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    Home » Recipes » Seafood

    Shrimp and Grits

    Published: February 28, 2022 · Updated: June 13, 2022 · By: Krissy · 26 Comments
    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This recipe combines succulent tender shrimp cooked to perfection in a tangy spicy sauce over creamy cheese grits.

    This classic Southern recipe is a quick and tasty way to put a quick dinner on the table. Not only is this a feel good comfort food kind of meal, but paired with a nice green salad it makes for an easy dinner your seafood loving family will love!

    close up of cajun shrimp over grits

    Why this recipe works:

    • Quick and easy: Shrimp is one of the fastest dinner meats to cook, and grits are quick to cook as well. Although the recipe instructs you to cook the grits first and then the shrimp, you can also cook the shrimp at the same time as the cheese grits for an even quicker meal.
    • Super flavorful: Just the right amount of fat, salt, seasonings and liquid are added to the shrimp to create a delicious sauce that sinks into the grits. The sharp cheddar grits are also delicious because they are cooked with a combination of seafood stock and wine instead of water.

    Ingredients needed:

    Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

    • For the cheese grits: Seafood stock, white wine, water, salt, grits, heavy cream, butter, sharp cheddar cheese
    • For the shrimp: large uncooked shrimp, olive oil, pepper, garlic, parsley, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice
    ingredients needed to make shrimp and cheesy grits

    How to make Shrimp and Cheese Grits:

    Detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

    Step 1: Cook the grits

    1. Heat liquid: Combine seafood stock, wine, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
    2. Add grits: Whisk in the grits and continue to stir as they cook.
    3. Add cream and cheese: Once the grits are done, add the heavy cream and grated sharp cheddar, stir, cover, and remove from heat.
    heating liquid in pan with grated cheddar and grits on side
    heat liquid
    adding grits to hot cooking liquid
    add grits
    process shot of grits cooking
    stir while cooking
    cooked grits in pan with grated cheese on side
    cook until tender
    stirring butter and cheese into grits
    add cream, butter, cheese
    cheese grits getting stirred in pan
    remove from heat

    Step 2: Cook the shrimp

    1. Heat pan: Add oil to large sauté pan and add the shrimp in a single layer.
    2. Cook shrimp: Cook until they start to turn golden brown, about 3 minutes, then turn and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
    3. Create sauce: Add remaining ingredients to shrimp, stir, and remove from heat.
    cook shrimp in pan
    adding seasonings to cooked shrimp in pan
    add seasonings
    cooked shrimp in pan after turning
    turn only once
    cheese grits and shrimp in bowl
    serve over grits

    To serve, spoon shrimp with sauce over warm cheese grits.

    Grits vs. polenta:

    Grits and polenta are extremely similar, but not exactly the same. They are both made from ground corn, but they vary slightly.

    • Polenta is more typically found in Italian cuisine. It is made from ground yellow corn. The texture of polenta is often more coarse than that of grits. My favorite way to enjoy polenta is actually mixed with goat cheese and topped with ratatouille!
    • Grits are also made from ground corn, but grits are from white corn instead of yellow corn. Like I said above, grits have a finer texture than polenta making the finished cooked product more smooth.
    close up of cajun shrimp over cheese grits

    Cooking tips for best results:

    • Prep the ingredients: Since both shrimp and grits are quick to cook, be sure to prepare and measure all of the ingredients before cooking.
    • Serving recommendations: Shrimp and grits only need a nice green vegetable to round out the meal. If you want to add a nice Southern flare, you can't beat Collard Greens with Bacon.  Wilted Garlic Spinach or Creamed Spinach are a nice addition. A simple green salad always works too.
    • Reheating and storage: Shrimp are best if eaten when cooked. If there are leftovers, store in an air tight container and consume within a few days. To reheat, do so gently. You will only want to warm the shrimp and not cook it, so low power in the microwave in 1-minute increments should do the trick.
    bowl of shrimp and grits

    Related recipes:

    Love shrimp recipes? You'll have to try these:

    • Shrimp Stir Fry
    • Cajun Shrimp Pasta
    • Shrimp Zucchini Boats
    • Shrimp Salad
    • Grilled Chipotle Shrimp Skewers

    If you’ve made this or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. I love hearing from my readers!

    You can also follow along on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes to satisfy any foodie craving!

    Shrimp and cheese Grits

    Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

    Cheesy Shrimp and Grits combines succulent tender shrimp cooked to perfection in a tangy spicy sauce over creamy cheesy polenta. YUM!
    5 from 38 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Scale: 4 servings
    Recipe Created By: Krissy Allori

    Ingredients

    Grits:

    • 15 ounces seafood stock
    • ½ cup white wine
    • ½ cup water
    • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
    • 1 cup grits (I use Bob's Red Mill)
    • 3 tablespoon heavy cream
    • 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)

    Shrimp:

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil (or bacon grease)
    • 1 lb shrimp (shelled and deveined large raw shrimp)
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 3 garlic cloves (minced, should be a heaping teaspoon)
    • 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 dashes hot sauce (i.e. Tabasco)
    • 4 teaspoon lemon juice (usually equivalent to the juice of 1 whole lemon)

    Instructions

    • Heat liquid for grits: In a medium saucepan, bring the stock, white wine, water, and salt to a boil.
      seafood stock and wine in pan
    • Cook grits: Whisk in the grits and cook over moderately high heat. Continue to stir periodically until thickened and the grits are tender- about 5-10 minutes total. Add the cream, butter, and cheese and gently stir. Cover and remove from heat. Set aside.
      adding butter and cheese to grits
    • Cook shrimp: To cook the shrimp, heat oil (or bacon grease if available) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat shrimp with black pepper and cook in skillet until they start to turn golden brown for approximately 3 minutes. Once turned, stir in remaining ingredients to create a sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until they are fully cooked.
      cooked shrimp with seasonings
    • To serve, spoon the warm cheesy grits into a bowl and top with shrimp with a bit of sauce. Serve hot and enjoy!

    NUTRITION INFORMATION

    Calories: 711kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 383mg | Sodium: 1886mg | Potassium: 344mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1325IU | Vitamin C: 7.3mg | Calcium: 620mg | Iron: 3.7mg
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    This recipe was originally published in May 2019 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don't worry - the recipe hasn't changed!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shelea

      February 11, 2023 at 12:41 pm

      Can you use cooking wine instead of white wine? I don’t feel like going back to the store. Lol. Or what could I use to substitute the white wine?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        February 12, 2023 at 4:38 am

        sure can!

        Reply
    2. Chantel

      January 06, 2023 at 5:39 pm

      Could I sub the white wine for anything else? Or omit it?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        January 07, 2023 at 7:27 am

        I would just substitute with more water or stock.

        Reply
      • C Spaulding

        February 05, 2023 at 3:55 pm

        5 stars
        Sherry. The alcohol burns off, but the unique taste of sherry kicks it to a restaurant level. If avoiding use of alcohol definitely use more stock rather than water, IMO.

        Reply
    3. Angie

      August 31, 2022 at 5:22 am

      This sounds really good! I want to make it but in my small town I can’t find seafood stock. Is there a good substitution?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        September 05, 2022 at 6:02 am

        vegetable broth would be your next best option.

        Reply
      • Shrimp

        November 12, 2022 at 6:45 am

        Buy shell-on shrimp. Remove the shells and put them in a pot covered with water. Add onion/celery/carrot if you want, and simmer until liquid is reduced 1/2. Shrimp stock!

        Reply
    4. Jean

      August 30, 2022 at 5:17 pm

      5 stars
      I had frozen cooked shrimp and found this recipe for shrimp and grits. I treated the shrimp very tenderly and it was delicious. Only thing, there was no sauce. Still delicious. Only problem, my husband might not eat instant cheese grits again.

      Reply
    5. Billie

      July 10, 2022 at 4:31 pm

      5 stars
      Super good! We grow our own chili peppers and added a few minced “Super Chilis” to the shrimp. Otherwise followed the recipe to a “T”. Will definitely make again!

      Reply
    6. John

      March 20, 2022 at 11:02 am

      John, I bought grits from Carolina Plantation for this recipe. It is the first time trying grits and this recipe. It turned out great and I will be making this often. the shrimp were outstanding.

      Reply
    7. Donna

      March 04, 2022 at 9:22 am

      5 stars
      This is one of the most delicious things I have ever cooked. It was quick, easy, and my husband wanted more.

      Reply
      • Christian Joe Gros

        September 05, 2022 at 8:52 pm

        OMG just made it using polenta because old fashioned grits are not available. So good. The flavors meld perfectly.

        Reply
    8. Robin

      June 01, 2021 at 4:24 am

      5 stars
      I’ve been making this dish for several years now. I love the seasoning used and regularly vary this by using chicken and shrimp as well as steel cut oats for the “grits”. I don’t add the cheese and use a lighter fat than heavy cream- (cholesterol issues) the wine in the grits is AMAZING and barely there but a total game changer! Also, thank you for detailing the prepping and method for
      Cooking the shrimp - it has really made a difference in my outcomes!

      Reply
    9. Cheryl Parson

      December 13, 2020 at 4:17 pm

      5 stars
      Truly thus recipe is delicious!!!!
      we just got done and I can barely keep the fork out of my mouth to write this. We will put this up and use it often!

      Reply
    10. Natasha

      November 22, 2020 at 7:51 am

      5 stars
      Made this this morning. It was delicious. I didn’t have seafood stock on hand so I used vegetable broth. I added a green pepper & onion to shrimp sauce. Next time I will double the sauce. I like a lot of sauce.

      Reply
    11. Bruce

      September 21, 2020 at 8:25 am

      5 stars
      Had left over steam shrimp and didn’t want to waste. Made this dish and it was great. Prepared shrimp per the recipe but didn’t have to cook as long. Great looking and tasting dish.

      Reply
    12. ShaeBreann R.

      July 14, 2020 at 10:40 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for sharing this recipe! It was so much fun to make and my family loved it.

      I have never even seen a bowl of grits OR polenta in real life, let alone prepared them. Today was my first try at this recipe. With a sick toddler in the house, we're all running on very little sleep. My sleep-deprived self managed to mess up every single step of this recipe and it STILL came out delicious. My daughter hasn't wanted to eat much over the last few days and she gobbled up these grits like they were the best thing she's ever tasted.

      We don't have seafood stock in the stores around here, so I made my own shrimp stock, since I had to peel my shrimp anyway. So glad I did, as this would not have been the same if I had tried to sub in chicken or veggie stock. As a bonus, I now have enough shrimp stock left over to try making the grits over again. I'm really looking forward to perfecting my grits and adding them to our regular recipe rotation!

      Reply
    13. Beverly

      April 29, 2020 at 5:00 pm

      5 stars
      It was delicious! Perfect for dinner.

      Reply
    14. Maggie

      December 11, 2019 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      I'm pretty sure I saw tears in my husband's eyes after his first bite. I paired it with the suggested wilted spinach and have never been so satisfied with a Wednesday night dinner. Thank you for bringing this into our lives!

      Reply
    15. Kara Baker

      November 29, 2019 at 4:04 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my gosh this is delicious! Amazing flavor in the sauce! Will make again and again!

      Reply
    16. Kate

      June 04, 2019 at 10:49 am

      They look so good..pinning it! I love the sauce..

      Reply
    17. Caroline

      June 04, 2019 at 9:39 am

      Such a Southern classic, it's not one that I grew up with either but I do love the comfort-factor and am a big seafood fan. Looks yummy.

      Reply
    18. Natalie

      June 04, 2019 at 8:59 am

      5 stars
      Oh wow... I love grits but never tried anything like tis before. I love the addition of shrimps and cheese. Looks beyond words delicious. Must give it a try.

      Reply
    19. Tisha

      June 04, 2019 at 8:54 am

      5 stars
      Shrimp and Grits looks so incredibly flavorful and perfect for dinner!

      Reply
    20. Ivana

      June 04, 2019 at 8:30 am

      5 stars
      Made the recipe exactly as described and it turned out perfect! First time making something like this too so thank you 🙂

      Reply

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