Published: by Melanie Cagle · 14 Comments
This easy creamy shrimp and grits recipe is rich and savory yet so simple to put together. The smokiness of the bacon and shrimp paired with the cheesiness of the corn grits really hits the right spot for a taste of the South!
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This delicious recipe for Creole Shrimp and Grits is southern cooking at it's finest. Perfect for brunch, lunch, dinner... any time you feel like eating some good old fashioned comfort food, this is the recipe for that.
Creamy Shrimp and Grits, with bacon, butter and cheese, packed with Creole Seasonings it will have you crying for more.
Next time try my Stuffed Crab recipe, it's famous around here, a treat that everyone loves! Or my copycat Texas Roadhouse Grilled Shrimp.
Jump to:
- 🧅 Ingredients
- 🥣 Instructions
- 🍤 Other Shrimp Recipes
- 🧊 Storage
- 💡 Top tip
- 👩🍳 FAQ's
- Creole Shrimp and Grits
- 💬 Comments
When I first came to Louisiana I heard this dish referenced many times, but I never stuck my neck out to try it until years later. I ate it after a friend whipped it up one night - and never looked back. Holy moly - this stuff is good. Next time you hear someone's making Shrimp and Cheese Grits you better go running with your plate ready.
If you like this recipe, you should check out my Seafood Gumbo recipe, or my Boom Boom Shrimp.
🧅 Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
🥣 Instructions
- Step One: Make Grits according to instructions (in recipe card below) then stir in cheese until melted.
- Step Two: In a large skillet, cook the bacon on a medium heat then remove. Cook the shrimp in that bacon grease (bacon fat) and Creole Seasoning. Cook 3 minutes then remove the shrimp. Add the onions, garlic, flour and broth and cook a few minutes longer.
- Step Three: Add all ingredients back to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Step Four: Pour shrimp and bacon over the cheesy grits recipe and enjoy.
- See full recipe instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Hint: Use a good quality bacon. If your bacon is very thick only use 6 slices. Using a good quality bacon mean everything to this dish.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Seasonings - If you don't have Creole Seasoning feel free to use something like Seasonall or your favorite seasoning blend - Cajun seasoning.
- Cheese - Feel free to use your favorite cheese in the grits too. Even though I use Cheddar, as I feel this works best, if you have a preference (e.g. Gruyere) go ahead.
- Shrimp - I used #16-20 size for this recipe. If you prefer smaller shrimp that's ok.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or hot sauce while cooking to imbue heat into the dish
- Shrimp and Grits Kids - some kids just love this dish, like my own. When I know they're eating though I make sure that I make the onions really fine so that they just melt into the dish and leave off the green onions at the end.
- No cheese - You'll sometimes see this dish being served with plain Grits. It's still good.
- Lemon Juice - to add a little acidity.
- Andouille Sausage - add some spicy sausage.
- Worcestershire Sauce - for added umami flavor.
- Tomato Paste - for some added tomato flavor.
- Heavy Cream - always good to make things a little creamier.
🍤 Other Shrimp Recipes
- Shrimp Alfredo Bake
- Smoked Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
- Texas Roadhouse Grilled Shrimp
- Bang Bang Shrimp
- Shrimp Etouffee
- Shrimp Boil Foil Packets
- Butterfly Shrimp Recipe
See this List of Favorite Grilled Shrimp Recipes on my website!
🧊 Storage
I recommend making enough of this recipe where you know there will not be any leftovers. I don't think shrimp hold up well to being reheated and dry out.
💡 Top tip
If you're short on time buy the shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined. It can cut a serious amount of time from this recipe.
👩🍳 FAQ's
What Nationality is Shrimp and Grits?
This is an American dish, from south Lousiana.
What does Grits taste like?
Great question, as I am not from here and had never even heard of grits before. Grits reminds me of a texture of oatmeal - sort of - but with a smoother blander flavor. Grits need to be seasoned, whether it be with cheese, or spices or even breaking an egg into the grits.
If you’ve tried thisor any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section below, how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers!
You can also follow me onPINTEREST,FACEBOOKandINSTAGRAMto see more amazing recipes!
4.88 from 8 votes
Creole Shrimp and Grits
This easy creamy shrimp and grits recipe is rich and savory yet so simple to put together. The smokiness of the bacon and shrimp paired with the cheesiness of the corn grits really hits the right spot for a taste of the South!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Servings: 8
Cuisine: Seafood
Author: Melanie Cagle
Video
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Quick cook Grits
- 8 Cups Water
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Cups Cheddar cheese
- 8 Slices Bacon chopped (6 if the bacon is thick)
- 3 lb Shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 Tablespoon Creole Seasoning
- 1 Cup Onion chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth low sodium
- 4 Green Onions chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley chopped
- 1-½ Sticks Butter unsalted
- 1 Cup Cream heavy whipping
- Juice of 1 Lemon
Instructions
Bring the water to a boil then add the grits and salt. Stir, cover and allow to simmer on low for 5 minutes.
After the grits have simmered, add the grated cheddar and whisk together with ¼ stick of butter. Cover and put aside.
Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Remove the bacon and put aside. Keep the grease from the bacon in the skillet.
Add the shrimp and the Creole Seasoning and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove the shrimp promptly and put aside.
Add the onions to the grease and cook on a medium heat until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the flour and cook together for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Slowly start to add the chicken broth, stirring constantly with the whisk.
Add the Parsley and Green onions
Add the bacon and the shrimp back to the pan. Stir for a minute or so then add the cream.
At this point you can do a taste test, some people prefer a spicier flavor and so more creole seasoning can be added to taste.
Serve on top of a bed of cheesy grits and eat right away.
Notes
Depending on the thickness of the sauce the extra butter remaining can be added if you like the sauce to be a little runnier.
Buy the peeled and deveined shrimp to save time.
Use a good quality bacon to add the best flavor to this dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 762kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 495mg | Sodium: 2519mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Sam Welch says
Do you have a Shrimp and Grits that was a reddish sauce?
Reply
Melanie Cagle says
Hi, sorry Sam, I don't at this time.
Reply
KP says
So...1st I'm a horrible cook..I'm just being 100% honest. Since the pandemic I've been trying to learn. This recipe...AMAZING...after checking twice if I had everything I started to cook and didnt have flour.sheesh..but I used the flour I fry fish in..so yum...and it had alot if flavor so I made sure not to over season everything else. Thank you for this recipe I'm excited about how easy it was and it came out SO GOOOD!!!
Reply
Melanie Cagle says
I'm so glad KP, thanks for trying it! I appreciate you taking the time to write a message!
Reply
Christina M Lewis says
Looks really good.... Making this for breakfast tomorrow.Thanks...Reply
Lucy G says
HI
Same here, fell in love with this after eating Shrimp and Grits in North Carolina for the first time! Want to prepare your recipe for friends who don't eat meat. Bacon adds such a deep flavor profile that I just can't imagine S&G without it but I have to try. Any thoughts on what I can add to still develop those deep flavors?PS: I love your site and recipes without all the ads and pop-ups that are now so common and make it very difficult to read!
Reply
Melanie Cagle says
Hi Lucy, I'm glad you got to enjoy this in N.C.
About the bacon, I bet you could add this seasoning to substitute for the flavor? I've heard it's very good and comes close.
Thanks for the kudos on the ad-free experience, but it won't stay that way forever, unfortunately. Us bloggers have to pay the bills too 😉
If you do try the seasoning, please let me know how it went?Reply
Benjamin.K. says
I've watched alot of stalekrackers videos and he uses the two step seasoning and I'm really curious to try it
Reply
Melanie Cagle says
Hi Benjamin, exactly! I use a homemade Cajun Two-Step Seasoning myself. It's really good!
Reply
Mark T says
not gonna lie- I had great intentions when I found this recipe last night. I got up this morning, did the Lowes thing and hit the grocery store for all the ingredients. Did some yard work, hung the new light fixture in the dining room and watched some basketball on TV. One beer turned into several and it was time to make dinner. My wife will help prep but she doesn't cook.
My changes to the recipe: I decided to lower the amount of grits since there were only two of us so I backed it down to a cup with 6 cups of water ( directions on the box). BUT I didn't think to lower the cheese so I still went with 2 cups.
I also missed the part where you take the shrimp out of the liquid before adding the flour. Oh well.
I also missed the part about adding the heavy cream.
I'm from the deep south now living in the far north and that was the best shrimp and grits I've ever had. I'm guessing that enough water came out of the shrimp to mix with the grease and flour to make plenty of sauce. I even dumped about half of the bacon great because my yankee wife said "ewww".
She ate her entire bowl along with a corn bread muffin. Yep - Jiffy, right from the box. Cant beat em.
Big props on the recipe!Reply
Melanie Cagle says
You made me laugh tonight!! Lol, we all always have big intentions don't we?
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, can't beat some good southern Shrimp and Grits!Reply
