Keto Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits
This Keto Shrimp and Grits recipe is an easy, healthy, and low carb version of the classic southern spicy dish! Smoked sausage and shrimp in a spicy creole gravy over cauliflower “grits” is healthy comfort food the entire family will love! Whole30, Paleo, gluten free, dairy free.
This post was originally published on November 6, 2017 and was updated with new copy and photos on December 3, 2021.
After living in Charleston for over 2 years back in 2014, I gained a newfound appreciation for Shrimp and Grits. I made it my mission to try them at every restaurant we went to, and had a running list of my favorites. This was pre-Celiac diagnosis, of course. After I found out I needed to be gluten free, I knew I wanted to create healthy Whole30 & Keto shrimp and grits recipe for myself and others to enjoy! Looking for other recipes with sausage and shrimp? Check out this awesome Sheet Pan Cajun Shrimp & Sausage recipe!
What Makes This Low Carb Shrimp and Grits Recipe Great?
This healthy shrimp and sausage recipe is packed with creole and cajun flavors. It has all of the taste and texture of regular shrimp and grits, but it is completely dairy free, gluten free, grain free, and low carb. This dish is made with real ingredients like jumbo shrimp, sugar free sausage, cauliflower, ghee (or vegan butter), and a variety of spices. It won’t leave you feeling sluggish, and can be enjoyed completely guilt-free! This Shrimp and Grits recipe is also completely nut free, so it is very allergen-friendly. Oh, and did I mention you can have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes? Winning!
Ingredients Needed For Keto Shrimp and Grits
See below for the full list of ingredients with quantities – this is just an overview!
Shrimp – I like to buy shrimp frozen and thaw as needed. Costco is a great place to find it. Butcher Box also has wild-caught shrimp available now, as well!
Sausage – For this recipe, I used Pederson’s Farms No Sugar Added Uncured Kielbasa. It is a Whole30 compliant sausage. Any andouille sausage will work for this recipe, but make sure to check for sugar and other additives in the ingredients if you are doing a round of Whole30 or sticking to paleo.
Cauliflower – This is the main ingredient needed to make the low carb cauliflower mash – aka, the grits! You will need one large head or two smaller ones.
Chicken broth – I love using Kettle & Fire brand – the ingredients are great and their broth is gluten free and Whole30 compliant. Use code MARY for 20% off their site!
Ghee – You can also sub in vegan butter if you have a dairy allergy. Ghee is basically clarified butter where the milk solids have been removed. It works great for paleo diets!
Arrowroot powder– This is a paleo substitute for corn starch and works well for thickening sauces! I get arrowroot powder from Thrive Market (use this link to get 25% off your first order of healthier pantry staples for a discounted price!). Arrowroot is also Whole30 friendly.
Spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, paprika, cayenne, salt, and crushed red pepper. This combo makes the BEST homemade cajun seasoning!
I decided to make this Shrimp and Grits recipe without bacon because in my opinion, it is very overpowering! However you can certainly add some crumbled bacon on top, if you desire!
How To Make Low Carb Shrimp and Grits
- First, place the cauliflower pieces in a large pot and fill to cover them halfway with water. Bring to a boil and cook 10-15 minutes, until very tender.
- Next, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add in the shrimp and sliced sausage and cook for 5-7 minutes, sautéing until the shrimp are mostly pink and cooked through.
- Add in the broth and the spices and bring it to a boil.
- Mix the arrowroot starch and the water together to create a slurry. Pour it into the pan and stir. The sauce should thicken pretty immediately.
5. Next, drain the cauliflower and return it to the pan with the other cauliflower mash ingredients.
6. Mash them and then you can blend using an immersion blender, or transfer to a regular blender to get them nice and creamy.
7. Serve the shrimp and sausage with gravy over the cauliflower grits, and top with diced green onions. Serve and enjoy!
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
Shrimp – Look for peeled and deveined shrimp! I also prefer to remove the tails.
Arrowroot powder substitution– Don’t have arrowroot? You can also use tapioca starch. The same amount will work great!
Nut free cauliflower mash– Use coconut milk or double the chicken broth amount instead of using almond milk.
FAQ’s
Can you make Shrimp and Grits in the Instant Pot? I wouldn’t suggest it for this recipe. It’s so quick and easy on the stove. The shrimp would most likely get overcooked in the Instant Pot!
Can I freeze shrimp and cauliflower grits? You can, but note that after about a month there will be significant changes to the taste and texture of the cauliflower mash and shrimp! This dish is best enjoyed fresh. To store, cover in an air-tight container.
How many carbs in grits? Normal grits have 31 carbs per 1 cup serving, where as these cauliflower grits only have 8 carbs per serving!
How long can I store shrimp and grits in the fridge? These will stay good for up to 4 days!
Other Whole30 Shrimp Recipes You Might Love
Spicy Shrimp over Creamy Spinach Cauliflower Rice
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Ingredients
Shrimp & Sausage with gravy
- 1 package Pederson's Natural Farms Smoked Sausage, I found it at Wegman's
- 1 lb frozen or fresh shrimp, thawed
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- ¼ tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp thyme
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp arrowroot powder
Garlic Cauliflower Mash
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into pieces
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1.5 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ¼ cup almond milk, or other dairy free milk like coconut
Instructions
- Place cauliflower pieces in a large pot and fill to cover them halfway with water. Bring to a boil and cook 10-15 minutes, until very tender.
- Meanwhile, make the sausage and shrimp. Cut the link into 1/4 inch slices. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add sausage pieces and thawed shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip the pieces and cook for another 2 minutes. Add spices and continue to stir. Add chicken broth and use spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Cook and let the chicken broth reduce by about half. Combine the arrowroot powder & water in a small dish, and stir the mixture into the sausage/chicken broth. It will thicken quickly - Turn heat to low and add more chicken broth if you need to thin it out at all (or you can add more arrowroot/water mixture if it needs to be thickened).
- Once the cauliflower is done, drain all of the water out and return to pan. Add ghee, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chicken broth and mash together. Use an immersion blender to get them nice and fluffy!
- Serve the shrimp/sausage and sauce over top the mashed cauliflower. Enjoy!
50 Comments on “Keto Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits”
My family is native to Charleston and so I knew I had some tough critics to put up against. To be honest, making this I was super skeptical but gave it a try because of the awesome comments. AND WOW. It was worth it. Sooo good, perfect flavor. We served ours over grits so I cannot comment on the cauliflower mixture, but the shrimp and sausage with the gravy were DELICIOUS. Definitely will be making this again. I am so glad I could enjoy a hearty shrimp and grits with my gluten intolerance!
Thank you Ava! I am glad it passed the test!! 🙂
This was amazing!! The sauce was perfection- I want to pour it on anything and everything haha! My husband told me it might be the best thing I’ve ever made which means a lot to me because I’m not a great cook at all. I can’t wait to make this again! Thanks so much for this awesome recipe 🙂
Yay! This makes me so happy! Thanks Sara 🙂
I mostly followed the grits recipe, but also added sausage and a fried egg. OMG, the grits are incredible. I bought a big bag of frozen riced cauli from Costco a while ago and it’s just sat there because, truthfully, I’d rather eat regular rice lol but this was so simple I can’t wait to make it again! The frozen cauli worked fine, I just skipped to step 3 then added arrowroot to thicken it. Thank you for this!!!
Thanks Kristyn! Glad you could make it work using what you had!
Gonna be honest. I never write reviews, but this might be the GREATEST PALEO DISH EVER
Haha thank you Donald! Glad you love it!
This was so delicious! Thanks for another great recipe, Mary!
Thank you Missy!
What would the nutritional breakdown be for this recipe?
Unfortunately I don’t have that info on my site yet – coming soon!
Mary, do you have the nutritional info for this recipe yet? I am making it tonight.
Thank you,
Shannon
Hi! Unfortunately I won’t have nutritional info on the blog until this fall. I’m sorry! hope you enjoy it!
No problem. I will follow up then and thank you! Looking forward to making it.
This was a quick and easy meal to pull together on a Sunday night. Loved that it made enough for leftovers for the week. The flavors were great and I look forward to making this again.
Thank you Danica! I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I tried this recipe while doing a Whole 30 last year, and have continued making it ever since! So quick, easy, and delicious! The “grits” are so buttery, and just enough spice in the shrimp and sausage for everyone’s taste. Thanks Mary!!
Hi Jennifer! Thanks so much – I am so glad you enjoyed it!
I’m not a huge shrimp & grits fan, but my husband is. I’m doing a Whole 30 and I’m trying to make at least one new recipe each week. Hubby was so excited when he saw the dinner board…until he realized tonight that the “grits” were actually cauliflower. BUT, once he took his first bite, he was extremely impressed! He couldn’t stop raving about this dinner and asked that we put it into our regular dinner rotation (even once Whole 30 is done). This is a winner!
Woo hoo! so glad you all liked it! 🙂
This is one of the best recipes I have ever made. I absolutely love it and so did my husband. He is not a cauliflower mash fan at all.
This recipe is amazingggg! I made it for dinner tonight and had to stop myself from eating the whole pan! I cheated and used bags of frozen cauliflower rice, which I steamed in the microwave and then blended to make the “grits”. Totally delicious and a family fave! Thanks Mary!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you Ayla!
This was absolutely delicious and full of flavor! Will be making this again and again.!!!!
How would I prepare using frozen cauli rice instead?
I’ve never tried it, but I would assume you could sauté it with a bit of chicken broth and olive oil (and garlic powder and salt as mentioned in the recipe) then use an immersion blender to puree it once it’s soft 🙂
I made this with frozen premade mashed cauliflower and OMG it was soooo good! It had really great flavor! I added 1 chopped up bell pepper in because i love bell peppers, and it was super delicious. I will definitely make this again!
Thanks Shannon! I’m so glad you loved it!!
OMG! This was sooo delish! I fixed this recipe for my husband WITHOUT telling him that it was cauliflower. We both agreed that the flavor and heat were a perfect combination. This will be in our dinner rotations for sure. Thanks for a perfect meal that was easy to prepare.
Hi Dierdre! I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Mary, thanks so much for creating and sharing this recipe! I made it last week and not only was it so delicious but it was so easy! Husband loved it and it was great as leftovers!!! Awesome!!!
Yay! Thanks so much for letting me know – glad you guys loved it!
Traditional shrimp and grits is one of my all time favorite meals so I was excited but skeptical to find a Whole 30 version. But my doubts quickly faded with the first bite. This recipe is legit! No flavor or texture lacking. My whole family loved it and it was easy to make as well! This will be going into the regular rotation.
Awesome! Thanks so much for this amazing feedback. I am so glad you all loved it!!
This is a keeper! Whole family loved it.
Awesome! So glad! Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂
If I don’t have an immersion blender, could I put them in my food processor?
Yes definitely!
This was delicious – and super flavorful! Less than 30 minutes between walking in the door and taking the first bite. Will definitely be adding this to our weeknight rotation! Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes!
Awesome! So glad you liked it!!