Keto shirataki mac and cheese is made with shirataki rice. It is cheesy, gooey and comforting, and the perfect solution for comfort food cravings!
This recipe is surprisingly good. Don’t expect it to have the flavor and especially the texture of the real thing! But it’s an excellent substitute.
In this keto shirataki mac and cheese, the traditional elbow macaroni is replaced with shirataki rice. It’s delicious, cheesy, and buttery.
Can you eat shirataki noodles on the keto diet?
Yes! Shirataki noodles are made of konjac root. They’re almost 100% pure fiber so you can count them as zero-carb. This means that this recipe is the perfect solution for those craving the classic comfort food but unwilling to eat a high carb diet.
What do shirataki noodles taste like?
They taste like nothing, which means they absorb the flavor of the ingredients you add to them. In the case of shirataki mac and cheese, they take on a cheesy, buttery taste.
Shirataki noodles do have a fishy smell when you open their package. But it’s easy to get rid of it by rinsing them, boiling, and then briefly frying them in a dry pan.
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty side dish. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
Olive oil spray: I use it to grease the baking dish. Avocado oil is another good choice, and so is butter.
Shirataki rice: These look like tiny little beads, quite different than the elongated shirataki strands that I use when making shirataki noodles.
Unsalted butter: I love using creamy European butter. But any butter will be great.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.
Garlic powder: You can also use a teaspoon of fresh minced garlic.
Cheddar cheese: I love using extra-sharp cheddar. It’s so flavorful!
How to make shirataki mac and cheese
This is not a difficult recipe, although you do need to prep the shirataki first by boiling and then dry-roasting it. Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Boil the shirataki rice, then drain it well and dry-roast it in a hot skillet.
Transfer the shirataki to a medium bowl. Add the butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and 4 ounces of the cheese. Mix well.
Divide the mixture among four greased ramekins. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
How to serve shirataki mac and cheese
It’s a versatile side dish that goes with anything. It goes particularly well with dishes that you would traditionally serve alongside mac and cheese, such as keto fried chicken (you can use the same 400F oven for both and bake the mac and cheese for a shorter time) or keto meatloaf.
An alternative to shirataki
For some people, shirataki is very difficult to digest. If this is the case for you, you could try this excellent recipe for spaghetti squash noodles. You will still get the cheesy noodle experience, but hopefully without the bloat!
Other cheesy keto options include cauliflower mac and cheese and cheesy spaghetti squash casserole.
What to do with leftovers?
You can keep leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. Reheat the leftovers gently, in the microwave on 50% power.
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Keto Shirataki Mac and Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil spray
- 2 bags shirataki rice
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 5 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place four 1-cup ramekins on a baking sheet and lightly spray them with olive oil spray.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Using scissors, open the shirataki rice packages. Pour the contents into a colander. Ignore the slightly fishy smell – it will rinse/cook out. Rinse the “rice” under cold running water for 30 seconds.
- By now, your water should be boiling. Transfer the “rice” to the boiling water, bring back to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. While the rice boil, heat a clean, dry medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat.
- Pour the cooked shirataki rice back into the colander and drain well. Transfer to the hot skillet and dry-roast (adding no oil to the skillet), stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until rice is visibly dry and makes a squeaking sound when moved in the skillet. This step will get rid of the shirataki’s rubbery texture, and help it better absorb the sauce compared to when slippery and wet.
- Transfer the boiled and dried shirataki rice to a medium bowl. Add the butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder and 4 ounces of the cheese. Mix well.
- Divide the mixture among the prepared ramekins. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake 30 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
NOTES
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.