This iconic Southern dish was historically served as a morning meal. We find it irresistible 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 acquired a bowl of Southern consolation prepared in simply 45 minutes.
For extra Southern consolation meals, strive 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 filled with taste.
- It’s topped off with slightly lemon juice, sizzling sauce (after all), 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 dwelling life. This Southern staple is straightforward to organize, hearty and filling, whereas delivering large taste. Buttery, tacky grits mixed with savory bacon and garlic shrimp makes our mouths water! Prime all of it off with slightly sizzling sauce and also you’ve acquired a scrumptious meal that’s certain to change into 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 means that you can greatest 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 accommodates components to stop clumping.
- Shrimp (peeled and deveined): Use massive, uncooked shrimp for the perfect texture. Frozen shrimp can be utilized if thawed correctly. You ca go away tails on or take away them earlier than cooking..
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic gives the perfect taste, however jarred minced garlic works too.
- Bacon: Use customary bacon or thick-cut. You’ll wish to use precise bacon, slightly 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 at all times has the perfect taste.
- Scorching Sauce: Prime off together with your favourite sizzling sauce.
Shrimp Choices
You’ve got a number of choices to select from relating 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 want to cook dinner with already peeled and deveined shrimp. If you happen to use frozen, be sure you thaw them earlier than utilizing.
Prompt vs. White Grits
Prompt grits could cook dinner up sooner, 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 end result within the creamiest, most flavorful, completely restaurant-quality grits you can also make at dwelling.


Avoiding Lumpy Grits
If you happen to’re having points with clumping, don’t fear, you aren’t alone. It’s a standard drawback that may be simply fastened. The commonest reason behind clumping shouldn’t be stirring the grits instantly after including them to the liquid. This may trigger the grits to stay collectively and type lumps.
To stop lumps, be sure that to stir the grits repeatedly for the primary jiffy after including them to the liquid. Stir, stir, stir!
Add grits slightly 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. If you happen to 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 clean them out. Simply don’t overmix.


Alter the Warmth
For much less warmth: If you happen to don’t tolerate spice nicely, be happy to depart out the recent sauce totally. If you’d like slightly 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 sizzling sauce. Or, add 1/4–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper when cooking the shrimp for much more warmth. You may additionally prime with contemporary jalapeño slices or a sprinkle of pink 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 slightly little bit of water or hen broth to maintain the grits from drying out, and stir often 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 sooner 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 traditional.
Extra shrimp recipes…
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