Get ready to experience the bold flavors of New Orleans with this Cajun Shrimp and Grits recipe. It's packed with juicy shrimp, creamy cheesy grits, and a zesty Cajun seasoning. It's perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras or any night you want some Southern comfort food!
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- If you're looking for Mardi Gras recipes for your upcoming celebrations, this New Orleans shrimp and grits won't disappoint! It's an easy stovetop recipe with rich flavors and incredible textures.
- Easily adjust this Southern shrimp and grits with a few simple ingredient swaps that I recommend below.
- Everyone loves this Cajun shrimp and grits. It's great as a party dish that can feed a crowd. You can also enjoy it as a family dinner whenever you crave it.
With this New Orleans shrimp and grits recipe, there's now even more reason to celebrate Mardi Gras this year! Show off your Southern cuisine skills with this mouth-watering Louisiana classic!
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Shrimp: Jumbo-sized shrimp are best for this dish. They need to be peeled and deveined.
- Andouille Sausage: This spicy sausage is strongly associated with New Orleans cuisine and pairs beautifully with seafood.
- Chicken Broth: Use store-bought or homemade chicken broth. This is one of the liquids used to make the grits and adds delicious flavor.
- Grits: This is made from dried, ground corn and is a popular dish in the Southern parts of the United States.
- Heavy whipping cream: Used to give the grits that creamy texture and also added to the shrimp sauce.
- White Cheddar Cheese: Shredded and mixed into the cooked grits for a sharp cheesy flavor.
- Shallot: Finely chopped.
- Seasoning: I use kosher salt, black pepper, and Cajun seasoning in this New Orleans shrimp and grits dish.
- Fats: Olive oil to cook pan fry the shrimp and unsalted butter to make the creamy grits.
- Yellow Onion: Finely chopped.
- Vegetables: Use a healthy mix of green bell pepper, celery, and Roma tomato. Chop them finely to keep the shrimp mixture smooth and saucy.
- Worcestershire sauce: Provides a complex flavor to the dish with sweet, salty, savory, tangy, and spicy notes.
- Fresh lemon juice: Great to balance some of the heaviness from the rich ingredients used to make this shrimp and grits.
- Garlic: Always use freshly minced garlic for depth of flavor.
- Scallions: A lovely garnish for this rich and comforting shrimp and grits recipe.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cook the shallot in melted butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until softened and translucent.
- Add the broth, milk, salt, and pepper to the saucepan and bring it to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits and reduce the heat to medium. Whisk often, until the grits are thickened and tender.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the shredded cheese, cream, and remaining butter until you achieve a smooth consistency.
- Cover the grits and keep warm while you continue with the recipe.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat.
- Add the shrimp and season with salt. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes on one side until golden brown and then 1 minute on the other side. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate.
- Reduce the heat in the skillet to medium-high and add the sausage. Stir occasionally while the sausage cooks for about 4 minutes, or until browned.
- Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes or until the veggies are tender and starting to brown.
- Add the seasoning, tomato, and garlic to the skillet and stir constantly for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, cream, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Make sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the mixture is slightly reduced and thickened. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and coat them in the sauce. Cook for an extra 1 minute.
- Serve your shrimp and grits with a sprinkle of chopped scallions.
🥫 Storage
Store this spicy Cajun shrimp and grits in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a saucepan with a splash of broth, milk, or cream to loosen the mixture.
I like to freeze leftover grits and shrimp separately. This way, the texture of the shrimp stays better when thawed and reheated.
📚 Variations
- Add crispy pieces of bacon to the grits for added flavor.
- You can use breakfast sausage or Italian sausage instead of andouille sausage. This will help reduce the spiciness in this classic shrimp and grits recipe.
- You can add some tasty vegetables to this Louisiana shrimp and grits. Consider using corn, roasted red pepper, spinach, kale, or even finely chopped zucchini. They will all enhance the dish beautifully!
- Easily increase the spicy kick of heat in this Southern comfort food with cayenne pepper or red chili flakes. I recommend experimenting with this towards the end of the cook.
- Serve your spicy shrimp over creamy polenta instead of grits for a slight variation to classic shrimp and grits.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Be sure to buy peeled and deveined shrimp. If not, take the time to peel and devein them yourself for this authentic shrimp and grits recipe.
- In this Creole shrimp and grits recipe, it's important to chop the vegetables finely. This way, they soften evenly, and there are no large chunks in the dish.
- Stick to seasoning directions in this recipe. It's easier to add extra seasoning to the sauce at the end. Trying to fix the flavor after adding too much is much harder.
🤔 FAQs
New Orleans shrimp and grits is bold in flavor and spicy thanks to the Cajun seasoning, Andouille sausage, and fresh shrimp. It's then served over creamy and cheesy grits for some serious Southern comfort food!
Absolutely! Make sure that the frozen shrimp is thawed ,drained, and dried thoroughly before cooking it. You may also need to adjust the cooking time when using frozen and thawed shrimp instead of fresh shrimp.
Yes, this shrimp and grits is one of many popular Mardi Gras recipes that is served throughout the city of New Orleans. It may not be as popular as gumbo, jambalaya, and beignets, but it's still well known.
Creole versions of shrimp and grits typically include tomatoes in the sauce while Cajun versions usually don't. I've added tomato in this version, which I feel adds a lovely flavor.
Cook your grits on a lower heat for a slower time and whisk the mixture frequently to prevent any lumps. I also like to add heavy cream and cheddar cheese for extra flavor and creamy texture.
Grits, in my opinion, always taste better and have a creamier texture when cooked with milk.
📗 Related Recipes
- Spicy Shrimp Creole With Italian Rustic Polenta - Another rich and flavorful Creole dish with plump shrimp and rich sauce. Enjoy it over rustic polenta, white rice, or with crusty French bread.
- Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo - This gumbo is a Louisiana seafood favorite. The stew-like consistency with juicy shrimp, smoked sausage and other rich flavors is perfect with a serving of fluffy rice.
- Classic Jambalaya - This authentic Creole Jambalaya dish is an easy one-pan recipe that you will find served at most restaurants throughout New Orleans. Now you can make it from the comfort of your own home!
🍽 What to serve with New Orleans Shrimp and Grits
This spicy Cajun shrimp is perfect over cheesy corn grits. You could also serve it over creamy polenta, fluffy rice, or with a hunk of crusty French bread.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Large saucepan - To make the creamy cheesy grits.
- Large skillet - Use a nonstick skillet to cook the shrimp in.
- Liquid measuring cup - To measure the cooking liquids.
- Dry measuring cups - To measure the grits and seasoning.
- Chef knife - An essential in my kitchen, used to prepare ingredients, such as the Andouille sausage and veggies.
- Cutting board - To prepare the finely chopped veggies.
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk - An important tool to make smooth grits and shrimp sauce.
- Wooden spoon
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Hey, amici (friends)! If you want to bring some Cajun flavor to your cooking, this shrimp and grits recipe is perfect for you. It’s a delicious way to experience a taste of New Orleans! You can trust me on this: every time I make this dish, my friends and family love it. It has become our favorite for Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras celebrations. With creamy, cheesy grits and gamberetto (shrimp) full of bold Cajun flavors, this dish is perfect for special occasions. It's also easy enough for any day when you want a taste of Southern charm.
No vedo l'hora (I can't wait) for you to try it—I'm pretty sure it'll become your new favorite, too. Gather your friends and family. Pour some sweet tea, or maybe something a bit stronger! Enjoy this fantastic New Orleans shrimp and grits recipe together. Buon appetito and buone feste (happy celebrations)!
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Big Easy Flavor | Unforgettable Cajun Shrimp and Grits
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
Grits:
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter divided
- 1 medium shallot finely chopped (about ¼ cup)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
- 6 oz. white Cheddar cheese shredded (about 1 ½ cups)
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
New Orleans Shrimp:
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. jumbo raw shrimp about 16 shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 5 oz. Andouille sausage from 1 [12-oz.] pkg., finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion (from 1 small [5 oz.] onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper from 1 small [8 oz.] bell pepper
- ¼ cup finely chopped celery from 1 medium [1 oz.] stalk
- 3 oz Roma tomato seeded and finely chopped (about ⅓ cup)
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic from 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup thinly sliced scallions about 2 scallions
Instructions
- Cook shallot: Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Cook Grits: Add broth, milk, salt, and pepper to saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high. Slowly whisk in grits, and reduce heat to medium. Cook, whisking often, until grits are thickened and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add cheese to Grits: Remove saucepan from heat; whisk in cheese, cream, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter until smooth. Cover and keep warm.
- Cook shrimp: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high. Add shrimp, and sprinkle with salt; cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip shrimp, and cook, undisturbed, until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.
- Cook sausage: Reduce heat in skillet to medium-high; add sausage, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook, stirring often, until tender and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add seasoning: Add tomato, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Finish New Orleans Shrimp: Stir broth, cream, lemon juice, and Worcestershire into skillet; cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet, until slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Return shrimp to skillet, and coat in sauce; cook until cooked through, about 1 minute.
- Garnish and serve: Serve shrimp over grits; sprinkle with scallions.
Nutrition
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