Southern Comfort: Shrimp and Grits Recipe

Want to master the ultimate Southern comfort food that's ready in 30 minutes and will have everyone begging for seconds?

shrimp and grits recipe

Why You’ll Love this Southern Comfort Shrimp and Grits

If you’ve never experienced the pure magic of creamy, buttery grits mingling with plump, perfectly seasoned shrimp in a silky sauce, well, you’re missing out on one of the South’s greatest contributions to comfort food.

This dish hits all the right notes—rich, savory, a little spicy, with that gorgeous contrast between the velvety grits and tender shrimp.

It’s the kind of meal that makes you slow down, take your time, savor every bite.

Plus, despite looking fancy enough for company, it comes together in about thirty minutes. That’s my kind of impressive.

Pure comfort, zero fuss.

What Ingredients are in Southern Comfort Shrimp and Grits?

This isn’t one of those recipes with a grocery list a mile long, thank goodness. You’ll need fresh shrimp, a handful of spices you probably already have lurking in your cabinet, some butter and cream (because we’re not playing around here), sharp cheddar cheese, quick-cooking grits, and a few other pantry staples.

The country ham at the end is kind of the chef’s kiss, that little salty punch that pulls everything together. Nothing too fancy, nothing you’ll have to hunt down at some specialty store. Just good, honest ingredients that know how to work together.

For the Shrimp:

  • 1½ pounds wild Georgia shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • Salt

For the Grits:

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup quick-cooking grits
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3½ ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese

For the Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon hot sauce

For Serving:

– 1 slice sugar-cured country ham

Now, a few things worth mentioning. If you can’t track down wild Georgia shrimp, don’t stress about it, just grab the freshest shrimp you can find, preferably not those sad frozen ones that have been sitting around since who knows when.

The recipe calls for Tone’s Louisiana Cajun seasoning and Texas Pete hot sauce, but honestly, use whatever Cajun blend and hot sauce you like or have on hand. Same goes for the bouillon cubes, Knorr’s nice but any brand works.

Quick-cooking grits are key here because nobody wants to stand at the stove for an hour stirring. And that extra-sharp cheddar, don’t cheap out and go mild, you want that punch of flavor to stand up to all the other bold tastes happening in this dish.

How to Make this Southern Comfort Shrimp and Grits

southern shrimp and grits

Start by peeling and deveining your 1½ pounds of shrimp if they’re not already done, which, let’s be honest, is kind of a pain but totally worth it for fresh shrimp.

Mix up your spice blend in a small bowl, 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, 1 tablespoon of paprika, 1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning, and some salt and fresh ground black pepper. Toss the shrimp in this spice mixture until they’re nicely coated, then set them aside while you get the grits going.

For the grits, bring 2 cups of water to a boil with 2 chicken bouillon cubes and 2 tablespoons of butter. Once it’s bubbling away, slowly add in 1 cup of quick-cooking grits, whisking constantly with a wire whisk for about 5 minutes. Then stir in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, ¾ cup of heavy whipping cream, and 3½ ounces of that extra-sharp cheddar cheese. Keep whisking for another 2 or 3 minutes until everything gets creamy and gorgeous. The recipe says don’t skimp on the butter and cream, and I’m telling you right now, this isn’t the time to get health-conscious.

Now for the shrimp action. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and stir it around for about 30 seconds until your kitchen smells amazing. Toss in those spiced-up shrimp and cook them just until they’re done and tender, which doesn’t take long at all, a few minutes at most. Don’t overcook them or they’ll turn rubbery and sad, and nobody wants sad shrimp.

Pull the shrimp out of the pan and set them in a bowl, you can absolutely taste one or two to make sure they’re properly seasoned, it’s called quality control.

Here’s where it gets good, with all those beautiful drippings left in the pan, add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir it with a wooden spatula to make a roux. Cook that roux for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring pretty often, until it turns a nice medium-tan color. If you’re looking to upgrade your cookware, a premium dutch oven works beautifully for making roux and other Southern dishes that need even heat distribution.

Slowly pour in 1 cup of chicken stock and ½ cup of heavy whipping cream, whisking it all together. Let it cook for about 2 minutes, then whisk in 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and ½ teaspoon of hot sauce.

While that’s happening, cook up 1 slice of sugar-cured country ham in another pan and cut it into little cubes.

To serve, pile some of those steaming cheese grits on a plate, top with several shrimp, drizzle that incredible roux sauce over everything, and sprinkle on those country ham cubes. This is the kind of dish that makes you understand why people get so worked up about Southern food.

Southern Comfort Shrimp and Grits Substitutions and Variations

While this recipe is pretty much perfect as written, you might need to make some swaps based on what’s in your kitchen or what dietary restrictions you’re dealing with.

Can’t find wild Georgia shrimp? Any good-quality shrimp works fine. For a lighter version, I’d swap half-and-half for the heavy cream, though you’ll sacrifice some richness.

Need it gluten-free? Cornstarch makes a decent roux substitute.

Vegetarians can skip the country ham entirely, or add smoked paprika for that smoky depth.

And if you’re watching sodium, low-sodium bouillon cubes keep things from getting too salty.

What to Serve with Southern Comfort Shrimp and Grits

Honestly, shrimp and grits is such a complete dish that you don’t need much on the side, but a few smart additions turn dinner into something memorable.

I like keeping things simple with a crisp green salad, dressed lightly with lemon vinaigrette to cut through all that cream and cheese.

Collard greens work beautifully too, especially if you cook them with a little bacon.

Some folks add cornbread, which feels redundant since you’ve already got grits, but I won’t judge.

A cold beer or sweet iced tea completes the Southern experience perfectly.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve made it this far through the recipe, you’re about to understand why Southerners get so passionate about their shrimp and grits.

That first bite, when the creamy grits meet the perfectly seasoned shrimp and that silky roux drizzles down? It’s the kind of moment that makes you close your eyes and just savor.

I’m telling you, this dish transforms a regular Tuesday into something special. The layers of flavor, the contrast of textures, the way everything comes together on one plate.

It’s comfort food at its absolute finest, and honestly, I can’t wait for you to taste it.

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