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When it comes to comfort food that warms the heart and delights the palate, few dishes can rival the classic Southern charm of Cheesy Shrimp and Grits.
This iconic dish has its roots deeply embedded in the American South, capturing the essence of its culinary traditions and blending them into a harmonious and flavorful concoction.
If you’re seeking a delightful gastronomic adventure that marries creamy grits, succulent shrimp, and bold creole seasoning and flavors, then this dish is a must-try.
If you love the flavors of this recipe, I’m confident you’ll love my Cajun Shrimp Pasta, Blackened Salmon, and Instant Pot Jambalaya too!
Why You Should Make It
- Rich Southern Cajon flavors that are downright delicious.
- Customize it to your liking by adjusting the spice level or adding other ingredients like andouille sausage or bacon for an extra layer of depth.
- Quick and easy to make!
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
How to make Shrimp and Cheese Grits
Detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.
Cook the grits
Heat liquid: Combine seafood stock, wine, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil.
Add grits: Whisk in the grits and continue to stir as they cook.
add grits
Cook the grits over medium-high heat. Continue to stir them periodically until they have thickened and the grits are tender- about 5-10 minutes total.
Add the heavy cream and cheddar cheese: Once the grits are done, add the heavy cream and grated sharp cheddar, stir the mixture well, cover with a lid, and remove the pan from the heat.
Cook the shrimp
Heat pan: Add oil to large sauté pan and add the shrimp in a single layer.
Cook shrimp: Cook until they start to turn golden brown, about 3 minutes, then turn and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Create sauce: Add remaining ingredients to shrimp, stir, and remove from heat.
To serve, spoon shrimp with sauce over warm cheese grits.
Cooking Tip When Making Shrimp and Grits
Prep the ingredients: Since both shrimp and grits are quick to cook, be sure to prepare and measure all of the ingredients before cooking.
Recommended Sides for Shrimp and Grits
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 leftover shrimp and not cook it, so low power in the microwave in 1-minute increments should do the trick.
FAQs
Wild caught, uncooked, fresh (or frozen and thawed), deveined, and peeled shrimp work well. Medium to large sizes are commonly used for shrimp and grits.
Absolutely. Sausage, bacon, mushrooms, bell pepper, and green onions are common additions that can enhance the flavor.
While the grits are best made fresh, you can prep the shrimp and other components ahead of time and assemble just before serving.
Serve the creamy grits on a plate or bowl and top them with the cooked shrimp. Garnish with chopped herbs, like parsley or green onions.
If you tried this Shrimp & Grits recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
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Equipment
Ingredients
Grits:
- 15 ounces seafood stock
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 cup grits I use Bob’s Red Mill
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Shrimp:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or bacon grease
- 1 lb shrimp shelled and deveined large raw shrimp
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves minced, should be a heaping teaspoon
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dashes hot sauce i.e. Tabasco
- 4 tsp lemon juice usually equivalent to the juice of 1 whole lemon
Instructions
- Heat liquid for grits: In a medium saucepan, bring the 15 ounces seafood stock, 1/2 cup white wine, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 tsp Kosher salt to a boil.
- Cook grits: Whisk in the 1 cup 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 3 tbsp heavy cream, 3 tbsp unsalted butter, and 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese and gently stir. Cover and remove from heat. Set aside.
- Cook shrimp: To cook the 1 lb shrimp, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil (or bacon grease if available) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat shrimp with 1/4 tsp black pepper and cook in skillet until they start to turn golden brown for approximately 3 minutes. Once turned, stir in remaining ingredients (3 garlic cloves , 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley , 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 dashes hot sauce , 4 tsp lemon juice) to create a sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until they are fully cooked.
- To serve, spoon the warm cheesy grits into a bowl and top with shrimp with a bit of sauce. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!
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.
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!
It was delicious! Perfect for dinner.
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!
Oh my gosh this is delicious! Amazing flavor in the sauce! Will make again and again!
They look so good..pinning it! I love the sauce..
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.
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.
Shrimp and Grits looks so incredibly flavorful and perfect for dinner!
Made the recipe exactly as described and it turned out perfect! First time making something like this too so thank you 🙂