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    Home > Blog > Breakfast & Brunch > Shrimp and Grits Recipe

    Shrimp and Grits Recipe

    by Jenny Park · Published: Jun 21, 2022

    Jump to Recipe
    Our Shrimp and Grits Recipe has perfectly creamy grits topped with buttery shrimp and spicy andouille sausage. The perfect comfort food!
    Shrimp and Grits recipe
    Two bowls filled with shrimp and grits recipe.
    Shrimp and Grits recipe in a bowl.
    Close up on Shrimp and Grits in a bowl.
    Bowls of shrimp and grits.

    Today we have a super yummy and easy Shrimp and Grits Recipe for you all! I love the different layers and textures within this meal, from the smoky shrimp, salty andouille to the extra creamy, buttery and cheesy grits. 

    The first time I heard of the dish I knew I was going to love it. It reminded me of other similar type dishes I grew up eating like jook and congee (which are asian-style rice porridges that have a texture reminiscent of corn grits). This shrimp and grits recipe really hits all the cozy, comfort dish points and we love it so much. 

    What are Shrimp and Grits?

    It’s a traditional southern comfort food dish consisting of creamy, buttery cooked cornmeal (similar to polenta) topped with butter sautéed shrimp.

    Our version takes this dish over the top by including caramelized bits of andouille sausage with the shrimp and stirring and melting shredded cheese into the buttery grits. 

    History of Shrimp and Grits

    It’s always nice knowing the background behind such iconic American dishes and this one has a pretty rich history. Grits are said to be one of America’s first foods, as Native Americans have been known to eat a dish made of soft, ground corn for countless generations.

    Alternatively shrimp and grits has long been a popular dish in the ‘low country’ of South Carolina. It was a simple and casual breakfast dish for fisherman and their families, especially during shrimp season. It wasn’t until the mid 80’s when the dish became elevated and popularized at a Chapel Hill restaurant named Crook’s Corner.

    Although it was “fancied up” ’80’s, people who grew up eating shrimp and grits will always remember it in a more simple form. To them it’s a comforting, low maintenance breakfast that reminds them of their childhood. That sentiment resonates with us so well and we created our recipe to reflect the cozy, comfort vibe.

    How to Make Our Shrimp and Grits Recipe

    Ingredients for Shrimp and Grits in a kitchen.

    Process

    GRITS

    1. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Generously salt water and stir in grits. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer mixture, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick and creamy.
    Grits cooking in a pot to make shrimp and grits.
    1. Remove from heat and add shredded cheese and butter.
    2. Stir in cheese and butter until fully incorporated and melted. Season with salt and pepper.
    Grits with cheese and butter added into it.
    Grits with cheese and butter stirred in.

    SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE

    1. Place shrimp, lemon juice, smoked paprika, salt, cumin, pepper, cayenne, and garlic into a mixing bowl.
    2. Toss together. Set aside.
    Shrimp in a bowl tossed with spices for shrimp and grits.
    Seasoned shrimp in a glass bowl for shrimp and grits.
    1. Melt butter into a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown.
    A pot with bacon cooking in it.
    1. Remove sausage from skillet and set aside. Add shrimp to skillet and sauté for a few minutes on each side. Deglaze pan with chicken stock (or water) and cover.
    2. Add sausage back to skillet and stir together.
    Shrimp cooking in a skillet with seasoning.
    Shrimp and sausage in a skillet for shrimp and grits.
    1. Remove shrimp and sausage mixture from heat and divide over each bowl of grits. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve.
    Bowls of shrimp and grits with spoons.

    Tools You Will Need

    • cutting board
    • knife
    • liquid measuring cup
    • measuring spoons
    • mixing bowls
    • wooden spoon
    • sauté pan
    • medium pot

    Tips and Tricks for Success

    For the Grits

    1. Make sure to salt the water before adding grits because cooked grits don’t absorb anymore salt.
    2. It’s important that grits are made low and slow to ensure the starches are released and you get a creamy and smooth texture.
    3. For an extra creamy texture, finish grits with a little bit of heavy cream when stirring in the cheese and butter. This step is totally optional and not included in our recipe below but is nice when you really want an over the top grits situation.

    For the Shrimp Mixture

    1. Adding stock or water to the skillet with the shrimp and covering it with a lid for a minute will allow the shrimp to steam and nicely cook through to the center. Without allowing the shrimp to steam, you run the risk of overcooking the outside, while the center may stay raw. – and no one wants that!

    Make Ahead and Reheating

    Although we think shrimp and grits is a dish that’s best made fresh, you can make it ahead of time with great results.

    Make Ahead Shrimp and Grits

    To make ahead, make both the grits and shrimp mixture according to the recipe instructions. Cool each component separately and store each separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The grits can be made and stored up to 5 days ahead of time. The shrimp mixture can be made and stored up to 2 days ahead of time.

    Reheating Grits

    To reheat grits, pour a small amount of milk and butter or stock into a saucepan (about 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 tablespoon butter, for every 1 cup of cooked grits) and simmer over medium-low heat. Add cooked grits and whisk together until grits begin to loosen up, meld together with the extra liquid and butter and heat through. Season with salt and pepper as needed and remove from heat.

    Reheating Shrimp Mixture

    To reheat shrimp mixture, place a skillet over medium-low heat and add a small amount of oil. Add shrimp mixture to skillet and sauté for 1 minute. Add a couple tablespoons of water to skillet and cover for 1 minute, or until shrimp mixture has heated through and liquid has evaporated. Season with a little salt and pepper as needed.

    How to make Shrimp and Grits recipe.

    Check out our Shrimp and Grits web story!

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    Check out our Best Shrimp Recipes roundup post!

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    Shrimp and Grits recipe in a bowl.

    Shrimp and Grits Recipe

    5 from 9 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    Our Shrimp and Grits Recipe has perfectly creamy grits topped with buttery shrimp and spicy andouille sausage. The perfect comfort food!
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 38 mins
    Total Time: 48 mins
    Servings: 4

      INGREDIENTS  

    white cheddar grits

    • 1 cup white stone-ground grits
    • 4 ounces shredded white cheddar
    • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
    • salt and pepper to taste

    shrimp

    • 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails intact
    • 1 lemon, juiced
    • 2 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp cumin
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 2 minced garlic cloves
    • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
    • 1 andouille sausage, diced
    • 1/4 cup chicken stock (water is fine)

    garnish

    • 2 thinly sliced green onion

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    Grits

    • Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Generously salt water and stir in grits. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer mixture for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick and creamy.
    • Remove from heat and stir in cheese and butter until fully incorporated and melted. Season with salt and pepper.

    Shrimp and Sausage

    • Place shrimp, lemon juice, smoked paprika, salt, cumin, pepper, cayenne, and garlic into a mixing bowl and toss together. Set aside.
    • Melt butter into a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove sausage from skillet and set aside.
    • Add shrimp to skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes on each side. Deglaze pan with chicken stock (or water) and cover for 1 minute.
    • Add sausage back to skillet and stir together.
    • Remove shrimp and sausage mixture from heat and divide over each bowl of grits. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve.

      NOTES  

    Tips and Tricks for Success
    For the Grits
    1. Make sure to salt the water before adding grits because cooked grits don’t absorb anymore salt.
    2. It’s important that grits are made low and slow to ensure the starches are released and you get a creamy and smooth texture.
    3. For an extra creamy texture, finish grits with a little bit of heavy cream when stirring in the cheese and butter. This step is totally optional and not included in our recipe below but is nice when you really want an over the top grits situation.
    For the Shrimp Mixture
    1. Adding stock or water to the skillet with the shrimp and covering it with a lid for a minute will allow the shrimp to steam and nicely cook through to the center. Without allowing the shrimp to steam, you run the risk of overcooking the outside, while the center may stay raw. – and no one wants that!
     
    Calories: 481kcal Carbohydrates: 36g Protein: 19g Fat: 29g Saturated Fat: 17g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 127mg Sodium: 1072mg Potassium: 257mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 1427IU Vitamin C: 17mg Calcium: 258mg Iron: 2mg
    CUISINE: American
    KEYWORD: grits, shrimp, shrimp and grits, spicy
    COURSE: Breakfast, lunch, Main Course

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    June 21, 2022 / 12 Comments

    About Jenny Park

    Jenny Park is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food stylist and recipe developer. One of her favorite foods is donuts. #sfbJENNY

    Previous Post: < Previous Post The BEST Biscuits and Gravy Recipe
    Next Post: Beer Battered Onion Rings Next Post >

    Reader Interactions

    June 21, 2022 / 12 Comments

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      Recipe Rating




      Did you make this recipe? We want to see!

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    1. April

      February 12, 2021 at 10:29 am

      I enjoy cooking & trying out new recipes. Really excited about this one because I already have all the required ingredients readily available!!!

      Reply
      • Teri Lyn Fisher

        February 12, 2021 at 12:14 pm

        Awesome! What great luck!I love it when that happens :)

        Reply
    2. Darren

      May 03, 2020 at 11:31 pm

      5 stars
      Yummmm love me some grits. Gonna try your take this week 🤤

      Reply
    3. Wendy Silva

      April 06, 2020 at 8:14 pm

      5 stars
      Loved it! It’s simple, flavorful and delicious. Everyone was happy including the baby.

      Reply
    4. Ray Toves

      October 15, 2016 at 4:05 pm

      I love shrimp and grits! Have to try this! Amazing!

      Reply
    5. Elishia

      October 10, 2016 at 10:24 am

      This dish is just n excellent example of why I LOVE your blog so much. The recipes are to die for and it’s all photographed beautifully! This is on my ‘to try’ dish list!

      http://www.englishgirlinnewyork.org

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        October 10, 2016 at 6:35 pm

        SUCH sweet words! Thank you so much :)

        Reply
    6. Yolonda

      October 09, 2016 at 5:57 am

      I’d love to have shrimp and grits. It’s one of my favorite, I will definitely give your recipe a try probably this week.

      Reply
    7. Lou

      February 10, 2015 at 1:05 am

      I’ve never actually tried grits before, I think this is a sign! Looks delicious

      Reply
    8. Natasha

      February 09, 2015 at 10:09 pm

      I came back from a first-time visit to the South this December with a mad craving for grits and collards. Since then, I’ve been mauling through bag of grits that I got… shrimp sounds like the cherry on top of a big bowl of the stuff. I’ll definitely be trying this soon.

      Reply
    9. Suubi Sanyu

      February 09, 2015 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this dish tonight after talking about shrimp and grits with my boyfriend this weekend. Having never made grits but in love with shrimp this is an amazing combo. I love it so much thank you!!

      Reply
    10. Q

      February 09, 2015 at 5:54 pm

      Wow!! This is Q from Seoul, Korea!
      What a dish!!
      I’m so impressive about all these things~
      Thanks a loooooooooooooot~

      Reply

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