SOUTHERN SHRIMP AND GRITS
Southern shrimp and grits is a recipe that can be made hundreds of different ways. The recipe below is the way I make it for my family and the way we enjoy eating Southern shrimp and grits. We eat this dish for breakfast and dinner and it is always a treat at our house.
You could double the recipe or even cut it in half. It will keep two to three days in the fridge but it never lasts that long at my house. You can use fresh or frozen shrimp, old-fashioned or instant grits. If you don’t like an ingredient, leave it out or substitute something you like better. It is hard to go wrong and a very versatile recipe to make. You might also like our recipe for fried potato breakfast bowl.
Southern Shrimp and Grits
3 to 4 slices bacon
1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (check out our recipe to make your own Cajun seasoning)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
few drops hot sauce or pinch cayenne
Cook the bacon, remove from pan and set aside. Combine two tablespoons bacon drippings, 1 tablespoon butter, green onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper in a skillet and cook until vegetables are tender. About 8 to 10 minutes. Add shrimp and hot sauce or cayenne and cook about four more minutes until shrimp are done. Set aside and prepare grits.
Grits:
2 1/3 cups milk (can use whole or 2 per cent)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup old fashioned grits
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Put milk, butter and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Using a whisk and stirring constantly add the grits a little at a time. This keeps the grits from clumping. Lower the heat, cover and cook five to six minutes or until grits thicken. Remove from heat and gradually stir in cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese melts. (If grits get too thick you can always add a little water to thin.)
Put several spoonfuls of grits in a bowl and layer some of the shrimp mixture over the top. Crumble bacon on top of the shrimp and garnish with chopped green onions.
Makes 4 to 6 servings. Enjoy.
Southern Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 slices bacon
- 1 pound medium or large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- few drops hot sauce or pinch cayenne
Grits:
- 2 1/3 cups milk can use whole or 2 per cent
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup old fashioned grits
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the bacon, remove from pan and set aside.
- Combine two tablespoons bacon drippings, 1 tablespoon butter, green onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper in a skillet and cook until vegetables are tender. About 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add shrimp and hot sauce or cayenne and cook about four more minutes until shrimp are done. Set aside and prepare grits.
Grits Instructions
- Put milk, butter and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Using a whisk and stirring constantly add the grits a little at a time. This keeps the grits from clumping.
- Lower the heat, cover and cook five to six minutes or until grits thicken.
- Remove from heat and gradually stir in cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese melts. (If grits get too thick you can always add a little water to thin.)
- Put several spoonfuls of grits in a bowl and layer some of the shrimp mixture over the top. Crumble bacon on top of the shrimp and garnish with chopped green onions.
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Love your Recipes the Shrimp an grits are wonderful. An your other Recipes, like my mom’s cooking. Nobody cook’s like Mom ❤️ Thank you for your great Recipes.
Made this last night. Delish! Wonder if anyone has suggestions for a shrimp substitute for shellfish allergic relatives.
Amazing dish! Made a few adjustments with Tony Cacheres extra spice creole seasoning and Tabasco Chipotle! Insane flavors!!!!
Best shrimp and grits I have ever had! Thank you for your wonderful recipes! I love your magazine too!
Thank you for this delicious recipe. My family liked it.
My family loved this recipe!! Definitely a keeper and I plan to make it for the holiday season when we have guests in from out of town. Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Thank you so much for the kind comment! So glad this recipe as such a hit.
Hands down best recipe for shrimp and grits! I’m going to make it again during the holidays! Thank you!
I used your recipe out of all available, with some minor adjustment for personal preference. Eliminated green pepper added chopped tomato and a small amount of chopped jalapeño.
Suggestion: You should add a PDF version suitable for printing . Some of us collect recipes…
If you use the green print button above the first photo or at the bottom of the entry, it gives you the PDF option. That is available on all of our recipes, plus the print option from the recipe card. Most of the followers on my website collect recipes, that is why we offer it in many different formats. Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Have a wonderful week.
LOVE your site & fabulous recipes! I was born & raised in Louisville & now live across the river. We vist Savannah & Charleston a lot & LOVE Shrimp & Grits! I made some last week….but had to use instant. Sacrilege! I’m having trouble finding good grits. Kroger & JayC used to sell Weisenberger grits…my favorite…but they don’t offer them anymore. I’m sure I could find them in Louisville, but don’t want to drive all over town looking for them. Any idea where I can find them or another good brand of REAL grits? Thank you so much!!!!
I think you can order the grits online directly from Weisenberger, Rita. The mill is in Midway, Kentucky and might make a great day trip, too. I am happy you are enjoying the site and happy to have you as part of our community. Have a great weekend.