By Vallery Lomas
- Total Time
- 30 minutes to 1½ hours, depending on your grits
- Rating
- 4(245)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Grits go from breakfast accompaniment to dinnertime star in this dish. Enjoying grits with seafood, such as blackened fish, is nothing new. But the relatively recent popularity of shrimp and grits in restaurants certainly is. The andouille sausage in this recipe accentuates the Creole flavors while enhancing the shrimp, which is sautéed in the sausage’s rendered fat. The reduced chicken stock and swirl of sour cream complete the savory sauce that pools in the cheesy grits. The corn-forward flavor of stone-ground grits takes this dish to the next level, and the sweetness of the corn pairs nicely with the shrimp. You can make the shrimp component while the stone-ground grits are cooking.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2cups whole or reduced-fat milk (see Tip)
- ¼cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1cup stone-ground grits
- ½teaspoon ground white or black pepper
- 1cup shredded extra-sharp or sharp Cheddar (optional)
- 1½pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2teaspoons Creole seasoning (see Tip)
- 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 8ounces andouille sausage, diced
- 1small yellow onion, diced
- 1green bell pepper, diced
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 1(14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
- 1cup low-sodium chicken stock
- ⅓cup sour cream
- Salt and black pepper
- Hot sauce, for serving
- 2tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
For the Grits
For the Shrimp
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
781 calories; 42 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 53 grams protein; 1513 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Prepare the grits: Bring 2 cups water, the milk, butter and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Once the mixture is boiling, whisk in the grits in a slow and steady stream. Reduce the heat to low so that the grits are simmering, with small bubbles just breaking the surface.
Step
2
Cook the grits over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and creamy, and the grits have popped open and smell like popcorn, at least 20 minutes, or over 1 hour, depending on the variety and coarseness of the grits. When stirring, be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot to prevent the grits from sticking and burning. If the grits thicken before they are completely cooked, add more water, a couple tablespoons at a time, and continue cooking until done.
Step
3
While the grits are cooking, prepare the shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry, then toss them in a medium bowl with the Creole seasoning; set aside.
Step
4
Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until the fat has rendered and the sausage is crispy along the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Working in batches, add the shrimp and cook about 1 ½ minutes each side, until cooked through. Transfer the shrimp to the plate with the sausage.
Step
5
Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for an additional minute.
Step
6
Add the stewed tomatoes and stock, and increase the heat to high. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes.
Step
7
Add shrimp and sausage and cook until hot, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and swirl in the sour cream. Taste to adjust seasoning, adding salt or pepper as needed.
Step
8
When the grits are done, remove from the heat and stir in the pepper and cheese, if using. Taste to adjust seasoning, adding up to an additional ½ teaspoon more salt if desired. Serve immediately, topped with the hot shrimp mixture. Finish with a few dashes of hot sauce and a sprinkling of scallions.
Tips
- For a more savory profile, prepare the grits in 4 cups of low-sodium chicken stock instead of water and milk.
- If you don’t have Creole seasoning, you can combine 1¼ teaspoons smoked paprika, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne.
Ratings
4
out of 5
245
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Cooking Notes
bennyblue
Don’t worry y’all, they call for a 4:1 ratio, just don’t list the 2 cups water in the ingredients. I’m from the lowcountry and there’s a lot of ways to make S&G. Tips from my grandma and me- -Tasso will do you better than andouille if you can find it. Both won’t hurt. -Add a Tbs or so of flour to the veggies to make a roux, don’t be scared to let it get some color. -Never heard of sour cream but it’s probs good. We add a couple tablespoons of heavy cream at the end.Cont’d in another comment
bennyblue
Lowcountry S&G tips cont’d:-We don’t batch cook the shrimp in our house, although that’s probably a fine a way to do it. We add them raw at the end and toss the whole pan every 30 seconds or so until they’re cooked. This keeps the shrimp flavor more prominent in the final dish. -Best to make the grits with half chicken stock, half milk, and salt closer to the end. You can’t really overlook grits, just keep adding liquid if they get too thick. Don’t be scared to make your own adjustments!
Kaufman
Anson Mills coarse grits, either yellow or white, is the only way to go, the only grits I’ve bought for 20 years. And although I like Zatarains Cajun spice mix, most grocery store Cajun spices will work nicely. This is a great recipe, but the grits actually require a lot more attention and more frequent stirring than was implied.
Kevin Simpson
The recipe in fact calls for four cups of liquid for the grits—two of milk and two of water. I made mine in my smaller slow cooker—the grits, salt, water and milk, on high for about 90 minutes with an occasional thorough stir. I added the butter toward the end. For creole seasoning I only found Zatarains which I augmented with dried oregano, basil, thyme and parsley for a nice depth of seasoning. The stewed tomatoes (not purée, crushed or diced) were key and I also added a bit of celery.
cindy
Two cups of liquid isn’t nearly enough. For one cup of grits, you need at least three, if not four.
Laura Ford
you can make grits in a crock pot, and if you cook them with half milk and half water, they come out exceptionally creamy.
TYS>ATL>TPA>ATL>LAX>ATL
Marsh Hen Mill grits are wonderful. They are a family-owned business in South Carolina. They also have pink unicorn grits, which are naturally pink and get even pinker with a little lemon juice, which is perfect with shrimp and grits. Also, recommend Food for the Southern Soul grits - also family-owned in South Carolina. Food for the Southern Soul grits are ground a little finer and don't take quite as long to cook. Both ship all over the US. But, all grits made with love are good. Enjoy y'all!
Brenda Wiegand
From Louisiana and appreciate @Bennyblue’s andouille tip. Also never heard of sour cream, just a light roux to thicken. My first recipe for this was from Cooking Light in 2000, not so recent! Called for 10 oz can of tomatoes and peppers, and we typically use Rotel.
Ruth T
We've made this recipe at least twice. First time, used polenta since we didn't have any grits, and 1# shrimp / 1# andouille. Excellent! Recently, replaced the 1# andouille with 1# kielbasa, (also 1# shrimp), no additional salt or garlic, diced tomatoes instead of stewed, and jalapeno pepper instead of a green pepper, and the grits made with low sodium chicken broth. Still excellent!
Kaycee
Made last night for a dinner party. Mis en place made the cooking process a snap. Forgot the sour cream at the end... Used a pint of cherry tomatoes instead of stewed. Can't wait to make it again.Pro tip: get a 'mustache scissors" for deveining shrimp...so easy!
David B.
Cut butter in half on grits. Cook shrimp at the end. Make sour cream a personal add on?
Jean Goldsmith
Added fresh corn scraped from cob at end of cooking grits. Used lobster broth instead of chicken.
Lisa
This dish was perfect. No need to add or subtract anything.
Karen Artiaco
Pretty darned tasty! I agree with others-skip the sour cream. It’s not necessary. I chose to sauté the holy trinity of chopped onions, pepper and celery since I had it on hand. As for the grits, Oh My! Everyone had seconds.
Molly
I subbed bacon for sausage...seriously savory and amazing!!! I didn't add the sour cream to my shrimp either...but I did add sharp cheddar to my grits...which I made in my pressure cooker. Saved time and turned out perfect!
melinda
This was so easy and good. The andouille sausage I used was sooo spicy (hot). It was good but I think the heat competed with the delicate shrimp. I’m going to try a different brand. I used Wegmans which I have used for years. They must have upped the heat in their recipe. Do it while you have things to do around the house because those grits can take a long time.
sarah
Delicious!
Sissy Ashby
1 C of grits to 4 C of water. Half milk, half water is the way to go.
Mark
Fabulous recipe. Used fresh wild shrimp and made stock from the shells. In advance, cooked the sausage and shrimp and refrigerated; used the shrimp stock to cook the veggies. When guests arrived (2 hours later), cooked grits as directed but added some stock during the simmer. Near the end, rewarmed veggie mixture and added shrimp/sausage to heat through. Simply forgot the sour cream (oops) but still great. Also, homemade creole seasoning is simple and way better.
dan
Wonderful
Allison
Came out fantastic! I live in Key West so I used local Royal Red shrimp which I highly recommend in this dish if you can get them. Used Old Bay instead of creole seasoning because I had it on hand. Next time I want to try a little tomato jam on top - had it that way in New Orleans and it was an amazing finishing touch.
Kathie Adamczyk
Wow! I'm from the South and this was better than any restaurant! My grocery didn't have stewed tomatoes so I made my own with 14 oz can of cherry tomatoes with juice, 1 tbsp each of diced onion, bell pepper and celery tops, 1-1/2 tsp sugar and lemon juice, and 1-1/2 tbsp butter cooked on low stove top about an hour). Amazing dish!
bennyblue
There are some great grits recommendations in here!! @TYS>ATL>TPA… I’m going to try those pink unicorn grits. If we’re talking traditional lowcountry grains in general, I recommend Carolina gold rice middlins (also called rice grits). They were originally the broken grains that didn’t get bagged to sell, but I like them even more than the full grains!
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