Grits are a southern staple that some people love and some don’t really care for. I’ve found they just have to be done right. And in my book, that means they need a good dose of butter and cheese. Shrimp and Grits is a classic combo you’ll find in southern cuisine, and for good reason! Creamy, cheesy grits and garlicky shrimp are hard to beat! If you’re going to be trying grits for the first time, you might as well go all out and eat this version, which is one of the most delicious, elegant, down-home, all-around amazing way to experience them.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Grits – Regular or quick-cooking are best. However, readers have reported ok results with instant grits in a pinch.
- Salted butter – Always use real butter if you can!
- Tabasco sauce – This is to taste/optional.
- Cheddar cheese – Freshly grated for best melting.
- Shrimp – See this link for Peeling and Deveining Shrimp if you’re new to working with fresh shrimp! You can also use raw, frozen shrimp, just thaw them in cold water for about 10 minutes before cooking. Do not use pre-cooked shrimp, as they will be overcooked and less flavorful than raw shrimp when cooked according to the process here.
- Bacon – You want traditional smoked bacon here. Avoid thick-sliced or maple flavored varieties.
- Fresh lemon juice – Not from a bottle!
- Fresh parsley
- Green onions
- Fresh garlic cloves
How to Make Shrimp and Grits
- First you’ll get your grits cooking according to package directions.
- While those are cooking, you’l start by fry up some bacon, then use the bacon drippings to cook your shrimp. You’ll add green onions, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and your cooked bacon and stir-fry until everything is cooked through.
- When the grits are done, you’ll add some butter and cheese, then serve them immediately, topped with the shrimp mixture and garnished with extra green onions and parsley. It’s so pretty served this way, but you’ll want to mix everything together when you go to eat it!
Storing and Other Tips
- Shrimp and Grits is a dish best enjoyed immediately after cooking!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use whatever size you like, you’ll just need to adjust the cooking time so they don’t get overcooked.
Shrimp cook very quickly. As soon as they are pink and opaque, they should be removed from the heat to keep them tender!
The shrimp must be cooked fresh, but you could make your grits ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the fridge if needed. I’d recommend not adding the butter or cheese if you do it this way. Reheat the plain grits gently on the stove with a splash of water until the consistency is restored, then add the butter and cheese and top with freshly cooked shrimp.
Shrimp & Grits
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup grits regular or quick-cooking, but not instant
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- Tabasco sauce to taste
- 2 cups 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 6 ounces regular not thick-sliced or maple bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Cook grits according to package directions. When you have about 15 minutes left on the grits, cook the bacon until brown and crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the bacon drippings.
- Cook the shrimp in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until they are just starting to turn pink (about 2 minutes). Add the lemon juice, garlic, green onions, parsley, and cooked bacon and cook for about 3 more minutes or until the shrimp are just pink all the way through. Season with kosher salt and Tabasco sauce to taste (if desired).
- When the grits are done cooking, stir in the butter and cheese until smooth. Season with kosher salt and Tabasco sauce to taste. Ladle the grits into shallow bowls and top with the shrimp mixture for serving (although you’ll want to stir it all together before eating). Serve with a light green salad to offset the heaviness of the grits. Serves 4-6.
Questions & Reviews
This is the best shrimp and grits recipes ever. I have used it several times. After making it yourself , you do not want to eat it in a restaurant. One restaurant uses a chunk of polenta instead of cheese grits. The very worst I have had was recently on a Norwegian Cruise. Their shrimp and grits was tasteless and did not even resemble thevresults of this recipe!
Any maple obsessed yankee ruining this wonderful traditional dish with maple flavored bacon, should go straight to hell and don’t pas go!!!!!!
I’m pretty sure the instructions say NOT use maple bacon, but thank you for reinforcing Southern stereotypes.
I would like to cook this in a crock pot. Could you give me some direction on how make this and I also wanted to know if I could substitute chicken broth instead of water. Or do you I just need to use water? Thank you, all of the recipes look tasty. I’ll let you know how it turns out. 🙂
Mmm, this looks delicious. I was born and raised in San Diego so grits weren’t on my radar until last month when I went to Seattle. Yeah, Seattle of all places. 🙂 I love grits, especially with cheese and bacon. I didn’t think I’d like the texture but it’s creamy and buttery. Thanks for this recipe. I’ll look for grits the next time I’m at the store.
I love shrimp and grits! I have never had it with bacon, I’m going to have to try this recipe. Bacon always sounds good 🙂
Bob’s Red Mill makes wonderful stone ground yellow grits (polenta) that would be perfection in this recipe. I also use half milk half water when I make grits, took me a while to cave, but the creaminess is worth it.