This iconic Southern dish was historically served as a morning meal. We adore it a lot, we’d have it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. These heat, creamy grits are loaded with butter and cheddar cheese, topped with sautéed shrimp and crispy bacon. Add a splash (or extra) of sizzling sauce and a squeeze of contemporary lemon and also you’ve bought a bowl of Southern consolation prepared in simply 45 minutes.
For extra Southern consolation meals, attempt our Chicken and Dumplings or our Southern Style Red Beans and Rice.
Why Our Recipe
- We use white grits for the creamiest grits after which load them up with cheddar cheese.
- The shrimp is cooked in bacon grease and garlic to make sure it’s stuffed with taste.
- It’s topped off with a little bit lemon juice, sizzling sauce (in fact), bacon, and inexperienced onions.

Shrimp and grits is an iconic, Southern breakfast meals. Image New Orleans and Charleston, the place this humble dish is an integral a part of their on a regular basis house life. This Southern staple is straightforward to organize, hearty and filling, whereas delivering huge taste. Buttery, tacky grits mixed with savory bacon and garlic shrimp makes our mouths water! Prime all of it off with a little bit sizzling sauce and also you’ve bought a scrumptious meal that’s positive to turn out to be a household favourite.
Ingredient Notes


- White Grits: White grits are extra versatile and tackle the flavors of the dish, whereas yellow grits have a extra assertive corn taste.
- Rooster Broth: Utilizing a low-sodium choice means that you can finest management the flavour. It’s an excellent chef tip.
- Butter: We use salted butter so as to add simply the correct amount of salt to reinforce the flavors of the grits.
- Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Freshly shredded melts higher than pre-shredded cheese, which comprises components to stop clumping.
- Shrimp (peeled and deveined): Use massive, uncooked shrimp for one of the best texture. Frozen shrimp can be utilized if thawed correctly. You ca depart tails on or take away them earlier than cooking..
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic supplies one of the best taste, however jarred minced garlic works too.
- Bacon: Use customary bacon or thick-cut. You’ll wish to use precise bacon, relatively than pre-cooked, as a result of you’ll be cooking the shrimp within the leftover bacon fats.
- Lemon Juice: Bottled lemon juice works nicely and retains prep to a minimal, however freshly squeezed all the time has one of the best taste.
- Sizzling Sauce: Prime off together with your favourite sizzling sauce.
Shrimp Choices
You have got just a few choices to select from in terms of shrimp, actually it’s quite a lot of. There are completely different sizes, frozen or contemporary, veined or deveined, peeled or complete, and all of them work!
For comfort, we want to cook dinner with already peeled and deveined shrimp. For those who use frozen, make sure to thaw them earlier than utilizing.
On the spot vs. White Grits
On the spot grits could cook dinner up quicker, nevertheless, they lack the higher taste of white grits. It’s value it to take the time to cook dinner up the true factor which can outcome within the creamiest, most flavorful, completely restaurant-quality grits you may make at house.


Avoiding Lumpy Grits
For those who’re having points with clumping, don’t fear, you aren’t alone. It’s a typical downside that may be simply mounted. The commonest reason for clumping is just not stirring the grits instantly after including them to the liquid. This will trigger the grits to stay collectively and kind lumps.
To forestall lumps, make sure that to stir the grits repeatedly for the primary jiffy after including them to the liquid. Stir, stir, stir!
Add grits a little bit at a time whereas stirring to make sure that the grits are evenly dispersed within the liquid. You possibly can simply gently sprinkle them excessive of the boiling liquid.
In case your grits are already lumpy, seize a whisk! Strive whisking vigorously. For those who can’t whisk them out, add a splash of sizzling water and preserve whisking till the clumps dissolve. For further cussed clumps, you may even use an immersion blender briefly to easy them out. Simply don’t overmix.


Alter the Warmth
For much less warmth: For those who don’t tolerate spice nicely, be happy to depart out the new sauce completely. In order for you a little bit spice however not numerous warmth, add a pinch of paprika and chili powder as a substitute.
For extra warmth: Be at liberty to simply add extra sizzling sauce. Or, add 1/4–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper when cooking the shrimp for much more warmth. You could possibly additionally prime with contemporary jalapeño slices or a sprinkle of crimson pepper flakes.
Storage and Reheating Directions
Refrigerate leftovers in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days.
Reheat leftover grits in a saucepan on low warmth. Add a little bit little bit of water or hen broth to maintain the grits from drying out, and stir often to make sure that they warmth by evenly.. Reheat the shrimp in a skillet over medium warmth which can solely take 1 to 2 minutes.
Microwave the grits in 30-second increments till warmed by. Add a small quantity of water to the grits to skinny out as wanted. Add shrimp on the very finish or reheat individually as they reheat a lot quicker and can get rubbery when overcooked.
Freeze leftover grits in an hermetic container or resealable plastic freezer bag for as much as 3 months. If you’re able to eat them, thaw within the fridge in a single day and reheat as standard.
Extra shrimp recipes…
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