When I'm in the mood for comfort food, shrimp and grits is one of my favorite go to's. This southern style recipe is creamy and rich, and ticks all of the right boxes.

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I live in the South and have had all kinds of shrimp and grits. Let's just say shrimp and grits are a firm favorite of mine, and this is my go-to recipe! Cheesy and creamy grits are served with fresh shrimp, cooked in a rich and flavorful tomato sauce for one delicious bite.

Straight forward to make from scratch, this is an explosion of all your favorite flavors; shrimp, bacon, and cheese. What's not to love?!

Be sure to check out my Instant Pot Grits with Cheddar and Jalapeño and Ninja Foodi Fish and Grits too!

How to make Southern style shrimp and grits

• Gather your ingredients.

Make the grits

• Add heavy cream, water, grits, butter, and salt to a medium sized heavy bottom pot, over medium-high heat, and whisk to combine.
• Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid.
• Continue cooking over low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The grits are done when the majority of liquid has been absorbed and the grits are nice and creamy.
• Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese. Set aside.

For the shrimp

• While grits are cooking, season the shrimp with a little salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper) and set aside.
• Place bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon until it becomes crispy, flipping halfway. Remove bacon from skillet. Drain the bacon drippings from the skillet, leaving behind about 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in the pan. Return the pan to the heat.
• Add onion and bell pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the onions have softened.

• Add the fire roasted tomatoes, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
• Then add the shrimp to the skillet in the sauce, in a single layer, and cook for 3 minutes per side.

• Cook until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Remove from heat.

Plate the Shrimp and Grits

• In each bowl, place grits in the bottom of the bowl. Top with the shrimp mixture, then top with bacon and chopped green onions. Serve and enjoy.

Can you make it ahead of time?

Grits are best served as soon as they are made, as this is when they are at their creamiest, but leftovers will keep well for a couple of days and can be reheated in a pot on low heat with about a cup of boiling water whisked into it. The shrimp are best cooked and served straight away too, but leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days and can also be reheated on low heat on the stovetop.

Can you use frozen shrimp?

I prefer to use defrosted shrimp as I find they have a much better texture, but you can use frozen if you have those on hand. Thaw them fully and pat them dry to remove excess moisture before seasoning and cooking.

What are grits?

Grits are similar to polenta and they are made from stone-ground dried corn. When cooked, slowly in water, they release their starch and become super creamy and porridge-like. When cheese is added to the mix, they get extra tasty!

Make sure to buy stone-ground grits for this recipe. I don't recommend quick-cooking grits for this recipe. Trust me with this, stone-ground will give the creamiest, heartiest, and most comforting bowl of grits.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• If planning ahead, you can soak the grits in the water overnight. Don't drain them, just pop the pot right on the stove and the released starch gets them extra creamy. They also cook a little quicker too using this method.
• These grits are Southern style because of the added cheese in the grits and bacon spinkled on top. You don't have to add the cheese or the bacon, but it really does elevate the dish.
• Take care not to overcook the shrimp, they only need a few minutes each side to cook through.

More Shrimp Recipes

• Southern Pickled Shrimp
• Shrimp Cocktail
• Air Fried Crispy Shrimp
• Shrimp and Bacon Spinach Salad

Print Recipe

4.88 from 8 votes

Southern Style Shrimp and Grits

When I'm in the mood for comfort food, shrimp and grits is one of my favorite go to's. This southern style recipe is creamy and rich, and ticks all of the right boxes.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: grits with shrimp, homemade shrimp and grits, how to make grits from scratch

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 1175kcal

Author: Tanya

Ingredients

For the grits

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cup water
• 1 cup stone ground grits
• 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

For the shrimp

• 1 lb medium sized shrimp peeled and deveined
• 4 pieces of bacon chopped
• ½ of a sweet onion chopped, about ½ cup
• ½ of a green bell pepper chopped, about ½ cup
• 1 15 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes undrained
• 1 Tablespoon sour cream
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 green onion chopped

Instructions

Make the grits:

• Add heavy cream, water, grits, butter, and salt to a medium sized heavy bottom pot, over medium-high heat, and whisk to combine.
• Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid.
• Continue cooking over low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The grits are done when the majority of liquid has been absorbed and the grits are nice and creamy.
• Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese. Set aside.

For the shrimp:

• While grits are cooking, season the shrimp with a little salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper) and set aside.
• Place bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon until it becomes crispy, flipping halfway. Remove bacon from skillet. Drain the bacon drippings from the skillet, leaving behind about 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in the pan. Return the pan to the heat.
• Add onion and bell pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the onions have softened. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
• Add shrimp to skillet in the sauce, in a single layer, and cook for 3 minutes per side, until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Remove from heat.

To plate:

• In each bowl, place grits in the bottom of the bowl. Top with the shrimp mixture, then top with bacon and chopped green onions. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

• If planning ahead, you can soak the grits in the water overnight. Don't drain them, just pop the pot right on the stove and the released starch gets them extra creamy. They also cook a little quicker too using this method.
• These grits are Southern style because of the added cheese and bacon. You don't have to add the cheese or the bacon, but it really does elevate them.
• Take care not to overcook the shrimp, they only need a few minutes each side to cook through.
• For creamier and richer grits, use 3 cups heavy cream and 1 cup water in grits recipe. 

Nutrition

Calories: 1175kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 93g | Saturated Fat: 54g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 591mg | Sodium: 2340mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3779IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 536mg | Iron: 4mg