Weeknight Dinners WEEKNIGHT

Shrimp & Grits Skillet

Name: Shrimp & Grits Skillet
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Southern US
Ingredients: 200 g stone-ground grits; 500 ml milk; 500 ml water; 60 g cheddar, grated; 450 g large shrimp, peeled; 100 g andouille, sliced; 1 onion, diced; 1 red pepper, diced; 2 garlic cloves; 1 tbsp butter; Lemon, to finish

The grits are the dish — use stone-ground if you can find it and stir in the cheese off the heat so it melts without going grainy..

By Dana Reyes

Published 23 Sep 2026 · Tested 2 times · 0 comments

Shrimp & Grits Skillet — Spoon the shrimp and gravy right over the grits so the bowl stays one, not two.

15 min

Prep time

20 min

Cook time

Serves

4.7

NEW

Comfort that still makes a Tuesday

The grits are the dish — use stone-ground if you can find it and stir in the cheese off the heat so it melts without going grainy.

A quick pan sauce from the shrimp juices, stock and a little lemon ties the two together without a separate gravy step.

We tested andouille and chorizo as the smoked-meat add-in; both are good, andouille is the more traditional call.

Instructions

About 35 min from start to finish

Bring the milk and water to a simmer, whisk in the grits, and cook low and slow, stirring, 18 minutes until thick.

Off the heat, beat in the cheddar and a knob of butter; season and keep warm.

In a skillet, render the andouille, then add onion and pepper and soften 6 minutes.

Add the garlic, then the shrimp; cook 3 minutes until just pink.

Deglaze with a splash of stock, add butter, and squeeze in lemon.

Spoon the grits into bowls and top with the shrimp and gravy.

Testing notes & substitutions

Three rounds of testing turned up three things worth knowing before you start cooking.

No andouille

A little smoked paprika and bacon mimic the depth well enough.

Creamier grits

Use all milk instead of half water for a softer bowl.

Questions we get a lot

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes, thaw and pat dry first or they stew rather than sear.

Make ahead?

Grits stiffen as they cool; loosen with hot milk and stir hard before serving.

Dana Reyes

Dana has cooked professionally for eleven years and has been testing recipes for Hearth & Thyme since 2019. She writes about weeknight cooking, slow breads, and the small techniques that quietly change a dish. Every recipe she publishes is cooked at least twice, in an ordinary home oven.