Southern Shrimp & Grits is a beloved comfort food, celebrated for its delightful combination of flavors and textures. This recipe offers a keto-friendly take on the classic dish, replacing traditional high-carb grits with a creamy and cheesy cauliflower base. This Keto Southern Shrimp and Cauliflower Cheese Grits recipe is a low-carb twist to a classic dish and it can be eaten for breakfast or as a side dish to a traditional Southern meal.
This dish maintains the essence of Southern flavors while catering to a low-carb lifestyle. The combination of shrimp, bacon, and sausage creates a rich and savory gravy that complements the creamy cauliflower "grits" perfectly.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Shrimp: Raw, peeled, and deveined jumbo shrimp are recommended. Feel free to remove the tails or leave them on, as preferred.
- Grits: Traditional grits are replaced with cauliflower, offering a low-carb alternative.
- Sausage: Smoked sausage adds a depth of flavor. Any smoked sausage will work. Use any smoked sausage you can find. Sometimes this means using andouille sausage. Other times, I use chorizo. Any chicken or pork smoked sausage will work.
- Bacon: Adds a smoky, savory element.
- Shallots: Provide a slightly sweeter flavor than regular onions.Swap shallots for onions: shallots are a little sweeter than regular onions, so I use them in some recipes.
- Bell Peppers and Green Onions: Contribute to the overall flavor profile.
- Garlic: Essential for a savory base.
- Cajun Seasoning: Provides a spicy kick.
- Lemon Juice: Adds brightness and acidity.
- Broth: Used in both the gravy and the "grits." Simmer the cauliflower in broth instead of water.
- Cream Cheese: Adds creaminess to the cauliflower grits.
- Cheddar Cheese: Contributes to the cheesy flavor of the "grits."
- Butter: Enriches the flavor and texture.
- Heavy Cream: Adds richness and creaminess.
- Lupin Meal: Instead of using cornmeal, this recipe uses lupin meal, which has a very similar texture and flavor.
For those with dietary restrictions:
- Pork-Free: Swap pork with turkey or chicken: Keto Shrimp and Grits has pork in it. If you do not eat pork, feel free to make this dish with turkey bacon, and use chicken chorizo sausage. I typically get chicken chorizo sausage from the meat section in my local market.
- Dairy-Free: Make this dish dairy-free by using a dairy-free cream cheese and substituting the heavy cream with a non-dairy alternative like coconut cream or almond milk. Adjust the quantities to achieve your desired consistency.
Making Keto Shrimp and Grits
This recipe involves preparing both the shrimp and the cauliflower cheese grits separately, then combining them for the final dish.
Preparing the Keto Shrimp
- Season the Shrimp: Sprinkle the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning mixture and set aside. I like to season every element of my dish.
- Cook the Bacon: Heat a 12-inch skillet on medium heat. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, crumble, and set aside.
- Cook the Sausage: Cook the chorizo in bacon drippings. Remove from pan and set aside with the bacon.
- Sauté Vegetables: Sauté vegetables (shallots, bell peppers, green onions, and garlic) in the bacon and chorizo fat until translucent.
- Create the Sauce: Add the xanthan gum, lemon juice, and broth to the vegetables. Cook until a sauce begins to form (~5 minutes).
- Combine and Cook: Add the chorizo, crumbled bacon, and seasoned shrimp into the pan. Cook until the shrimp is pink.
Preparing the Cauliflower Cheese "Grits"
This cauliflower grits recipe uses "riced" cauliflower which is prepared by shredding cauliflower into tiny pieces on a grater.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
- Heat the Base: Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add cream, broth, and cream cheese. Mix until the cream cheese is melted (~5 minutes).
- Add Cauliflower and Seasonings: Add cauliflower, butter salt, chives and pepper.
- Cook the Cauliflower: Stir on medium-low until the cauliflower rice is tender (~5-10 minutes).
- Add Cheese: Add cheddar into the pan and allow it to melt.
Alternatively, to make the grits, add the cauliflower, salt, pepper, heavy cream, and butter to a large sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. The mixture should be fairly thick. Cook, stirring often, until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.
Finish the Dish
- Combine: Add the cauliflower cheese grits to a bowl.
- Top: Serve the grits topped with the shrimp and bacon mixture.
Tips and Tricks
- Cauliflower Texture: Make sure to rice the cauliflower super fine. It shouldn’t be as coarse as cauliflower rice, but it also shouldn’t be as creamy as mashed cauliflower. You want a little texture there to resemble the same texture as classic grits. Rice the cauliflower super fine. Usually I would use a food processor to rice cauliflower, but to get it super fine, I use a blender and work in 2 batches.
- Seasoning: I like to season every element of my dish.
- Shrimp Selection: Although you can use frozen or fresh shrimp for this keto shrimp and grits recipe, it’s best to use fresh medium to large shrimp. Stay away from the precooked shrimp because you want the flavors of the spicy shrimp to cook into the seafood.
- Spice Level: Some Cajun seasonings can be spicy, so use only a little at first if you're not sure. You can always add more after you cook the shrimp and give it a taste. You can't undo it.
- Lupin Meal: To make this recipe keto, we use lupin meal instead of corn meal. Lupin meal comes from the lupin bean which means it is mostly made up of fiber and it is very low in carbs. Since it has a silky texture with individual grains, lupin meal is the perfect keto replacement for cornmeal.
Serving Suggestions
Keto shrimp and grits is the perfect creamy and cheesy breakfast with buttery, spicy shrimp on top. This dish pairs well with a simple side salad or steamed vegetables for a light meal. Serve a spoonful of keto grits and top with shrimp. Sprinkle additional parsley or red pepper flakes.
Nutritional Information
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used. The keto sweeteners I use have 0g net carbs & are not included because sugar alcohols do not impact most people. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of sodium. When following the keto diet, you may need to increase your sodium intake.
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!
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply warm it in a saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of water or cream to loosen it up if needed.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Keto Diet Considerations
What I love about the Keto diet is that cheese isn’t taken from me! Yes! And I can have heavy cream? Yes to ketosis! Now, to the worst part of keto for me. No potatoes. They are my favorite starch! Dang it! Oh well, God made cauliflower.
When following the keto diet, you may need to increase your sodium intake. ALWAYS consult with your doctor before being keto or any other diet to ensure that you don’t put your health at risk.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto