Shrimp and Grits

Article by Layla Khoury-Hanold

Shrimp and grits traces its origins to the Low Country of coastal South Carolina, but it’s become a popular Southern comfort food dish with regional variations too. With his easy shrimp and grits recipe, chef Bobby Flay shares the secrets of making restaurant-worthy shrimp and grits at home. Learn which grits make the best shrimp and grits, the essential techniques for cooking creamy, cheesy grits and tender shrimp and the key flavor-building ingredients for creating a rich, aromatic sauce.

How to Make Shrimp and Grits Like a Pro

Choose your grits. Bobby opts for stone-ground grits because they have a coarse texture that holds their structure throughout cooking and they have a deeper corn flavor than instant grits.

Cook the grits and pay attention at the beginning. The secret to good grits is to pay attention at the beginning. After you add the grits to boiling water, whisk them to get the lumps out and ensure a smooth, creamy consistency.

Add butter and cheese to make creamy cheese grits. Bobby adds 3 tablespoons of butter for richness and 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese to make creamy cheese grits.

Cook bacon for extra flavorful shrimp and grits. Bobby fries chopped bacon until browned, drains it well and reserves it for making the pan sauce.

Cook the shrimp in the bacon drippings. Bobby cooks the shrimp in the bacon fat just until they turn pink. This ensures that the shrimp will stay tender as they continue to cook in the sauce.

Make a flavorful pan sauce with aromatics, bacon and lemon. Bobby sautes the shrimp with lemon juice for brightness, chopped bacon for extra savory flavor, and a trio of parsley, scallions and minced garlic for an aromatic, herbaceous finish.

Serve the shrimp over the grits. After spooning the grits into a serving bowl, add the shrimp mixture on top and serve. You can also mix the shrimp into the grits.

Grits for Shrimp and Grits

For best results, use stone-ground grits for shrimp and grits. Stone-ground (or stone-milled) grits have a coarse texture that holds their structure throughout cooking and have a deeper corn flavor. Although they take longer to cook than quick-cooking or instant grits, their flavor and creamy consistency make the extra time worth the effort. For more info, check out our primer What Are Grits?

Shrimp Sauce for Shrimp and Grits

To make a rich, aromatic sauce for his Southern style shrimp and grits, Bobby first cooks shrimp in bacon fat, then adds chopped, fried bacon for savory depth, freshly squeezed lemon juice for brightness and acidity, minced garlic and thinly sliced scallions for aromatics and chopped parsley for herbaceous freshness.

What Goes with Shrimp and Grits?

Shrimp and grits go with a variety of vegetable side dishes such as collard greens, sauteed spinach, a simple green salad, green beans, such as Bobby’s Garlic Roasted Green Beans with Shallots and Hazelnuts or corn, like Bobby’s Perfect Grilled Corn. Serve shrimp and grits with bread for mopping up the sauce, like Bobby’s Buttermilk Biscuits or Blue Corn Muffins.