Shrimp and Grits
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This shrimp and grits recipe pairs Cajun-spiced shrimp and smoky bacon with creamy, cheesy grits and plenty of savory sauce.
Shrimp and grits is a Southern favorite that started as a simple breakfast dish and has since become a dinnertime staple well beyond the South. There are countless ways to make it, but the combination of savory, well-seasoned shrimp and creamy grits is hard to beat. In my shrimp and grits recipe, smoky bacon and Cajun seasoning give the dish plenty of flavor and a little kick. The grits are cooked in milk and finished with cheddar, so they’re extra creamy and cheesy. And though traditional stone-ground grits are wonderful, I use quick-cooking grits here so the whole dish is on the table in under an hour.
“I made this for my husband’s birthday, and he said it was better than most restaurant dishes he’s tried! And he’s a shrimp and grits connoisseur.”
What You’ll Need To Make Shrimp and Grits
- Bacon: Brings smoky, savory flavor and crispy texture. Pro Tip: Pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes to make chopping easier.
- Shrimp: The main protein here. Frozen shrimp work great—just thaw in cold water before using. For extra flavor, simmer the peels in the chicken broth for 15 minutes, then strain; it adds a briny depth to the sauce.
- Cajun Seasoning: Gives the shrimp bold, savory heat.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps sauté the veggies.
- Scallions: Offer a fresh, mild onion flavor and a finishing garnish.
- Celery, Red Bell Pepper, & Garlic: The flavorful base for the sauce.
- All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the sauce for a creamy consistency.
- Chicken Broth: Creates a sauce base with savory depth.
- Worcestershire & Hot Sauce: Add tangy, savory flavor and a touch of heat.
- Milk, Quick-Cooking Grits, Cheddar Cheese & Salt: These come together to make a super creamy, flavorful base for the shrimp and sauce. (If you prefer, you can serve the shrimp over polenta.)
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Shrimp And Grits
Cook the Bacon: In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp.
Add the shrimp: Add the shrimp right to the pan with the bacon, then season with Cajun seasoning and salt. Cook until the shrimp are mostly pink but still slightly undercooked. Cooking the shrimp just shy of done keeps them tender; shrimp cook fast and get rubbery quickly if overdone.
Sauté the veggies: Transfer the shrimp and bacon to a bowl and set aside. No need to wash the skillet—you want that flavor so just return it to the heat and melt the butter. Add the light green scallions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and cook until softened.
Add the flour: Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. This step thickens the sauce and helps keep it smooth.
Step 5: Add broth and simmer. Whisk in the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until slightly thickened. Set the pan aside while you make the grits.
Cook the grits: Bring the milk and salt to a boil. Slowly whisk in grits in a steady stream to disperse them evenly and prevent lumps. Simmer, whisking often, until the grits are thick and creamy, then mix in the cheese until smooth. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Finish cooking the shrimp: When you’re ready to serve, bring the veggies and sauce to a simmer and then stir in the shrimp and bacon. Cook for a few minutes, just until the shrimp are cooked through and then stir in dark green scallions.
Plate and serve: Spoon the grits into bowls, top with shrimp and sauce, and serve right away. Pass hot sauce at the table, if you’d like. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Shrimp and Grits Recipe
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 4 slices bacon, cut into ½-in (13-mm) dice
- 1½ lb jumbo shrimp (21 to 25/lb), peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, such as Emeril's
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, light and dark green parts divided
- 1 large stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
For the Grits
- 4 cups whole or 2% milk
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup quick-cooking grits
- ¾ cup (2 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Start the shrimp: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 7 minutes. Add the shrimp to the skillet and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are mostly pink but not quite cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp and bacon mixture to a bowl and set aside; place the skillet back on the heat (do not wash).
- Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the light green scallions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and mix until incorporated. Whisk in the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside while you make the grits.
- For the grits: In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the milk and salt to a boil. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the grits into the bubbling milk. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until the grits become thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. (Stir continuously to prevent sputtering.) Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese. Taste and adjust the salt, if necessary. Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm until ready to serve.
- Place the skillet with the vegetable/sauce mixture back on the stove and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Return the shrimp and bacon, along with any juices that collected in the bowl, to the skillet and mix well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a small handful of the dark green scallions over the shrimp (you may not need all of them).
- Divide the grits among serving bowls. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the grits and serve. Pass the hot sauce, if desired.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This was one of the best meals that I’ve cooked.
Bell pepper isn’t my favorite ingredient, but it was perfect for this recipe. All of the flavors blended nicely, and the kitchen smelled great.
I couldn’t find grits at the store, so I found a recipe for creamy polenta. Let there be NO talk about milk boiling over, as true as that might be!
Green salad with it, romaine and some miner’s lettuce from the front yard.
Another winner, Jenn.
Thanks,
Joe
I’d love to try this recipe, but I can’t eat red pepper (or any other color). Can you suggest a substitute for them?
Hi Stephanie, you could just omit the pepper or add an additional stalk or two of celery. Hope you enjoy!
Jenn, I have made this several times and loved it! I made grits for the first time in my life with this recipe and I discovered I love them!
Growing up in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, we had LOTS of recipes that used corn, but grits were not common. So I am a little confused about them…are grits and polenta the same thing? The bag of Red Mill grits I purchased for this recipe has both the words “polenta” AND “corn grits” on the bag. (They are also much more yellow than the bowlful in your picture.) How would you cook this ground corn differently to get polenta? Thank you!
Hi Mary, so glad you’ve enjoyed this! Here is an article that details the differences between polenta and grits. BTW, it’s fine to use either grits or polenta for this dish. Hope that clarifies. 🙂
The shrimp and grits were outstanding! Thank you for your wonderful recipes and cooking tips. I bought your cookbook for a British friend, and it is beautiful! Phyllis
Will this work if I prepare ahead up to the last step of combining the shrimp with the sauce? How long can the grits sit before serving? Thanks. I love your recipes and instructions. Phyllis
Sure, Phyllis – you can do most of the shrimp recipe ahead of time, then just add the bacon and shrimp when you’re ready to serve. I’d say the grits could sit for 15 minutes or so; I’d make them at the last minute. Hope that helps!
This is one of my favorite recipes. I am not from the South — far from it — but somewhere along the line I got hooked on grits! The only thing I do differently with this is that sometimes I add a little okra, but most of my family doesn’t like it, so I just follow this recipe almost to the letter and it comes out great!
Delicious and quick! Tastes just like the Shrimp & Grits we used to get from Copeland’s, a New Orleans style restaurant. The grits were a little cheesy for my taste so I cut back the amount just a tad. But otherwise 5 stars!
Once upon a chef is my go-to site for tried-and-true recipes. but I have to be honest and say that this is not my favorite. I’m probably more of a purist, I like the shrimp to taste like garlic and butter so this has a little too much going on for me. I could be talked into bacon but the peppers and Cajun seasoning don’t make the cut for me. The grits always turn out great though.
I don’t like shrimp but want to make your grits, I know weird, but what can I substitute for the shrimp? Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes!
Hi Cheryle, I think this would be nice with a pre-cooked turkey or chicken sausage like this. (If you use something like this, you wouldn’t need to add the Cajun seasoning and salt like you do to the shrimp.). I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn, I wanted to let you know I made your grits with the sausage you recommended so I didn’t need the Cajun seasoning or salt and it was delicious! My husband said he can’t wait to have it again soon! I’ve made a few of your recipes and have loved them all! I got your cookbook too. Thank you so much for helping me be a better cook.
❤️
We made this for dinner last week when some friends came over. While I had not made Jenn’s version before, her recipes always come out perfect, so I had no worries about making it for the first time, and serving it to our guests.
I simmered the shells in the broth — it gives the sauce great flavor.
Made the grits with milk as suggested (Some recipes use water — milk is way better)
Used the sharpest cheddar I could find, and used about 1-1/2 times the amount in the recipe instructions (My wife likes ’em really cheesy!)
Turns out that it was the best shrimp and grits I’ve made yet.
Thanks Jenn~
–Lou P.