Easy Keto Paella With Cauliflower Rice

This easy keto paella recipe will have you dreaming of Spanish castles and Flamenco dancers. A quick and fun low carb dinner with cauliflower rice, shrimp, chorizo sausage, and tons of spice. If you have fresh calamari and mussels, they go well in it too.

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I know this sounds incredibly stereotypical, but when I think of paella, I immediately think of Spanish guitars, plazas, and Flamenco. Personally, I’ve never been to Spain. Now, I’ve seen the border from France, but never crossed over.

Traveling and learning about different cultures and people is one of my favorite things to do. As a former high school French teacher, I’m always ready for that teaching moment and believe food plays a huge part in culture.

In fact, last March, I was all ready to head to Barcelona to do some research. Yes, research. Foods, history, art, and fun were to be had until all the craziness hit.

Unfortunately, the trip was cancelled, or at least postponed for another year or so. That means I’m reading books about Spain and experimenting with Spanish recipes. Although I will not claim this paella keto version to be completely authentic, it’s easy and delicious.

So just excuse me while I sit by myself and practice my nonexistent Catalan language skills and pretend to order in a restaurant in Barcelona.

Bon profit!

🍽 Equipment – what you need to make keto paella

When I get ready to make dinner, the first thing I do is to get out all the kitchen gadgets and equipment I’ll need. I like it when things are close at hand and ready to go.

• small to medium-sized bowls
• whisk and/or spoon
• a spatula
• measuring cups and spoons
• knife
• cutting board
• cast-iron skillet or other large pan (2)

🥘 Ingredients in low carb paella

• 1 red bell pepper
• 7 oz chorizo
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 cups riced cauliflower
• 2 tsp paprika (smoked or regular)
• 1 tsp onion granules (or powder)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 cup chicken bone broth
• 6 tbsp mayonnaise (no added sugar)
• 16 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 oz. chopped asparagus
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Chopped Italian parsley (to garnish)
• 8 oz calamari rings (optional)

When selecting any ingredients, buy as fresh as you can, and organic if possible. For meat and seafood, get good quality and see if you can find out the source.

As I live in Northern Colorado, far away from the sea, it is harder to get good seafood. That’s why I stuck with shrimp for this recipe. However, if you have fresh calamari or mussels, by all means, use them in this recipe too!

As far as chorizo goes, if you can’t find a good quality version of premade, you can always make your own. Give this Homemade Mexican-Style Chorizo recipe a try. With it, you can make all sorts of keto chorizo recipes. Alternatively, if you can find the good dried Spanish chorizo, that’s a nice option for keto paella.

🔪 Instructions

First of all, pull out all the needed equipment and ingredients. It should be close at hand where you can get to it easily. Ideally, this recipe takes under thirty minutes (do a little dance!). If you have everything ready, it speeds up preparation.

💭 Top tip – produce prep

To begin, start by getting all the produce ready. First, wash, core, and slice the red bell pepper into small strips. Second, peel and mince the garlic. Then remove the woody ends of the asparagus and chop it in about one-inch pieces.

If you’re familiar with traditional paella, you may be asking, asparagus? I thought peas were in paella?

This is something I chose to change for the keto recipe. Personally, I don’t eat peas because of their higher sugar and carb count. Asparagus is traditionally used in Spanish cooking quite often and is a much more keto-friendly vegetable.

It’s also popular with my family which is a win for a green veggie.

⏲ Cook time

Next, add one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Then add in and cook the bell pepper, asparagus, and chorizo. Stir and break up the chorizo until it browns, about 3-4 minutes.

After that, stir half the minced garlic, one teaspoon of paprika, the turmeric, and the riced cauliflower into the pan.

Now, pour in the chicken bone broth, stirring well, and bring it all to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally until the cauliflower rice is soft and the liquid evaporates, which should take about 3-5 minutes.

🧄 How to make garlic aioli

Next, it’s time to make the garlic aioli. In a small bowl, stir the mayonnaise together with the remaining minced garlic. Then stir in one teaspoon of water at a time until the mixture gets to be a drizzle stage.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper and set it aside for when the dish is ready to serve.

🍤 How to cook the keto shrimp

Now to cook the shrimp. First of all, rinse off and then dry the shrimp with paper towels. Next, season it all over with one teaspoon of good smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.

Then take a second large pan and warm one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil on high heat. Add the shrimp (and the fresh calamari rings if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, opaque, and cooked throug. This should take about 3-4 minutes.

After that, turn off the heat on the cauliflower rice mixture and stir it up well. Then top it with the shrimp (and calamari rings). Again season with salt and pepper to taste, and then it’s ready to serve.

It can be served up family-style, sprinkled with chopped Italian parsley and a drizzle of the garlic aioli. Or plate it individually with the aioli on the side.

Yum! Can I get some here?

🥣 How to store keto paella

Any leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for four to five days.

If you’re planning for one, it’s easy to reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. It can also be frozen in freezer storage containers in individual portions for about a month.

What are your favorite low carb shrimp recipes?

Personally, I’m a big fan of shrimp, although I haven’t always been. It’s something my husband really enjoys so I’ve gotten in the habit of buying and eating shrimp a lot more than I ever did as a kid.

Tell me, what are your favorite shrimp recipes?

Next, I lately I’ve also been loving this shrimp ceviche with avocado recipe, and I think we’ll be experimenting to make a keto Kung Pao shrimp recipe, one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy the paella low carb style! Take care.

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🍲 More keto shrimp recipes

1. Keto Jambalaya
2. Keto Gumbo
3. Low Carb Thai Coconut Soup
4. Keto Coconut Shrimp

📖 Printable recipe card

Nutrition Disclaimer

Please be aware I am not a medical specialist or nutritional professional. On this blog, I share recipes and what works for me. Please do not take anything on this blog as medical advice and always consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.

I use MyFitnessPal.com to calculate nutrition facts as a courtesy to my readers, and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count because does not affect my own blood glucose levels.  

This is as accurate as possible, but it’s best to independently calculate nutritional information on your own with the specific ingredients you use. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.