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:
Made it twice now! Delicious!
So glad you liked it!
Delicious! I’ve made this recipe several times! My husband calls it restaurant quality. We absolutely love it! Thank you Bowl of Delicious for putting this recipe out on the internet for others to enjoy! If you want authentic Shrimp and Grits this is the recipe to follow!!!! You will love it 😊
So glad you and your husband liked it!
Made exactly as recipe, it was delicious, easy and a keeper!!
So glad you liked it!
Simple and delicious!
So glad you liked it!
I’d say 5/5! Loved it. These are the best grits I’ve ever had ! Will make again
So glad you liked it!
Delicious! Is this freezer friendly? And if so what are the instructions?
So glad you liked it! The cooked shrimp won’t freeze and reheat super well, but I’m also not super picky about this kind of thing so that wouldn’t stop me. If you do freeze it, I would defrost it completely before reheating, and take out the shrimp and reheat them separately from the grits so they don’t overcook too much. Hope that helps!
I grew up in New Orleans and as a young boy got basic training in shrimp and grits as cooked by my mother and the woman of color who babysat my brother and me. We were relatively poor, but you could find recently caught shrimp in markets or from the guy with a pickup and a couple of coolers along highway 90 at a decent price. You are right about most of the substitutions and deletions you suggest. Our recipe was: shrimp, grits, bacon fat, water, salt, and bacon on the side, if we had some. But I don’t see the point of including milk. I will pass on that.
Finally, a note on white vs yellow grits. In high school some mates and I occasionally (or more frequently) cut school and hung out in Jackson Square. One day I met a slightly older young man of color who had just been released from parish prison. One of this first things he complained about his treatment was having to eat yellow grits instead of white.
So glad you liked it!
Best meal I ever had! Absolutely delicious!
So glad you liked it!
Very good I added some fresh garlic, will make again!
So glad you liked it!
Oh my goodness! This is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. As my husband said, “it’s restaurant good”. (I did make a couple changes based on what I had on hand. I didn’t have any whole milk so I used half 2% milk and half heavy whipping cream. I also used half sharp cheddar and half mild cheddar. I have my own spice mix I like to use and I put a little of that on the shrimp, along with salt and pepper.). I will definitely make this again.
So glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing your substitutions to use what you had on hand!
This is my favorite shrimp and grits recipe, only I use stone-ground grits and after bringing to a boil, simmer them with cream for about 2 hours. They are DELICIOUS! Otherwise, this recipe is perfection! A squeeze of lemon is nice in the sauce, as well.
So glad you liked it!
question Can I cook grits in milk only (I don’t have any stock on hand)
You can use any kind of liquid you want – all milk, or even substitute water for the stock. You’ll need extra seasoning/salt. A suggestion for the future: Better than Bouillon makes a wonderful chicken base that I always keep in my fridge for when I don’t have liquid chicken stock/broth. Just mix the paste with hot water for an instant, and really well seasoned, chicken broth! I recommend low sodium, as the regular is very salty. Hope that helps!
This was my first attempt at shrimp and grits. I’m dairy-free so I subbed oat creamer for the milk and used dairy-free pepper jack cheese. I also used homemade seafood broth instead of chicken. Super rich and delish!
So glad you liked it! LOVE the idea of using pepper jack cheese!
I made This today! This was incredible! I did A mixture of Smoked Gouda and Cheddar. So good !!
So glad you liked it! Love that cheese combo – smoked gouda is a great idea here!
The grits were soooooo creamy.
So glad you liked it!
This dish was really easy to make and it WAS A HIT!!! It was absolutely delicious!!
So glad you liked it!
My first time making shrimp and grits — I’ve only had it in restaurants and I thought it was too difficult to make at home but you proved me SO wrong! This was so delicious I’ll be making it again and again.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Delishh! Highly recommend use this recipe everytime!!
So glad you liked it!
So yummy and so easy!
So glad you liked it!
Buy shrimp de-veined, shell on.
1. Boil the shrimp two to three minutes only in spiced chicken stock (freshly ground black pepper, freshly ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried garlic, dried ancho pepper and celery salt); set cooked shrimp aside;
2. Reserve cooking water with spices.
3. Pell shrimp, resering shells.
4. To reserved spiced cooking water, add shrimp shells and several whole bay leaves and simmer one hour.
5. Strain shrimp stock through fine sieve and reserve stock.
6. Use portion of shrimp stock to cook grits.
Thanks for sharing your recipe! Great way to use that awesome flavor from the shrimp shells!
Delish! Thank you!
So glad you liked it!
wonderful recipe! Grits were perfect. Added mushrooms, Shallots and red bell peppers. Planned to add some white wine but it tasted great without it. Best result I’ve had, better than most restaurants!
This is such a lovely review, thank you so much! So glad you liked it!
Haven’t made it yet, but I already know it’s good. I’m from the South!
Woo hoo! Hope it turns out well for you!
Quite simply the best shrimp and grits I’ve ever tasted. Thanks!
So glad to hear that! Thanks!