Keto Shrimp and Grits (under 5 net carbs)
This cheesy Keto Shrimp and Grits recipe is the ultimate low-carb comfort food! At under 5 net carbs per serving this will be a new favorite!
In my pre-keto days, shrimp and grits were a staple in our house. In fact, my classic Cheesy Shrimp and Grits recipe is still one of the most popular recipes on this site.
After I made my Loaded Cauliflower Casserole, I knew I could come up with a delicious keto grits recipe, and these do not disappoint! This is just what you need when you are craving low-carb comfort food!
Ingredients for Keto Shrimp and Grits
I wanted to keep this low-carb shrimp and cheese grits recipe as close to my classic recipe as possible so that is what I based this recipe on. In my opinion, grits should be creamy and ultra cheesy and the shrimp should be perfectly tender with a hint of spice!
For this shrimp and cauliflower grits recipe, you will need:
- Cauliflower
- Chicken broth
- Cream Cheese
- Cheddar Cheese
- Green Onions
- Shrimp
- Butter
- Garlic
- Heavy Cream
- Spices: paprika, Italian seasoning, red pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper
How to Make Keto Shrimp and Grits
This keto recipe with shrimp begins by simmering cauliflower florets in chicken broth until they are tender.
Once the cauliflower is tender, drain off the remaining broth and add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, butter, salt and pepper and mash until it resembles the texture of grits. This is made especially easy by using a potato masher.
Cover the keto grits to keep warm while you make the shrimp. For this recipe, I use a cajun seasoning that adds a little bit of spice, but it is balanced with a creamy butter sauce.
To cook the shrimp, heat a large skillet to medium heat, melt butter and add the raw, shelled shrimp to the skillet and sprinkle the cajun spices over the shrimp. Stir well so it is evenly coated. Cook the shrimp 3-4 minutes, and when it is pink and tender add the butter and heavy cream to the skillet and stir to form the delicious creamy sauce.
To assemble your low-carb shrimp and grits, divide the cauliflower grits evenly among four bowls, top with shrimp, green onions, and drizzle of the cream sauce.
How Many Net Carbs Are in Keto Shrimp and Grits?
You won’t believe this. A heaping cup of cheesy cauliflower grits and about 1/4 of a pound of cajun shrimp with cream sauce comes to less than 5 net carbs per serving! This really is an excellent option for a keto comfort food!
Can I Use Riced Cauliflower Instead?
A few people have asked if they can start with pre-made riced cauliflower instead of cauliflower florets. You likely can, but be careful not to overcook the cauliflower rice as you don’t want it to turn to complete mush.
Tips for Making Keto Cheesy Shrimp and Grits
- Simmer the cauliflower in broth instead of water. Broth adds a great savory flavor that helps mask the cauliflower, so even if you aren’t a huge cauliflower fan chances are you will like this!
- If you want your cauliflower grits to be a smoother texture, just use an immersion blender rather than a potato masher.
- I recommend using larger sized shrimp since they stay juicier than smaller shrimp do.
More Low-Carb Comfort Foods:
If you are missing some of the traditional comfort foods, I can help! These are some of my favorite keto comfort foods:
- Keto Chili (my all time favorite and about 8 carbs per bowl)
- The Best Keto Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars (2.4 net carbs per serving)
- One Pan Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Skillet (all done in one pan, ready in 20 minutes and has about 4 net carbs per serving!)
- Keto No Bake Cookies (1 net carb each so it’s okay to go back for seconds)
- Keto Tuna Casserole (3.4 net carbs per serving)
Get the Recipe: Keto Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients
Cauliflower Grits
- 1 small head cauliflower, about 3 cups
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons green onions for garnish
Cajun Shrimp
- 1 pound deveined, peeled shrimp
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Grits:
- In a medium to large size stock pan, add the cauliflower florets and chicken broth simmer over medium to medium high heat until they are tender.
- Once the cauliflower is tender, drain off the remaining broth and add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, butter, salt and pepper and mash until it resembles the texture of grits.
- Cover the grits to keep warm while you make the shrimp.
Make the Shrimp:
- Heat a large skillet to medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter, add garlic and the raw, shelled shrimp to the skillet and sprinkle the cajun spices over the shrimp. Stir well so it is evenly coated.
- Cook the shrimp 3-4 minutes and when it is pink and tender add the butter and heavy cream to the skillet and stir to form the creamy sauce.
- To assemble your shrimp and grits, divide the cauliflower grits evenly among four bowls, top with shrimp, green onions and drizzle of the cream sauce.
Notes
- Each serving is 1 heaping cup of grits and 1/4 cup shrimp with sauce and contains 4.4 net carbs.
Other Easy Keto Recipes
If you are new to Keto try my favorite Sausage Egg and Cheese Bites, they contain less than one net carb per bite and they are perfect for meal prep! One of my favorite easy low carb dinners is this One Pan Cabbage Casserole. It is so easy, cheesy and delicious and it has less than 9 net carbs per serving. Some other favorites, Keto Chocolate Cookies, Pimento Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Peppers and Sausage and Cream Cheese Pinwheels!
Can I do the grits from frozen cauliflower rice? Then just mash it up some, have you tried this?
Hi Lori, I haven’t but I imagine that would work just fine. I hope you enjoy!
Is this spicy with the red pepper or just adds flavor?
Hi Mel, I don’t find it spicy, but you can leave it out if you prefer.
I only had riced cauliflower but my family loved this recipe and asked me to make it again. Thanks!
Hi, I am confused. In the article it states this dish is 5 net carbs per serving. In the recipe under Nutritional Information it states 28 carbs with 6 fiber per serving. Which is correct? Did I misread something? I really can’t wait to try this recipe.
Hi Linda, I think you might have read that incorrectly, it is 28 grams of fat, 6g carbs, 1.6g fiber= 4.4 net carbs per serving.
This recipe is phenomenal! My goodness. My family raved about it. Thank you so much! It will be in our regular rotation. The only change I made was doubling the red pepper because we like things spicy.
Such a good recipe! I used frozen cauliflower and it came out great!!
Does it have a strong cauliflower taste? I’m having a hard time finding things I can enjoy using cauliflower as a substitute.
I think it really depends on how sensitive you are. I really do not enjoy cauliflower either, but I find the chicken broth, cream cheese and cheese really mask the flavor for me.
This was SO good. I and hubby both loved it and it will be a regular addition to my table. I might try making this with broccoli sometime to see how it works.
This is one of the best keto recipes I’ve ever made. I love shrimp and grits, but this was even better. The cheesy cauliflower has a wonderful flavor being cooked in the chicken broth, and the shrimp is creamy and has just enough kick. Not too spicy. If you are looking for more spice add a touch more cayenne or serve with crystal hot sauce.
Made with friends and it was huge hit with everyone, adults and kids!
aBSOLUTELY! i JUST made this meal for the 1st time and used frozen cauliflower rice and this recipe is so tasty!
Really missed shrimp & cheesy grits on Keto and tried this and love it but for like 4 more carbs I boiled cubes of rutabaga in place of cauliflower and put it in food processor and OMG I found my cheesy grits & shrimp 🍤 Thanks, Annie
Delicious,!!!. Made recipe for 8 servings. Made got 6 heaping cups of “grits.” The shrimp did give us 8 servings. With 6 for dinner, only had shrimp leftover. If there had been more grits, everyone would have wanted seconds and if I served it family style, there would not have been any leftovers at all.
I drained off 3 cups of chicken stock and saved it for soup. It was thicker than the stock i started with. Wonder how that changed the calorie & carbs count of the leftover stock????
This recipe is fantastic! I grew up eating grits and these are even creamier. Like others I had riced cauliflower so I used that and it worked out great. My husband doesn’t like “real” grits and loves this. Definitely 5 stars! Thank you!