Lowcountry-style shrimp and grits is a cheesy, hearty classic

Published 1:30 am Thursday, January 8, 2026

I recently asked a group of friends to define “stew,” and most agreed that a stew should have a long cooking time. Respectfully, I disagree! I think just about any food simmered in a sauce can be a stew as long as it’s thicker than a soup and sufficiently hearty. Here, shrimp cook gently and quickly in a thick, bacon-scented base. As they pinken, they give up some of their moisture, turning the resulting mixture convincingly stewlike. That glossy, gorgeous gravy gets spooned over cheesy grits for a fairly classic rendition of this Lowcountry dish.

The recipe is from “Padma’s All American,” television host and author Padma Lakshmi’s latest cookbook. It’s a collection of recipes with roots around the globe, though many of the dishes come from immigrant communities in the United States. Some of the recipes are Lakshmi’s own; some are from chefs or cooks she met while in another city, filming a television show; and some are her own adaptations of dishes she tasted while traveling. As I flipped through a preview copy, I bookmarked nearly every other page. I want to make the fatteh batinjan (roasted eggplant layered with chickpeas, yogurt and pita) for a special occasion. Lakshmi’s sambar, or tamarind lentil stew, simmers for just 15 minutes but looks as if it’s full of incredible flavor. While shooting in Miami, she learned to make calabaza con mojo, roasted squash in a citrus-garlic sauce, from historian and writer Ana Sofia Peláez, and I cannot wait to make this as a side for tofu or pork chops, roasted or simply pan-fried.

The recipe for crab fried rice from South Carolina Gullah Geechee chef Benjamin “BJ” Dennis caught my eye, especially because Lakshmi writes that it can be made without the pricey crabmeat. But when I saw that Lakshmi had adapted another recipe from Dennis, one for Shrimp and Grits, I decided to make it immediately.

I rarely cook or eat shrimp, because it can be so difficult to find good-quality options from a trustworthy source. But, a few months ago, when I saw frozen shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico at my fishmonger on sale, I picked some up.

Lakshmi visited Dennis in Charleston while filming “Taste the Nation,” she wrote in the headnote to the recipe, and the pair “spent a blazing hot day together cooking … under the August sun, but what stands out most in my memory is the warm breakfast of shrimp and grits he brought me the morning after. Eating it, I felt so cared for – and so lucky to have a friend like BJ. Each bite evoked a whole world.”

As I read through the recipe, I saw what Lakshmi was getting at. Dennis’s Shrimp and Grits is built upon layers of flavor. A puddle of stone-ground grits, cooked slowly in seasoned broth, then enriched with cheese and cream, is hearty yet simultaneously light and fluffy. The grits cradle the saucy shrimp, which come together quickly while the grits stay warm on the stove. Fry chopped bits of bacon in a skillet until crisp. Use the residual bacon fat to make a pale roux with a bit of flour. Scallions, garlic and red pepper flakes go in next, lending pep, before broth is added to thin the roux out into a gravy. Once that’s smooth, the shrimp – peeled, deveined and tails removed – are added. They take just a few minutes to cook. The crisped bacon bits, a splash of fresh lemon juice and minced parsley are the finishing touches.

“BJ has spent most of his professional life immersed in Gullah foodways,” Lakshmi wrote, noting that his knowledge predates his life in the kitchen. ” … At the side of his grandfather, a laborer who lived off the land in South Carolina, BJ learned how to bank sugarcane and how to dry shrimp and fish on the roof of his home.”

Those lessons instilled in him a value system focused on care, family and self-sufficiency. It made me think about how cooking is a form of care and cultural preservation. Wrote Lakshmi: “Re-creating BJ’s shrimp and grits from memory, I thought of his grandfather, shrimping in the swampland, and all the ways we transmit our cultures – and our love for them – ‘just’ by feeding our families.”

– – –

Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and grits is a Lowcountry classic, and Padma Lakshmi learned this version from South Carolina Gullah Geechee chef Benjamin “BJ” Dennis. First, you’ll make creamy grits and stir in some cheddar cheese at the end. Dennis recommends stone-ground grits, which can be harder to find in stores but are widely available online. (See Where to buy or Substitutions for how to use quick-cooking grits instead.) The shrimp are then cooked in a rich, lightly spiced bacon-fat gravy. Spoon the grits into shallow bowls, ladle the shrimp and gravy on top, then garnish each serving with crisp bacon crumbles.

4 servings (makes 6 cups grits and 5 cups shrimp)

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat the grits over medium-low heat with a splash of water, whisking until smooth. Reheat the shrimp and gravy in a skillet over low heat, adding a splash of water if the mixture seems dry.

Where to buy: Stone-ground grits can be found at natural food stores and online.

Total time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

For the grits

3 cups water, plus more as needed

1 1/2 cups chicken broth, preferably low-sodium

1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed

1 cup stone-ground grits, thoroughly rinsed in a fine-mesh sieve (see Where to buy and Substitutions)

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, preferably white

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon ground white or black pepper

For the shrimp

1 pound medium (41-50 count) shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon), divided

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Fine salt

2 slices bacon (2 ounces total), finely chopped

neutral oil, such as canola or avocado, as needed

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 cup chicken or seafood broth, preferably low-sodium

1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

STEPS

Make the grits: In a medium (3-to-4-quart) saucepan over high heat, combine the water, broth and salt, and bring to a boil.

While whisking, slowly sprinkle in the grits. (This will prevent lumps from forming.) Return the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, whisking frequently to prevent the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the liquid is absorbed and the grits are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. If the grits start to look dry, add a splash of water as needed. (The grits will thicken as they stand, so don’t be afraid of adding too much water.) Remove from the heat, and stir in the cheddar, cream, butter, and white or black pepper until the cheese has completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Taste, and season with more salt, if desired. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Make the shrimp: In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice, the smoked paprika, if using, and a pinch of salt.

Line a plate with paper towels and set near the stove. In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring a few times, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to the prepared plate and drain. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat in the pan. (Save the remaining bacon fat for another use. If you have less than 2 tablespoons of fat left in the skillet, add a little neutral oil to make up the difference.)

Return the skillet to medium heat, and heat until the fat is shimmering. Stir in the flour until the mixture forms a roux and begins to smell toasted, about 1 minute. Stir in the scallions, garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and sauté until the scallions are wilted and start to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the broth and a pinch of salt, and cook, whisking constantly and scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan, until the gravy is smooth and thick, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp, stir to coat in the gravy, and heat until opaque and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the parsley. Taste, and season with more salt, if desired.

Divide the grits evenly among shallow bowls. Ladle the shrimp and gravy over the grits, sprinkle the bacon on top and serve.

Substitutions: Stone-ground grits >> quick-cooking or instant grits, with a reduction to the cooking time, following the package instructions. Cheddar >> parmesan or another sharp, melting cheese. Heavy cream >> half-and-half. Parsley >> more scallions. Dairy-free? >> Skip the cheddar, use water or broth in place of the heavy cream, and use nondairy butter.

Nutrition Per serving (1 1/2 cups grits and 1 1/4 cups shrimp mixture): 452 calories, 37g carbohydrates, 214mg cholesterol, 19g fat, 2g fiber, 33g protein, 10g saturated fat, 691mg sodium, 1g sugar

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

Adapted from “Padma’s All American” by Padma Lakshmi (Knopf, 2025).