This Classic Shrimp and Grits recipe is SO easy, SO simple, and the ULTIMATE Southern comfort food. This traditional low country recipe uses bacon and is served with a simple sauce and uses stone-ground grits with cheese (but it’s easy to adapt to have no bacon, or other flavors and ingredients). And the whole thing only takes 30 minutes to make!
Shrimp and grits is a Southern staple. It originated in the Lowcountry of the South Carolina coast, during the season when shrimp were plentiful. It’s traditionally a breakfast 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.
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. When it comes to comfort food, I like mine to be simple.
This version of shrimp and grits keeps things simple. I used salt and pepper only for seasoning, with a garnish of green onions at the end. The smoky bacon flavor stands out and the chicken stock and butter makes it super savory and creamy tasting.
First, let’s talk about the grits.
What kind of grits to use for Shrimp and Grits
I used stone-ground yellow grits to make these classic 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.
I DO recommend that you use stone ground, however, whether they are white or yellow. I used Bob’s Red Mill Yellow Corn Grits/Polenta. Make sure you don’t buy cornmeal by accident- it’s not the same!
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 save time cooking stone-ground grits
Here’s my time-saving trick for cooking up these delicious grits: you don’t have to whisk them continuously. Some traditional Southern cooks may be rolling in their graves right now. 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.
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.
Other Southern Comfort Food Recipes
Other Easy Shrimp Recipes:
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Easy Classic Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth divided
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 3/4 cup stone-ground grits
- 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, 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.
- Stir in the cheese to the grits (1 cup) until melted.
- 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.
Video
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and 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:
Lisa Swauger
Thanks, this recipe was delicious.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Marcy
I tried this recipe and it was delicious. I opted to add my chopped bacon into the shrimp, 1/2 cup of broth and remaining Tbsp of butter allowing to simmer slightly longer to absorb some of the liquid. I also added a little pinch of onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, Obay seasoning. My grits choice quick 5 minute. I stay true to the milk broth ratio whisking often and they were perfect. No lumps. Thank you.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Rayce
So easy and delicious
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Jonathan
Damn good. I’m a shrimp and grit snob spending a lot of time in Charleston and this recipe is top notch. Love how the recipe lets you do shrimp as you want. I cooked in bacon grease, farlic, and red pepper which gave the sauce a nice kick. Sooooooooo goooooood. Threw in a few more grits and a little extra cheese ;) woooo weeeee. Thanks for the recipe.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Carol Shapiro
I love that your recipe does not call for cream- it is already so rich with the cheeseand bacon! Do you prefer a particular barbeque sauce to offer along with the shrimp and grits? I generally have made for lunch or dinner along with a side salad. I live in MA, however, when I have ordered the dish in Charleston, the shrimp came plated over a barbeque sauce on top of the grits- loved it this way, by the way!
do you prefer any particular barbeque sauce to offer along with the shrimp and grits?
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! My favorite bbq sauce is probably the spicy Salt Lick BBQ sauce from Austin, TX, but unfortunately you can’t find it everywhere! I like Sweet Baby Ray’s for a standard BBQ sauce.
Idania
Is the nutritional info on a per serving basis? And how many servings does it yield?
Elizabeth Lindemann
The amount of servings is in the recipe card (4 for this recipe) and yes, the nutritional info is on a per serving basis. Hope that helps!
Sherri McMillian
Easy and delicious! I used chicken sausage instead of the bacon. Needed a little olive oil for the shrimp! YUM!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Tianna
This was easy and delicious 😋
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Shelia Butler
I made this recipe on New Year’s Day! Absolutely delicious!
Thank you!
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Stephanie
Very good! From another recipe I added a dash of garlic powder. It was perfect. Super creamy and just the right amount of flavor without the ingredients competing with each other.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
carp;
This was the best and most simple shrimp and grits recipe i ever tried. I even used the 5 minute grits and mild cheddar
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Andrew Gibbons
Very tasty! I found it easy to prepare. We enjoyed it very much and will make it again soon! Thank you!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Nancy Ziebach
Delicious! The cheese grits were the best ever!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Diana
Very salty and pretty flavorless. I was looking forward to trying this, but was disappointed with both the grits and the shrimp. I used sharp cheddar for the grits and even added Cajun seasoning to the shrimp, but other than a bit of bacon taste, very bland. Not sure why the grits call for so much whole milk either. I make a cheesy grits recipe with just chicken broth and a bit of minced garlic plus the same cheese that is much tastier than this. Not sure why ratings are so high 😏
Elizabeth Lindemann
We all have different tastes. I personally love this recipe, and obviously many others do too due to the high ratings – but totally fine that it’s not your thing! A note on the salt: it may have been extra salty from adding the cajun seasoning, which usually has salt added to it. The ingredients list says “salt to taste,” and depending on the salt in the bacon, chicken broth (which can sometimes be VERY salty), and cheddar cheese, as well as your added cajun seasoning, you may have added too much extra. For you or anyone else reading this – if you’re sensitive to salt, go light on the pinch of salt added to grits and seasoning the shrimp (or just wait until after cooking the whole thing to see if you want to add any extra).
As for the grits – you can use this base recipe with any kind of grits you like! Yours – with the chicken broth and garlic and sharp cheddar – sounds delicious. So for you, or anyone else reading this – if you have a favorite way to prepare your grits, feel free to do that instead! Better luck next time with your shrimp and grits :-)
J'enay
Absolutely wonderful! My husband had two helpings. This is a really easy, straight-forward recipe with a short ingredient list that is definitely not intimidating. I did sub andouille sausage for the bacon, admittedly, and diced it quite fine which was delicious. Went ahead and added the little bit of heavy whipping cream to the grits and oh wow – too good. I also did half sharp white cheddar and half smoked cheddar which turned out really great. 10/10 would make again!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Dara Elish
That sounds great!
Amy
If using real stone ground grits you need to rinse them first several times to remove the floating chaff and hulls. I wasted a bunch of ingredients without this info.
Elizabeth Lindemann
I have never had to do this with my grits. For reference, I used Bob’s Red Mill brand for this recipe. I find their grains to be very high quality and user friendly. I can’t speak to other brands, or if you got your grits directly from a mill that may not have as finished of a product than other brands. But in case anyone else is concerned about this, rinsing grits to remove hulls shouldn’t be an issue (it’s nothing I’ve ever had to do, nor does it make much sense since the hulls wouldn’t go anywhere through a mesh sieve once rinsed… unless the OP can clarify this more?), but rinsing grits CAN remove some of the starch from the grits and create a more smooth, less clumpy final result, if that’s something your interested in, and is optional. Hope that helps!
Denisha
Could I use instant grits?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Instant grits have a different cooking time and liquid requirements, so you’ll have to cross-reference the package directions for more info on how to use them for this recipe and if any liquid needs to be adjusted.
Cathy L Kavanagh
I have made this recipe several times. I dont eat pork so I substituted faux chorizo instead. It is so easy and delicious.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Love the idea of adding faux chorizo to this. Thanks for sharing this tip!
Kayla
Is it really supposed to be 3/4 stone grits and not 3-4 cups? It seems like so much liquid to grits ratio.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yup! 3/4 cup is correct. I hear you though, it definitely seems like too little, but it’s not! They absorb quite a bit and stone ground grits need more liquid than quick or instant grits.
Laurie Zeitlin
So easy so good. My first time making this and it will be a go to in the dinner choices going forward.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Aimmie
Great recipe !!!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!