Ingredients
For the shrimp:
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 1 yellow onion medium, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Creole seasoning
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1½ lb jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup parsley fresh, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
- ½ tsp hot sauce
For the grits:
- 1 cup instant grits I used butter flavor
- 4 cups water or milk
- 2 Tbsp salted butter
- ½ tsp salt
Don't Want to Plan? I Got You.Every Saturday I share a full week of dinners, sides, and a dessert — with the grocery list already done. Come grab this week's Weekly Meal Plans!Equipment
Non-stick Skillet A non-stick skillet is essential when putting this all together
Cutting Boards For chopping up all the veggies that go in my shrimp and grits
Sharp Chef's Knives When you have a lot of chopping to do!
Method Start Cooking
- Make the grits: Prepare the grits according to package directions using the water (or milk). Stir in the butter and salt, cover, and keep warm.
- Cook the bacon: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the vegetables: Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Build the sauce: Add the flour, Creole seasoning, garlic, thyme, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour evenly coats the vegetables, about 1 minute. Gradually stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Cook the shrimp: Add the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Remove from heat and stir in the parsley, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the warm grits, garnish with extra parsley, and serve.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
I used quick-cooking grits to keep this fast, but stone-ground or cheddar-chive grits are wonderful here if you have the time. I also chose to use milk with my instant grits instead of water. I think it made a huge difference in the taste! In the video I use 1 cup of water plus chicken bouillon in place of the cup of chicken broth — use whichever you keep on hand. A squeeze of lemon and a couple dashes of hot sauce at the very end really wake the whole thing up, so don't skip them.
Pat the shrimp dry before they go in so the sauce clings instead of watering down. Don't walk away once the shrimp hit the pan — jumbo shrimp go from perfect to rubbery in about a minute, so pull them the moment they curl and turn pink.
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