For the longest time I thought shrimp and grits was one of those dishes you just order out. You know, something that arrives on a nice heavy plate with a little parsley situation and you feel fancy for twenty minutes. I figured there was no way I could pull it off in my tiny kitchen with the mismatched pans and the spice drawer that’s mostly just old jars of stuff I bought for one recipe in 2019.

Then I lived in the South for a bit. Just long enough to realize that down there, this isn't a restaurant flex. It's Tuesday. It's what you make when you want something that feels like a hug but also you're hungry and don't want to spend two hours doing dishes.

My first attempt was... fine. Edible. The grits were clumpy and the shrimp had that weird rubbery thing happen. But I kept at it because when it's good? Man, when it's good there's nothing else like it. That salty bacon fat coating the shrimp, the grits so creamy you almost can't believe there's no heavy cream in them — wait there is heavy cream in them, I put heavy cream in them. You get what I mean.

This version right here? This is the one I stopped tweaking. The one I make when I want to impress someone but also want to stay in my sweatpants.

Ingredients I Used for the Recipe

I’m not precious about ingredients usually but a few things here actually matter. Not in a snobby way, more in a “learn from my mistakes” way.

• Stone-ground grits - Not instant. Not quick. I know instant is faster but it turns into paste. I like Palmetto Farms or Bob’s Red Mill, medium grind so it’s creamy but still tastes like corn actually existed in it.
• 16/20 wild shrimp - Bigger is better here. They don’t shrink as much and they stay juicy. Wild has more flavor but listen, if you can only get farmed, get farmed. I’ve done both. It’s still good.
• Thick-cut bacon - I used to be a thin bacon person because crispy. But for this you want meaty pieces that hold their own against the grits. Neuske’s if you’re feeling spendy, Niman Ranch is solid. Honestly just not the super thin store brand.
• Sharp cheddar - Pre-shredded is fine in a pinch but shredding it yourself melts better. I’ve used asiago before too when I ran out of cheddar and it was actually really good.
• Heavy cream - Non-negotiable for me. Milk works but cream makes it taste like restaurant food.
• Garlic, lemon, scallions - The holy trinity for the shrimp situation. Fresh garlic, not jarred. Squeeze the lemon right before it goes in.
• Tabasco - Optional but I always add it. Just a couple dashes. Not enough to taste spicy, enough to make you wonder what that little something is.

How I Make Shrimp and Grits Now (Rice Cooker Hack Included)

Step 1 - Start the Grits Before You Even Think About Shrimp

This was my original sin. I used to try to cook everything at once and the shrimp would be done in four minutes and the grits would still be hard little pebbles. So now: grits first, always. You can do stovetop or rice cooker, I’ve done both dozens of times.

The rice cooker thing? I was skeptical. It felt wrong somehow. But I tried it once when I was already using every burner and honestly it works. You just throw in 1 cup grits, 4 cups water, half teaspoon salt, hit the white rice setting and walk away. When it beeps you stir in the butter and cream and cheese and it’s perfect. Not all rice cookers are the same though so if yours runs hot check it early the first time.

On the stove I bring the water to a boil, add grits and salt, cover it, turn the heat to low and let it hang out for about 20 minutes. Then butter, cream, cheese. I turn the heat off before adding cheese because nothing ruins this faster than grainy cheese from too-high heat. Let the residual warmth do the work.

Step 2 - Render the Bacon Like You Mean It

Put the bacon in a cold pan. Cold pan is important. Then turn the heat to medium and let it slowly do its thing. This takes like 8-10 minutes but don’t rush it. You want the fat to render out and those little brown bits to form on the bottom of the pan. Those bits? That’s flavor jail. We’re keeping all of it.

Pull the bacon out with a slotted spoon. Leave the grease. If your bacon was weirdly lean and there’s not enough fat, add a tiny bit of butter. Usually there’s plenty though.

Step 3 - Shrimp Go In, Do Not Crowd Them

This is the part I messed up so many times. Shrimp need space. If you pile them in they steam instead of sear and then you get that sad gray-ish look. Single layer only. If you have to do two batches do two batches.

Season them with salt and pepper right in the pan. Cook for 60 seconds exactly. I used to guess and they’d be overdone. I literally count now. One Mississippi two Mississippi. Flip them over, season that side too.

Step 4 - Add Everything Else Fast

Once they’re flipped you move quick. Scallions, garlic, lemon juice, the bacon you set aside, Tabasco if you’re using it. Toss it all together gently. The garlic only needs like a minute or it burns. The lemon juice brightens everything up.

Here’s the thing about shrimp: they keep cooking after you take them off heat. So I pull them when they’re just barely opaque, almost underdone looking. By the time they hit the plate they’re perfect. Overcooked shrimp is the saddest food on earth. We don’t do sad shrimp here.

Step 5 - Plate It Like You Do This Every Day

Spoon the grits into shallow bowls. Make a little well in the middle. Pile the shrimp on top with all that pan juice. If you have extra scallions sprinkle them over because it looks pretty and also tastes good.

I used to try to arrange everything neatly. Now I just scoop and serve. It tastes better when you don’t fuss with it.

Tips

Don’t walk away from the shrimp. I mean it. Four minutes total is usually all it needs. Answer the door? Sure. Check your phone? Your shrimp are now rubber bands. Stay at the stove.

Grits will stiffen up if you look away too long. Keep the lid on while you’re doing the shrimp. If they get too thick add a splash of water or milk and stir over low heat. They bounce back. Grits are forgiving even when we aren’t.

Leftovers are weird but workable. People ask about freezing this and I always say don’t. The texture gets sad. But fridge for 3-4 days is fine. Reheat in the microwave at like half power in short bursts. Stir between each burst. The shrimp won’t be as good as fresh but the grits actually reheat decently.

Big shrimp cost more but you need fewer of them. 16/20 count means 16 to 20 per pound. You get like 5-6 per person and it feels substantial. Small shrimp get lost in the grits. Learn from my nickel-and-diming phase.

One time I used pre-shredded cheese because I was lazy. It had the anti-caking powder on it and the grits never got fully smooth. Shred your own. It takes two minutes. I say this with love because I am also lazy but this is where the line is drawn.

If you don’t have Tabasco use something else. Or nothing. But a little acid and heat wakes everything up. A friend of mine uses Crystal. Another uses a pinch of cayenne in the shrimp seasoning. I’ve done Old Bay before when I was out of everything else. It worked. This isn’t a purity test.

Make this for breakfast sometime. I know that sounds wrong if you’re not from the South. But a poached egg on top? Ridiculous. Good ridiculous. I did it once when I had leftover grits and now I do it on purpose sometimes.

Look. This dish seems like it should be hard. It has grits and shrimp and bacon and cheese and it shows up in fancy restaurants with a price tag that makes you blink twice. But really it’s just good ingredients treated with some patience and not overcooked. The first time you nail it - the grits are silky, the shrimp are juicy, there’s a little pool of bacon-buttery sauce in the bottom of the bowl - you’ll wonder why you ever ordered this out.

And then you’ll make it again next week because now it’s in your rotation and you can do it in your sleep. Or at least in your sweatpants. Same thing basically.