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South Carolina · Shrimp

Charleston Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp & Grits

Lowcountry shrimpers ate this for breakfast: creamy stone-ground grits with fresh creek shrimp. Charleston turned it into a supper classic, with a pan sauce of bacon, garlic, lemon and green onion.

  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 35 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Lucio Panerai · Pexels
Served with: Southern Skillet Cornbread ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the grits

For the shrimp

Method

Step by step, start to finish.

  1. Cook the grits. Bring the water, milk and salt to a simmer. Whisk in the grits slowly. Cook on low, stirring often, 25–30 minutes until thick and creamy. Stir in the butter and cheese. Keep warm.
  2. Crisp the bacon. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Lift it out and leave the fat in the pan.
  3. Cook the shrimp. Season the shrimp with paprika and cayenne. Cook in the bacon fat 1–2 minutes per side until just pink. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
  4. Make the pan sauce. Pour in the stock and lemon juice and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer 1 minute. Stir in the bacon and green onions.
  5. Serve. Spoon the grits into bowls, top with the shrimp and sauce and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with cornbread.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Southern United States

Southern Skillet Cornbread

Skillet Cornbread

Cornmeal batter poured into a sizzling buttered cast-iron skillet so the edges come out crisp and golden. Made with buttermilk, it is the bread of the Southern table.

  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 22 min
  • Serves 8
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 1½ cups yellow cornmeal
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1½ cups buttermilk
  • 4 tbsp butter

How to make it

  1. Heat the skillet. Put the butter in a 10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet and heat it in a 425 °F (220 °C) oven for 5 minutes.
  2. Mix. Whisk the dry ingredients. In another bowl whisk the eggs and buttermilk. Pour in most of the hot butter from the skillet and stir everything together until just mixed.
  3. Bake. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. It should sizzle. Bake 18–22 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  4. Serve. Rest 5 minutes, cut in wedges and serve warm with butter.

Photo: Alejandro JV · Pexels

More ways to cook Shrimp

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Salvador, Bahia, BrazilBahian Shrimp in Creamy Cassava Coconut Sauce
Havana, CubaCuban Shrimp in Creole Sauce
Arequipa, PeruArequipa Shrimp Chowder
Madrid, SpainSizzling Garlic Shrimp
Cajun Country, LouisianaLouisiana Shrimp and Crab Gumbo