Easy Classic Shrimp and Grits
This Classic Shrimp and Grits recipe is easy, simple, and the ULTIMATE Southern comfort food. This traditional low country recipe features bacon and is served with a simple sauce. It uses stone-ground grits with cheese (but it’s easy to adapt to have no bacon for a pescatarian option, or other flavors and ingredients, like peppers and onions, etc.). And the whole thing only takes 30 minutes to make!
Shrimp and grits is a Southern staple. It originated in the Low Country of the South Carolina coast, during the season when shrimp were plentiful. It’s traditionally a breakfast or brunch dish, but I love it for a quick dinner.
Other Southern regions have developed their versions of shrimp and grits- for example, you can find blackened shrimp and grits in New Orleans with a creole/cajun spin. This is where I first tasted the dish, when I lived in New Orleans.
In this version, the grits are cooked with milk, butter, and chicken broth, with cheese melted in at the end. The shrimp is cooked in bacon fat and then mixed with a simple buttery sauce, then served on top of the grits with crumbled bacon and green onions. It’s so insanely delicious!
I love the simplicity of this recipe. Often, shrimp and grits recipes are made with peppers and onions, or with blackening seasoning for extra flavor. You can make these how you want – I’ve provided options for adding different types of flavors, using other ingredients, and how to lighten it up a bit.
Hope you enjoy this recipe for one of the best dishes on the planet!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Grits – try to use stone-ground grits. If you can’t find them, polenta is the same thing! Using instant or quick grits is fine, but the texture will be different.
- Milk
- Chicken broth – water can be used instead if you want, or vegetable broth.
- Butter
- Sharp cheddar cheese – or another cheese of choice. Or omit for a lighter version.
- Bacon
- Shrimp – preferably jumbo size.
- Green onions – for garnishing at the end
- Salt and pepper – and any other seasonings you want!
What kind of grits to use for Shrimp and Grits
I used Bob’s Red Mill Yellow Corn Grits/Polenta. Make sure you don’t buy cornmeal by accident- it’s not the same! Polenta and grits are one in the same. Polenta is typically used in Italian recipes, Grits for American. Grits are often white, Polenta is yellow. Either will work!
I yellow grits to make these shrimp and grits. You can use white if you want, and they are more traditional… the only reason I used yellow is because it’s the only thing my grocery store had.
Stone ground grits are classic. They are the steel cut oats of the grit world. The texture has some bite to it, and the flavor is, for lack of a better word, super “corny.”
They do, however, take longer to cook than quick cooking grits or instant grits. If you are pressed for time, you can certainly use one of these as a substitute.
How to make Quick Cheesy Grits for Shrimp and Grits
Here’s my time-saving trick for cooking up these delicious grits: you don’t have to whisk them continuously. Many people think that you do have to whisk or stir them for almost the entire cooking time.
The thought is that the more you whisk the grits, the more starch is released, and the creamier the grits become. Kind of like when you cook risotto.
And while this may be true, I find that grits will get creamy no matter what, and it’s not worth the labor of constantly attending to them.
Instead, I whisk them every few minutes for about 10-15 minutes. Then, when they are creamy but still not quite done, I cover them and remove them from the heat to let them steam the rest of the way. It comes out perfect, with much less labor and boiling grits sputtering in your face!
This method also allows plenty of time to prepare the bacon, shrimp, and sauce portion of the shrimp and grits.
How to cook shrimp for shrimp and grits
First, cook up the bacon until it’s crispy, then remove from the skillet. You’ll crumble them after they cool a bit. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet. Add the shrimp after patting dry and seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook in the bacon grease, then when they’re JUST done (don’t overcook them!), stir in a little butter and chicken broth until a nice sauce forms.
You can use other seasonings on the shrimp. I sometimes add chili powder. You can also sauté peppers and onions in the bacon grease before adding the shrimp. This is a good chance to experiment with different flavors and use things that you prefer!
To serve, pile the shrimp and sauce on top of the cheesy grits, top with the crumbled bacon. Garnish with green onions and serve.
What kind of shrimp to use for Shrimp and Grits
While we’re on the subject of what’s worth the time and what’s not, I recommend buying already peeled and deveined shrimp.
I spent a good 20 minutes peeling and deveining the shrimp myself, and while I may have saved some money, I didn’t think the time spent peeling them was worth it.
You can save a bit of money buying shrimp with the peels on, but I don’t think it’s worth it. The grits are so cheap, so spend a little more money on some already peeled and deveined shrimp.
I DO recommend buying large or jumbo shrimp. They are easier to cook, and have a meatier texture that holds up well with the creamy soft grits. And I think the flavor is better, since they are harder to overcook.
How to make shrimp and grits
Cooking shrimp and grits is easy- just cook the grits and add some cheese. While they’re cooking, sauté some bacon, cook the shrimp in the bacon grease, then make a simple butter sauce in the same pan!
- Cook the grits in a mixture of chicken stock and milk. I also added a little butter for extra richness.
- Then, cook up some bacon until it’s crispy, then remove it from the pan and chop it up when it’s cool.
- Pat the shrimp dry and season it with salt and pepper, and sauté the shrimp in the bacon fat. This will only take a few minutes, since shrimp is really fast to cook.
- Add some butter and chicken stock to the shrimp. Once the butter is melted, turn off the heat so the shrimp doesn’t overcook. The butter will melt into everything and the chicken stock will help deglaze the pan, making a super flavorful sauce to spoon over the grits. SO GOOD!
- Stir in some shredded cheese into the grits. YUM. I used cheddar.
To serve, spoon some grits into a shallow bowl, and scoop some of the shrimp and some of the sauce on top. Then, sprinkle with the chopped bacon and some sliced green onions. It’s so simple and delicious!
FAQs and Variations
This is a dish best eaten immediately. But if you do have leftovers, they are salvageable! The grits may clump together, so I recommend reheating them on the stovetop with a little extra water or chicken stock to thin them out. Reheat the shrimp in the microwave for only a few seconds, so they don’t get rubbery/overcooked.
Absolutely! You can make it completely meat-free by sautéing the shrimp in olive oil or butter instead of bacon fat. You may want to season the grits and shrimp with a little extra salt, since bacon is salty. And you can always add some other meat, such as andouille sausage or chorizo.
This would be great with sautéed mushrooms or other veggies such as peppers and onions. I recommend cooking them in the bacon fat before adding the shrimp.
Yes! Use all chicken stock for the grits instead of milk, and omit the cheese.
You can make a thicker, more luxurious sauce by making a simple gravy. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of flour into the leftover bacon fat along with a tablespoon of melted butter. Whisk together for a minute or so to make a roux. Then, add one cup of chicken stock and whisk together, continuing to cook until heating.
I love adding chili powder to the seasonings. You can add any other spices you love – cayenne or other hot pepper for heat, herbs, etc.
The History of Shrimp and Grits
Like so many Southern recipes, the origins of Shrimp and Grits can be traced back to the enslaved African Americans of the region. It was originally a lighter dish involving peppers and onions in a simple sauce, without any added bacon, cream, and cheese. Like so many foods, the dish has evolved over time and passed through many hands, as well as other regions. This is a great article that covers a more in-depth history of shrimp and grits.
(And a quick shoutout to Michele, a reader who chimed in with this history in the comments! Thank you!)
If you want a lighter version…
This recipe for shrimp and grits is admittedly on the richer side – a result of the aforementioned evolution over time! If you want to lighten it up a bit, replace some or all of the whole milk with more chicken broth (or water, or vegetable or seafood stock) when cooking the grits, and omit the cheese. You can stir in a couple pats of butter if you want a bit of richness in the grits.
Also, instead of sautéing bacon as a starting point, sauté some peppers, onions, and maybe some sliced mushrooms in butter or oil, along with some spices (Cajun seasoning would be great here!), then add the shrimp and cook, serving the shrimp and veggie mixture over the grits.
Other Southern Comfort Food Recipes
Other Easy Shrimp Recipes:
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Easy Classic Shrimp and Grits
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth preferably low sodium, divided
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 3/4 cup grits I used Bob's Red Mill, see notes
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 strips bacon (or 2-3 thick-cut slices)
- 1 lb. jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- thinly sliced green onions for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups of the chicken broth, the milk (2 cups), 3 tablespoons of the butter, and a pinch of salt to a gentle boil in a medium sized pot. Add the grits and whisk together. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until grits are soft and creamy, whisking every few minutes. Cover and set aside off heat – they will finish softening up while they sit.
- Cook the 4 bacon strips until crispy in a nonstick or cast iron skillet. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Once cool, chop into small pieces.
- Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet.
- Rinse the shrimp with cold water and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper (if your shrimp is treated already with sodium – check the ingredients! – then only use a little bit, if any, of added salt), and any other spices you want to add (optional). Cook in the bacon grease until only just cooked- about 2 minutes per side.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the shrimp and stir until melted and broth is heated. Taste and add salt if necessary.
- Stir in the cheese to the grits (1 cup) until melted. Taste and add salt if necessary.
- Serve the shrimp mixture over the grits, making sure to spoon some of the liquid from the skillet over the grits, and sprinkle with the bacon pieces and sliced green onions, if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- A note on grits: I use Bob’s Red Mill grits / polenta, which are widely available around the country. These tend to cook faster than other stone-ground grits, especially artisan or smaller brands typically sold in Charleston and that area. They may take longer to cook because they tend to be coarser. So keep in mind, you may need to adjust timing depending on what brand of grits you’re using!
- Grits and polenta are one in the same – Grits is the American word, Polenta is Italian. Polenta is usually yellow, grits are usually white (and have a sweeter flavor). Use either one!
- Money Saving Tip: Buy frozen shrimp and defrost them yourself. Most “fresh” shrimp you buy at the store has actually been previously frozen, but is marked up anyway.
- This recipe is best served right away, since shrimp get rubbery from reheating and grits turn more solid after they cool. If you have leftovers, the grits can be reheated on the stovetop with some extra water to break them up, whisking them as they reheat. Heat the shrimp only for a few seconds in the microwave- as little as possible. Or, enjoy the leftover grits plain and add the cold cooked leftover shrimp to a salad to prevent overcooking.
- You can use water instead of chicken broth to cook the grits.
- To save time, you can use quick cooking grits instead of stone-ground (but the texture will be different).
- I used yellow grits, since it’s all I could find. You can use white if you want to!
- Spice it up! Add other seasonings, herbs, or hot pepper to the shrimp with the salt and pepper. You can also serve it with hot sauce.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Are you able to use instant or quick grits for this instead of stone ground grits?
Yes! It should be fine and take a little less time. Hope you like it!
I first had shrimp and grits at Jessie’s Restaurant & The Cold Hole in Magnolia Springs, Alabama and fell in love with the combination. This was my very first attempt to make the dish and I would never have believed how something could be so good and so easy at the same time. I did fry the bacon for the grease, but then substituted Andouille sausage when putting the dish together. Thank you for the recipe, the great, easy to follow directions and all of the helpful hints. You made this very easy for me!
So glad the recipe worked well for you!
Absolutely amazing! We rented a beach house for this year’s unconventional 2020 Thanksgiving and decided to embrace a seafood feast. Your shrimp and grits were the crowning jewel. I followed the instructions to the letter. EVERYONE loved them, even the kiddos (who can be picky). Thank you.
Oh wow I love that idea of a seafood feast at a beach house for an unconventional Thanksgiving! SO happy the recipe was a hit. Thanks for taking the time to leave this comment!
This recipe is GREAT! ! I followed it to the T and once served all that could be heard were forks clinking on plates!! Super easy and fast. .. l also love the fact the recipie didn’t call for it to be spicy like so many others l have seen. This will become a staple in my home! !
Made this on vacation 2 weeks ago at Sea Pines. No bacon on hand, so we cooked it in butter, adding (real) crumbled bacon at the end. Only other deviations were 12 oz of P&D large shrimp instead of a lb. —no problem, plus we started the sauce with chopped red bell pepper and onion, as suggested. Dang, it was delish. Son’s birthday is tomorrow, he asked for this instead of beef tenderloin steaks!! Don’t omit the chopped green onion garnish. 5-star and pretty easy.
So glad you liked it, and honored that your son requested it for his birthday!
I made shrimp broth from the shells and used it instead of chicken broth. It ramped up the shrimp flavor and used the shells rather than just discarding them. Just cover shells with water, boil for 15-20 minutes and strain into a clean container. You can use it immediately or freeze it.
Oh wow, thanks for the amazing tip! Love that it helps reduce food waste and I bet the flavor was out of this world. Can’t wait to try that next time!
This recipe was spot on. My husband and I tried it today. The meal was delicious. Never thought we could have restaurant style shrimp and grits, in the comfort of our own home. It was also a great recipe for us to prepare together. Thank you
Yay! I’m so happy to hear you both liked it, and that you enjoyed making it together :-)
My family loved this recipe! This is a keeper!
Thanks- glad you and your family liked it!
The recipe calls for stone ground mustard, and doesn’t mention grits! Some people may not realize this error.
Goodness, you scared me- I thought I made a big mistake! Nope, the recipe calls for stone-ground grits. I even did a search and find for the term “mustard” and it didn’t show up at all in the entire post. I always appreciate when people point out errors in my post so I can fix them and I’m grateful that it wasn’t the case this time :-)
Yummy! Best shrimp and grits recipe. Made this 4 times now for my family and we love them. More than the ones in Charleston,SC. Thank you for sharing this!! A keeper for sure.
So happy to hear you and your family like it!
This is quick, easy, an delicious!!!! I will make it again
Thank you! So glad you liked it :-)
Love this recipe. So simple and amazing. Two suggestions I do. First, I trade the bacon out for country ham or sausage. Second, do not precook the shrimp in a saucepan. Instead to add larger raw peeled shrimp directly to the pot of grits during the last few minutes of cooking the grits. It allows the juices of the shrimp to marinate the grits. This infuses the dish with the shrimp flavor low country style instead of relying on the overpowering bacon flavor.
Oh I LOVE the idea of letting the shrimp flavor infuse with the grits! Great suggestion, as well as using country ham or sausage. Thanks, and glad you liked it!
This was restaurant quality! So delicious.
So glad you liked it!
Thanks for this recipe! Made it last night and it was a big hit with my homebound family. Even my son, who subsists almost entirely on a diet of plain pasta and chicken tenders, and will take plain cheesy grits cooked in water as a breakfast option, tried these with the broth in them and is now asking that they always be made that way (we’ll move up to the actual shrimp and bacon and sauce someday…)
As for accompaniments, if you’re partial to Brussels Sprouts as we are, they go great with this! I saute them in oil with salt, pepper and garlic to brown the bottoms and then leave them covered in the pan to steam and soften, then I tossed them around the edges of the bowl plate with the grits. Thought about cooking them in the bacon fat but didn’t this time, will def try next time.
Thanks again!
Oh goodness I LOVE the idea of adding Brussels sprouts like this! Thanks for the suggestion, and so glad you and your family liked it :-)
So good & really quick and easy to prepare when that craving hits!
So glad you liked it!
This recipe is GREAT! ! I followed it to the T and once served all that could be heard were forks clinking on plates!! Super easy and fast. .. l also love the fact the recipie didn’t call for it to be spicy like so many others l have seen. This will become a staple in my home! !
So happy you liked it!
This bowl of Southern goodness was amazing! The entire family loved it…and I have picky eaters!!!! I didn’t use the milk, but everything else, plus a little diced red onion, red pepper, and paprika. I’ll be making this again very soon!!😊
Yay! So glad you liked it :-)
Made this for supper tonight exactly following the recipe. The grits are the best I have ever tasted and the shrimp were perfect. I have a fussy wife and stepson and they said don’t change a thing and make them again. Soon!!
SO happy you and your family liked it! Thanks for the comment :-)
This recipe was so delicious! I cut it in half for only 2 servings. First time making this low country dish. My husband was in shrimp heaven!
So glad you both liked it!
Excellent reminds me of my trip to the south several years ago. As a Canadian who enjoys traveling the recipes of the south intrigues me. Soul food for sure.
Southern food is some of the best food, for sure!
This recipe is quick and easy. Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
Thanks! So glad you liked it.
Have shells from shrimp? make a broth from it, cover shells in water, simmer for 15 min., cool, put in container and freeze to make soup/bisque.
Shrimp & grits are good :)
Great advice! Thanks so much!