When I went to Nashville two years ago with my boyfriend, I fell in love with shrimp and grits. Although we a have a few Southern restaurants in Boston, I never really indulged in shrimp and grits until our trip down south. I’ve clearly been missing out because wow-shrimp and grits are so good!
In traditional shrimp and grits, the shrimp is cooked in a delicious savory gravy and served on top of creamy buttery grits. For this version, I cooked the shrimp in a chipotle tomato sauce and served it on top of cheesy cheddar grits. I serve the dish with slices of avocado, cilantro, and lime. It’s honestly delicious!
What are grits, anyway?
Grits are basically a porridge made from boiling cornmeal. On their own, grits are rather bland- similar to plain oatmeal or cream of wheat. The texture of grits makes it perfect to serve with gravies or stews. There are a few different types of grits including: stone-ground, hominy, quick, or instant. For this recipe, I used Bob’s Red Mill Corn Grits, which I love.
Are grits gluten-free?
Yes, since grits are made solely from corn, they are naturally gluten-free. However, because a lot of grits are processed by manufacturers who also process wheat, many are not labeled as gluten-free due to the possibility of cross-contamination. If you’re looking for gluten-free grits, make sure to only get those that are labeled as gluten-free.
Can this dish be made dairy-free?
Yup! To make this dish dairy-free, substitute the exact amount of butter for olive oil (1:1) and cheese for dairy-free shredded cheese (1:1). The cheese may not melt into the grits as well as regular cheese…but sigh, that tends to happen with dairy-free cheese regardless.
Tips for making Chipotle Shrimp and Cheddar Grits
- You can use fresh or frozen shrimp (preferably wild-caught and not farmed)- there is really no difference in fresh versus frozen shrimp as most shrimp is frozen regardless of whether it is being sold as fresh. There is also no difference in nutritional value. It’s really more of a convenience thing as it can take some time to defrost frozen shrimp.
- Buy peeled and deveined shrimp– this is key! Peeling and deveining shrimp is up there on my list of least favorite things to do in this world. It’s icky and labor-some…so do yourself a favor and buy those shrimp ready to cook!
- Use canned fire-roasted tomatoes for the Chipotle Tomato Sauce– you can really use any canned tomatoes for the sauce but using fire-roasted adds that extra char flavor and another dimension to the smokiness of the chipotle pepper and adobo sauce.
- Do not use instant or quick. grits– Use regular grits. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to cooking grits. Instant grits are precooked and dehydrated and quick cooking grits are finer in texture and cooking time may vary. Cooking regular grits will require around 30 minutes to cook as listed below in this recipe.
Hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make this dish, let me know how you liked it! Share it with me on instagram, @thenutritionfiend, or Pinterest, @leangreennutrit.
Chipotle Shrimp and Cheddar Grits
Ingredients
Cheddar Grits
- 1 cup Corn Grits
- 1.5 tbsp Butter unsalted
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Chipotle Shrimp
- 14.5 oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes diced
- 3-4 Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce
- 1-2 tbsp Adobo Sauce from the Chipotle Chile can
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1.5 lbs Shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/2 Yellow Onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1/4 cup Orange Juice
- 1 Lime juiced
- 1/2 cup Cilantro chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For serving
- 1 Avocado sliced
- 1 Lime cut into wedges
- Cilantro to garnish
Instructions
Cheddar Grits
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Once the water is boiling, add a pinch of water.
- Add in the grits to the boiling water and stir constantly for a 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, continuing to stir the mixture occasionally so that the grits do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Once the grits have absorbed most of the water and become a creamy texture, remove from the heat and stir in the butter and the cheddar cheese until incorporated.
- Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls and serve with the chipotle shrimp and garnishes.
Chipotle Shrimp
- Place the fire roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers, and adobo sauce into a food processor or high speed blender. Blend the mixture until the sauce is pureed. Set aside to use later.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in the shrimp and sear for about two minutes each side until the shrimp are opaque. You may have to do this in batches depending on how large your skillet is and how much shrimp you have.
- Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Using the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion until the onion is translucent and golden brown. Add in the garlic and sauté for about a minute.
- Pour in the orange juice and heat for 2-3 minutes until the orange juice has reduced and is almost evaporated.
- Add in the chipotle tomato sauce to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Simmer the sauce mixture until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10-15 minutes.
- Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and add in the cooked shrimp. Stir until the shrimp is generously coated with the sauce mixture. Squeeze the lime juice over the chipotle shrimp and mix in the chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the cheddar grits and garnishes.
For Serving
- Spoon the cheddar grits into bowls and top with the chipotle shrimp.
- Top with sliced avocado, cilantro, lime, and extra cheddar cheese. Serve and enjoy!
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