Shrimp and Grits

Name: Shrimp and Grits
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 cup stone-ground white or yellow grits; 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 cups whole milk; 2 cups water or chicken broth; 3 green onions, sliced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 3 strips bacon, chopped; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot sauce, to taste; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; Salt and black pepper to taste

About this dish

Shrimp and Grits is a classic Southern American dish combining seasoned, sautéed shrimp with creamy stone-ground corn grits, often enriched with butter, cheese, and aromatics. It is a beloved staple of Lowcountry cuisine, particularly associated with the coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia.

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Ingredients

🍤1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

🌽1 cup stone-ground white or yellow grits

🧀1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

🧈3 tablespoons unsalted butter

🥛2 cups whole milk

💧2 cups water or chicken broth

🧅3 green onions, sliced

🧄3 cloves garlic, minced

🥓3 strips bacon, chopped

🌶️1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot sauce, to taste

🍋1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

🧂Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Serves 2

Bring the water (or chicken broth) and milk to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan. Season with salt, then slowly whisk in the grits. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for 20–25 minutes until thick and creamy.

Once the grits are cooked through, remove from heat and stir in the butter and shredded cheddar cheese until fully melted and incorporated. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then cover and keep warm.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.

Season the shrimp with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add the shrimp to the skillet with the bacon fat and cook over medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan. Remove the shrimp and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add a small knob of butter to the same skillet if needed. Sauté the minced garlic and the white parts of the green onions for about 1 minute until softened and fragrant.

Return the shrimp and bacon to the skillet. Add the lemon juice and toss everything together to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Spoon a generous portion of the cheesy grits into shallow bowls or onto plates. Top with the shrimp mixture and garnish with the sliced green onion tops. Serve immediately.

✓ What Makes it Authentic

Shrimp and Grits has deep roots in the Lowcountry region of the American South, where both shrimp and corn grits have long been dietary staples. The dish is closely associated with the Gullah Geechee people, the descendants of enslaved Africans in the coastal Southeast, whose culinary traditions heavily shaped Lowcountry cooking. While the dish existed in humble, everyday forms for generations, it gained broader national recognition during the latter decades of the 20th century as Southern cuisine drew increasing attention from American food culture.

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