An indulgent single serving of classic Southern comfort food, this shrimp and grits recipe features creamy grits topped with succulent shrimp. Ready in 20 minutes!
Our version of a classic Southern dish, this shrimp and grits is extra-creamy because we've added plenty of cheese and butter to the grits. The succulent shrimp are cooked in butter and served along with sautéed onions, garlic, and sweet red bell peppers. We chose not to add bacon but you can absolutely add it to your version if you'd like to. The result is a rich and decadent meal that you'll be happy to enjoy year-round.
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What Are Shrimp And Grits?
Shrimp and grits began as a simple dish in South Carolina and was called breakfast shrimp.
There are really just two main parts to a good shrimp and grits recipe. First, it's got to have shrimp. Second, it's made with grits. After that, the dish really depends on the cook and the recipe. You'll find shrimp and grits recipes that call for using pork like bacon or ham, mushrooms are common, and sometimes the grits may not contain cheese. There are no hard and fast rules and because of that, the ways to customize this dish are endless.
For our single-serving version, I used our cheese grits recipe and cooked up some shrimp in butter and garlic, along with onions and peppers, and spooned them over the hot grits - the result is simply heavenly!
What Are Grits? Grits are made from ground white corn or hominy and are a staple food in the Southern United States. They are often served as a breakfast dish, a side dish, or as part of a main course, as in this shrimp and grits recipe.
Is Polenta The Same As Grits? Polenta is an Italian version of grits. It's made from cornmeal which gives it a different flavor and texture. The two look similar which causes some confusion, but they are not really the same.
Why This Recipe Works
- Loaded with flavor: This shrimp and cheesy grits are sinfully delicious. The grits are creamy, cheesy, buttery, and wonderfully rich.
- Ready in minutes: It's amazing how quickly this dish comes together. The grits cook in less than 10 minutes and the shrimp takes less than that. It's a wonderful meal to make on any busy weeknight.
- Recipe doubles well: This recipe yields one generous bowl of the best shrimp and grits. If you'd like to make a second bowl, just double the ingredient amounts.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
- Stone-ground grits: The best grits to use when making shrimp and grits is coarsely ground grits or stone-ground grits. The brands of grits I often use only take between 8 to 10 minutes to cook. Depending on the brand of grits you use, the cooking time may be longer. Be sure to read the directions on the package you purchase. I use House Autry White Stone Ground Grits or Bob's Red Mill White Corn Grits.
- Milk and water: Use any percentage of cow's milk and water to make the grits.
- Seasonings: Use garlic powder, smoked paprika, and kosher salt in the grits. I use Diamond Crystal brand of kosher salt.
- Butter: Use salted butter when making the grits and also when cooking the shrimp.
- Cheese: I love using shredded cheddar cheese in this dish but I also enjoy making cheesy grits with Gruyère which melts beautifully. I recommend shredding your own cheese rather than purchasing bagged pre-shredded cheese. The cheese will melt better when freshly shredded. Pre-shredded cheese contains preservatives that help to keep the shreds of cheese from clumping in the bag. This means that the cheese doesn't melt as well.
- Shrimp: If you live along a coast where you can get fresh shrimp, by all means, use that. If not, shrimp that has been frozen is fine to use. I often purchase individually frozen, head-off, peel-on shrimp for most shrimp recipes. These bags of shrimp are found in the freezer section of most supermarkets. When you are cooking for one person, purchasing frozen shrimp can be the most economical way to buy shrimp.
- Vegetables: Use chopped onions, chopped red bell peppers, and a clove of garlic.
- Lemon juice: A squeeze of a fresh lemon adds a burst of freshness to the dish.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.
How To Make Shrimp And Grits For One
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Cook the grits. Mix the milk, water, salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a 1-quart saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the grits and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grits become soft and thick. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the butter and cheese.
Pro Tip: Grits will thicken as they cool. If they are thicker than you like, stir in a few teaspoons of water or milk.
- Cook the shrimp. Melt butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for 1 to 2 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 30 seconds.
- Season the shrimp with salt and black pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook on one side for 1 to 2 minutes, then flip the shrimp over and cook the other side for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the shrimp and vegetables.
- Assemble. Pour the cheese grits into a bowl.
- Pour the cooked shrimp, the vegetables, and the buttery sauce over the grits. Grits are best served immediately.
Expert Tips
- Read through the entire recipe and the Ingredient Notes section of the post and gather your ingredients. Shrimp and Grits come together quickly so it's a good idea to have everything ready before beginning. Although this dish is easy to make, you might have questions about the process and many of your questions may be answered in the Ingredient Notes section and from the process photos and pro tips above.
- If you'd like to use bacon in this recipe, cook the bacon first and use the bacon drippings instead of butter to cook the vegetables and then the shrimp.
- Make the grits cheesy. Cheese adds a richness to the grits that you won't want to miss out on. Mix it in at the very end along with the butter.
- Don't skip the lemon juice. Shrimp with cheese grits is a very rich dish and the small addition of lemon juice helps to cut the richness and adds a burst of freshness.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cheese grits can be made ahead of time and reheated, but the shrimp is best cooked fresh. If necessary, you can cook the shrimp ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator and reheat it on the stove with a little bit of butter.
Bacon, cooked sausage, and sliced mushrooms are common additions to shrimp and grits.
Yes! If you'd like to make shrimp and grits for two, simply double the ingredient amounts.
Serving Suggestions
Although I love to enjoy this Southern shrimp and grits just as it is, you might like to serve it with any of these single serving and small batch side dishes:
More Single Serving Southern Recipes
- Crawfish Etouffée
- Mini Hummingbird Cake
- Mini Chess Pie
- Biscuit with Gravy
- Hush Puppies
- Shrimp Creole
- Seafood Gumbo
- Jambalaya
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy shrimp and grits recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Shrimp: Shrimp Scampi, Shrimp Fried Rice, Pad Thai, Cioppino, Shrimp Tacos, Shrimp Fettuccine
- Garlic powder: Hash Browns, Baked Pork Chop, Baked Chicken Tenders, Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf, Taco Seasoning, Baked Black Bean Tacos
- Smoked paprika: Tomato Soup, Sweet Potato Fries, Baked Pork Chop, Baba Ganoush, Turkey Chili, Potato Salad
- Onions: Tuscan Chicken, Coq au Vin, French Onion Soup, Enchiladas, Goulash, Corn Casserole
- Red bell peppers: Cucumber Salsa, Spinach Turkey Wrap, Ratatouille, Vegetable Casserole, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Cowboy Caviar
- Garlic: Lemon Garlic Chicken, Baked Stuffed Fish, Mushroom Casserole, Bruschetta, Tzatziki Sauce, Cashew Chicken
- Cheddar cheese: Creamed Spinach, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Sausage and Cheese Beer Bread, Egg Wrap, Macaroni and Cheese, Tomato and Pesto Crustless Quiche
- Lemon juice: Chicken Piccata, Alfredo Sauce, Lemon Meringue Pie, Blueberry Pie, Lemon Bars, Sheet Pan Salmon
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried this single serving shrimp and grits recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Recipe
Shrimp and Grits For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the grits
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup stone-ground grits
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ⅔ cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
For the shrimp
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 5 medium shrimp , peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- ¼ cup chopped red bell peppers
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
Cook the grits
- Mix the milk, water, salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a 1-quart saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the grits and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grits become soft and thick. Remove the pan from the heat.Pro Tip: The brands of grits I often use only take between 8 to 10 minutes to cook. Depending on the brand of grits you use, the cooking time may be longer. Be sure to read the directions on the package you purchase.
- Stir in the butter and cheese. Cover and set the pan aside.Pro Tip: Grits will thicken as they cool. If they are thicker than you like, stir in a few teaspoons of water or milk.
Cook the shrimp
- Melt butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for 1 to 2 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 30 seconds.
- Season the shrimp with salt and black pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook on one side for 1 to 2 minutes, then flip the shrimp over and cook the other side for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the lemon juice over the shrimp and vegetables and stir.
Assemble
- Pour the cheese grits into a bowl.
- Pour the cooked shrimp, the vegetables, and the buttery sauce over the grits. Grits are best served immediately.
Notes
- Read through the entire recipe and the Ingredient Notes section of the post and gather your ingredients. Shrimp and Grits come together quickly so it's a good idea to have everything ready before beginning. Although this dish is easy to make, you might have questions about the process and many of your questions may be answered in the Ingredient Notes section and from the process photos and pro tips above.
- If you'd like to use bacon in this recipe, cook the bacon first and use the bacon drippings instead of butter to cook the vegetables and then the shrimp.
- Make the grits cheesy. Cheese adds a richness to the grits that you won't want to miss out on. Mix it in at the very end along with the butter.
- Don't skip the lemon juice. Shrimp with cheese grits is a very rich dish and the small addition of lemon juice helps to cut the richness and adds a burst of freshness.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Margaret says
What are grits, where can they be bought and what do they taste like... as a comparison.
Joanie Zisk says
Grits are made from ground white corn or hominy and are a staple food in the Southern United States. They are often served as a breakfast dish, a side dish, or as part of a main course, as in this shrimp and grits recipe. Grits can be found in the breakfast cereal aisle in most grocery stores. Please read through the Ingredient Notes section and the sections above where I mention the brands of grits I use and other information that may be helpful, especially if you've never tasted grits before.
J. Hegyi says
Good recipe.
Joanie Zisk says
Thank you!