American · Main · Medium
Shrimp and Grits
Plump shrimp in a smoky bacon and pepper sauce over creamy cheesy grits. Lowcountry cooking at its most soulful.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Shrimp and Grits, in 5 ideas
- Stone ground grits have far better texture than instant. The 25 minutes is worth it.
- Stir the grits often or they catch on the bottom and scorch.
- Do not overcook the shrimp. Two minutes per side is plenty, they finish in the sauce.
- The lemon juice at the end brightens the whole dish.
- Cheesy grits are the foundation. Do not skip the cheddar.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 cup stone ground grits
- 4 cups salted water
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1.5 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 cup chicken broth with 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 green onions, sliced
How to make it
Directions
- Bring the water and salt to a boil. Whisk in the grits, reduce to low, and cook 25 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir the butter and cheddar into the grits. Keep warm.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Remove, leaving the fat.
- Season the shrimp with Cajun seasoning. Sear in the bacon fat 2 minutes per side. Remove.
- Add the bell pepper and onion to the skillet, cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook 1 minute.
- Pour in the broth and lemon juice, scraping up the browned bits. Simmer 3 minutes.
- Return the shrimp and bacon to the pan, toss to coat.
- Spoon grits into bowls, top with the shrimp mixture and green onions.
Grits can be made ahead and reheated with a splash of milk. They actually get creamier on the reheat.