Gulf Coast Restaurant-Style Shrimp and Grits Recipe
Mississippi Gulf Coast Shrimp and Grits is a rich, smoky-sweet harmony of buttery stone-ground grits crowned with tender Gulf shrimp, bacon and a silky pan sauce that tastes like Southern comfort with a seaside soul. Make our Gulf Coast Restaurant-Style Shrimp and Grits Recipe at home. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Shrimp and Grits will taste just like it came from a Gulf Coast Restaurant.
Ingredients
Grits
- 1 cup Stone-Ground Grits
- 4 cups Water or 2 cups Water + 2 cups Whole Milk
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded
Shrimp
- 1 pound large Gulf Shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 4 slices thick-cut Bacon chopped
- 1/2 cup Yellow Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Green Bell Pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic peeled and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley chopped
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
- Hot Sauce and Lemon Wedges to serve
Instructions
Grits
- Bring water (and milk, if using) to a boil.
- Stir in grits and salt.
- Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, 20 - 25 minutes until thick and creamy.
- Stir in butter and cheese. Reduce heat to very low and keep warm, stirring once or twice if more than 10 minutes.
Shrimp
- In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside, leaving drippings.
- In same pan, add prepared onion, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté in drippings until soft.
- Add shrimp, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 2 - 3 minutes until just pink. Do not overcook.
- Stir in butter and parsley to finish the sauce and remove from heat.
- Spoon grits onto serving plates.
- Spoon shrimp and pan sauce over grits.
- Top with bacon.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges and hot sauce.