought Low Carb Worcestershire Sauces)

Research done on the therapeutic role of ketogenic diet in neurological disorders indicates that following the keto diet might benefit those with neurological issues like oxidative stress and neuro-inflammation; adherence to keto guidelines could slow or even alter the course of neurological diseases including depression, epilepsy, migraines, and various neurodegenerative diseases including but not limited to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.⁸

With these incredible health benefits of the keto diet, we have even more incentive to find low carb ketogenic options for what we consume.

On keto, you can swap out Worcestershire for tamari or soy for similar taste without added sugar, but if you would prefer the “real deal”, there are plenty of store bought low carb Worcestershire sauces listed below with the brands that make them.

Although these options are not quite sugar free and still often contain cane sugar or molasses, they are much lower in carbs than traditional Worcestershire. They are also all very low in sugars with just a gram per serving (in contrast to the 3.3g per serving in traditional), so they are great options for those following the 3 steps to lose weight–clean eating, regular exercise, and healthy lifestyle changes.

Let’s continue on to find the best Worcestershire sauce keto brands that you can find either online or in store.

MontoFresh

MontoFresh Worcestershire sauce is tangy and rich in umami flavor to spice up any main dish or side. Savory and complex in taste, using MontoFresh’s sauce will pair well with stew, barbecue, dressings, soups, and burgers. All ingredients are non GMO, vegan, and low in carbs.

Sweetener Used: Sugar

• Serving Size: 1 Tbsp
• Calories: 15
• Net Carbs: 1g
• Fat: 0g
• Protein: 0g
• Sugar: 1g

Find MontoFresh Worcestershire sauce here

Annie’s

Annie’s Naturals homegrown Worcestershire sauce is both organic and vegan with subtle undertones of cloves and molasses for a complex and savory flavor. Annie’s sauce is best added to casseroles, stews, or mixed into a chili or barbecue recipe.

Sweetener Used: Organic Molasses and Cane Sugar

• Serving Size: 1 Tsp
• Calories: 5
• Net Carbs: 1g
• Fat: 0g
• Protein: 0g
• Sugar: 1g

Get your bottle of Annie’s sauce here

Wizards

Using organic seasonings and brews, The Wizards brand from Edward & Son’s Trading Company has created a vegan Worcestershire sauce that is free of gluten, certified organic, and tastes as magical as the name suggests.

Sweetener Used: Organic Molasses and Cane Sugar

• Serving Size: 1 Tsp
• Calories: 5
• Net Carbs: 1g
• Fat: 0g
• Protein: 0g
• Sugar: 1g

Purchase Wizards Organic & Vegan Worcestershire sauce

Whole Foods

Whole Foods now offers their “365 Worcestershire Sauce” which is certified both organic and vegan and adds just the right zing or tangy taste to any dish.

Sweetener Used: Organic Molasses and Cane Sugar

• Serving Size: 1 Tsp
• Calories: 5
• Net Carbs: 1g
• Fat: 0g
• Protein: 0g
• Sugar: 1g

Check out 365 Organic Worcestershire

Bear & Burton’s

The Old Florida Sauce Company came out with their version of Worcestershire sauce branded “Bear & Burton’s W Sauce.” They use brown sugar instead of cane or molasses for a new spin on the taste while still keeping both carbs and sugars low at just a gram of each per serving. This is the only brand that offers their sauce completely free of calories.

Sweetener Used: Brown Sugar

• Serving Size: 1 Tsp
• Calories: 0
• Net Carbs: 1g
• Fat: 0g
• Protein: 0g
• Sugar: 1g

Bear & Burton’s W Sauce

Source: Louis Hansel via Unsplash.com⁹

The ingredients of traditional Worcestershire sauce make it unsuitable for keto due the processing it goes through and the multiple sugar types that add carbs quickly.

Rest assured that you can still enjoy this tangy sauce on the ketogenic diet by either making your own with fewer carbs or buying one of several store bought Worcestershire sauce keto friendly varieties that are low carb and low sugar.

Frequently Asked Questions