Our Favorite Shrimp and Grits
A restaurant-worthy shrimp and sauce over rich, slow-cooked grits — the recipe I learned by scribbling notes at the elbow of a real chef.
- Prep Time
- 15 min
- Cook Time
- 30 min
- Total Time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4 servings
Back in 2017, I worked as an assistant pastry chef at a brand new upscale restaurant, completely intimidated by the talent surrounding me. It was busy and chaotic, but the food — and the daily belly-laughs — made it worth every second.
After tasting the restaurant's shrimp and grits, I begged the chef to show me how he made it. He'd made it so many times he didn't measure anything, so I stood next to him jotting down ingredients in a little notebook that sat in my desk drawer for years afterward.
The secret to the grits is chicken broth for flavor, half and half for creaminess without being too rich, plenty of butter and salt, and cooking them low and slow. My husband rarely goes back for seconds — he went back for these.
Ingredients
For the Shrimp and Sauce
- 2 pieces thick cut bacon, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 lb. raw, peeled shrimp
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup roasted red bell pepper, minced
- 2 green onions, minced
- 1 tsp. BBQ seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 cup cooking sherry or dry white wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
For the Grits
- 1 cup stone ground grits
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Instructions
- 1In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
- 2Add the butter to the pan, then the shrimp. Saute until opaque and tender.
- 3Add the wine and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce slightly reduces.
- 4Stir in the heavy cream, bell pepper, green onions, BBQ seasoning, sugar, and salt. Cook 2-3 minutes.
- 5Add the parmesan and stir, cooking another 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens. Spoon shrimp and sauce over the grits.
- 6For the grits: combine the grits, chicken broth, and half and half in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low-medium, cover, and cook 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 7When the grits have thickened, stir in the butter and salt, cover again until the butter melts, then stir and serve hot.
