Smoked Shrimp & Stone-Ground Grits with Stone-Ground Grits

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Creamy stone-ground grits topped with locally caught shrimp and a smoky bacon-infused butter sauce. This Southern-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 60 minutes, pairs stone-ground white grits, water, smoked bacon for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 510 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 45 min Serves 4 Southern cuisine 510 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil, slowly whisk in 1 cup stone-ground white grits, reduce heat to low, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until thick and creamy.
  2. Step 2: Cook 4 oz smoked bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, remove bacon, and reserve 1 tbsp bacon fat in the skillet.
  3. Step 3: Add 12 oz shrimp to the bacon fat, cook for 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque, then remove shrimp and set aside.
  4. Step 4: In the same skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat, add 2 minced garlic cloves, and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
  5. Step 5: Stir 1 tsp lemon zest into the butter-garlic mixture, then add 1/4 cup of the cooked grits to the skillet to create a sauce, cooking for 2 minutes until thickened and bubbling.
  6. Step 6: Divide grits between bowls, top with shrimp and bacon, drizzle with sauce, and garnish with 2 tbsp chopped chives.

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