Whenever I think about brunch the first thought that comes to me is shrimp and grits. Which is a sort of funny because I only tried shrimp and grits together about 2-3 years ago. But now I’m hooked. I’ve tried a few recipes I found on different recipe sites and I have come up with my own recipe that I’m calling Blackened Shrimp and Cheesy Grits.

Now I will freely admit, I’m a Midwesterner who still has a learning curve to navigate when it comes to some Southern dishes. So please don’t hold it against me that this recipe doesn’t hold to tradition. I used instant grits…stay with me. And I used frozen, shell-on, uncooked jumbo shrimp…there is no ocean close by for fresh shrimp. But I stand by the flavor combinations in this dish!

Ok, let’s jump to it.

Ingredient List

Large / Jumbo Shrimp
Grits
Bacon
Cheddar Cheese
Blackening Seasoning (I like and used Zatarain’s Blackened Seasoning)
Green Onion for garnish

Technique

We want to start by rendering the fat of two slices of bacon. We’ll reserve the bacon for garnish at the end and use the fat to saute the shrimp. A little trick I learned about blackening. Whatever it is you’re blackening, don’t put the blackening seasoning on the food itself. Add the seasoning to the oil or fat you are using and then saute the food in it.

The shrimp will cook quickly. It only takes 1-2 minutes per side, or until it is no longer translucent. Overcooking will make it tough and chewy and not very appetizing.

When the shrimp is done set it aside and then begin making your grits.

As I stated earlier, I’m not from the South so making grits the traditional way is not my forte. Here I used Quaker Old Fashioned grits which take about 15-20 minutes to cook according to the directions on the container.

Also, to season the grits I used a teaspoonful of the bacon fat and blackened seasoning the shrimp was sauteed in.

Once the grits are done I removed them from the heat and added the cheddar cheese and stirred to blend it in well. Then I added back the blackened shrimp. From here we’re almost home.

The last step is to plate the blackened shrimp and cheesy grits followed by the garnishment of bacon and scallions.

Plate up is super easy. Spoon the desired amount into a shallow soup bowl and liberally garnish with bacon and sliced scallions.

Less Spicy Variation of Blackened Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

If you prefer a little less kick, you can skip adding the fat and blackened seasoning to the grits and substitute salt and pepper. So only the shrimp will have the heat. Here’s what that version looks like.

If you like this recipe, you may want to also check out my spice-rubbed grilled shrimp recipe!