
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
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Keto shrimp and grits are the ultimate carb-conscious take on Southern comfort food! I’ll show you the best way to transform keto grits (a.k.a. cheesy cauliflower grits) into a luscious dish that tastes like the real deal, complete with juicy seasoned shrimp. You’ll never guess you’re eating a low carb grits swap!
Cajun shrimp is also delicious in other keto shrimp recipes, like Cajun shrimp caesar salad, jambalaya, and keto gumbo. And if you prefer your shrimp crispy, try keto bang bang shrimp instead.
For cozy keto meals that still make you feel good, ingredients make a huge difference — that’s why I rely on Danish Creamery European Style Butter for this shrimp and cauliflower grits recipe. It’s grass fed, has more butterfat than other European-style butters, and uses slow churning in small batches for the richest flavor — it’s the same reason why I use it in this air fryer whole chicken recipe!
Are Grits Keto Friendly?
No, grits are not keto friendly. (That’s why we’re making these shrimp and grits keto style!) Traditional grits are made from dried and ground corn, which is high in carbs.
There’s good news, though: If you want to enjoy grits on keto, it’s easy to create a low carb grits substitute with cauliflower, which is very low carb. Let me show you how!
Why You’ll Love This Keto Grits Recipe
- Cheesy and loaded with cajun spices
- Perfectly creamy sauce
- Juicy shrimp and crisp bacon
- Ready in about 30 minutes
- Naturally low carb and gluten free
- Super filling with 8g net carbs
- Rich and comforting

Keto Shrimp And Grits Ingredients
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for shrimp and cauliflower grits, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
For the low carb cheese grits:
- Danish Creamery European Style Butter – The only butter I’d recommend for this dish! Make sure you get the salted kind, made only with high-quality cream and sea salt. You’ll need 4 tablespoons butter, which is half a stick.
- Cauliflower – Look for tightly packed florets with no browning. You can also use pre-riced cauliflower, but the texture is more authentic when using a whole head of cauliflower.
- Heavy Cream – Makes these keto friendly grits oh-so-creamy. Any other keto milk substitute would dramatically change the flavor and texture, but coconut cream would be the closest.
- Cheddar Cheese – Shred it yourself, or get it pre-shredded to save time. Cheddar is a classic choice, but you can use any keto friendly cheeses you like.
- Sea Salt
For the shrimp & toppings:
- Bacon – To keep it as keto-friendly as possible, try to find a sugar free variety.
- Medium Shrimp – I find wild-caught shrimp when possible, but any will do. You can also use larger or smaller shrimp, but cook times will change.
- Cajun Seasoning – You can get it store-bought, but homemade Cajun seasoning is the best! It includes paprika, garlic powder, salt, oregano, thyme, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes. It also provides plenty of spice on its own, so you don’t need black pepper separately, but feel free to add some if you like.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic tastes amazing in this low carb shrimp and grits dish, but you can use jarred minced garlic as well.
- Green Onions – Adds a pop of color and flavor! Fresh parsley would also make a perfect garnish.
How To Make Low Carb Grits With Shrimp
This section shows how to make cauliflower grits and shrimp with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Make grits. Finely chop cauliflower florets in a food processor using the S blade; you want it a bit finer than a regular cauliflower rice, but don’t let it get mushy.
- Cook grits. In a dutch oven, bring cream, butter, and cauliflower to a boil over medium-high heat, then simmer the mixture until thick and creamy. Stir in cheese and salt, then set aside.


- Cook bacon. In a large frying pan, cook bacon until crisp. Set aside and drain some of the bacon grease, leaving a few tablespoons in the skillet.
TIP: Cooking bacon in the pan leaves you bacon grease for frying the shrimp. But if you already have some bacon on hand (team bacon in the oven over here!), you can skip this step and use oil to saute the shrimp instead, then add the chopped bacon to the dish at the end.

- Cook shrimp. Season shrimp with Cajun seasoning. Add garlic and the Cajun shrimp to the same skillet, and cook until opaque.


- Plate. Chop bacon and stir into the grits. Transfer the cauliflower grits to bowls, then top with shrimp and sprinkle with sliced green onions.


Frequently Asked Questions
Are shrimp and grits keto friendly?
Since traditional grits are not keto, most shrimp and grits dishes are not keto friendly, either. That’s because grits are traditionally made from corn, which has a high net carb count.
However, this cauliflower grits and shrimp recipe is keto because we cut out the corn entirely! Each bowlful clocks in at 8 grams net carbs.
Where can I buy keto grits?
Store-bought keto grits are tough to find — it’s much faster and easier to make your own. Try this low carb grits recipe and see for yourself!
What are keto grits made of?
You can make grits out of all kinds of keto ingredients, including almond flour, hemp seeds, or ground lupin. However, you’ll get the most authentic flavor and texture from finely riced cauliflower.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Meal prep: You can make any component of this meal (the grits or shrimp) in advance, then store until you’re ready to cook the rest. Or, make the entire meal in advance.
- Reheat: Heat on medium-low heat on the stovetop.
- Freeze: Avoid freezing, as the flavors and textures of this dish will change too much.

More Southern-Style Keto Recipes
If you love bold flavors, you’ll also want to try these Southern favorites with a low carb spin:
Tools To Make Cauliflower Grits & Shrimp
- Danish Creamery European Style Butter – With more butterfat than other brands, it’s the best choice for this rich and savory dish.
- Food Processor – It’s essential for getting the fine consistency of keto grits.
- Dutch Oven – Helps the low carb grits cook more evenly.
Cauliflower Grits And Shrimp Recipe
Keto Cauliflower Grits And Shrimp
This 35-minute keto shrimp and grits recipe is the ultimate guilt-free comfort food! Low carb cauliflower grits are cheesy and creamy, with juicy Cajun shrimp and crispy bacon.
Recipe Video
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Ingredients
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor. Pulse intermittently, scraping the sides as needed, until the texture is like a finer cauliflower rice, with some clumping.
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In a small dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter.
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Add the heavy cream and cauliflower rice. Increase heat and bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for about 12-15 minutes, until the liquid is reduced, texture is creamy, and cauliflower rice is tender.
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Reduce heat to low. Stir in the salt and cheddar cheese, until the cheese is melted. Remove from heat, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
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Place bacon onto a large skillet while it’s still cold. Place over medium heat and cook for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, until crispy. Use tongs to transfer bacon to paper towels.
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Drain most of the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the skillet. Set aside.
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Season shrimp all over with Cajun seasoning.
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Place the skillet with the bacon grease over medium heat. Add the garlic and shrimp. Saute the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes per side, until pink and opaque.
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Chop the bacon into small pieces and stir into the cauliflower grits. Serve shrimp over grits, topped with sliced green onions.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our free low carb support group, too – I’d love to see it!
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup cauliflower grits + 10-12 shrimp
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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21 Comments
Jenn
0Loved this recipe! A lot of flavor, and I left the bacon of my portion. Hubby said was great with bacon. Wouldn’t mind seeing a little tomato added in like the traditional Southern recipe, but def satisfied a craving!
Stefanie James
0Made this for my soul food Sunday brunch…. Delicious! I swapped out the fresh cauliflower with frozen cauliflower rice to speed up the process a little. I also use my air fryer for the bacon, but that’s just because I don’t like the mess that bacon grease makes. My husband and I have been keto for over 3 years and your recipes are definite some of our faves. Thank you!!
Heidi Bush
0Awesomeness! I used half and half and added about 1/2 cup more to ensure the cauliflower looked adequately covered. Also doubled the cheese because, well, it’s CHEESE! All timing and steps were spot on. We absolutely devoured it.
Adysa
0This recipe is amazing the only thing that I changed was that I added a little bit of cream cheese to the cauliflower to make it a bit creamier. I also used a recipe for blackened shrimp to season my shrimp. Sooooo good!! Thank you so much!!
Terri
0WOW! So good – If you happen to be watching your weight by cutting carbs but you are wanting to have a cheat meal without actually cheating this is a good one to try. Cauliflower is amazingly versatile – I’ve made cheese “bread” sticks/pizza with it and now shrimp and “grits”, they even cooked like real grits! The cauliflower is a little sweeter tasting than grits but it really did make me feel like I had a kicked me out of ketosis meal!
Sean Easter
0I added about 4 oz of Jacob’s andouille and 1 oz of Jacob’s Tasso to the bacon. Sautéed the shrimp with a tablespoon of Joe’s Stuff seasoning from New Orleans. Then deglazed with 1/2 cup chicken stock. Added one 14 oz can of tomatoes.
Janet
0This was delicious–but don’t expect the cauliflower grits to taste like anything except cauliflower. I absolutely loved them because I adore both shrimp and cauliflower. DH, the diabetic for whom I cook keto recipes, hated them because they taste like cauliflower. The bacony shrimp were yummy, and he gobbled them up, barely leaving a couple for me while I polished off the cauliflower grits!!! So I, normally following a moderately low carb, moderate fat, and moderate calorie diet, pretty much overshot my fat and calorie targets in a single meal. It really was worth it! Unfortunately, this is a one-time recipe at my house.
Kimberly
0saute your cauliflower in a little oil until it starts to brown and is very dry, then start this recipe. I find that gets rid of the overpowering flavor of cauliflower. I do this with every recipe I use cauliflower in.
Tonette
0Could I make the grits with almond milk instead of cream?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Tonette, I would not recommend almond milk because the grits would not have the desired creamy texture.
Gloria
0I was born and raised in the south, grits were often a part of our breakfast, and I’ve really missed them. Fixing the keto grits as is in this recipe, would that work with breakfast? I’m thinking over light egg, bacon, or sausage on the side, yummy!!!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Gloria, Yes, this would also make a great breakfast!
Amy L Huntley
0I love grits! This healthier version is amazing. I love the texture and flavor!
Kristyn
0I hadn’t had cauliflower grits before this & man, I have been missing out!! They are the creamiest & with the shrimp, it was a hearty & delicious meal!
Natalie
0The cajun shrimp & bacon add so much flavor!! I think the cauliflower grits are my new favorite!!
Glenda
0Scrumptious! I had never had grits before and now I can’t wait to make them, again! Absolutely delicious!
Mimi
0Just so you know, these are not real grits, these are keto grits. Wouldn’t want you to be disappointed in a restaurant. Real grits are made from corn.
Laura
0Ohhh yum! This keto grits recipe is AMAZING!!
Wilhelmina
0Delicious! This is a genius way to use cauliflower. It works perfectly in place of traditional grits and still gives that comfort food feeling I was craving.
Sara
0This is the ultimate comfort food! Such a great recipe!
Julia
0The photos alone made me want to try this recipe and I am so glad I did! Loads of flavour and such a great alternative to the classic recipe!