New Orleans Shrimp and Grits
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New Orleans shrimp and grits is a Creole dish with a rich, flavorful sauce. Make this recipe tonight for a taste of classic Louisiana cooking!
Cajun vs Creole
Are you curious about the difference between Cajun and Creole? Some quick research on my part revealed interesting facts:
Cajun is a word used to describe the French colonists who moved from the Acadia region of Canada down to Louisiana after the British conquest of Acadia in the 1700s. (Present-day New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia)
Creole is a term used to describe the people who were born in New Orleans with French and Spanish ancestry to those who descended from an African, Caribbean, French, or Spanish heritage.
As for the cuisine term for these, Jay D. Ducote wrote in the Louisiana Travel:
A vastly simplified way to describe the two cuisines is to deem Creole cuisine as “city food” while Cajun cuisine is often referred to as “country food.”
While many of the ingredients in Cajun and Creole dishes are similar, the real difference between the two styles is the people behind these famous cuisines.
New Orleans Shrimp and Grits
New Orleans shrimp and grits features a light sauce made with flavorful seasonings, with tomatoes and corn poured over cheesy grits.
The sauce is well seasoned but not spicy. While it does have a little kick of heat, it’s the flavors that all come together to make the dish memorable.
If you’re a regular reader here you know I use homemade spice blends, and for this one it’s no different. To reduce the sodium found in many store bought spice blends, you can make your own Creole seasoning spice blend.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the Creole Shrimp
- Large shrimp
- Garlic – Fresh cloves offer the best flavor, but pre-minced from a jar works too
- Grape tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes have a similar flavor but they also have more seeds.
- Green onions (scallions)
- Corn kernels – fresh or frozen
- Dry white wine – The alcohol will cook off, but if desired, you can use vegetable broth or seafood stock instead.
- Creole seasoning
- Smoked paprika– There are two types of paprika, sweet and smoked. The sweet variety is also known as Hungarian paprika
Creamed Corn Grits
Grits are a staple in southern cooking, similar in texture to Cream of Wheat, but made from corn. The neutral flavor makes it extremely versatile – it can be used in both savory and sweet dishes.
Adding shredded cheddar cheese to make cheesy grits is a popular way to enjoy them. They’re my favorite part of this Creole shrimp and grits recipe.
- Grits
- Water – To give your grits a richer flavor, use vegetable or chicken stock or broth
- Shredded cheddar cheese – For good meltability, buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheeses are packaged with an anti-caking agent that prevents them from melting well
- Creamed corn – from a can, or use homemade creamed corn.
Video: Making Creole Shrimp and Grits
Scroll down to the recipe card and you can watch as I show you how to make this fantastic Creole dish!
Recipe notes
- Preparing the shrimp
Cleaning raw shrimp is simple to do, but also an essential step for making New Orleans shrimp and grits. While eating the vein is harmless, it is not appetizing to look at, especially in large shrimp.
Removing the shells from shrimp allows the meat to soak up more flavors. Plus, it’s easier to eat them without the shell.
- Use freshly shredded cheese – Buy blocks of cheese and shred them yourself.
Bags of pre-shredded cheese include a preservative to prevent the shreds from clumping together. Unfortunately, it also prevents the cheese from melting properly.
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New Orleans Shrimp and Grits + Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp Creole seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
- 8 oz. corn kernels
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- chopped parsley for garnish
Grits
- 4 cups chicken stock or water
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 cup grits
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 oz creamed corn
Instructions
- Add 1 cup grits to 4 cups heavily salted chicken stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally so as not to stick. Remove from heat and add the cheese and creamed corn. Stir to mix thoroughly and cover. Set aside.
- Combine shrimp, creole seasoning, paprika, and pepper in a bowl and mix to coat. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add oil and butter and cook until butter melts. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook, without stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, celery salt and green onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with wine; cook, stirring and scraping pan to loosen browned bits, 30 seconds. Add corn kernels and stir.
- Remove shrimp from pan and set aside. Mix the cornstarch and water and add to pan. Stir over medium heat until thickened. Add Shrimp back to the pan, stirring to coat.
- Spoon shrimp mixture over creamed corn, cheese grits. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Video
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I made this dish a few days ago and my wife and I loved it.
I’m making it again for dinner this evening for us and some guest; It’s soo good!
Thanks so much for letting me know Victor!
Made this as a tester for company. Tried it out on my daughters and their friends who are very picky. Everyone said this was very good!
So glad everyone enjoyed this one Christina! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
Absolutely delicious! The creamed corn just added POW! to the grits! Thank you for such a Devine recipe! Hubs loves!
I just love this one myself, thanks for trying and for taking the time to come back and let me know Sandra. 🙂
Wonderful! I just tore up my old Dupree recipe.. this is easier/ tastier. Second time I added some chopped green pepper and a bit of andouille for the meat eaters.
My favorite by far!
Fantastic, this makes me so happy. Thanks for letting me know Susan!
Another winner, Kevin! Followed recipe exactly and it was great. Thanks!
One of my favorites, thanks so much Dave!
I love to make and I will, looks so delious
Thank you! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Hi Kevin,
I found your site while looking for a shrimp and grits recipe we had while visiting Louisiana. This one sounds amazing and I will have to try it. I was hoping you would be familiar with another variation, shrimp and grits with andouille cream sauce (from Chimes restaurant). I am also hoping to find a recipe to replicate the New Orleans BBQ shrimp with fried grit cake. I can probably “wing it” with both of these recipes but hoped I could get some assistance with each. (I can’t take much “heat” and Chimes prepared these recipes perfectly for my taste) Thank you for any help with these and I will be making your version with a slight mod on the homemade creole seasoning- maybe 1/2 the cayenne pepper. Love your whole site!
Kevin I made this dish and me and my family enjoyed it tremendously!
I am so glad that your family enjoyed it!
Kevin, I have made this dish SEVERAL times and it is fantastic!! The shrimp and corn are outstanding! I made it again two days ago and cooked the grits in a 9 x 13 dish in the oven instead of the stovetop- it was wonderful because no stirring or worrying about sticking. Same quantities of broth/grits-just combine those plus 1 tsp salt in a 9 x 13 and bake at 350 for 30, 35 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from oven- add cheese and creamed corn and bake again for about 10 minutes. (I added a can of Rotel tomatoes with the broth). I found that version of cooking grits on the Taste of Home blog. Altogether delicious!