Growing up in the South, I’ve always loved Shrimp and Grits. It’s really more of a dish known in the low country areas of SC and Georgia, places like Charleston and Savannah, where local seafood is abundant.
These days, Shrimp and Grits are everywhere- because the world has discovered how awesome this dish is! Shrimp and Grits is a great dish to make for brunch and you can easily set up a Shrimp and Grits bar and let people add their favorite toppings and hot sauce.
I put a spin on this dish by grilling the shrimp, sausage and peppers to add smokiness and extra depth of flavor to this dish, versus the regular version which sautés the peppers, shrimp and sausage.
Grilled Shrimp and Grits
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Description
This recipe grills the Shrimp, sausage and peppers to add a smoky flavor depth to Shrimp and Grits which is traditionally cooked in a skillet.
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs shrimp, deveined and shells removed
1 lb andouille sausage, chopped into ¼” pieces
1 8-oz bag red, yellow, green mini peppers
2 tbsp old bay seasoning
2 cups Grits- I am really loving Bob’s Red Mill Corn Grits/Polenta- very creamy and cook quickly
1 qt organic reduced sodium chicken stock (or homemade!), plus 2 cups water
1/3 cup whole milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sea salt- or to taste
1 tsbp fresh ground pepper- or to taste
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 cup cheddar, grated
Chopped parsley, for garnish, optional
Crystal Hot sauce
Instructions
In a bowl, add olive oil, old bay and the shrimp and toss to coat.
Meanwhile, start your grits: Heat quart of chicken broth and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add 2 cups of grits gradually over 2 minutes stirring constantly (grits will clump easily-also easily stick to bottom of pot!). Let the grits cook down on a medium simmer, stirring often, about 30 minutes. While the grits are cooking, prepare your grill for cooking on direct heat. I recommend using your charcoal grill with Kingsford Charcoal to get smoky flavor.
While your charcoal is heating up, continue to watch and stir your grits. Once they have reduced down, keep them on a very low simmer.
Grill the shrimp, sausage and peppers until cooked through. The shrimp will cook most quickly- remove them as soon as they begin to turn pink. Remove the sausage once an internal temp of 145 degrees with a Thermapen has been reached and the peppers can be removed once they have developed char marks.
Once the shrimp, peppers and sausage have cooked on the grill, remove them and set aside on a cutting board to let cool slightly so they can be chopped. Meanwhile, add the milk, cheese and butter to the grits and stir to combine and let thicken over a low simmer. Add salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to the grits. Chop the peppers and sausage and remove the tails off the shrimp. Ladle grits ½ cup at a time into bowls. Add shrimp, peppers and sausage and garnish with chopped parsley.
Serve with your favorite hot sauce, and additional salt and pepper. I hope you and your family enjoy this Southern inspired dish as much as mine does! Cheers!
Notes
I developed this recipe in partnership with my friends at Kingsford Charcoal. I only work with Brands I use and recommend.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
- Category: Brunch/Seafood
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Southern
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may be interested in trying out these recipes!
This looks SO incredibly good. Cannot wait to try it this weekend!
If you give it a try and leave me a review on the site!!!! Thanks!!! 🙂