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Shrimp and Grits. A southern classic! Flavorful and hearty shrimp and bacon served over creamy, cheesy grits. Quick and easy, this recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal! 

Close up of shrimp and grits topped with fresh parsley and green onion.


 

How to make shrimp and grits:

  1. Prepare the grits first. Heat chicken broth and milk in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Add in the salt, then the grits. Reduce the heat to low and cover for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, stir the grits, and test to make sure they are nice and tender. 
  2. Remove the grits from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. 
  3. Cover and set the grits to the side while preparing the shrimp. 
  4. Start by cooking the bacon in a large skillet. Once the bacon is cooked through and crisp, remove the bacon but leave the bacon grease. 
  5. Add the shrimp, sprinkle with the seasonings and a squeeze of lemon juice. 
  6. Allow the shrimp to cook for about 1 minutes, then turn and cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes. Shrimp cooks quickly! Add in the crumbled cooked bacon, stir everything together. 
  7. Once you see that the shrimp is no longer translucent and has a more solid pink color, it is cooked. 
  • Saucepan filled with creamy grits.
  • Making grits in a saucepan, adding shredded cheese and butter to mix in.

What type of grits should I use? 

I typically use Quick grits when making this dish. They have a fine texture and they cook up in 5-10 minutes. If you want more information on the different type of grits and how long they take to cook you can check out my post on how to make grits. 

Can I use polenta? 

Yes! If you have polenta or even cornmeal on hand, either of those can be used in place of grits. They both offer slightly different textures and the cook time may vary slightly, but the method of cooking them will be the same. 

Southern style shrimp and grits served in a bowl topped with fresh parsley.

What to serve with shrimp and grits?

Salads or some type of greens are a good choice for serving alongside the richness of shrimp and grits. 

Some collard greens. Or sautéed kale or green beans would be wonderful options! 

A bowl filled with quick and easy shrimp and grits.

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Shrimp and Grits

5 from 12 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Serene
Shrimp and grits! A southern classic. Flavorful and hearty shrimp with bacon served over creamy, cheesy grits. Quick and easy this recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal! 
Savory shrimp and bacon loaded on top of cheesy grits in this easy to make shrimp and grits recipe.

Ingredients  

Cheese Grits

  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup quick grits
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • salt and pepper to taste

Shrimp

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 pound raw medium shrimp peeled and deveined
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ tsp cajun seasoning
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice approximately 1/2 regular lemon

Optional Garnish

  • green onion
  • fresh parsley

Instructions 

  • Combine the chicken broth and milk in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the salt. 
  • Add the grits. Reduce the heat to low, cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir. Continue to let the grits cook over low heat while stirring for another 3-4 minutes. Grits should have a tender texture. 
  • Turn off the heat. Add in the butter and shredded cheese, stir in the butter and cheese until melted. 
  • Cover the grits to keep warm and prepare the shrimp. 
  • Cook the bacon in a medium size skillet over medium heat. Remove the bacon once cooked through and to desired crispness. 
  • Add the shrimp to the bacon grease, still cooking medium/low heat, cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes, then turn to cook the other side. 
  • Cook shrimp for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add in the cajun seasoning, garlic, and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Crumble the cooked bacon, return to the skillet. Stir. 
  • Once shrimp is no longer translucent and cooked through (total cook time for shrimp is about 4-6 minutes)
  • Serve shrimp over the cheese grits. Serve immediately. 

Equipment

Notes

If you don't have cajun seasoning on hand you can make your own blend. Here's a recipe!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 21g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Welcome to the House of Yumm!! My name is Serene. I’m the food photographer, recipe developer, and official taste tester around these parts.

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7 Comments

  1. This recipe is easy to follow and tastes great ! Can’t state enough how much like the Shrimp and Grits in New Orleans it is!!

    Reply

  2. FYI you may want to turn down the bacon grease before adding the shrimp, if you don’t it’ll splatter and pop up everywhere, especially if you’re just using a regular size skillet, and you’ll burn yourself. Learned the hard way.

    Reply

    1. You can use frozen cooked shrimp. I would add the shrimp to the bacon grease in the skillet and follow the directions, but there’s no need to cook for the minutes needed to cook the shrimp, since it’s already cooked. Simply add the shrimp to the skillet, add in the seasonings, the crumbled bacon and you’re good to go! This way the shrimp is coated in the sauce and warmed through.

      Reply

  5. This recipe was a hit! I loved it so much and the homemade spice link made it scrumptious! Served for dinner on a special occasion: “meeting my Boaz for the first time” 

    Reply