Your favorite Thanksgiving side dish meets your favorite low country vacation dinner. Hello, Shrimp and Grits Dressing. Where have you been all our lives?
If you're looking for a new Thanksgiving tradition or Friendsgiving side dish to bring to the party this year, you have to try this savory, satisfying shrimp and grits dressing recipe!
You'll be the talk of the town, in the best way possible.
The original recipe for Shrimp and Grits Dressing was printed in Southern Living Magazine more than a decade ago. I've modified the seasonings mixture to introduce more spice, and simplified the process of preparing the dish to suit my cooking style.
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Old Bay Seasoning: substitute your favorite all purpose or seafood seasoning, or check out Best Substitutes for Old Bay.
Veggies: celery, onion and bell pepper make up the classic combination, but use what you love. Fennel, shallots and green bell pepper would be delicious, as well.
Seafood stock: substitute veggie stock, or for meat-eaters, chicken stock.
Uncooked grits: polenta works well here, too!
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions:
1. Cook vegetables and spices
Begin by preheating your oven to 325°F. I love making this dish right in my cast iron skillet. If using a baking dish instead of the skillet, be sure to butter or spray an 11x7-inch baking dish.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter, along with diced celery, onion, red bell pepper and minced garlic cloves. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Sauté until veggies are tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika to the vegetables. Mix to combine and let the spices bloom in the pan for about one minute.
2. Add cheese and grits
Add 3 cups of seafood stock to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high to bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add 1 cup of grits and ½ teaspoon salt.
Stir periodically until the liquid is absorbed and the grits are cooked, about 8-10 minutes. Add the parmesan cheese.
3. Add eggs
In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup of stock (cooled), 3 eggs and lemon juice. Whisk well to combine.
Add a cup, or about one-fourth of hot grits mixture, to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Then add the egg and grits mixture back into the skillet of grits, whisking constantly for about 30 seconds.
4. Here comes the shrimp and Old Bay
Finally, add the cup of fine bread crumbs and pound of medium-size raw shrimp to the grits mixture and stir thoroughly. Spread the grits mixture evenly in the skillet, or, if baking in another casserole dish, pour and spread evenly.
Cut the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and scatter around the top of the dressing, then sprinkle with additional Old Bay.
5. Bake and serve
Bake the dressing for 35-45 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through and the mixture is set. Remove from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Top with diced fresh chives.
Looking for more holiday sides?
- Herby Mushroom Mascarpone Dressing Recipe
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Brussels Sprouts Gratin Recipe
- Vegetarian Hashbrown Casserole (Cracker Barrel Copycat)
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
Any kind of Cajun seasoning would work - just start with ½ teaspoon first, as some Cajun seasonings can be spicier and / or saltier than Old Bay Seasoning. Taste the grits mixture before adding the eggs to determine if additional seasoning is needed. Check out Best Substitutes for Old Bay.
Some of the best side dishes to serve with shrimp and grits are collard greens, biscuits, sweet potato fries, mashed sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, green beans and potatoes.
I have used white grits and yellow corn in this grits recipe and thought both were delicious. I've also started with uncooked regular grits or quick-cooking grits. The cooking time will be modified according to package instructions, but the final product will be lovely, either way.
Parmesan adds a subtle nuttiness to this dish that compliments the shrimp mixture perfectly. But if you're looking for a southern shrimp and grits experience, a dose of sharp cheddar cheese will do the trick!
Seafood stock can be delivered to your doorstep from our friends at Amazon. If you have no time to wait, and are cooking for non-pescatarians, 3 ½ cups chicken broth would be a lovely substitute. Vegetable stock is also a good option.
The dish can be prepped in advance right up until the point you add the shrimp. Keep the grits mixture and the shrimp separately in the refrigerator and combine just before baking.
To store, cover and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Shrimp and grits dressing can be reheated in the microwave or the oven until warmed through.
Shrimp and Grits Dressing Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup celery, finely diced
1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
3 ½ cups seafood stock, divided
1 cup uncooked grits
3 large eggs, beaten well
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons fresh chives, diced, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325℉. Butter or spray an 11x7-inch baking dish, if using instead of cast iron skillet.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter, along with diced celery, onion, red bell pepper and minced cloves garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until veggies are tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika to the vegetables. Mix to combine and let it bloom in the pan for about one minute.
- Add 3 cups of seafood stock to the skillet and raise to medium-high heat to bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add 1 cup of grits and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir periodically until the liquid is absorbed and the grits are cooked, about 8-10 minutes. Add the parmesan cheese.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup of stock (cooled), 3 eggs and lemon juice. Whisk well to combine. Add a cup, or about one-fourth of the hot grits mixture, to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Then add the egg and grits mixture back into the skillet of grits, whisking constantly for about 30 seconds. Finally, add the cup of fine bread crumbs and pound of medium-size raw shrimp to the grits mixture and stir thoroughly. Spread the grits mixture evenly in the skillet, or, if baking in another casserole dish, pour and spread evenly.
- Slice the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and scatter around the top of the dressing, then sprinkle with a pinch of additional Old Bay.
- Bake the dressing for 35-45 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through and the mixture is set. Remove from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Top with chives or fresh parsley.
Notes
Use white or yellow grits in this recipe.
Substitute Cajun seasoning for Old Bay, or check out Best Substitutes for Old Bay.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 60
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Oven and Stove Top
- Cuisine: American, Southern
Elizabeth
Delicious! Served it for Thanksgiving for the first time and everyone loved it with the turkey gravy. For leftovers, made your creamy cajun shrimp sauce and it disappeared in seconds. Family says we can't wait for next Thanksgiving to make it again, so it's on the monthly rotation at our house 🙂
Christina Jolam
Love to hear this, Elizabeth! Thanks for coming back to leave a helpful review.