Easy Shrimp and Grits
This easy shrimp and grits recipe is the best we’ve made! It is incredibly flavorful, the grits are outrageously creamy, and the shrimp sauce is out of this world. This shrimp and grits recipe comes from our good friend Richard, who grew up in the South and has worked in Southern kitchens for most of his career. The moment I tasted his shrimp and grits, I fell in love and knew we needed to share it with you! Richard’s grits are perfectly creamy (readers call them the best ever!), and the shrimp sauce is unbelievably delicious, made with garlic, bacon, and fresh tomatoes. I can’t wait for you to try this incredible recipe! Key Ingredients Shrimp: I use large or extra-large shrimp in this recipe, but medium shrimp are okay (they will just take less time to cook in the sauce). If you have frozen shrimp, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and pat them dry before using them in the recipe. Bacon: I love the smoky flavor bacon adds to our shrimp sauce. We cook it first to render the fat and then use that fat to cook the rest of the sauce ingredients. It’s delicious! Green onions and garlic: These are the aromatics in our sauce, which add flavor and texture. You’ll use the white and light green parts of the green onion in the sauce, and then you can slice and sprinkle the green parts on top of it for serving. Tomatoes: Fresh chopped tomatoes keep our shrimp sauce light and delicious (I love them). You can use canned diced tomatoes if needed, but I highly recommend fresh tomatoes for this recipe. Creole seasoning: Store-bought Creole seasoning works nicely in this recipe. I’ve also used our homemade Cajun seasoning, and I loved it. Creole seasoning is usually more herbal than Cajun seasoning, but both are lovely in this recipe. White wine: A splash of wine brings our sauce together. Any dry white wine will do. You can substitute a light chicken broth or veggie broth. Grits: We use our favorite grits recipe for the base of our shrimp sauce. We make it with stone-ground grits, stock, butter, cream, salt, and pepper. The recipe is included below. Shrimp: I use large or extra-large shrimp in this recipe, but medium shrimp are okay (they will just take less time to cook in the sauce). If you have frozen shrimp, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and pat them dry before using them in the recipe. Bacon: I love the smoky flavor bacon adds to our shrimp sauce. We cook it first to render the fat and then use that fat to cook the rest of the sauce ingredients. It’s delicious! Green onions and garlic: These are the aromatics in our sauce, which add flavor and texture. You’ll use the white and light green parts of the green onion in the sauce, and then you can slice and sprinkle the green parts on top of it for serving. Tomatoes: Fresh chopped tomatoes keep our shrimp sauce light and delicious (I love them). You can use canned diced tomatoes if needed, but I highly recommend fresh tomatoes for this recipe. Creole seasoning: Store-bought Creole seasoning works nicely in this recipe. I’ve also used our homemade Cajun seasoning, and I loved it. Creole seasoning is usually more herbal than Cajun seasoning, but both are lovely in this recipe. White wine: A splash of wine brings our sauce together. Any dry white wine will do. You can substitute a light chicken broth or veggie broth. Grits: We use our favorite grits recipe for the base of our shrimp sauce. We make it with stone-ground grits, stock, butter, cream, salt, and pepper. The recipe is included below. How to Make Shrimp and Grits Our family loves this easy shrimp and grits recipe. I start by cooking my grits, which, depending on the brand, takes between 20 and 40 minutes. I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill grits in the video, which take closer to 20 minutes. To make the grits for shrimp and grits, bring stock to a boil and then stream in the grits while whisking at the same time. After 2 minutes, turn your heat to low, whisk in butter, cream, salt, and pepper, and allow them to cook until thick and creamy. For the shrimp sauce, you’ll need a wide skillet. Cook your bacon first, then when it’s crisp, remove it, but leave the bacon fat in the skillet. We’ll use that to cook the rest of the sauce ingredients (yum). Stir in garlic and green onion, then add flour, which will help thicken our sauce later. Add a splash of white wine, then add Creole seasoning, tomatoes, and any juices collected on the cutting board. Cook the tomatoes for 10 to 15 minutes or until they become a sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and some butter, then add your shrimp and let them poach in the sauce gently. Serve the shrimp sauce on top of your grits and garnish with the reserved cooked bacon and sliced green onion. Delicious! What to Serve with Shrimp and Grits Shrimp and grits do well as a stand-alone dish, but you can always add a few more dishes to the table. I love adding some vegetables. Try collard greens, sautéed spinach, my favorite corn salad, or fried cabbage. A fresh salad is nice, too. Toss your favorite salad ingredients into a bowl, and then top with balsamic vinaigrette, honey mustard dressing, or homemade ranch. And, homemade cornbread, fluffy biscuits, or these cheese drop biscuits are also lovely for sopping up any leftover sauce. Easy Shrimp and Grits PREP 20 mins COOK 20 mins TOTAL 40 mins PREP 20 mins COOK 20 mins TOTAL 40 mins I love this incredible shrimp and grits recipe with super creamy grits, smoky bacon, fresh tomato, and perfectly cooked shrimp. It’s hard not to go back for more of this classic Southern dish. Serves 4 Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need Shrimp Sauce 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and the tails removed 5 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped small (lardons) 1 bunch green onions, sliced, greens and whites separated 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin 1 heaping teaspoon flour 2 cups (400g) chopped tomatoes, 2 large tomatoes 1 ¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning, see notes for adjusting for spice level 2 tablespoons white wine or chicken stock 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt Pinch fresh ground black pepper 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup (165g) stone-ground grits 4 cups (945ml) chicken or vegetable stock, try homemade chicken stock or veggie stock 4 tablespoons (55g) butter 1/4 cup (60ml) cream 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper Directions How to Make Grits 1Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the grits, then keep whisking for 2 minutes to avoid clumping. 2When they begin to thicken, reduce the heat to a low simmer (helps to prevent splattering). Whisk in the butter, cream, salt, and pepper. 3Continue to cook at a very low simmer until thickened, whisking occasionally. Expect a cooking time of around 20 minutes, depending on the brand and how coarsely your grits are ground (see tips). Continue simmering on low if they need to thicken further. The longer you keep them on the heat, the more they thicken. How to Make Grits 1Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the grits, then keep whisking for 2 minutes to avoid clumping. 2When they begin to thicken, reduce the heat to a low simmer (helps to prevent splattering). Whisk in the butter, cream, salt, and pepper. 3Continue to cook at a very low simmer until thickened, whisking occasionally. Expect a cooking time of around 20 minutes, depending on the brand and how coarsely your grits are ground (see tips). Continue simmering on low if they need to thicken further. The longer you keep them on the heat, the more they thicken. How to Make the Shrimp Sauce 1While the grits cook, prepare the shrimp and sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove them, and place them onto a paper towel. Keep the bacon fat in the skillet. 2Add the garlic and sliced whites of the green onions to the hot bacon fat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until it becomes fragrant. 3Stir in the flour and mix it well to remove any lumps, then immediately add the wine and stir until smooth. 4Add the tomatoes, with any juices, and the Creole seasoning. Cook over medium-low heat until the tomatoes break down and you have a more uniform sauce, 10 to 15 minutes. 5Season the sauce with salt and pepper and melt in the butter. When the butter melts, add the shrimp, spacing them evenly and gently pushing down into the sauce. Poach the shrimp until opaque, 3 to 5 minutes. 6Serve the shrimp with the sauce over grits and top with bacon and reserved sliced green onion. How to Make the Shrimp Sauce 1While the grits cook, prepare the shrimp and sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove them, and place them onto a paper towel. Keep the bacon fat in the skillet. 2Add the garlic and sliced whites of the green onions to the hot bacon fat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until it becomes fragrant. 3Stir in the flour and mix it well to remove any lumps, then immediately add the wine and stir until smooth. 4Add the tomatoes, with any juices, and the Creole seasoning. Cook over medium-low heat until the tomatoes break down and you have a more uniform sauce, 10 to 15 minutes. 5Season the sauce with salt and pepper and melt in the butter. When the butter melts, add the shrimp, spacing them evenly and gently pushing down into the sauce. Poach the shrimp until opaque, 3 to 5 minutes. 6Serve the shrimp with the sauce over grits and top with bacon and reserved sliced green onion. Adam and Joanne's Tips Seasoning: Creole and Cajun seasonings can vary in spice level. Give yours a taste and adjust the amount you add to the sauce for your preferred heat. Our homemade Cajun seasoning offers a sweet and balanced heat. Store-bought Creole seasonings tend to be more savory. Grits cook time varies by brand: We used Bob’s Red Mill in the photos and video, and they took 20 minutes. Larger ground grits, like Anson Mills will need longer to cook, same with Marsh Hen Mill, formerly Geechie Boy Mill. Watch for them to be cooked and tender with some structure left, if they are mushy, you’ve cooked them too long. Cheese grits: Stir 1/2 cup to 1 cup cheddar cheese into the grits just before serving. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Seasoning: Creole and Cajun seasonings can vary in spice level. Give yours a taste and adjust the amount you add to the sauce for your preferred heat. Our homemade Cajun seasoning offers a sweet and balanced heat. Store-bought Creole seasonings tend to be more savory. Grits cook time varies by brand: We used Bob’s Red Mill in the photos and video, and they took 20 minutes. Larger ground grits, like Anson Mills will need longer to cook, same with Marsh Hen Mill, formerly Geechie Boy Mill. Watch for them to be cooked and tender with some structure left, if they are mushy, you’ve cooked them too long. Cheese grits: Stir 1/2 cup to 1 cup cheddar cheese into the grits just before serving. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/4 of the recipe / Calories 527 / Total Fat 24.8g / Saturated Fat 13.1g / Cholesterol 243.3mg / Sodium 1039.2mg / Carbohydrate 39.2g / Dietary Fiber 1.7g / Total Sugars 2.8g / Protein 37.2g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us