Keto Garlic Sauce

Name: Keto Garlic Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 32
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 2 cups avocado oil; ½ cup garlic cloves, peeled; water; juice from 1 lemon; ½ teaspoon salt

By Annie Lampella, Pharm.D.

Published July 20, 2019 • Updated June 2, 2025

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Reader Rating

4.3 Stars (7 Reviews) 2 Comments

Dairy Free Easy

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Lebanese garlic sauce aka Toum is naturally a ketogenic condiment. It is used as a flavorful marinade for your grilled meats and roasted vegetables or drizzled as a dressing on a green salad.

15 Mins

Nutrition Facts

Servings

127

Calories

14g

Fat

0.1g

Protein

0.8g

Net Carb

0.8g

Total Carbs

Disclaimer: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.

Keto Garlic Sauce Ingredients

2 cups avocado oil
½ cup garlic cloves, peeled
water
juice from 1 lemon
½ teaspoon salt

Keto Garlic Sauce Directions

STEP

1

Measuring cup

Put garlic in a ½ measuring cup and fill with water until it reaches the top of the measuring cup.
STEP

2

Pulse it

Add garlic, water and salt to a food processor. Pulse until pureed.
STEP

3

Drizzle the oil

Slowly drizzle in oil until the mixture forms a creamy mayonnaise like consistency.
STEP

4

Add lemon juice

Mix in lemon juice.
STEP

5

Store it

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 month.

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What Is Toum?

Toum is a popular garlic sauce in the Lebanese community. It is most often served with chicken. The sauce is dairy free and is basically garlic and oil emulsified together to produce a thick, creamy sauce fully of garlicky flavor. Toum has four basic ingredients: Garlic, oil, lemon juice and salt. Sometimes if the sauce refuses to emulsify, yo9u can add an egg white to get it to thicken up. In order to make garlic sauce, you need a large amount of garlic. Most recipes call for upwards of 1 cup of peeled garlic cloves. The garlic is pureed in a food processor while a neutral oil is drizzled in slowly. Most recipes for toum call for vegetable oil, canola oil or grapeseed oil. But I don’t like to use these oil as they are not good for you and can cause free radical damage in the body. Avocado oil is a better choice. You want the garlic sauce to emulsify into a fluffy white cream. To achieve this, it is best to use a food processor and very slowly drizzle in the oil. Adding the oil too fast can cause the emulsion to break.

What If The Toum Doesn’t Emulsify?

The toum is still delicious even if the emulsion breaks, but it doesn’t look pretty. This usually occurs if you are adding the oil too fast. If this happens y, you can still salvage it by mixing in one egg white with a small amount of the broken emulsion until the sauce is fluffy again, then slowly add in the remaining broken emulsion.

What To Serve With Garlic Sauce

My favorite food to eat with toum is chicken. I use ¼ cup of garlic sauce to marinade my chicken for at least 30 minutes before grilling. The following are also delicious served or marinated with toum:

lamb
beef
fish
asparagus
broccoli
cabbage
brussels sprouts
roasted vegetables
salad (use as a salad dressing)

How To Store Toum

Store toum in an airtight container. The garlic sauce will stay fresh for up to 2 months. The sauce may separate overtime.

Keto Garlic Sauce: FAQS

Can I use a different oil instead of avocado oil?

Yes, you can use other neutral oils like olive oil or grapeseed oil, but keep in mind that the flavor may change slightly.

What if I don't have fresh garlic cloves?

You can use jarred minced garlic as a substitute, but fresh garlic will give you a more robust flavor.

How long can I store the Keto Garlic Sauce?

You can store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Just give it a good stir before using.

Is this sauce suitable for a vegan diet?

Yes, this Keto Garlic Sauce is vegan-friendly as it contains no animal products.

Can I make it spicier?

Absolutely! You can add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to give it a nice kick.

Nutritional information & Macros

Amount Per Serving
Calories	127
Fat	14g
Protein	0.1g
Total Carbs	0.8g
Net Carbs	0.8g

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About Annie Lampella, Pharm.D.

Annie Lampella is a Doctor of Pharmacy, mom, and the recipe creator behind KetoFocus. With a B.S. in Genetics from UC Davis and a Pharm.D., she has over 11 years of experience developing family-friendly keto recipes based on the science of human metabolism. She is the author of the Protein Packed cookbook, published by Victory Belt Publishing.

Learn more about Annie →

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