Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits

Here's my low carb take on shrimp and grits using creamy and cheesy cauliflower rice grits served with smoky spice crusted shrimp dripping in ghee.

This recipe is , , with main ingredient
shrimp and grits

I made this low carb shrimp and cauliflower grits recipe on stories the other week, and so many people were asking for the recipe. I swapped out starchy corn with freshly riced cauliflower, and cooked that in veggie stock and coconut milk, and finished it with cheese and herbs. The result was creamy, full of flavor, and the cauliflower had a texture similar to grits!

The shrimp and covered in a smoked paprika based spice rub and cooked in ghee, so easy and full of flavor. You can make the whole recipe dairy free by swapping the Pecorino Romano cheese for nutritional yeast or vegan cheddar. One the cool things about aged cheeses like Pecorino Romano, is that most of the lactose has been eaten by the bacteria, so most people with dairy issues can eat it!

If you want more keto seafood recipes, check out my juicy salmon patties with dairy free tartar sauce.

How To Make Shrimp And Cauliflower Rice Grits

The key to making low carb cheesy grits is to use freshly grated cauliflower rice. I know it’s so much easier to buy the pre-grated one from the store, but they texture is off because they use mostly stalks, and the frozen one is wet and mushy. Start off by cooking some diced onions in a wide pot with a bit of avocado oil, and after 8 minutes, add 4 cloves of minced garlic.

Cauliflower rice has lots of moisture, so I like to cook it with the onions and garlic for good 10 minutes before adding the cooking liquid. You will notice how much moisture gets cooked away, and that’s a good thing. Add the coconut milk and vegetable stock and cook for 25 minutes, stirring often. Make sure to check for seasoning after 15 minutes, you will most certainly need more salt.

Finish the cauliflower grits by adding 1/4 cup of freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese and some fresh parsley. You can use any cheese you like, even vegan cheese or nutritional yeast to make the grits dairy free.

keto shrimp and grits
Shrimp and cauliflower grits

How Do I Cook Juicy Shrimp?

Now that the low carb grits are done, you can make the spice crusted buttery shrimp. The first thing you want to do is make sure the shrimp are dry as can be. Wet shrimp will never get crusty in the pan, so sandwich 1 pound of peeled and cleaned shrimp in-between a few layers of paper towels and pat dry.

Season the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of avocado oil, and 3/4 teaspoon each of smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Hold off on adding any salt until right before the shrimp go in the pan, as salt draws out moisture and will make the shrimp wet. The key to making the best shrimp of your life is a smoking hot cast iron pan.

Make sure the pan is preheated just above medium-high heat with 3 tablespoons of ghee, and once the ghee is smoking add half of the shrimp to the pan. Never add too many shrimp otherwise you will overcrowd the pan and they won’t get crusty. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until deep golden and crusty, flip and cook another 1 minute ten remove from the pan.

easy shrimp and grits
Keto shrimp and grits

How Long Will Shrimp Keep In The Fridge?

Cooked shrimp will only last for 3 days in the fridge, I advise against freezing them because the texture becomes rubbery. Fresh shrimp can be stored in the fridge for 2 days before cooking them, or you can freeze for 3 months. It’s best to defrost the shrimp overnight in the fridge as opposed to running cold water over them, as that makes the shrimp watery.

The cauliflower grits will last for 5 days in the fridge, or can be frozen for 3 months if desired.

Make sure to check out some more keto and seafood recipes:

 

 

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shrimp and grits

Low Carb Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: grits, keto, low carb, shrimp, shrimp and grits
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 417 kcal
Author: Bobby Parrish

Here's my keto take on shrimp and grits using cauliflower. The shrimp are spice crusted and cooked in ghee, and served with creamy and cheesy cauliflower grits. So good you won't even realize it's keto.

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Ingredients

  • ½ yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large head cauliflower riced
  • 1 cup full fat coconut milk
  • 1 ¾ cup vegetable stock
  • ¼ cup pecorino romano cheese grated
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
  • Avocado oil
  • Kosher salt & pepper
  • 1 pound shrimp cleaned & peeled
  • 3/4 teaspoons each smoked paprika onion powder, & garlic powder
  • Ghee

Instructions

  1. Start off by grating the cauliflower on the largest setting of a box grater or by using the grater attachment of the food processor. The texture is much better than buying pre-made riced cauliflower from the store. Preheat a wide pot or pan with high sides over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onions, ½ teaspoon salt, a couple cracks of pepper, and cook for 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 3-4 minutes until the onions are soft. Add the riced cauliflower along with ½ teaspoon of salt, a few cracks of pepper, and mx well. Cook for 8-10 minutes so some of the moisture from the cauliflower can cook off.
  2. Meanwhile, pat the moisture off the shrimp using a couple layers of paper towels, it’s important they are dry. Season the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of oil, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder, and mix well. Let sit at room temperature while you proceed with the grits.
  3. Add the veggie stock and coconut milk, mix well and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce to a low simmer and cook for 25 minutes with the lid off, stirring often. Check for seasoning after 15 minutes, you will need more salt, but not too much because the cheese is salty. After 25 minutes, turn the heat off and add the grated cheese, parsley, and mix well. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. Cover the grits and set aside.
  4. To cook the shrimp, preheat a large pan, preferably cast iron, just above medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, season the shrimp with ¾ teaspoon of salt and mix well. Add 3 tablespoons of ghee to the pan, once it begins to smoke a bit, add half the shrimp to the pan and spread it out in one even layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until deep golden brown, flip, and cook 1 minute more. Shrimp cook incredibly quickly. Remove from pan, add more ghee if needed, and cook the second batch. Once all shrimp are cooked, spoon a bit of ghee over them and mix well so they stay juicy, you can use the leftover ghee as a sauce.
  5. To serve, put some cauliflower grits down on a plate and add some shrimp on top, spoon over some leftover ghee, and finish with parsley and grated cheese. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Macros per serving of shrimp and grits, makes 4 servings:

417 calories

8.9 grams of net carbs

11.2 grams of total carbs

28.9 grams of fat

27.6 grams of protein

3.1 grams of fiber

Nutrition Facts
Low Carb Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits
Amount Per Serving (1 meal)
Calories 417 Calories from Fat 260
% Daily Value*
Fat 28.9g44%
Carbohydrates 11.2g4%
Fiber 3.1g13%
Protein 27.6g55%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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