Easy Shrimp and Grits
- PREP 20min
- COOK 20min
- TOTAL 40min
I love this incredible shrimp and grits recipe with super creamy grits, smoky bacon, fresh tomato, and perfectly cooked shrimp. It’s hard not to go back for more of this classic Southern dish.
You Will Need
Shrimp Sauce
1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and the tails removed
5 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped small (lardons)
1 bunch green onions, sliced, greens and whites separated
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 heaping teaspoon flour
2 cups (400g) chopped tomatoes, 2 large tomatoes
1 ¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning, see notes for adjusting for spice level
2 tablespoons white wine or chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Pinch fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
Creamy Grits
1 cup (165g) stone-ground grits
4 cups (945ml) chicken or vegetable stock, try homemade chicken stock or veggie stock
4 tablespoons (55g) butter
1/4 cup (60ml) cream
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions
How to Make Grits
Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the grits, then keep whisking for 2 minutes to avoid clumping.
When they begin to thicken, reduce the heat to a low simmer (helps to prevent splattering). Whisk in the butter, cream, salt, and pepper.
Continue to cook at a very low simmer until thickened, whisking occasionally. Expect a cooking time of around 20 minutes, depending on the brand and how coarsely your grits are ground (see tips). Continue simmering on low if they need to thicken further. The longer you keep them on the heat, the more they thicken.
How to Make the Shrimp Sauce
While the grits cook, prepare the shrimp and sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove them, and place them onto a paper towel. Keep the bacon fat in the skillet.
Add the garlic and sliced whites of the green onions to the hot bacon fat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until it becomes fragrant.
Stir in the flour and mix it well to remove any lumps, then immediately add the wine and stir until smooth.
Add the tomatoes, with any juices, and the Creole seasoning. Cook over medium-low heat until the tomatoes break down and you have a more uniform sauce, 10 to 15 minutes.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper and melt in the butter. When the butter melts, add the shrimp, spacing them evenly and gently pushing down into the sauce. Poach the shrimp until opaque, 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve the shrimp with the sauce over grits and top with bacon and reserved sliced green onion.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Seasoning: Creole and Cajun seasonings can vary in spice level. Give yours a taste and adjust the amount you add to the sauce for your preferred heat. Our homemade Cajun seasoning offers a sweet and balanced heat. Store-bought Creole seasonings tend to be more savory.
- Grits cook time varies by brand: We used Bob’s Red Mill in the photos and video, and they took 20 minutes. Larger ground grits, like Anson Mills will need longer to cook, same with Marsh Hen Mill, formerly Geechie Boy Mill. Watch for them to be cooked and tender with some structure left, if they are mushy, you’ve cooked them too long.
- Cheese grits: Stir 1/2 cup to 1 cup cheddar cheese into the grits just before serving.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.