A tasty, low-carb, gluten-free version of your favorite Thanksgiving side dish! Riced cauliflower stuffing packed with veggies, sausage, & tons of flavor!

low carb cauliflower stuffing with homemade sausage garnished with fresh sage

The Perfect Low Carb Stuffing Recipe!

Carby side dishes make Thanksgiving the foodie holiday of the year, but guess what? Side dishes don’t have to be full of carbs to be totally delicious! Enter, this amazing low-carb sausage stuffing recipe made with riced cauliflower instead of bread! No bread?! I know it seems crazy, but cauliflower rice actually works as the perfect bread alternative to create a low-carb stuffing that literally no one will complain about!

What Makes This Keto Stuffing So Great?

Packed full of veggies that are lower in carb, like celery, cauliflower rice, and onions, this stuffing has all the same flavors of traditional stuffing without the heaviness. Drawing tons of flavor from the sausage, and the perfect savory-sweet juxtaposition with the apples and dried cranberries, this cauliflower stuffing really is incredible.

It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, Whole30, and low-carb, and with so many people dealing with different dietary restrictions, this is the perfect side dish to share with all of your guests! And the best part is that they really won’t know the difference!

Ingredient Notes

Homemade Sausage

I love making my own sausage for this keto stuffing, but you can also use your favorite store-bought brand. Check the label to make sure there’s no added sugar!

  • ghee or vegan butter
  • ground pork
  • spices: sea salt, pepper, dried sage, ground cloves, fennel seeds, paprika, red pepper flakes

Keto Riced Cauliflower Stuffing

While this stuffing is already low in carbs, feel free to eliminate the dried cranberries or apples (or both) to make it even more low carb and keto friendly. The flavor of the sausage and the other stuffing ingredients will still make it taste like the best stuffing ever!

  • ghee or vegan butter
  • diced leeks
  • diced celery
  • small apple, diced
  • diced carrots
  • dried cranberries: use sugar-free cranberries for Whole30
  • spices: salt, pepper, thyme, ground sage, dried rosemary
  • cauliflower rice: I get the bag in the fresh produce section at Trader Joes
  • chicken broth

keto cauliflower stuffing in a white bowl garnished with fresh sage

Step By Step Instructions

How to Make the Sausage

  1. Make the sausage. Heat ghee in a large saute pan and crumble ground pork with a spoon. Add all of the spices and mix to combine while cooking over medium heat. Continue stirring until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan.

How to Make Riced Cauliflower Stuffing

  1. In the same pan as the sausage, heat the remaining ghee over medium-high heat. Add the celery, leeks, carrots, apple, and dried cranberries and stir until they begin to soften about 4-5 minutes.
  2. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, sage, and rosemary. Continue stirring. Add in the cauliflower rice and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the sausage back to the pan along with the chicken broth and stir until it’s absorbed 1-2 more minutes. Enjoy!

Mary’s Tips & Tricks

Whole30: If doing a Whole30 or avoiding sugar, make sure to look for a compliant brand of sausage. Butcher Box and Jones Dairy Farm are both great brands!

Sugar-Free: If you are concerned with sugar-free or Whole30, make sure to get unsweetened cranberries.

FAQs

What are the best keto sides for Thanksgiving? Keep your eye out for anything with wheat flour and sugar and stay away from those. Your best bet is to always go with veggies, proteins, and dishes that people label as lower in carbs. If you’re heading to a relative’s house for the holidays, make a keto-friendly side to share so you know you can eat that and turkey! You can always eat from a charcuterie appetizer board as well (meats, cheeses, nuts, olives, berries).

Is this recipe Whole30 compliant? Yes! Make sure your sausage and cranberries are sugar-free, but everything else is naturally Whole30. As always, keep your eye out on labels!

Can I make this keto stuffing without the sausage? You sure can! The sausage is totally optional. you will still get a delicious low carb stuffing without it!

Other Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Whole30 + Keto Green Bean Casserole

Creamy Spinach Casserole | Low Carb & Dairy Free

Easy Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole

Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts

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Riced Cauliflower Stuffing with Sausage | Whole30, Keto, Paleo

A tasty, low-carb, gluten-free version of your favorite Thanksgiving side dish! Riced cauliflower stuffing packed with veggies, sausage, & tons of flavor!
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Ingredients

Sausage (optional- you can also used store bought!)

  • 1 tbsp ghee, or vegan butter
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes

Stuffing

  • 2 tbsp ghee, or vegan butter
  • ½ cup diced leeks
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • ½ cup diced carrots
  • 1 small apple, diced
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries, look for sugar free if doing Whole30!
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp ground sage
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 lb cauliflower rice, I get the bag in the fresh produce section at Trader Joes
  • 3 tbsp chicken broth

Instructions
 

  • Make the sausage. Heat ghee in a large saute pan and crumble ground pork with a spoon. Add all of the spices and mix to combine while cooking over medium heat. Continue stirring until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan.
  • In the same pan, heat the remaining ghee over medium high heat. Add the celery, leeks, carrots, apple, and dried cranberries and stir until they begin to soften, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the salt, pepper, thyme, sage, and rosemary. Continue stirring. Add in the cauliflower rice and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the sausage back to the pan along with the chicken broth and stir until it's absorbed, 1-2 more minutes. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 500mg, Potassium: 571mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 2048IU, Vitamin C: 42mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 1mg