This delectable New Orleans-style shrimp and Grits recipe will leave you licking your plate and longing for more. The shrimp are skillet-cooked with Cajun seasoning, red pepper, green onions, crisp bacon, and garlic, and all spooned over a bed of creamy, cheesy cheddar grits.
This classic southern dish comes together quickly and is a favorite among family and friends. Serve with collard greens, sweet potato cornbread, or fried okra.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Grits: Quick grits work best for this recipe. Boil the water, then add the salt and grits. Bring back to a low boil and stir to combine. Cover, turn to a simmer, and cook until tender and creamy. Stir in the cream, butter, and sharp cheddar. It is just that simple.
- Seasonings: Cajun seasoning, ground cayenne pepper, salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- Butter: unsalted or salted. If using salted, omit the added salt.
- Heavy cream: in a pinch, use half and half
- Cheddar cheese: sharp or white are good choices
- Bacon: smoked and nitrate-free if you can get it
- Shrimp: Use wild-caught peeled, deveined shrimp. Place them over medium heat in the bacon fat. Don’t overcook them. They only need about one minute on each side. They will be added back to the pan in the second part of the recipe.
- Vegetable oil: canola or olive oil
- Chicken broth: or vegetable broth, low-sodium is best
How to make Shrimp and Grits
This is just the nutshell version of the recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredients and complete directions.
Boil the water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the grits and salt. Cook until tender, then remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, cream, and cheddar cheese.
Meanwhile, peel the shrimp, remove the tails, and devein if you have not already done so. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy and chop. Do not clean the skillet or remove the bacon grease.
Over medium heat, add the shrimp and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper. Cook for about one minute per side. Remove and place on a plate.
Heat a little canola oil over medium heat. Add the red pepper and cook for one to two minutes. Add the green onion and garlic and cook for an additional minute. Spoon the bacon and shrimp back into the skillet.
Add the chicken broth, Worcestershire Sauce, and lemon juice to the skillet and stir to combine. Spoon over the cheesy grits and serve immediately with hot sauce.
The Right Grits Are Important
You are likely not from the South if you don’t know what grits are. Grits are made from ground corn, usually dent corn. This corn is more starchy and less sweet than most varieties, producing a smooth and creamy texture when cooked.
There is very little difference in flavor between white corn and yellow corn grits. Just that white corn makes white grits while yellow corn makes yellow grits. From there, you will find three types of grits: stone ground, quick, and instant.
Stone Ground Grits: are coarsely ground, producing more corn flavor but less creaminess. Since they are less processed, store them in the freezer. They take about 40 minutes to cook, so plan accordingly.
Quick Grits: are ground much finer than stone ground grits. These grits cook up creamier and smoother than stone ground grits. They cook up in about 5-7 minutes. Find them in the same grocery aisle as the oatmeal. These are the grits that I use for this recipe.
Instant Grits: are precooked and dehydrated, so all you need to do is add boiling water. They are in little paper packets like instant oatmeal. Instant grits have less flavor than stone-ground or quick grits. They are perfect for a quick breakfast, but I do not suggest them for this recipe.
Preparations Tips
- Use good-quality smoked bacon, and don’t throw out the bacon grease. If you prefer, add a little andouille sausage.
- Sprinkle the seasoning on the shrimp while it is in the pan. It is easy to do and works to sear into the shrimp.
- Serve this recipe as soon as possible. Shrimp do not reheat well, and can become overcooked and rubbery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. It will take about 40 minutes to cook them, and they are coarser than quick-cooking grits, so the end result will not be as creamy.
Sure, use olive oil to cook the shrimp in.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat at 50% power in 30-second intervals in the microwave until warm or on the stovetop over low heat.
To freeze, first cool thoroughly. Then, freeze the shrimp and grits in separate freezer containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat at 50% power in 30-second intervals in the microwave until warm or on the stovetop over low heat.
More Shrimp Recipes
Shrimp and Grits Recipe
Ingredients
Cheesy Grits
- 1 cup quick cooking grits
- 4 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Shrimp
- 6 slices smoked bacon
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 3 green onions chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil; add the salt and slowly add the grits. Cover and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat, and stir in the butter, cream, and cheddar cheese.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Place on paper towels to drain; reserving bacon grease. Coarsely chop bacon once cooled. Add shrimp to bacon grease over medium heat. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper. Flip the shrimp after one minute, and cook for an additional minute. Remove to a plate.
- Add vegetable oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add red pepper and cook until slightly tender; 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add green onions and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, Worcestershire Sauce, and lemon juice to the skillet, and stir. Return shrimp and bacon to the skillet and heat for 1 minute.
- Spoon the cheesy grits into a bowl and add the shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Use good-quality smoked bacon, and don’t throw out the bacon grease. If you prefer, add a little andouille sausage.
- Sprinkle the seasoning on the shrimp while it is in the pan. It is easy to do and works to sear into the shrimp.
- Serve this recipe as soon as possible. Shrimp do not reheat well, and can become overcooked and rubbery.
Nutrition
Are you on the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Traci
A true classic! So rich and creamy and flavorful…nobody ever turns this one down. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Neli Howard
I’m not a big seafood person, but I think this recipe may change my mind!
Grits and red pepper–Yes! This will be on my grocery list for this week.
Shelley
Such an absolute southern classic! My family would love this! Thank you for the terrific recipe!
MsRaeDiva
Easy to make and simply delicious, made for dinner tonight. I had instant butter grits on hand and worked perfectly with low sodium chicken broth. Made bacon bits out of Textured Vegatable Protein (TVP) sprinkled lemon juice over top of dish. I forget the Worcestershire and the garlic, but it was so good, I didn’t notice.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Mrs. Rae Diva! I am so glad that you liked the shrimp and grits.
Claudia Lamascolo
This shrimp is bursting with great flavors we just loved it, I will make it often , I do need to try the grits I used Polenta and it was a great meal never had grits bet its even better!
Gail Montero
There is so much to love about this recipe! Love all the flavors! My family will enjoy this shrimp and grits for sure.
Beth
The photo looks like it has red bell peppers, but I don’t see it in the recipe?
Beth Pierce
It does have red bell pepper. It is listed in the ingredients. Make sure you are on the full recipe down at the bottom of the post or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the post.
Julia
I always wanted to try shrimp and grits and so glad I stumbled on your recipe for that. Delicious results!
Anna
There is so much flavor in this dish! My Hubby loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Betsy
You can’t really appreciate good grits until you’ve had good grits. Thank you for the great recipe for really good grits!
Angela
Well, this Kansas girl makes the best pastalaya Ive ever had….so Kudos to you and all of your (midwestern) southern cooking! We DO have tastebuds afterall! I have loved many versions of shrimp and grits, Tyler Florence’s recipe being my all time favorite. But this is another very good and simpler recipe. I appreciate that it uses ingredients I always keep on hand. Thank you!
MARLO GARDNER
Absolutely delicious, a robust of flavors, my daughter doesn’t like grits but she had 2 servings, I’ll be making this again
Beth Pierce
Thanks Marlo! So glad that your daughter liked the recipe. Shrimp and grits is one of my all time favorite recipes.
Mary
Wonderful Shrimp & Grits! This will be my go-to recipe from now on. So simple to make and I love that I can use quick grits (I always have them in my pantry). I did notice that in the ingredient list, it calls for dried parsley but didn’t see where it was used in the recipe. It was still wonderful without the parsley!
Beth Pierce
So glad that you liked it! Thanks for the tip! I will correct the parsley right now.
Laurie Jacobsen
This dish is wonderful. So delicious. So American as it is a melting pot of heritages. I used Pennies Cajun spice mix not as spicy The cayenne revamped it up. Love this dish!!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Laurie! So glad that you liked it!
Paula Beard
Sounds delicious! I am surprised that no good Southerners have recommended cooking your grits in milk instead of water. Also, I only use stone ground grits. Cooked in milk, they will be super creamy and tender. Also cook them longer than recommended time. Going to try this.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tips! Enjoy!
Lizet Bowen
Amazing flavors! I’m serving it again this week. So easy to make!
Jess
Seasoned to perfection! Love how easily this comes together.
Toni
This is so good! It was really a huge hit at my house!