Keto Marinara
You guys are going to be as obsessed with this marinara as I am. This Keto Marinara is a simple low carb marinara sauce that can be prepped in just a few short minutes. It needs no cooking and requires no cutting up of veggies.
This no-cook, keto marinara sauce is the perfect homemade tomato sauce for when you are in a hurry and want a delicious marinara packed with taste but not sugar or carbs.
It is the perfect solution for pizza sauce on fathead dough, using in keto lasagna, this easy keto meatball skillet, or in a keto version of stuffed spaghetti squash.
This Keto Marinara has a universal flavor that everyone will love. It is great in something like this Summer Squash and Tortellini Bake. Or as a dip. With just the right amount of classic Italian seasonings, accompanied with a splash of balsamic vinegar, this tomato based sauce goes great with so many things.
Use this Keto Marinara as a delicious pizza sauce for Fathead Pizza or satisfy those pasta cravings and use it as topper to your favorite low carb pasta substitute, like spiraled zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. The possibilities are endless for ways you can incorporate this Keto Marinara into your meals.
Can You Eat Marinara or Tomato Sauce On Keto?
Simply put, it depends on the sauce. Many are loaded with sugar, which makes them too carb heavy for keto.
Obviously, this Keto Marinara sauce is one you can definitely eat on a keto friendly diet.
Tomatoes work for a keto friendly diet. However, a lot of sauces will have added sugar, which is not.
How To Make Sure Your Sauce Is Keto:
- Make This Keto Marinara Recipe- It has only 3 net grams of carbohydrates. Is delicious, and easy.
But if you buy marinara:
- Check Ingredients On Back Of The Label
- Make Sure There Are No Added Sugars
You can find marinara that doesn’t contain sugar, and will be keto friendly.
I love to make my own low carb marinara sauce because it is so easy and I can have the final say as to what goes into my body.
What Ingredients do You Need For Keto Marinara?
One of the things that make for a good marinara is good ingredients. So let’s look at what goes into this low carb version of marinara.
- Peeled Cento San Marzano Tomatoes (no sugar added): If you want great sauce, start with great tomatoes. These are going to be the best! They have no sugar, and are usually very high quality, sweet, and delicious. Should you opt for a different brand simply look for one that is sugar free. I also recommend steam peeled.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Adds flavor, and some creaminess.
- Spices: black pepper, red pepper flakes, fresh garlic, onion powder, dried basil, Italian seasoning, and salt. Enhances the delicious flavors of the tomatoes, and makes for a fantastic sauce.
- Vinegars: This sauce contains two kinds of vinegar: red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Both add depth of flavor to the sauce!
How to Make Keto Marinara:
Are you ready It can be made in 3 simple steps:
- Blend Your Ingredients
- Stir In Your Spices
- Heat or Eat Cold And Enjoy
Why You Should Make Your Own Low Carb Marinara:
It’s Easy.
When you have a recipe that is as easy as this one, there really is no reason to buy store bought.
No pot, no cooking, this recipe is eazy peazy.
No fuss and no mess. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
Control Flavor.
Your kitchen, your rules my friend. You want a little more of one spice and a little less of another, go for it. You can adjust the seasonings. Yay!
When you buy a store bought product, yes you can add to it, but you can’t take out anything that is already in there.
When you make your own sauce you have more options flavor wise and you have the final say as to what ingredients you put into your body, which leads me to my next point.
Control Quality.
You get to decide what ingredients you want and don’t want when you make your own marinara. Use this Keto Marinara recipe as a base for your own creation or follow the recipe exactly. You have options.
No preservatives used or ingredients that are subpar. You select the quality.
I personally like to use really good tomatoes, even though they cost a tad more. The tomatoes are the base of the dish, so I want a high quality tomato.
I recommend certified San Marzano tomatoes. Don’t worry you won’t use a ton so it shouldn’t break the bank. And trust me you will be so glad that you did not skimp on your tomato selection, just saying.
If you have trouble getting this brand of tomato or just don’t want to, that’s fine. Just make sure you purchase whole tomatoes with no sugar added. No sugar added is important in order to keep this recipe low carb.
If you want to avoid the blending, you can even get crushed tomatoes, or pureed tomatoes and just stir everything together.
Stores Well.
Make ahead of time and put it in the fridge in an airtight container. Or, make really in advance and freeze it.
Prep it and transfer it into your container. Don’t cook it ahead of time. Simply heat it up when ready to eat it.
I recommend distributing the sauce into 1/2 cup servings into air tight containers. This way when you need it, you only have to defrost what you need for that time, opposed to a huge batch of sauce.
It keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days without issue. And in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How To Use Keto Marinara:
I love this marinara sauce! But I can’t take all the credit. The base for this recipe comes from Ibreatheimhungry.com blog’s Easy Keto Marinara Sauce. I simply tweaked it a little and added some balsamic vinegar. Trust me, it is amazing. And you need it in your life.
Whether you are counting carbs or not, there are so many delicious ways to use this Keto Marinara. And since it is so easy, this is a great sauce to make up and have on hand for when the mood hits you for some delicious marinara. You may love it enough to simply eat it with a spoon. I know I do.
Just wait my friends there are so many ways to use this fabulous recipe.
Pizza Sauce
Make an amazing homemade pizza with this fabulous Keto Marinara. Put it on a traditional pizza crust or if you are counting carbs, make a keto friendly crust like a cauliflower pizza crust or a fathead dough.
Don’t knock it until you try it. Cauliflower pizza crust and fathead dough are both delicious and with this Keto Marinara sauce you can have a fabulous low carb dish.
Tomato Soup
Make a yummy keto friendly tomato soup and use this low carb marinara sauce recipe as an easy base.
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
Who says you can’t have a low carb pasta dish? Ditch the high carb noodles and replace them with spaghetti squash or another low carb alternative like spiraled zucchini.
Top the dish off with this amazing Keto Marinara and you won’t even miss the noodles. It’s really all about the sauce anyway.
Meatball Skillet
Who wouldn’t love some hearty meatballs smothered in a warm, flavorful marinara!
Dipping Sauce
This sauce makes a great dipping sauce for a guilty pleasure like breadsticks or fried mozzarella. Have you tried using fathead dough to make breadsticks? Amazing. Especially dipped in marinara. Keto Marinara isn’t just for people on a keto diet.
However if you are counting carbs, this dipping sauce goes great with veggies or make a low carb version of fried mozzarella using keto friendly ingredients for your outer coating, like almond flour or pork rinds.
Who says you have to miss out on a keto diet? Not me.
Salsa Base
Make your own salsa and get it started off right with this easy low carb marinara. Cut up some onions, add some fresh cilantro, and some chopped tomatoes for a salsa like bruschetta!
Keto Lasagna
Layers of goodness, and one of those layers should definitely be this keto marinara. Flavorful, delicious, and totally low carb!
Filling or Topper For Omelets
Think about it, many use salsa or tomatoes in their omelets. Why not marinara? It will dress up any omelet.
Really there are so many ways to use this. If you aren’t worried about carbs you could use it for a traditional lasagna or a topping on garlic bread.
However, if you are counting carbs, you really don’t need to feel limited. There are so many keto friendly choices that are delicious!
Where Can I Buy Low Carb Marinara?
Hopefully I have made a strong case as to why you should just make your own low carb marinara sauce. Especially since this Keto Marinara is so simple and delicious.
However, if you do ever want to buy store bought, although it pains me to even talk about it, there are options.
It should not be hard to find low carb marinara sauces. Here are some of the available brands in order of my favorites:
- Rao’s Homemade Vodka Sauce
- Cucina Antica Tomato Basil
- Italo’s Gourmet Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce
- Victoria’s Marinara Sauce
- The Vine Organic Original Marinara
- The Meatball Shop Classic Tomato Sauce
- Organico Bello Kale Tomato Basil
Where To Buy Low Carb Marinara:
Most of your local stores probably carry at least one of these options. You can find some of these sauces if not all at the following places.
- Target
- Walmart
- Smith’s Grocery Store
- Amazon
So rest assured if you want to buy a keto friendly sauce you should not have to search high and low. However, better yet, just make your own with this Keto Marinara sauce recipe. It can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for 5 days, to be used as you wish on demand. And it costs less!
Make Some Delicious Keto Marinara!
This simple, homemade Keto Marinara can be stored so easily and be used for so many things. It is a must have dish.
Whip up in a few short minutes this low carb marinara sauce. You will be so glad to have it on hand. It will make store bought marinara a thing of the past.
Other Great Keto Recipes:
- Easy Tomato Soup
- Beef and Broccoli
- Keto Pancakes
- Keto Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Chicken Enchiladas Bowl
How to Make Keto Marinara Video Tutorial:
Keto Marinara
Ingredients
- 28 oz Peeled Cento San Marzano Tomatoes no sugar added
- 1/2 cup liquid from the can of tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Add tomatoes, olive oil, and ½ cup of liquid from the tomato can to a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Stir in spices, fresh garlic, and vinegars.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference.
- Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Or until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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Stephanie says
I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make and it tastes so much better than the jun in the jar!
Katie says
This looks so tasty! Excited to try your recipe!
Kara says
Makes a delicious pizza sauce! I like to heat in a saucepan before I use it to really bring out the flavors.
Amy says
How much is a serving? Is 1 serving a half cup or did I get that wrong?
Jen says
I can’t believe how easy it is to make your own at home. We have marinara with so much and I would love to have a healthier option without all the added sugars. Thanks!