How to Make Delicious Low-Carb Gravy

One of the best things about a low-carb diet is that it is typically higher in protein and fat, meaning that you can still enjoy things like beef, chicken, and turkey. When it comes to dressing meat, store-bought gravy can provide about 6 grams of carbohydrate per half-cup. Making your own gravy at home can help you control ingredients.

Thickeners, such as flour, cornstarch, arrowroot, and rice flour, add about 6 to 8 grams of carbohydrate per tablespoon to a gravy recipe. If you are looking to lower the carbohydrate content of your gravy, you can use alternative thickeners with less carbohydrate.

Substitute Thickeners

There are a number of thickeners that have fewer carbs than flour but still provide that rich, mouth-coating sensation we crave in a good gravy. Here are some of the best alternatives.

Vegetable Gums

Xanthan gum and guar gum are used in many packaged foods, like ice cream, to give them a mouth-clinging sensation. When used for gravy, you need to avoid adding too much or your gravy will end up like slime. One good way to avoid this is to use a proprietary product, like Dixie Diner's Thick it Up, which contains xanthan or guar gum but provides greater control of the thickening process.

While guar gum has 9 grams of carbohydrate per tablespoon, all of them come from fiber. Fiber is the indigestible part of carbohydrate that slows down digestion, pulls cholesterol away from the heart, and can help keep the bowels regular.

Reduced-Fat Cream or Half-and-Half

These dairy products work well for chicken or turkey gravy. Add 3 or 4 tablespoons for each cup of stock and cook down for several minutes over medium-high heat. This reduces the water content and allows the cream to thicken. Don't add too much cream or you will drown out the poultry flavor.

Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is low in carbs and can be used alongside cream or half-and-half to create a more country-style gravy. To round out the flavor even more, add a teaspoon or so of Worcestershire sauce at the end and cook for an additional minute or two.

Consider Going "Au Jus"

Drippings are what's left on the bottom of the pan when you're done roasting a piece of meat. They include fats, juices that have seeped from the meat, and the sticky caramelized goo which contains most of the flavor.

This classic "au jus" approach may not have the thickness we love in gravy but will have a more intense flavor with only a tablespoon or so of sauce. To make an au jus gravy:

1. Remove the meat and vegetables from the roasting pan.
2. Strain the juices into a bowl and skim off the fat.
3. Place your roasting pan on the stove over low heat and add a few tablespoons of the juices to start melting the caramelized goo.
4. Keep adding the juices until all of the caramelized goo has dissolved. If you don't have enough liquid, you can add a little canned stock (ideally salt-free).
5. Taste the sauce. If it is salty enough, stop cooking and remove it from the heat. If you reduce the sauce any further, it will be too salty.
6. If the sauce isn't salty, you can continue to reduce it to intensify the flavor. Keep tasting to make certain it doesn't get too salty. (If it does, don't worry. You can add a couple of tablespoons of stock to thin it out.)
7. If you want to give the sauce an extra finish, do what the French do and swirl in a pat or two of cold butter off the heat. Keep swirling until the butter is completely melted. The added butter will give the sauce a slight gloss and a more rounded flavor. One tablespoon of butter contains practically no carb.
8. If you need to reheat the sauce, do so gently. Do not boil.