Creamy cheesy grits topped with seasoned shrimp, bacon, and a lemon-butter sauce. A cozy Southern classic perfect for brunch or a simple dinner.
Ingredients
Grits
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup quick grits yellow or white, see note
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Shrimp
- 4 slices thick sliced bacon
- 1 ½ lbs raw shrimp peeled, deveined, tail-off
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
Butter sauce
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 green onions chopped finely (reserve dark green part for garnish)
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup clam juice 8 oz bottle
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- hot sauce to taste (optional)
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Add chicken broth and water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the grits and garlic powder. Stir, then cover. Lower heat to medium. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth, 1 cup water, 1 cup quick grits, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Once liquid is absorbed and grits are soft, remove from heat and stir in cream and cheese. Cover until ready to eat. (If grits stiffen as they cool, add a splash of cream and mix to make smooth again.)½ cup heavy cream, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once crispy, crumble bacon and set aside. Leave enough bacon grease to coat the bottom of the skillet and remove any extra bacon grease, reserving for later.4 slices thick sliced bacon
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with flour, paprika, oregano, and salt, then mix to coat evenly. Heat bacon grease back up in skillet over medium heat. Once grease is hot, add shrimp to skillet in a single layer. (If needed, cook shrimp in batches, using the reserved bacon grease.)1 ½ lbs raw shrimp, 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon salt
- Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes, or until bottom is no longer gray. Flip and cook for about 2 minutes on other side, or until shrimp are pink and opaque. Remove shrimp from skillet to a large plate or serving bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top, and set to the side.1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- In the same pan, add the butter. Once melted, mix in garlic, green onion, and flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add clam juice and let mixture come to a boil.4 Tablespoons butter, 4 garlic cloves, 4 green onions, 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 cup clam juice
- Once thickened, turn off heat. Add honey, lemon juice, hot sauce, and salt. Add shrimp back to skillet, and stir to coat with the butter sauce. (Or you can choose to spoon sauce over shrimp, once plated.)2 teaspoons honey, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, hot sauce, pinch salt
- To serve, spoon the shrimp mixture over a warm bed of cheesy grits. Make sure to include plenty of that buttery sauce. Top with crumbled bacon and chopped green onions.
Notes
Grits: You want to use quick grits for this recipe. Not regular grits and not instant. If you can’t tell if you have quick grits or regular grits, check the cooking time on the package. Quick grits will cook in 5-6 minutes. Regular stone-ground grits cook in 30 minutes.
Shrimp: If frozen, thaw by placing in a strainer, running cold water over shrimp for about 5 minutes, then allowing to drain for 3 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 809kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 330mg | Sodium: 1943mg | Potassium: 616mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2095IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 351mg | Iron: 3mg
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