This savory New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp with Grits is a cozy Southern recipe that I love to make around the holidays. It's perfect for a New Year's Eve dinner party!
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: barbecue shrimp recipe, shrimp and grits
Servings: 5Servings
Calories: 372kcal
Author: Whitney Reist | Sweet Cayenne
Ingredients
For the cheese grits:
3cupswater
1cupstone-ground grits(if using quick-cooking grits, follow package directions for cooking time)
½teaspoonssalt
1cup1% milk, plus more as needed
3tablespoonsbutter
1cupfreshly-grated Parmesan cheese
For the shrimp:
1 ½poundsEZ peel jumbo shrimp
3teaspoonsCreole seasoning, divided
2tablespoonsLouisiana hot sauce, divided
Olive oil
3wholegarlic cloves, finely chopped
¾teaspoonsweet smoked paprika
¾teaspoonground oregano
1cupwhite wine
¼cupwater
¼cupWorcestershire sauce
¼cupfreshly-squeezed lemon juice
1wholebay leaf
3tablespoonsbutter, cut into small chunks
2tablespoonsfreshly-chopped parsley
Instructions
For the grits:
Bring the water to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the grits and salt. Reduce heat to low until the grits come to a slow simmer. Place the lid on top and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the milk, and simmer for 10-15 minutes more, stirring as needed to keep the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the grits are cooked and tender, stir in the cheese and butter until incorporated and melted. Keep warm on the stovetop, adding in extra milk as needed if the grits get too thick.
For the shrimp:
Remove the peels from shrimp and set them aside. Place the peeled shrimp in a bowl, along with 1 ½ teaspoon of the creole seasoning and 1 tablespoon of hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells and stir to heat through. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons of Creole seasoning, 1 tablespoon of hot sauce, paprika, and oregano. Toss to combine. Add the wine, water, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the mixture has reduced by half, about 15 minutes (I like to cook the grits during this step). Strain the sauce into a bowl and discard the shells. Place the strained sauce next to the stovetop (or you can do this step the day before and store the strained sauce in the fridge until you are ready to cook the shrimp).
Wipe the skillet clean and return to medium heat. Remove the prepared shrimp from the refrigerator. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Sear the shrimp for about a minute on each side. Add the reserved sauce to the pan and stir to heat through, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter one piece at a time until it is fully incorporated. Stir in the fresh parsley. Serve over hot cheese grits and enjoy!