Below are 20 condiments that pull their weight on a high-protein diet without preservatives, MSG, and other harmful ingredients. Each batch makes 1 to 1½ cups unless noted. They can each be stored in the fridge 5–7 days (freeze the marinades in ice-cube trays for longer life).
1. Firecracker Collagen Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 fresh red chilies, stemmed
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 scoops (≈20 g) unflavored collagen peptides. Alte
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Blend everything until silky.
- Simmer 5 min, cool, bottle.
Protein kicker: collagen is 100 % protein by calories. (Cleveland Clinic)
2. Smoky Whey BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup tomato puree
- ¼ cup apple-cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 scoop (≈25 g) plain whey-protein isolate
- ½ tsp each garlic powder & onion powder
Simmer 10 min, whisk in whey off-heat. Complete protein, branch-chain-rich. (Cleveland Clinic)
3. Tangy Greek Yogurt Ranch
- 1 cup 2 % Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp chopped dill
- 1 Tbsp chopped chives
- ½ tsp garlic granules, salt & pepper to taste
Stir, thin with water if you want a pourable dressing. Greek yogurt delivers ~9 g protein/100 g. (Wikipedia)
Consider making your own greek yogurt. Recipe here!
4. Chipotle Cottage-Cheese “Ketchup”
- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 chipotle in adobo + 1 tsp sauce
- 1 Tbsp apple-cider vinegar
- Pinch monk-fruit sweetener
Blend until ketchup-smooth. Cottage cheese adds ~11 g protein/100 g. (Wikipedia)
Cottage cheese is easy to make. Recipe here!
5. High-Protein Honey-Mustard Dip
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
- 1 scoop whey isolate
Whisk; fantastic on grilled chicken. (Wikipedia, Cleveland Clinic)
6. Creamy Horseradish Collagen Aioli
- ½ cup avocado mayo
- ¼ cup plain skyr or Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1 scoop collagen peptides
- Squeeze of lemon, salt & pepper
Stir; dollop on steak. (Cleveland Clinic)
7. Thai Peanut-Protein Satay Sauce
- ¼ cup natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup lite coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp tamari
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp red-curry paste
- Hot water to thin
Peanut butter brings 22 g protein/100 g. (Wikipedia)
8. Edamame-Hemp Chimichurri
- ½ cup shelled edamame (thawed)
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- ½ cup parsley
- 2 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, salt, chili flakes
Pulse to a coarse sauce; plant protein plus omega-3 ALA.
9. Pumpkin-Seed Romesco
- ½ cup roasted red peppers
- ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- pinch smoked paprika
- Salt.
Blend together until well-incorporated. Spoon over fish or eggs.
10. Hemp-Heart Pesto
- 1 cup basil
- ⅓ cup hemp hearts
- 1 clove garlic
- Zest of ½ lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt to taste.
Process in a blender. Stir into Greek yogurt for an even bigger protein bump.
11. Miso-Sesame Whey Marinade
- 3 Tbsp white miso
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp rice-vinegar
- 1 Tbsp ginger, grated
- 1 scoop whey isolate
Whisk; marinate salmon or tofu 30 min, grill. (Cleveland Clinic)
12. Greek Yogurt Herb Tandoori Marinade
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 Tbsp tandoori spice
- 1 tsp salt.
Combine. Slather chicken overnight, roast hot. (Wikipedia)
13. Citrus-Whey Mojo
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 6 cloves minced garlic
- 1 scoop whey isolate
- 1 tsp oregano
- Salt to taste.
Shake until well-mixed. Bright on pork tenderloin. (Cleveland Clinic)
14. Cashew-Coconut Curry Sauce
- ½ cup soaked cashews
- ½ cup lite coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp red curry paste
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp fish sauce
Blend until creamy. Warm gently to thicken.
15. Black-Bean Cocoa Mole Drizzle
- ½ cup canned black beans (rinsed)
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- Pinch cayenne
- Salt to taste
Blend. Heat 5 min.
16. Protein Green-Goddess Dressing
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ avocado
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup mixed herbs
- 1 anchovy
- Splash water
Purée. Salad-ready. (Wikipedia, Wikipedia)
17. Buffalo Collagen-Yogurt Sauce
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 3 Tbsp hot sauce
- 2 Tbsp melted butter or ghee
- 1 scoop collagen peptides
- Pinch garlic powder
Stir together. Toss wings or cauliflower. (Wikipedia, Cleveland Clinic)
18. Sun-Dried Tomato Cottage-Cheese “Catsup”
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup soaked sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp balsamic
- ½ tsp oregano
- Pinch salt
Blend. Sweet-savory, zero added sugar. (Wikipedia)
19. Tahini-Turmeric Immunity Sauce
- ⅓ cup tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 clove grated garlic
- ½ tsp turmeric
- Warm water to thin
Whisk. Serve on roasted veg.
20. Chocolate-Chili Almond Butter “Mole-lite”
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
- 1 Tbsp chipotle hot sauce
- 2 Tbsp brewed coffee
Stir and warm until glossy. Great over steak medallions or seared tempeh.
21. Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water
- ¼ cup loosely packed Hawaiian (ʻīnioi) chili peppers, stems off. About 15-20 pods
- 1 tsp Hawaiian sea salt (or kosher)
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 3 fresh ginger slices, ¼ in thick
- ¼ c distilled white vinegar
- 1 c boiling water
- 2-3 drops of Worcestershire or shoyu (optional
Substitute Thai bird’s-eye or Fresno chiles if you can’t source the tiny Hawaiian variety.
Instructions
- Sterilize the bottle with hot water
- Drop the chilies, salt, garlic, and ginger into the warm bottle. Use a chopstick to smash the chilies—you’re releasing capsaicin and seeds for maximum bite
- Pour in the vinegar first (it infuses the peppers before dilution).
- Fill to the shoulder with the just-boiled water. If using shoyu/Worcestershire, add them now.
- Cap tightly, flip the bottle a few times to dissolve the salt.
- Let sit on the counter until completely cool, then refrigerate. Flavor peaks after 24 hours and keeps 1–2 months chilled.
- Use over grilled meats, laulau, eggs, poke—anything that needs a clean heat instead of a heavy sauce. Add a dash into soups or drizzle onto fried fish
Quick Reference for those Seeking High-Protein Condiments
- Collagen peptides are 100 % protein by calories, supporting connective tissue and lean mass. (Cleveland Clinic)
- Whey isolate is a complete, fast-absorbing protein ideal for muscle repair. (Cleveland Clinic)
- Greek yogurt averages ~9 g protein per 100 g and adds gut-friendly cultures. (Wikipedia)
- Cottage cheese clocks in at ~11 g protein per 100 g with minimal carbs. (Wikipedia)
- Natural peanut butter supplies ~22 % protein plus healthy fats. (Wikipedia)
- https://getpocket.com/explore/item/who-needs-hot-sauce-when-you-have-hawaiian-chile-pepper-water
- https://www.hawaiianelectric.com/recipes/find-a-recipe/hawaiian-chili-pepper-water
Use these sauces to jack up flavor and amino-acid intake—no excuses, no sugar-coating. Tradition says condiments were just for taste; the future says they can build muscle, too. Dig in.
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