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Easy Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits is a low-carb, keto-friendly makeover of this Southern comfort dish that's ready in 30 minutes. You won't "miss" a thing in this healthy recipe that's easy enough for a weeknight dinner and tasty enough for company!

Amazing cauliflower does it again! We've used it to make dirty cauliflower rice and curried cauliflower rice. This time it's transformed into creamy cauliflower "grits" using frozen or fresh riced cauliflower and cheese. And, it pairs perfectly with blackened shrimp to make a complete meal.
Best of all, the entire dish cooks on the stovetop in one pan in under half an hour. That's why you'll find it in our Quick and Easy Dinners collection.
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Ingredients and Variations
This is really a combination of two spectacular recipes: cauliflower grits and easy blackened shrimp. Prepare them separately or combine them into an amazing meal. Here's what you'll need:
For Cheesy Cauliflower Grits
- Cauliflower rice or crumbles - see options below to make it yourself or buy it.
- Onion - diced
- Garlic - minced or pressed
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese - We used Vermont sharp white cheddar cheese. Look closely. I promise...it's there! Extra sharp or mild cheddar cheeses are other options.
- Olive oil - or any mild cooking oil. Butter can be used in place of olive oil or in any combination with it.
For Blackened Shrimp:
- Shrimp - Peeled, deveined, with tail on or off according to your preference. You can buy it that way (I stock up when it goes on sale) or follow this tutorial to peel and devein shrimp by The Kitchn.
- Blackened Spice - use your favorite blend. You'll find Cajun, creole and blackened spices in the grocery store. We've included the recipe for our diy blackened spice blend with the recipe.
- Alternative: For a milder version, leave off the blackened spice and add a squeeze or lemon or lemon pepper seasoning instead to make lemony shrimp.
- Olive oil - or butter.
Riced Cauliflower Options
Instead of hominy or polenta, this recipe uses riced cauliflower which cooks significantly faster than traditional rice. It also makes this recipe very low-carb and packed with a healthy veggie.
You can make it yourself or buy a pre-made package in the grocery store.
Note: Traditional "grits" are finer than cauliflower "rice." Feel free to make the rice close to mashed potato consistency if you prefer.
Make it: Cut a head of cauliflower into florets and small pieces of stalk. Place all of the pieces into a food processor and pulse several times or until the cauliflower resembles crumbles or rice. Don't process it too much or it will turn into mushy, puree! A medium head of cauliflower yields about 4 cups of cauli-rice.
Buy it: You'll find bags of fresh cauliflower rice in the produce aisle and frozen crumbles in the freezer section. Look for products that are not salted or seasoned.
TIME-SAVING TIP:
Use frozen cauliflower rice in this recipe WITHOUT DEFROSTING IT! Simply measure out the amount needed. Be sure to break up any frozen clumps first with the back of a spoon before measuring or cooking.
Directions with Pictures
You can prepare either portion of this dish first. We cooked the rice before the shrimp so the spices didn't change the color of the grits.
To make the cheesy cauliflower grits:
- Saute onions and garlic in a large skillet over medium high heat to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in cauliflower rice, cover and allow it to cook, untouched, for about 5 minutes. If you cook it any longer, give it a quick stir so that the garlic does not burn.
- Remove the lid, stir, and sprinkle shredded cheese over the cooked cauliflower rice. Stir to blend in the cheese.
- Remove the cheesy cauliflower grits to a serving dish. Salt and pepper to taste.
To make blackened shrimp:
- Toss shrimp with olive oil and blackened seasoning. This can be done directly in the skillet or in a separate bowl.
- Arrange shrimp in a single layer and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, depending upon the size of the shrimp. The shrimp is done when it turns pink and is cooked through.
- Garnish with parsley if desired.
Note: If you're doubling the recipe, you may need to cook the shrimp in batches. It's important not to crowd the shrimp so it cooks evenly. Also, do not overcook or the shrimp will become rubbery!
Spoon shrimp over cauliflower grits and enjoy! Optional garnishes include:
- parsley
- green onion
- bacon
Storage and Reheating
Cauliflower rice is always best served hot and right away. But, if you happen to have leftovers you have options.
- Store - Place leftover cheesy cauliflower grits, and/or shrimp, in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat - Warm leftovers in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. You can also reheat this dish in the microwave until warmed through, which will only take a few minutes.
- Freeze - Leftovers may be frozen in an airtight storage container. However, the re-heated dish won't be quite as good as it was fresh. Store up to 3 months. May be microwaved from frozen or defrosted overnight in the refrigerator and then warmed.
More Low-Carb Cajun Recipes
Looking for more easy recipes using cauliflower rice?
Check out all the things you can make with Frozen Cauliflower Rice
Would you like more easy, healthy, carb-conscious recipes?
📋 Recipe
Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits
Ingredients
Cheesy Cauliflower Grits
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup diced onion about ½ onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups cauliflower rice see options to make or buy in notes; frozen cauliflower rice does not need to be defrosted but should not have frozen clumps
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 4 ounces
- Salt and pepper to taste
Blackened Shrimp
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun or blackened spice blend
- Optional garnish such as green onion, parsley or crumbled bacon
Instructions
Cheesy Cauliflower Grits
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and garlic and saute to soften onions, about 3 minutes.
- Add cauliflower rice to skillet and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook, untouched for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid, stir, and sprinkle shredded cheese over the cooked cauliflower rice. Stir to blend in the cheese.
- Move cauliflower grits to serving dish. Salt and pepper to taste.
Blackened Shrimp
- Add shrimp, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and Cajun spice to the skillet and thoroughly combine.
- Arrange shrimp in a single layer and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Stir and cook for about 3-4 minutes more or until shrimp is pink and cooked through.
- Spoon shrimp over cauliflower grits and top with optional garnishes.
Notes
- Note: Traditional "grits" are finer than cauliflower "rice." Feel free to make the rice close to mashed potato consistency if you prefer.
- Make it: Cut a head of cauliflower into florets and small pieces of stalk. Place all of the pieces into a food processor and pulse several times or until the cauliflower resembles crumbles or rice. Don't process it too much or it will turn into mushy, puree! A medium head of cauliflower yields about 4 cups of cauli-rice.
- Buy it: You'll find bags of fresh cauliflower rice in the produce aisle and frozen crumbles in the freezer section. Look for products that are not salted or seasoned.
- Store - Place leftover cheesy cauliflower grits, and/or shrimp, in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat - Warm leftovers in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. You can also reheat this dish in the microwave until warmed through, which will only take a few minutes.
- Freeze - Leftovers may be frozen in an airtight storage container. However, the re-heated dish won't be quite as good as it was fresh. Store up to 3 months. May be microwaved from frozen or defrosted overnight in the refrigerator and then warmed.
DIY Blackened Spice Blend
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published 8/22/2015. It was updated to improve the reader experience.
Judy
This was really good! I didn’t have cheddar and had to sub whipped cottage cheese. It would be amazing with cheddar!! Next time!! Thanks for sharing!
Mary Lee
Yum, I used a box grater to shred the cauliflower and I had only hot paprika so added 1 teaspoon and left out the cayenne pepper.
Marjory Pilley
I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Lynn
Yum
Marjory Pilley
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Rebecca Hubbell
I absolutely love shrimp and grits and this cauliflower twist is such a great idea!
michele
This was a great idea to use for grits! It was so easy and the flavors were spot on!
Cheri
How many servings does this recipe yield? Can't wait to try it!
Marjory
Hi! This should serve about 3-4 people.
Karn
Has anyone figured out the nutritional info for this recipe? Looks amazing, can't wait to try it.
Marjory
Try My Fitness Pal or Calorie Count to calculate the nutrition information.
Aggie | Aggie's Kitchen
I've only made cauliflower rice once and I am really missing out on some great recipes from what I can see. This looks amazing!! And I love your tip about processing it then freezing it. I am going to do that!