Keto shrimp and grits — creamy, cheesy lupin grits under buttery garlic shrimp, with 4.5g net carbs and 24g protein. My low-carb take on the Southern classic; the texture is so close to real cornmeal I keep second-guessing myself.
I've been working on a keto version of shrimp and grits for years, and this is the one that finally nailed it. The secret is lupin meal. Not cauliflower rice, not almond flour (I tried both, and they taste nothing like real grits). Lupin meal has that same slightly coarse, grainy texture as cornmeal, and when you stir in cream cheese and sharp cheddar, the result is rich, smooth, and dangerously close to what you'd get at a Southern diner.
The carb difference is staggering. Regular cornmeal grits have about 36g of net carbs per cup. Lupin meal has around 4g for the same amount, because it's almost entirely fiber. That swap alone makes this work on keto without sacrificing the texture that makes grits what they are.
I use a finer grind of lupin meal. Coarser grinds make the texture too rough and unpleasant. The finer stuff cooks down smoother and absorbs the cream and butter the way cornmeal does. If you've never cooked with lupin meal before, this is a great recipe to start with because the cheese and cream are forgiving.
The shrimp are simple on purpose. Butter, garlic, a little cayenne at the end. I want the heat to come through without burying the shrimp flavor.
The jalapeno in the grits is technically optional, but I add it every time. The heat cuts through all that cream and cheddar in a way the dish actually needs. Without it, the grits lean a little flat. If you don't do spicy, skip it, but try it at least once.
This works as breakfast, brunch, or a full dinner. I've served it alongside blackened chicken for a Cajun-themed night, or with my creamy pork chops when I'm feeding a bigger group. If you like shrimp recipes, my garlic butter shrimp uses a similar prep but goes a completely different direction. For something with more spice, try my creamy garlic paprika shrimp over these same grits.
Leftovers reheat well, but the grits thicken up a lot in the fridge. Add a splash of cream when you warm them and they loosen right back up. If you're craving more low-carb comfort food, my keto shepherd's pie hits the same warm, filling note.
Southern-Style Shrimp and Grits
I’ve made a lot of grits recipes over the years, and this one is my favorite. It tastes like the real thing: creamy, rich, with just the right amount of heat from the shrimp. The secret is cream cheese and sharp cheddar stirred right into the grits. Instead of cornmeal, I use lupin meal (ground lupin beans). It’s mostly fiber, so the carb count stays low, and the texture is surprisingly similar to traditional grits. Silky with individual grains.
What Is Lupin Meal?
Lupin meal is just ground lupin beans. The texture and flavor are remarkably close to cornmeal, which is why it works so well here. One cup has only 4g net carbs because it’s almost entirely fiber.
I’ve tried cauliflower and almond flour versions, and they don’t taste like real grits. Lupin meal is different. It actually has that cornmeal flavor and gritty texture that makes this dish feel authentic.
Toppings for Shrimp and Grits
This is a classic Southern dish with plenty of room to make it yours. My base recipe has jalapenos and cheese, but you can skip the heat if that’s not your thing.
Toppings I keep coming back to:
Bacon (cook the shrimp in the bacon grease for extra flavor)
Sauteed onions
Red pepper flakes
Diced bell peppers
One variation I picked up from a reader: toss the shrimp with Cajun seasoning instead of plain salt and pepper. The layered heat against the cheesy grits was better than the original, and I’ve been making it that way half the time since.
I usually pour on a little extra cream right before serving, whether it’s for breakfast, brunch, or a full dinner alongside something like my boursin chicken.
The Best Shrimp to Use
Fresh medium to large shrimp work best. Frozen is fine, but avoid precooked because you want the spices to cook right into the shrimp. I always go with deveined and peeled to save time. If you’re using frozen, thaw them completely first (I run mine under cold water in a colander for about 5 minutes). Pat them dry before seasoning so the butter sear actually works.
Melt butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add diced jalapeño and cook until softened.
2
Cook lupin meal
To the skillet, stir in lupin meal, water, heavy cream and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes or until the grits have thickened and are no longer liquid. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in cream cheese and cheddar until smooth and creamy. Set aside and keep warm.
3
Prep the shrimp
In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.
4
Sauté garlic
Add butter to a large clean skillet, melt over medium heat until melted. Add garlic and cook for one minute, or until fragrant.
5
Cook the shrimp
Add raw shrimp to the skillet and cook for two minutes then toss and cook for additional three minutes or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. (120 internal temp). Remove from the heat and toss with parsley and cayenne pepper.
6
Assemble
Serve a spoonful of grits and top with shrimp. Sprinkle with additional parsley or red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/4 of recipe
Calories
532
Fat
40.8g
Protein
24g
Total carbs
12.6g
Net carbs
4.5g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many net carbs are in lupin meal grits vs regular cornmeal grits?
A cup of regular cornmeal has about 36g of net carbs. Lupin meal has around 4g for the same amount because it's almost all fiber. I was stunned when I first compared them. That single swap is what makes this dish keto-friendly without changing the texture.
What grind of lupin meal works best?
I've tried both coarse and fine, and I always go with the finer grind now. Coarser lupin meal makes the texture too gritty and rough, almost sandy. The finer stuff cooks down smooth and absorbs the cream and butter the way traditional cornmeal does.
Can I use Cajun seasoning on the shrimp instead of salt and pepper?
I do this about half the time now. One of my readers tried it first and said the layered heat played off the jalapeno grits way better than the plain version. I tested it the next week and agreed. Use about a tablespoon of your favorite Cajun blend and skip the separate salt, pepper, and cayenne.
What goes well with this for a full meal?
I usually keep sides simple since the grits are already rich. Sauteed kale or collard greens are my go-to for a full Southern spread. Roasted broccoli works if you want something lighter. My keto crack chicken is also great if you want to use the grits as a side dish instead of the main.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
I use frozen shrimp all the time. Just thaw them completely before cooking. I run mine under cold water in a colander for about 5 minutes, then pat them dry. The key is avoiding precooked shrimp because you want the seasonings to cook into the flesh, not just sit on the surface.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
I keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The grits thicken up a lot overnight, so add a splash of cream or water when you reheat in a saucepan over low heat. I usually store the components separately if I'm planning to eat them over a couple of days.
Can I make this dairy-free?
I've tested this with coconut cream instead of heavy cream, and dairy-free cream cheese for the stirred-in cheese. It works, but the flavor profile shifts. You lose some of that richness from the cheddar. I'd add a pinch of nutritional yeast to get some of that cheesy flavor back.
Laura, five batches in and already doubling the jalapeño. I kept it at the original amount because I was being cautious with the heat, but the cream and cheddar absorb more spice than I expected. I’m doing 1.5x next time.
Pull the heat to low before folding in the cream cheese, it seizes on anything above medium and I spent a minute convinced I’d ruined the grits. Once it smoothed out and the cheddar went in, I understood what this recipe is actually doing. My skepticism going in was about lupin meal having a bitter edge, I’d read enough about it that I almost just went back to cauliflower. There’s nothing bitter in the finished bowl, or if there is, the heavy cream and salt just bury it. I kept tasting it against whatever memory I have of real shrimp and grits and couldn’t find where it fell short. The garlic step for the shrimp is doing more than it seems, the butter picks it up and carries it through every bite. By the end I’d stopped comparing.
I pull the heat before the cream cheese now (learned that from a disaster batch). The garlic step is the part I couldn’t quite describe, I just knew the butter was picking something up. ‘Stopped comparing’ is everything.
Third or fourth time through this one now. I started adding a pinch of smoked paprika to the shrimp toss and it cuts through the richness of the cream in a way that plain shrimp doesn’t quite do on its own. The lupin meal texture still surprises me every time it finishes cooking, that thick, almost silky pull that tracks closer to actual grits than I expected when I first made it. I’ve also been skipping the cream cheese and going heavier on the sharp cheddar instead, and the grits hold their shape better when you plate them. Makes a solid Sunday dinner when I want something that feels substantial without a lot of moving parts. I do the shrimp in cast iron now too, gets a better sear than my non-stick did.
Cast iron just gets the sear right in a way non-stick doesn’t. I haven’t tried fully skipping the cream cheese but going heavier on the sharp cheddar makes sense, sharper flavor and the grits set up cleaner when you plate.
Batch-cooked the grits Sunday and they held up through four days of reheating. Lupin meal has no business being that forgiving. I cook the shrimp fresh each night since it’s two minutes, but having those grits ready makes this an actual weeknight dinner.
Smart. The grits thicken up overnight so just a splash of cream when you reheat and they come right back. Fresh shrimp every night is the right call, reheated shrimp gets rubbery fast.
Usually online is easiest. Lupina is the brand I use and it’s on Amazon with Prime shipping. Some Whole Foods carry it but stock is hit or miss, I wouldn’t plan around that.
Sunday shrimp and grits from a grandmother is a hard thing to recreate. The lupin meal in butter and cream gets closer than I expected when I first tested this. That’s the version I keep coming back to.
Shrimp and grits is the one dish I thought keto had just taken from me. The lupin meal gets so creamy it had me doing a double take halfway through the bowl. Still thinking about it two days later.
The double take halfway through is the best reaction. Lupin meal just keeps getting creamier the longer it sits in the butter and cream. Two days later checks out.
My husband is from Georgia and has strong feelings about shrimp and grits, so I kept quiet about the lupin meal until he finished. He cleaned his bowl and said ‘make this again next week.’ Not a single question about what was in the grits.
I was ready to be disappointed by lupin meal (I’ve been burned by too many ‘just like the real thing’ swaps). But the texture here is genuinely close, and when the cream cheese and cheddar get folded in, it has that pull you expect from real grits. My go-to cauliflower version is officially retired.
My husband grew up in South Carolina so shrimp and grits is basically sacred in our house. When he couldn’t figure out what was different, I had to tell him it was lupin meal. He just stared at me. Making it again this weekend.
Tossed the shrimp with Cajun seasoning instead of salt and pepper and it played off the jalapeño in the grits way better than I expected. Way more layered. Using both from here on.
First time cooking with lupin meal and I kept checking the texture every few minutes because I wasn’t sure what to expect. It actually came together way closer to real grits than I thought it would. Do you add the jalapeño every time or is that more of an occasional heat thing for you?
Every time for me. The heat cuts through all that cream and cheddar in a way the dish actually needs. The optional is just there for the jalapeño-avoiders in my family.
Ha, that’s the reaction I’m looking for. The lupin meal is weirdly close to cornmeal if you get the right grind. I go for the finer stuff, coarser makes it gritty.
