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Southern Shrimp & Grits is one of those comfort food combos that never gets old. The flavors of the gravy made by the shrimp, bacon, and chorizo combined with the creaminess of the grits are a flavor explosion. This Keto Southern Shrimp and Cauliflower Cheese Grits recipe is a low carb remake to the traditional dish! I will say that this recipe requires quite a bit of prep, but that it comes together pretty easily after that. Plus, there’s enough to last for more than one day.
Even though it might be tempting to make half a recipe, I’d encourage you to keep this as is and just enjoy the leftovers!
What is southern low carb shrimp & grits?
Traditional shrimp and grits recipes are just as you might imagine: shrimp paired with grits. In fact, I have a low carb Sweet & Spicy Shrimp & Grits recipe on the site. However, Southern Style Shrimp & Grits have a few key ingredients:
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Peppers
- Onions
What is a keto alternative to grits?
This recipe actually uses a version of my Easy Cheese Cauliflower Grits recipe. I’m using cauliflower rice in place of grits. I love using cauliflower rice instead of grains to save on carbs, but also because the cauliflower rice cooks quicker than regular rice. If you enjoy cauliflower rice as much as I do, I’d recommend that you also check out this Seared Scallops and Cauliflower Risotto recipe that takes less than 30 minutes to make from start to finish!
Why does this recipe use tapioca starch?
I first made this Southern Shrimp & Cauliflower Cheese Grits dish after a round of Whole30 when I learned that Tapioca Starch was a much better alternative to corn starch.
In this recipe, it’s used as a sauce thickener. Some who are “strict keto” might omit this ingredient simply because tapioca starch is mostly carbs. However, I included it because the amount used in this recipe amounts to 1g net carb per serving.
What are alternatives to tapioca starch?
If you would like to make this Keto Southern Shrimp & Cauliflower Grits recipe and use an alternative to tapioca starch, then I’d recommend using Unflavored Collagen Peptides or Xanthan Gum (my preferred brands are in my keto & low carb shop).
As I’ve continued in my keto journey, I’ve learned that these are a carb-free way to thicken sauces. In fact, I used Collagen Peptides as a thickener for the Keto Sweet Chili Sauce that is included in my Bang Bang Shrimp recipe.
You can use 1 scoop of Unflavored Collagen Peptides to replace the tapioca starch in this recipe. You could also use 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum.
What if I don’t eat pork?
Southern Shrimp & Grits has pork in it. However, if you don’t eat pork, you can make this dish with turkey bacon and use Chicken Chorizo sausage. I typically get Chicken Chorizo sauce from the meat section in my local market. Another option is to use Chicken Andouille Sausage.
If you love shrimp, then check out:
- Low Carb Bang Bang Shrimp
- Shrimp Scampi
- Indian Shrimp Curry
- 10 Keto Shrimp Recipes (a collection of my recipes and a few from other bloggers)
Ingredients
Southern Shrimp
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Dried parsley
- 2 lb shrimp
- 6 slices Sugar-free Bacon regular bacon works, but I prefer sugarfree
- 2/3 lb hot chicken chorizo sausage pork works also - remove the casing
- 5 mini baby bell peppers chopped
- 2 shallots chopped
- 1/4 cup green onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum or 2 tsp of tapioca starch, or 1 tbsp Unflavored Collagen Peptides
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or seafood broth
Cheddar Cauliflower Grits
- 16 oz cauliflower rice
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Dried Chives
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
Southern Shrimp
- Make shrimp spice mix by combining the first 8 ingredients
- Sprinkle the shrimp with the mixture and set aside
- Heat 12-in skillet on medium heat
- Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and put on a plate
- Cook chorizo in bacon drippings. Remove from pan and put on a plate with the bacon
- Saute vegetables in the bacon and chorizo fat (~2 minutes)
- Add xanthan gum and cook with the vegetables. A sauce will begin to form (~5 minutes)
- Pour lemon juice, broth, bacon, chorizo and seasoned shrimp into the pan
- Cook until shrimp is pink
Cauliflower Cheese Grits
- Heat a skillet over medium-low heat
- Add cream, broth, and cream cheese. Mix until the cream cheese is melted (~5 minutes)
- Add cauliflower, butter salt, chives and pepper
- Stir on medium-low until the cauliflower rice is tender (~5-10 minutes)
- Add cheddar into the pan and allow it to melt
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