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Southern US

Shrimp and grits

Non-vegetarian

Creamy, cheesy stone-ground grits topped with shrimp sautéed in bacon fat with garlic, paprika, lemon and spring onions — a Lowcountry favourite.

Shrimp and grits is a Southern US main course from United States, ready in about 50 minutes and made with grits and prawns / shrimp. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
A serving of Shrimp and grits
Photo: Jason Riedy / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-2.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
495

Ingredients

4 servings

For the grits

For the shrimp

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Bring the water and milk (opens in a new tab) to a simmer in a saucepan (opens in a new tab). Slowly whisk (opens in a new tab) in the grits (opens in a new tab) and salt, then cook on low, stirring often, until thick and creamy.

    Add a splash of hot water if the grits get too stiff.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Stir the butter (opens in a new tab) and cheddar (opens in a new tab) into the grits (opens in a new tab), cover and keep warm.

    • 1 min

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile fry the bacon (opens in a new tab) in a frying pan until crisp. Lift out, leaving the fat in the pan.

  4. Step 4

    Toss the shrimp (opens in a new tab) with paprika (opens in a new tab) and cayenne and cook in the bacon (opens in a new tab) fat for about 1 minute per side. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) for 30 seconds, then the stock and lemon juice (opens in a new tab), scraping the pan.

    • 4 min
    • medium-high heat

    Food safety: Cook shrimp until opaque and pink all the way through.

  5. Step 5

    Spoon the grits (opens in a new tab) into bowls, top with the shrimp (opens in a new tab) and pan juices, the bacon (opens in a new tab) and spring onions (opens in a new tab).

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
South Carolina Lowcountry, United States · Commonly attributedMore food from United States
Dish
Breakfast · Brunch · Dinner · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Sautéed
Taste
creamy, savoury, smoky, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Cook more with
Prawns / shrimp · Milk · Butter · Cheddar · Bacon · Paprika
Techniques
Sautéing · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom milk, butter, cheddar
  • Contains: Crustaceansfrom prawns / shrimp
  • May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

495 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 410 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 27%
  • Carbohydrate 29%
  • Fat 44%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy495 kcal121 kcal
Protein33.3 g8.1 g
Carbohydrate36.1 g8.8 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat24.1 g5.9 g
Saturated fat11.8 g2.9 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol218 mg53 mg
Sodium1093 mg267 mg
Salt equivalent2.7 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
535 mg
Calcium
310 mg
Iron
2.2 mg
Magnesium
70 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
—
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Have everything chopped before you start on the shrimp — they cook in minutes.

Common mistakes

  • Overcooked shrimp turn tight and rubbery; take them off as soon as they curl into a loose C.

Storage

  • Best fresh. Leftover grits set firm and keep 3 days in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Whisk leftover grits with a little milk over low heat.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

For the shrimp

Used in steps 3, 4, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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