Easy Shrimp and Grits Recipe Without Bacon

Quick recipe for easy shrimp and grits. It is the best and one of my favourite comfort food. It also makes an amazing family dinner idea.

When I want to make a quick meal for my family this recipe always comes to the rescue.

Well, there is always pasta, but I am trying really hard not to make pasta every other night.

I am being creative, like making breakfast for dinner. It is nothing original but it works for us.

Tap here for more seafood recipes

Since we are talking about quick and easy meals, shrimp goes well with rice, pasta or potatoes.

On the other hand, chicken, pork or beef goes very well with grits. There is always a solution when it comes to creating an amazingly delicious quick and easy dinner.

To be honest, this makes an incredible brunch food or lunch.

All you need to cut the meat into smaller pieces to cook fast. It tastes absolutely amazing with lemon and butter.

From time to time my family gets picky around food; no runny yolks, problems with chunky pasta sauce as well as floating onions in the stew or soup, etc.

There is so much more than they do not like, but I just wanted to name a few to tell you that we just like any other family. I cook all the time and experiment so my kids would eat what I make.

I am sure that you have at least one picky eater in your house, so if there are no allergies this meal is a winner. They will lick a bowl and ask for more.

Recipes you might like:

SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO WITH SHRIMP

SALMON BIBIMBAP — KOREAN RICE BOWL

INDIVIDUAL CHICKEN POT PIES

CHICKEN FAJITA SKEWERS

EASY FISHERMAN PIE

So traditionally grits are gluten-free, however, make sure to check because some brands like Quaker does not consider them to be gluten-free due to the possibility of cross-contamination. I am just sharing what everyone is saying.

There are other brands that are gluten-free and instant. I just wanted to put that out there if you did not know.

If you get inspired and make my recipe for Easy Shrimp and Grits, please tag me on Instagram. @sandraseasycooking using hashtag #sandraseasycooking. Thank you so much!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Quick and Easy Shrimp and Grits recipe; a perfect family dinner.

Ingredients

Grits

1 cup instant grits
2 cups half and half
2 cup chicken stock
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste (always taste food)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Shrimp

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
½ onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 to 1 ½ shrimp peeled and deveined
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Old Bay Seasoning to taste
Freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

How to make grits:

Cook grits according to package instructions using half and half or heavy whipped
cream (or milk) and chicken stock in place of water.
Generously season your grits with ½ teaspoon of salt and about ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper,
or to please your taste. Always add less and taste it. You can always add more. Stir and cook grits at the low temperature until liquid is absorbed and becomes creamy and smooth.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and set aside and keep warm. It takes usually around 5-7 minutes to finish instant grits at a lower temperature or about 20 to 25 minutes if you going to make stone-ground grits. Read instructions on the back of the package as it could be very helpful.

How to prep shrimp:

Peel and devein shrimp if they are not already. Wash well under cold water.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, for a couple of minutes.
Stir in garlic, and shrimp and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cook at medium temperature, stirring occasionally, until pink and cooked through about 3 minutes to up to 5 minutes. Do not overcook. As soon as it is pink all throughout it is cooked.
Stir in chopped parsley and lemon juice. Serve immediately with grits, garnished with chopped parsley.

Notes

The ratio you need to remember for stone-ground grits is 4:1. It's 4 cups of liquid to 1 cup of stone-ground grits. You can use just water, or a combination of stock, water, and milk/cream.

If you do not have old bay seasoning you may use just celery salt, ground black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika.

You could use cubed chicken breast instead of shrimp to make this dish. Cooking time might take a few minutes longer but it tastes amazing. That is just in case of allergies or if you dislike shrimp. Also, some of you were asking if you could use pork. Yes, pork tenderloin is perfectly fine, just slice it into smaller pieces.