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.
Ingredients needed
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Grits: preferably quick-cooking grits. See more below about grits.
- 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: 21-25 count is a good choice. See more below about the shrimp.
- Vegetable oil: canola or olive oil
- Vegetables: red bell pepper, green onions, and garlic
- Chicken broth: or vegetable broth, low-sodium is best
- Worcestershire sauce: just a touch
- Lemon juice: fresh 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 particular 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
- 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.
- Use good-quality smoked bacon, and don’t throw out the bacon grease. If you prefer, add a little andouille sausage.
- 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.
- 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.
Best Shrimp To Use
I purchase 21-25 count per pound wild-caught shrimp for this recipe. Chances are they are frozen or previously frozen (then thawed for sale). Almost all shrimp come frozen, even if presented at your neighborhood seafood counter (unless you live on the coast).
They may come peeled and deveined, saving you a little time. These shrimp are the perfect size for this recipe and are super tasty.
Storage and Reheat
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 completely. 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
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Shrimp
- 6 slices smoked bacon
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 3 green onions chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 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
- 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.
- Use good quality smoked bacon, and don’t throw out the bacon grease. Or, if you prefer, add a little andouille sausage.
- 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.
- 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 does not reheat well. It can easily get overcooked and rubbery.
- 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.
Nutrition
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Jennifer Hartley
This is the best shrimp and grits recipe ever!! My guests absolutely loved it. I tweaked the grit recipe using chicken broth instead of water, adding crushed red peppers, and using sharp white cheddar.
For the shrimp part, I used more broth than called for because everyone was wanting more (gravy). The smokey flavor of the bacon, the richness is f the grits combined with the wonderful gulf shrimp is a must for anyone loving the dish!!
Beth Pierce
Thaks so much Jennifer. I am so glad that everyone loved it! I love this recipe. It is one of my favorites.
Sonia
This recipe sounds absolutely delicious! The combination of savoury ingredients like Cajun seasoning, bacon, and garlic with creamy, cheesy grits is making my mouth water. It’s great to hear that it’s a quick and easy dish that’s also a crowd-pleaser. I can’t wait to try it out for myself!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sonia! Enjoy!
Rich
Thanks for the great shrimp and grits recipe. One of the best I have had in quite some time. I will make this again and again.
Beeb
This shrimp and grits recipe tastes fantastic for brunch or dinner, or anytime company’s coming. Thanks for sharing your awesome recipe.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Beeb!
Nancy
I’d always wondered what grits were – thank you for educating me! The shrimp looks gorgeous by the way, especially with all your seasonings!
Heather k
Love that I can make this recipe at home. Before now I only had it at a restaurant. The recipe was delicious and the cheesy grits were amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Debbie
This is perfect to make for my dad! He absolutely loves New Orleans Style Shrimp and Grits and always orders it when we visit NOLA! Excited to make it for him!
Cindy Hindmon
Amazing!!! I of course do my grits a little different so they are super creamy!!!!
Robyn
I have a recipe question I think you’ll be able to help me with. I love shrimp and grits and recently had it however it was served with a piece of I think blackened flounder on top of the grits then shrimp over that and the sauce over everything.! Have you ever seen or heard of this way? Would you be give me some direction as to how to you think I can do it that way? I’m not a great recipe developer but boy can I follow directions
Thank you
Beth Pierce
That sounds delicious. I have a blacked mahi mahi recipe that you could certainly use over my shrimp and grits recipe.
PagO
Sounds delicious but I am diabetic so high cholesterol & sodium is going to make me try to adapt your wonderful recipe. I plan to try using vegan bacon, vegan cheese, vegan Worcestershire sauce & olive oil. I will let you know how it turns out when I make it.
Beth Pierce
I hope it works out for you. Yes please let us know.
Skip Ferris
Try dissolving a chicken bouillon cube in the water before adding the grits. you’ll never cook grits without it again.
Kimberly J Brown
Where has this dish my WHOLE life! Definitely a 5 star meal. I’ve only eaten grits, sweet, for which I was chastised harshly. This was an opportunity to try the savory version and I must say it’s MUCH better.
Kudos to the chef!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Kimberly! I am so glad that you enjoyed my shrimp and grits. I love cheesy grits too!
Robin Herr
Followed recipe except I did add some diced onions in addition to the green onions, just because we love onions and I replaced light cream for heavy cream since thats all I had. My family loved it!
My son said it was way better than when he had it in New Orleans!!
And Just the right amount of heat. This will added into my recipe box.
Beth Pierce
That is awesome! So glad that everyone liked it. Have a fabulous day, Robin!
Barbies Beauty Bits
This was so yummy. I can’t wait to make this again, thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Nayna Kanabar
What a delicious recipe, beautifully prepared and presented so nicely making it so inviting to enjoy.
Debbie
This is amazing! What a wonderful recipe to bring New Orleans Style Shrimp and Grits home. My dad loves this and always gets it in both New Orleans and a favorite restaurant in Biloxi. I’ll share this with him!
Sandy
This is by far the best recipe I’ve ever followed! So much flavor!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sandy! It is one of my favorites too!