Creamy Shrimp and Grits (2024)

This creamy shrimp and grits may have humble origins but don't let that fool you! It's decadent, rich, and loaded with bold flavors. This dish is perfect for a weeknight supper or to serve at dinner parties.

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Shrimp and grits is one of my favorite comfort foods. I love to make it during the colder months, but it's really great any time.

This recipe was inspired by my keto shrimp and grits which swaps the grits for finely riced cauliflower. If you are trying to cut carbs, then I highly suggest checking out that recipe! For a more hands-off cajun meal, my instant pot red beans and rice can't be beaten.

Ingredients and Substitutions

The ingredients for this dish are super simple and there are several swaps you can do to change up the flavors.

What You'll Need for the Grits:

• Chicken Broth or vegetable broth
• Tomato Paste
• Butter
• Quick Grits- You can use regular grits if you don't have quick, but absolutely do NOT use instant grits!
• Sharp Cheddar Cheeseor white cheddar cheese
• Heavy Cream- You can also use milk, half and half, or your favorite milk alternative.

What You'll Need for the Shrimp:

• Creole Seasoning- I use Tony Chachere's No Salt but you can use any blend that you like, or you can even make your own creole seasoning blend
• Paprika
• Large Shrimp- You can swap the shrimp for crawfish tails, Scallops, or even lobster.
• Bacon - you can use turkey bacon if you don't eat pork, but you will need to add a little additional oil to the pan to compensate for the bacon drippings.
• Butter
• Fresh Garlic or swap with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Green Bell Pepper
• Green Onions

What You'll Need for the Sauce:

• All-Purpose Flour
• Heavy Cream- You can also use milk, half and half, or your favorite milk alternative.
• Chicken Brothor vegetable broth
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Hot Sauce(optional)

See the recipe card for quantities.

Before you get started ...

This recipe comes together quickly. Make things easier on yourself by having all the ingredients prepped and easily accessible before you start cooking.

How to make shrimp and grits

This recipe is easy to make in just about 30 minutes.

Start out by getting the grits cooking. Bring the chicken broth, tomato paste, and butter to a boil in a large pot. Once it's boiling, stir in the grits. reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Allow the grits to cook for 7 minutes.

Stir the heavy cream and cheddar cheese into the grits until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I used ½ teaspoon of each)

While the grits are cooking, get to work on the shrimp. Combine the creole seasoning, paprika, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp and stir until the shrimp are fully coated. Set the shrimp aside.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until it is crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet, but leave the drippings in the pan. Crumble the bacon and then set it aside.

With the skillet over medium heat, add the butter, garlic, and green pepper to the bacon drippings.

Cook until the peppers are just beginning to soften (about 1-2 minutes) and then add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are done (about 4-5 minutes). Remove the shrimp and peppers from the pan, but leave all the liquid in the skillet.

Tips for Perfectly Cooked Shrimp: You can tell your shrimp are fully cooked with the color turns from grey to pink and white. As the shrimp cook, they will begin to curl into a 'C' shape. As soon as you notice these changes remove the shrimp from the heat so they do not overcook.

With the skillet still over medium heat, whisk the flour into the liquid remaining in the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes whisking constantly.

Whisk the heavy cream, Chicken Broth, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce into the flour mixture until there are no lumps.

Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a simmer. Allow it to simmer, stirring very frequently until the sauce is thickened to your liking.

Serve the grits topped with the shrimp, sauce, crumbled bacon, and sliced green onions if desired, and enjoy!

Variations

Here are some of my favorite ways to change up this recipe:

• Low Carb - Check out my low-carb version of this shrimp and grits recipe for all of the flavor with none of the carbs.
• No Cheese - If you aren't a fan of cheese grits, you can omit the cheese and heavy cream. You may wish to add additional salt.
• Add Sausage - Add sliced andouille sausage to the shrimp for a bulkier meal.

How to store leftovers

Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until heated through. For the best results you may wish to store and heat each componenet separately.

Unfortunately, I do not suggest freezing the leftovers.

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