Shrimp And Crispy Grits
This elevated Southern-inspired dish starts with creamy cheese grits made with Gruyère, Parmesan, and a touch of cream. They’re chilled, cut into thick rounds, breaded, and pan-fried until golden and crispy. Each grit cake is topped with juicy, seasoned shrimp and smothered in a velvety Parmesan cream sauce loaded with sautéed peppers, scallions, garlic, and fire-roasted tomatoes. It’s comforting, bold, and perfect for brunch, dinner, or whenever you’re looking to impress. Check out Brandon on Instagram @brandongouveia for more recipe inspo!
Tasty Team
Total Time
2 hr 30 min
2 hr 30 min
Prep Time
30 minutes
30 min
Cook Time
1 minute
1 min
Total Time
2 hr 30 min
2 hr 30 min
Prep Time
30 minutes
30 min
Cook Time
1 minute
1 min
Ingredients
for 6 servings
Grits Cakes
- 2 (14½-ounce) cans chicken broths
- 2 cups water
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1.5 cups quick grits
- 2 cups shredded gruyère cheese
- 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- kosher salt, to taste
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Shrimp
- 1.5 lb large peeled, deveined shrimp
- ½ tablespoon old bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Cream Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup undrained canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 bell peppers (red and yellow)s, diced
- ½ white onion, diced
- 3 scallions, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ tablespoon old bay seasoning
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- 1.5 cups shredded parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Make the grits cakes: In a pot, bring the broth, water, and 4 tablespoons of the butter to a boil over high heat. Slowly whisk in the grits. Reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until soft and thickened, 3–4 minutes. Stir in the Gruyère, Parmesan, heavy cream, and remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Season with salt to taste. Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- While the grits are chilling, make the shrimp: Toss together the shrimp, Old Bay, garlic powder, salt, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a bowl. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Add the shrimp, and cook on both sides until just cooked, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet, and set aside.
- Make the cream sauce: Add the butter to the same skillet, and melt over medium heat. Add the diced tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, scallions, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in the heavy cream, paprika, Old Bay, and garlic powder. Simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, 3–5 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan. Return the shrimp to the sauce mixture, and stir to evenly coat.
- Cut the chilled grits into 12 (about 4-inch) rounds. Place the eggs in a bowl, and place the panko in another bowl. Dip each grits round into the eggs, then coat in the panko.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Working in batches, add the grits rounds, and cook until golden and crispy on both sides, 1–2 minutes per side. Set aside.
- Arrange the grits cakes evenly on plates. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the top. Garnish with more scallions.
- Enjoy!
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