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 scorching 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 bit of lemon juice, scorching 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 simple to arrange, hearty and filling, whereas delivering large taste. Buttery, tacky grits mixed with savory bacon and garlic shrimp makes our mouths water! High all of it off with a bit of scorching 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 possibility permits you to finest management the flavour. It’s a terrific 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 accommodates components to stop clumping.
- Shrimp (peeled and deveined): Use massive, uncooked shrimp for the most effective 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 gives the most effective taste, however jarred minced garlic works too.
- Bacon: Use commonplace bacon or thick-cut. You’ll need to use precise bacon, reasonably than pre-cooked, as a result of you can be cooking the shrimp within the leftover bacon fats.
- Lemon Juice: Bottled lemon juice works effectively and retains prep to a minimal, however freshly squeezed all the time has the most effective taste.
- Scorching Sauce: High off together with your favourite scorching sauce.
Shrimp Choices
You’ve a couple of choices to select from with regards to shrimp, actually it’s various. There are completely different sizes, frozen or contemporary, veined or deveined, peeled or complete, and all of them work!
For comfort, we choose to cook dinner with already peeled and deveined shrimp. For those who use frozen, remember to thaw them earlier than utilizing.
Immediate vs. White Grits
Immediate grits might cook dinner up quicker, nonetheless, 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 standard drawback that may be simply mounted. The commonest reason behind 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 certain to stir the grits repeatedly for the primary couple of minutes after including them to the liquid. Stir, stir, stir!
Add grits a bit of 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! Attempt whisking vigorously. For those who can’t whisk them out, add a splash of scorching water and preserve whisking till the clumps dissolve. For additional cussed clumps, you possibly can even use an immersion blender briefly to clean them out. Simply don’t overmix.


Modify the Warmth
For much less warmth: For those who don’t tolerate spice effectively, be at liberty to depart out the new sauce totally. In order for you a bit of spice however not a number of warmth, add a pinch of paprika and chili powder as an alternative.
For extra warmth: Be happy to simply add extra scorching sauce. Or, add 1/4–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper when cooking the shrimp for much more warmth. You can additionally high with contemporary jalapeño slices or a sprinkle of purple 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 bit of little bit of water or hen broth to maintain the grits from drying out, and stir sometimes to make sure that they warmth by way of 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 way of. 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. Whenever you’re able to eat them, thaw within the fridge in a single day and reheat as common.
Extra shrimp recipes…
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