Description
A classic Southern dish featuring creamy, buttery grits topped with a flavorful shrimp and bacon sauce. This comforting recipe combines tender shrimp sautéed with garlic, green onions, and crispy bacon, served over smooth, cheesy grits for a satisfying meal perfect for brunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Grits
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup old fashioned grits
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Shrimp and Sauce
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 5 green onions, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken or seafood broth
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Hot sauce, to taste
Instructions
- Make the Grits: In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and add the salt.
- Add Grits Slowly: Add the grits slowly while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low and loosely cover the pot. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes until the grits reach the desired tenderness and creamy consistency.
- Finish the Grits: Cut the cream cheese and butter into chunks and stir them into the hot grits until melted and fully combined, creating a rich, creamy base.
- Cook Bacon: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the bacon grease in the skillet. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease, discarding any excess.
- Sauté Aromatics: Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sliced green onions to the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Cook Shrimp: Season the shrimp with kosher salt and black pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan with the aromatics and bacon grease, adding more grease if needed. Cook the shrimp until pink and just shy of fully cooked, about 3 minutes. Remove shrimp to the plate with bacon.
- Make Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour into the chicken or seafood broth until smooth. Pour this mixture into the skillet, whisking continuously and scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate browned bits. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens.
- Finish Sauce: Stir in the lemon juice and several dashes of hot sauce. Return the shrimp to the skillet and stir to coat in the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Spoon the creamy grits onto plates, top with the shrimp and sauce mixture, and garnish with crispy bacon pieces and additional sliced green onions if desired. Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken broth for seafood broth based on preference or availability.
- For extra creaminess, use stone-ground grits but adjust cooking time as needed.
- Adjust hot sauce to taste for desired spice level.
- Leftover grits can be refrigerated and reheated with a splash of milk or broth.
- This recipe can be adapted to be gluten-free by using gluten-free flour or cornstarch as a thickener.
