What is Shrimp & Grits?

Creek shrimp in a smoky pan sauce over slow-cooked, cheese-enriched stone-ground grits.

Where does Shrimp & Grits come from?

Shrimp & Grits is a American (Lowcountry) dish from Lowcountry (South Carolina), United States.

Can Shrimp & Grits be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Shrimp & Grits recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Shrimp & Grits take to make?

About 60 minutes total (15 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking), serving 4.

Recipe

Name: Shrimp & Grits
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American (Lowcountry)
Ingredients: 1.25 lbs large shrimp, peeled; 1 cup stone-ground grits; 1 cup sharp cheddar, grated; 3 tbsp butter; 4 slices bacon, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 lemon; 4 scallions, sliced; to taste hot sauce

North America → 🇺🇸 United States → Lowcountry (South Carolina)

Shrimp & Grits

American (Lowcountry) · medium · serves 4

prep 15 min · cook 45 min

~592 cal · 48g protein · 36g carbs · 28g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Sautéed shrimp over creamy grits with scallions

🇺🇸 Lowcountry (South Carolina)

Shrimp and grits began as a Gullah fisherman’s breakfast on the South Carolina tidal creeks — shrimp netted at dawn over corn ground the week before. Charleston restaurants dressed it up, but the soul of it is still breakfast on a dock.

Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 4 —

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1.25 lbs large shrimp, peeled

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1 cup stone-ground grits

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1 cup sharp cheddar, grated

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3 tbsp butter

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4 slices bacon, chopped

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3 cloves garlic, minced

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1 lemon

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4 scallions, sliced

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to taste hot sauce

Instructions

Simmer the grits in 4.5 cups salted water, whisking often, 30–40 minutes until creamy. Beat in the cheese and butter off the heat.

Crisp the bacon (or bloom the paprika in oil); set aside, keeping the fat in the pan.

Sear the shrimp (or mushroom rounds) in that fat, 2 minutes a side, with the garlic at the end.

Deglaze with lemon juice and a splash of water, swirling into a quick pan sauce.

Ladle grits into bowls, top with shrimp, pan sauce, bacon, scallions, and hot sauce.

Gullah-Geechee Lowcountry tradition.

Ratings & reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to cook it.

🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Lowcountry (South Carolina). Tidal creeks, Gullah heritage, and shrimp boats at dawn.

🗺️

United States. Regional cooking shaped by migration and the land.

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North America. A collision of Indigenous, colonial, and immigrant tables.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →