This quick and easy dinner of Keto Cajun Shrimp and Cauliflower “Grits” has all the flavor and texture of the classic Southern dish and is super healthy to boot! Keto friendly and gluten free.
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I am probably late to jump onto the cauliflower bandwagon, but I am LOVING cauliflower lately! Roasted cauliflower, pan-fried cauliflower, cauliflower tots – it is delicious no matter how you cook it!
So I used cauliflower instead the traditional heavy grits that you would serve with Cajun shrimp. Don’t get me wrong, I love grits too, but sometimes I want to eat a little healthier without sacrificing flavor.
Cauliflower “Grits”:
This cauliflower grits recipe uses “riced” cauliflower which is prepared by shredding cauliflower into tiny pieces on a grater. I then cook the riced cauliflower briefly. I love the texture of riced cauliflower and when it is cooked – it works great as a substitute for rice in a fried rice makeover, and also works great as a substitute for grits in this recipe.
I use a lot of cheddar cheese in the cauliflower to give the dish extra flavor and creaminess, just like you would have with cheese grits. That is a fancy way of saying I am addicted to cheese and I would add twice the amount into this recipe if it was socially acceptable.
Is this recipe keto?
Because of the cheese and the protein from the shrimp, this recipe incidentally happens to be keto-friendly, if you’re into that sort of thing. Me? I just like cheese.
And the Cajun shrimp… well there’s not much to say about that. Ya’ll know I love my Cajun flavors!
I didn’t even realize how many recipes I have with Cajun spice until I started writing this post. Apparently we use Cajun seasoning a LOT in my kitchen! Check them out: Keto Cajun Shrimp Avocado Boats, Cajun Shrimp Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing, Cajun Pork Chops, Cajun Shrimp Sweet Potato Hash, Cajun Shrimp & Vegetable Pasta, Roasted Cajun Okra, and the classic Cajun Shrimp and Grits.
What you’ll need for this recipe:
- Large head of cauliflower.
- A grater to make riced cauliflower. A box grater such as this one is the easiest to work with. You can also use a large food processor and quickly pulse cauliflower florets, but honestly, I think a grater is easier. Cauliflower grates really easily, and it’s faster for me to grate it than to cut cauliflower into pieces and then to clean a food processor. Your choice!
- Shrimp, obviously. Use raw shrimp. It takes just a few minutes to cook shrimp but the flavor and texture is incomparable to pre-cooked frozen shrimp that you would buy. Any size shrimp will work in this recipe.
- Cheese. Lots of cheese. I mean, this can definitely be a “to taste” kind of thing, but I find that 2 cups is a good amount for this recipe. It’s just enough to make the cauliflower grits really cheesy without feeling like you’re gonna drown in cheese. Good ol’ cheddar works great in this recipe, but feel free to use any meltable cheese – Monterrey Jack, Gouda, even mozzarella would all work well.
- Cajun seasoning. This one is definitely a “to taste” kind of thing. 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. Try to find Cajun seasoning that doesn’t have salt or any other additives. This way you’ll be able to control the salt and the Cajun flavor separately for your cooking. I love this one from Healthy Solutions. I use it in most of my cooking that requires Cajun seasoning. The package has a nice enough amount that you can use it for several recipes, but not so much that it sits in your cabinet for years and gets stale. Plus they’re a small company who take pride in their ingredients and really stand behind their product, and I like that kind of thing.
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I hope you get to try this recipe and that you love it as much as I do!
Don’t leave without checking out my other Cajun-inspired recipes!
Keto Cajun Shrimp Avocado Boats:
Cajun Shrimp Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing:
Cajun Shrimp and Cheesy Grits:
Pork Chops in a Cajun Tomato Sauce:
Cajun Shrimp Sweet Potato Hash:
Cajun Shrimp & Vegetable Pasta:
Roasted Cajun Okra:
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don’t forget to save it for later on Pinterest!
Keto Shrimp and Cauliflower “Grits”
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower , riced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil , divided
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 lb raw shrimp , peeled, de-veined, and tails removed
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste, some Cajun blends are spicy!)
- Salt & pepper , to taste
- Optional: 1 tablespoon chopped scallions , parsley, or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into quarters. Use a grater to 'rice' the cauliflower into small rice-like pieces.
- Add the riced cauliflower, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, and 1/4 cup water to a large pot or large skillet with high sides. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. The cooking time depends on how cooked you like your cauliflower. 5 minutes will yield crunchier cauliflower 'grits,' 10 minutes will get you softer cauliflower. Stir in the shredded cheese and continue to cook and stir until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Season the shrimp with Cajun seasoning. Add salt and pepper if desired. (Some Cajun seasonings already contain salt so you might not need to add additional salt.)
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add the seasoned shrimp and cook about 2-3 minutes per side over high heat, or until the shrimp is fully cooked. Serve the Cajun shrimp over the Cauliflower "grits" and garnish with scallions, chopped parsley, or cilantro.
Nutrition
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