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This Seared Scallops and Cauliflower Rice Risotto recipe is my quick, keto-friendly take on one of my favorite restaurant meals! It’s the perfect easy keto comfort food dish that you might enjoy on a date night or special occasion.
The cauliflower rice risotto will turn any cauliflower or vegetable hater into a veggie lover!
Besides the taste, this dish is amazing because it takes just 30 minutes! I include tips for searing your scallops perfectly and a few variations, including how to make this dish with shrimp, to enjoy this cauliflower rice risotto with a variety of easy proteins.
One of my favorite restaurant dishes is Sea Scallops from Ocean Prime. I had it for the first time during my 30th birthday celebration.
The dish includes buttery, jumbo, seared scallops on top of what seems to be a large bowl of creamy, parmesan risotto.
The risotto, like many risottos that I’ve tried, had a green-colored vegetable, like peas or asparagus, which gives a crisp, fresh bite through all of the risotto’s richness & creaminess.
This recipe for Seared Scallops and Cauliflower Risotto is my quick, keto-friendly take on that dish!
It’s the perfect warm, comfort food dish that you might enjoy on a date night or when you want a restaurant-style dish at home.
How do you make risotto without grains?
In this recipe, I’m substituting the rice that is usually the base of risotto for cauliflower rice. Cauliflower Rice Risotto is delicious and much easier to make since you don’t have to wait around for the rice to cook and become tender.
Cauliflower Rice is also a great substitute for grits. In fact, I used it to make this Southern Shrimp and Cauliflower Cheese Grits
Southern Shrimp & Cauliflower Cheese “Grits”
Should I use fresh or frozen cauliflower rice in this risotto?
I prefer to use fresh cauliflower rice in my cauliflower rice risotto. I get a 1lb pack for less than $2 at my local Trader Joe’s store.
However, considering that this recipe contains a creamy sauce, this dish also tastes just as delicious if you substitute fresh cauliflower rice for frozen.
Frozen cauliflower rice won’t need as much time to get tender so just be mindful of this when you get to the fourth step.
Should I use fresh or frozen scallops?
I’ve only ever made this recipe with frozen scallops. The scallops that I purchase are individually flash frozen.
This means that they thaw quickly and taste just like the ones that can be purchased from most seafood counters.
I simply thaw the scallops using the package directions then pat them dry. Having dry scallops that are thawed all the way through is key to getting a good sear.
This recipe is one of more than 20 Easy Keto Date Night Dinner Recipes that are perfect for a keto dinner for two!
This recipe includes one of my other recipes called Quick Seared Scallops
As I mentioned, the scallop seared to perfection is one of the central components of this dish. Surprisingly getting your scallops to have a sear only takes a few minutes.
What are some tips for making Seared Scallops?
The key to seared scallops is using a sizzling hot pan (I prefer this one), salted butter, and a timer. One thing that disrupts the type of sear you get is moving the scallops around too soon. After your pan is hot and you place the scallops, do not move them or flip them until the timer is done. The goal is to only flip the scallops once.
This recipe makes 4 meals.
This recipe makes 4 servings and I used 1lb of scallops and 1lb of cauliflower rice so each serving has about 1/4 lb of scallops (that was 5 jumbo scallops for us) and about 1/4 lb of cauliflower risotto (which is about a 3/4 cup).
You can substitute the green vegetable.
This recipe includes broccoli because that is what I had in my refrigerator. However, I’ve had keto risotto with mushrooms, asparagus, and peas.
You should feel free to substitute the broccoli if you don’t have it or simply leave it out if you are not a fan. Parmesan Risotto is also amazing.
Want to try another variation of this dish?
Use the cauliflower risotto in the Ultimate Keto Surf and Turf or swap the scallops for Keto Shrimp Scampi.
The Ultimate Keto Surf & Turf
You could also substitute the scallops for shrimp, as I did below.
You might also be interested in these other Cast Iron Skillet Recipes:
Need Dessert? Check out some of these:
Keto Snickers Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Seared Scallops
- 1 lb jumbo scallops You can get these fresh or flash frozen or substitute shrimp
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and Pepper
Cauliflower Risotto
- 1 lb package of riced cauliflower ~4 cups of riced cauliflower
- 3 tbsp salted butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup broccoli florets cut into small chunks (optional)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions keep the green tips to use as a garnish
- 1 cup Organic Heavy Whipping Cream it has fewer ingredients and carbs than non-organic brands
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a medium skillet to medium heat
- Add salted butter, garlic, broccoli florets, and green onions to the skillet and cook until the broccoli pieces start to turn bright green (~3 minutes)
- Add the riced cauliflower to the skillet and continue to cook until the riced cauliflower is almost tender (~3 minutes)
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until the parmesan cheese is well incorporated. Lower the heat so that the rice does not stick and cook until the cauliflower rice reaches your desired level of tenderness. Turn off the heat.
- Pat the scallops with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top (about 1/4 tsp of each if you’re not sure about sprinkling)
- Bring a frying pan to medium heat
- Add butter and olive oil and wait for it to start to bubble.
- Add scallops to the pan and cook for 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and pan so that they do not continue to cook.
- Add a large spoon of risotto to a plate. Top with scallops, green onions, and melted butter if you are being extra fancy.
Kekei says
Delicious! I made this tonight! Yummy! Doesn’t even taste like cauliflower…
Davinah Smith says
Yay! I’m so happy that you loved this as we did! I got the ingredients to make it again this week! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Jessica says
If I’m using frozen cauliflower do I steam it in the bag first or throw the frozen cauliflower into the pan to cook? Thanks!!
Davinah says
Hey Jessica!
When I’m using frozen riced cauliflower, I just put in in the pan as is. I stir it for a few minutes just to break it down + defrost it, then continue with the rest of the steps.
Thanks,
Davinah
Donna Massengill says
How much is one serving? How many scallops? How much risotto?
drdavinahseats says
Hi Donna,
This recipe makes 4 servings and I used 1lb of scallops and 1lb of cauliflower rice so each serving has about 1/4 lb of scallops (that was 5 jumbo scallops for us) and about 1/4 lb of cauliflower risotto (which is about a 3/4 cup).
Thanks,
Davinah
Yvette says
Made this recipe last week, AMAZING!!! Very easy to follow. Heading into my 3rd week of keto and having great recipes like this is making it so easy!! Thank you Dr. Davinah
Davinah says
Thanks so much for taking the time to share that! I’m super excited to hear that you enjoyed this dish as much as we did! 🙂
Nichole says
This was creamy and delicious! I was really surprised at how well the risotto came together and this is way easier than making traditional risotto. I substituted broccoli because I couldn’t get fresh asparagus. Can’t wait to try more recipes!!
Davinah says
Thanks so much for taking the time to share that Nichole. I really appreciate it! 🙂
Nadine Dillon says
Hi there! Going to make this tomorrow and I’m super excited! Do I need to thaw the scallops first if i get the frozen ones?
Davinah says
Hi Nadine!
Yes. I purchased frozen scallops for this dish. I thawed the scallops according to the package directions and patted them dry when I was about to cook! I’m so happy that you’re going to make this!
Thanks,
Davinah
Jackie says
AMAZING! I made this two nights ago and could not believe how good the “risotto” was…so good I am making it again tonight! And the best part…it impresses my cauliflower hating husband! 🙂 Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Davinah says
Hi Jackie!
Thank you sooooo much for taking the time to share this with me! This is by far one of our favorite recipes. I’m so happy that you and your hubs enjoyed it! It was a game-changer for my husband too lol! Have a great evening.
Best,
Davinah
Chrissy says
By far, one of my favorite dishes made in quite a long time. A lovely Spring meal, delicious and elegant. Instead of broccoli, used diced spring asparagus. Otherwise, followed your recipe exactly. Thank you + this will go into heavy rotation!
Chrissy
Davinah says
Hi Chrissy!
Thanks so much for sharing this feedback! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this dish as much as we do! Have an awesome weekend!
Best,
Davinah
Kay says
I cannot stress how delicious this turned out. It’s hard
to get children to eat their veggies and they loved it too. Even my picky niece. This just might become one of my favorite meals. I cannot wait to make this again. Simple, fast and so delicious!!!! Thank you for making healthy eating and keto fun and easy.
Davinah says
Hi Kay,
I’m so happy that you all enjoyed this! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment & rate the recipe! This is one of my favorite quick meals too! It’s so hard to believe that it’s mostly veggies! Have a great day!
Thanks,
Davinah
Casey says
Rather than heavy whipping cream, would it still work with half &half? Wanting to cut down on the fat.
Davinah says
Yes! You can also swap the cream with broth.
Jena Renee White says
Made this last night! It was sooo good!
Davinah says
Hi Jena!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it & really appreciate that you came back to comment on it!
Best,
Davinah
Adean Holloway says
I could eat my weight in this risotto recipe. I prefer it over regular risotto. I interchange the recipe between scallops and shrimp. I have also added baby portabello mushrooms to the risotto. It’s jus brilliant. I could eat it everyday!
Davinah says
Hi Adean!
Thanks so much for taking the time to write a review here! I love that you included mushrooms as they add so much flavor! So happy that you enjoy this as much as I do! See ya on IG! 🙂
Best,
Davinah
Katie says
Easy to make and amazingly delicious. Definitely makes a solid substitute for real risotto. This will be s new side dish staple for my family. Thanks Dr.!
Davinah says
Hi Katie!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to write this comment!
Best,
Davinah
Nancy says
I cannot WAIT to make this!
Dianne says
Can this be made ahead and reheated?
Davinah says
Yes! I tend to make enough for two days. I heat the shrimp or seafood separately though since the risotto takes a bit more time to get hot.
Pat Griffey says
Omg that is wonderful thanks for the idea. I used shrimp, frozen and frozen riced cauliflower one pkg. and one package riced broccoli and cauliflower mix.
Doreen says
This was amazing!!!’ Best keto recipe ever! My entire (non-keto) family loved it!
Davinah says
Yayay! That sounds like a huge win! So happy that you all enjoyed the dish!
Thanks,
Davinah
Charlotte Hutchison says
This was super fantastic! The flavors are amazing. I was pleasantly surprised. One of the best recipes I’ve made in a long time. I can’ twait to make it for my boyfriend who loves risotto and begs me to cook it all of the time, but I won’t because it takes too long.
Davinah says
I’m so happy that you enjoyed this dish, Charlotte! Ha! I agree re: cook time! This is actually one reason I really enjoy swapping regular rice with cauliflower rice!
Ashley says
This is a new favorite dish in my house…even my picky 2 year old daughter loved it!! Thank you so much for sharing it! Super easy, quick, and looks beautiful on the plate. So happy to have a new healthy dish to add to the rotation!
Davinah says
Hi Ashley!
So happy that you enjoyed this dish and appreciate you for stopping by the site to rate & review it! Love to hear when kiddos love a recipe too!
Thanks,
Davinah
Tina H says
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!!
Nancy says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is delicious and didn’t take that long to prepare.
Davinah says
Happy you enjoyed this, Nancy! Appreciate you for stopping back.
Heidi says
Really yummy flavors, thank you for this recipe! I added a little chicken broth, cause I feel risotto should have the flavor if chicken broth or white wine. But this was great!
Davinah says
Hi Heidi!
Happy that you enjoyed this. Adding broth or white wine sounds like a fabulous idea!
Best,
Davinah
Naina says
Can you use whole milk instead of whipping cream?
Davinah says
Hi Naina,
Yes. I’m using heavy cream since it has fewer sugars. I haven’t tried this with whole milk, but it is generally a bit looser than cream so I’d start with 3/4 cup and then add the rest only if needed – the end result should be a bit creamy like in the video.
Thanks,
Davinah
Naina says
Thank you 🙂
Tabitha says
This is absolutely fantastic. I’d easily pay $30ish a plate for this at a restaurant and keep going back for it. Delicious!
Davinah says
Thanks so much for stopping back to let me know how much you enjoyed this. Have a great day!
Deanna Dykes says
Can out great! I loved it!
Davinah says
Thanks, Deanna! Really happy that you enjoyed it 🙂
Amanda says
Made the risotto tonight with your shrimp scampi recipe, and both are fantastic! My cauliflower hating hubby is taking some for lunch tomorrow, so you know its good! Both my kids are tearing it up as well!
Davinah says
YES! I’m so happy that your family enjoyed this. I always love hearing when cauliflower haters enjoy this one. Really appreciate you taking the time to come back and review this.
Best,
Davinah
Lizzy says
My favorite recipe and my husband loved it
Davinah says
Thanks, Lizzy! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this! 🙂
Michaela says
Hi! I am very excited to try this recipe! My only question is I have fresh cauliflower. is it possible to use that? if so whats the best way to do it?
Davinah says
Hi Michaela,
I often use fresh cauliflower too. The only thing that changes is that you don’t have to spend time in the beginning defrosting (2-3 minutes) the rice in the pan.
Thanks,
Davinah