No. 21 – Shrimp and Bacon over Grits Recipe

NalyRice.com
April 13, 2023

A Southern classic with shrimp, bacon, cherry tomatoes, and yellow corn grits.

The first time I had shrimp and grits was in North Carolina. It’s a simple and delicious dish that’s no fuss and full of flavor in southern low country style.

It’s a warm bowl with succulent shrimp, sweet cherry tomatoes, and saltiness from bacon. I like plain yellow corn grits with this dish, however, you can add shaved parmesan cheese as a topping.

If you’re not a fan of grits, you can also replace it with polenta. However, I highly recommend this dish with grits.

If you’re interested in learning how to make my version of Shrimp and Grits, then enjoy this recipe!

Do you like grits or polenta?

Summary:

Ingredients:

Shrimp
1 cup Diced Sweet Onions
1 tbsp Minced Garlic
3 slices of Bacon
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes
Chopped Green Onions
1 cup Yellow Corn Grits
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper
Salt
Pepper
1 cup Chicken Stock
2 & 1/2 cups Water
2 tbs Butter
Shaved Parmesan for serving

Cooking Grits

For this recipe I used 1 cup of yellow corn grits with 3 cups of water, 1 cup of chicken stock, and 1 tbs of butter. Combine and bring the pot to a boil

You can use whichever grits you have on hand. This recipe isn’t good with instant grits though.

Once the pot boils, add the 1 cup of grits and stir continuously. When all the grits are thoroughly mixed, lower the heat to low-medium for about 15 minutes.

Add salt to your liking and stir continuously so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. When all the water has absorbed and it has a thick consistency, then set aside for plating.

Cooking Shrimp

Dice up the sweet onions, garlic, and green onions. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half.

Clean and gut the shrimp. I like to peel the shrimp and leave the tails on for serving. Now we’re ready to cook on the stove.

Cut 3 slices of bacon and add to a hot pan or pot to high heat.

When it begins to brown, scoop out some of the bacon fat and add the sweet onions and garlic. Stir and lightly salt the dish as it cooks.

When the onions are translucent, add the shrimp and cherry tomatoes to the pot to cook. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.

This is when we can add salt, paprika, and cayenne to the pot.

You can also leave this part out if it’s too spicy. Sometimes adding dry red pepper flakes before serving is a good idea for a spicy finish too.

Add the rest of the 1/2 cup of chicken stock to the pot just as the shrimp are about done.

Turn off the heat right before the shrimp are about to be done. It’ll continue to cook in the pot while we get ready for plating.

Now we can plate! Scoop some yellow corn grits onto a plate or bowl. Scoop the bacon and shrimp mixture right on top, serve with a side salad, and we’re ready to enjoy!