Shrimp and Grits
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This easy shrimp and grits recipe incorporates bacon, which gives the dish a nice smoky undertone — and there’s plenty of silky gravy for spooning over the grits.
Shrimp and grits is a beloved Southern dish that originated as a humble and inexpensive meal for fishermen and their families. While traditionally a breakfast item, it has evolved into a popular dinner dish that can be found in all manner of restaurants, from casual seafood shacks to trendy hot spots. While the presence of shrimp and grits is a constant, there are many variations of the dish. Some recipes incorporate sausage or bacon, while others use different types of cheese or vegetables.
My version of shrimp and grits incorporates crispy bacon, which adds a delicious smoky flavor, and a generous amount of sauce for drizzling over the creamy grits. While I know it’s considered sacrilege by some, I use quick-cooking grits to save time (these grits can be prepared in just five minutes!). If you have more time, feel free to use traditional stone-ground grits for a more authentic version of the dish. To really take the dish up a notch, save the shrimp peels, simmer them in the chicken broth for 15 minutes, and then strain; this will infuse the broth with the taste of the sea and add depth and complexity to the sauce.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Shrimp and Grits
For the Shrimp
For the Grits
Step-by-Step instructions
Step 1: Make the Shrimp
To begin, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 7 minutes.
Add the shrimp to the skillet and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are mostly pink but not quite cooked through, about 2 minutes.
Transfer the shrimp and bacon mixture to a bowl and set aside. Place the skillet back on the heat (do not wash) and melt the butter. Add the light green scallions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour.
Mix until well incorporated, then whisk in the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 2: Make the Grits
Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside while you make the grits. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the milk and salt. Bring to a boil and then, whisking constantly, slowly pour the grits into the bubbling broth.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until the grits become thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir continuously to prevent sputtering. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese.
Taste and adjust the salt, if necessary. Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm until ready to serve.
Step 3: Finish the Shrimp
Place the veggie/sauce mixture back on the stove. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Return the shrimp and bacon, along with any juices that collected in the bowl, to the skillet and mix well.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are cooked through, a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a small handful of the dark green scallions over the shrimp (you may not need all of them).
Divide the grits among serving bowls. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the grits and serve. Pass the hot sauce, if desired.
Video Tutorial
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Shrimp and Grits
This easy shrimp and grits recipe incorporates bacon, which gives the dish a nice smoky undertone — and there’s plenty of silky gravy for spooning over the grits.
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 4 slices bacon, cut into ½-in dice
- 1½ lbs jumbo (21/25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, such as Emeril's
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, light and dark green parts divided
- 1 large stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
For the Grits
- 4 cups whole or 2% milk
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup quick-cooking grits
- ¾ cup (2 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Start the shrimp: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 7 minutes. Add the shrimp to the skillet and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are mostly pink but not quite cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp and bacon mixture to a bowl and set aside; place the skillet back on the heat (do not wash).
- Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the light green scallions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and mix until incorporated. Whisk in the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside while you make the grits.
- For the grits: In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the milk and salt to a boil. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the grits into the bubbling milk. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until the grits become thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. (Stir continuously to prevent sputtering.) Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese. Taste and adjust the salt, if necessary. Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm until ready to serve.
- Place the skillet with the vegetable/sauce mixture back on the stove and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Return the shrimp and bacon, along with any juices that collected in the bowl, to the skillet and mix well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a small handful of the dark green scallions over the shrimp (you may not need all of them).
- Divide the grits among serving bowls. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the grits and serve. Pass the hot sauce, if desired.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 731
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated fat: 16 g
- Carbohydrates: 59 g
- Sugar: 17 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 46 g
- Sodium: 1625 mg
- Cholesterol: 291 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Delicious! I did not change a thing.
I love every recipe I have tried so far from Once Upon a Chef. This one was a lot of prep work for a so-so dish. Not bad, just so-so. Keep ’em coming Jen,; you do great work.
Hi Jenn
I want to make this for a bridal shower. What if any can be made in advance please?
Thanks!
Hi Laura, You could do all the prep in advance like dicing the bacon and chopping the vegetables, but other than that, I don’t think this is a great make-ahead option — sorry
I also used stone ground grits from Charleston, SC cooked in 2 cups water and 1 cup milk. Delish!
This was the best shrimp and grits I’ve ever made or eaten! The taste of the sauce is incredible and reminds me more of a New Orleans dish than a Southern one. Living in Florida I get amazing tasting shrimp from Key West and they just add to the flavor.
This recipe was delicious. I looked at several different ones before deciding on this one. I made it exactly as written and it came out perfect. It was easy to make and came together quick enough to be a weeknight meal. My husband and teen son loved it.
I love this recipe! Made it three times and it’s always a hit. On one occasion I used diced pancetta instead of bacon, but other than that, I keep to the recipe.
Thanks Jen!
I made this wonderful dish last night with stone-ground grits. I was so happy to have leftovers
after coming home from skiing today. YUM!
Simply the best Shrimp and Grits recipe!! I can always be confident Jenn’s recipes are easy to prepare, delicious, and become family favorites.
At our favorite restaurant Shrimp and Grits was always my first (and only) choice. Unfortunately this restaurant closed which made me try this recipe. In all honesty, this is even better than the restaurant’s. Don’t change a thing. It’s fantastic, flavorful and now a family favorite. I will admit I used fresh shrimp from the fish market and not the frozen kind. It is so worth the extra time to prepare the shrimp.