Blackened Shrimp and Grits

5 from 2 votes

These blackened shrimp and grits are made with cheesy stone-ground grits, shrimp cooked with homemade blackening seasoning, and an easy butter lemon pan sauce.

Prep Time5

Cook Time35

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 583kcal

Author: Sarah Trenalone

Ingredients

Cheesy Grits:

1 ½ cups water
1 tablespoon butter
¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste if desired
½ cup stone-ground grits
½ cup milk
2 ounces white cheddar cheese, freshly grated Or sub Gouda
pinch black pepper (optional)

Blackened Shrimp:

8 ounces shrimp (4oz per person) Shells removed + shrimp deveined. Tails on or off, as desired.
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 lemons, juiced (divided)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

Grits:

Tip: These directions are for stone-ground grits only and will not work for Instant Grits. If using a different type of grits, follow the package cooking directions.
Add water, butter, and salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Slowly stir the grits into the boiling water and return the water to a boil.
Cover the pan and lower heat to low. Cook covered for 15 - 20 minutes or until the grits begin to thicken. Stir often, especially towards the end.
Add the milk to the grits and cook uncovered, stirring often (almost constantly) for about 10 more minutes or until the grits are thickening.
Control the boil: If your grits keep boiling up (and start to overflow), lower the heat. (I often switch back and forth between low and warm during this stage.)
Thickness: The grits will continue to thicken as they rest off-heat, so it's okay if they're slightly thinner than you want.
Add the cheese to the grits and stir to combine. Taste the grits and add pepper and/or more salt if desired.
Cover the saucepan and set aside, off-heat.

Cook Shrimp:

Toss shrimp in paprika, oregano, garlic, cayenne, salt, and the juice from one lemon. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan on medium-high heat.
Add shrimp to the pan and cook 1-2 minutes per side, until shrimp are opaque.
Remove shrimp from pan.
Lower heat to medium and add the butter to the hot pan. When the butter melts, add the remaining lemon juice and stir the liquid with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat.
Divide the grits between two bowls and then top with the shrimp and the pan sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes

Prep Time does not include preparing shrimp. It is difficult to know how long shrimp prep will take, because shrimp can be purchased in all stages of preparation. Be aware that if your shrimp need to be fully prepped, it will increase the prep time.

Nutrition