BBQ Shrimp and Grits
On August 10, 2020 (Updated October 25, 2023)
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These BBQ Shrimp and Grits are a delicious meal when you’re craving tons of flavor with cheesy, creamy texture. This is the Southern comfort food you know and love, but it feels like a high-end delicacy.
Easy Shrimp and Grits
If you’re looking for the most amazing Southern comfort food, look no further than shrimp and grits. Since we’re into all things BBQ here at Hey Grill Hey, this recipe calls for grilled shrimp and the most incredible BBQ butter on top of tasty, cheesy grits.
The grits are extremely rich, creamy, and cheesy. The grilled shrimp have the perfect, juicy bite with a snap of crunchy texture from the grill. Rounding this recipe out is the BBQ butter. It’s tangy and provides the perfect flavor to counter balance the sweet and cheesy grits.
Ingredients for Shrimp and Grits
These shrimp and grits are the ultimate BBQ comfort food, and it’s all thanks to the tasty ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to compile these shrimp and grits (Full printable recipe card is available below).
For the cheesy grits, make sure you have the following on hand:
- Low sodium chicken broth
- Garlic
- Old fashioned grits
- Extra sharp cheddar cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Heavy cream
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
Next up, we make the grilled shrimp with the following:
- Jumbo shrimp
- Signature Sweet Rub (You can buy this pre-made and ready to go from Patio Provisions, or you can make it yourself using my recipe for Best Sweet Rub).
Finish up with some simple BBQ butter sauce:
- BBQ Sauce (Pick your favorite. I highly recommend trying my Everything Sauce or whipping up some of my Kansas City BBQ Sauce).
- Unsalted butter
How to Make Shrimp and Grits
Here’s the 411 on making some tasty shrimp and grits:
- The Grits. Make the grits by bringing chicken broth and minced garlic to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in the grits, reduce the heat, and simmer according to the directions on the package. Next, whisk in heavy cream and butter. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- The Sauce. Make the BBQ butter sauce by melting unsalted butter in the microwave and adding BBQ sauce. Divide the sauce into two bowls. You’ll use one bowl for basting the shrimp while it’s on the grill, and one as a final topping for the finished grits.
- The Shrimp. Begin by seasoning the shrimp with my Signature Sweet Rub. Next, with your grill preheated to 450 degrees F, place your seasoned shrimp on the grill grates, and grill for 2-3 minutes per side, basting each side with the BBQ butter sauce. Discard remaining sauce.
- The Shrimp and Grits. Dish up the cheesy grits in a bowl topped with a handful of shrimp, and drizzle on extra BBQ butter sauce. For some extra pizzazz, top with some fresh chives.
More Grilled Shrimp Recipes
So you’re a fan of seafood cooked on the grill, eh? Try out these other delicious grilled shrimp recipes from Hey Grill Hey:
- Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
- Shrimp and Sausage Kabobs
- Grilled Shrimp with a Chili Lime Rub
BBQ Shrimp and Grits Recipe
BBQ Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients
Cheesy Grits
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 cup old fashioned grits
- 4 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded, (1 ½ cups)
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- kosher salt to taste
- fresh ground pepper to taste
BBQ Shrimp
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp de-veined and shells removed
- 2 Tablespoons Signature Sweet Rub
BBQ Sauce Butter
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the grill. Preheat the grill to 450 degrees F.
- Season the shrimp. Season shrimp with Sweet Rub and set aside.
- While the grill heats, prepare the grits. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and minced garlic to a boil. Stir in the grits, whisking quickly, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the grits according to package directions, whisking every few minutes, until they are soft and the stock has been absorbed by the grits. Whisk in the heavy cream and butter until combined. Turn off the heat and stir the cheese into the grits in batches until completely melted. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Make the BBQ sauce butter. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and then stir in the BBQ sauce. Heat through and divide into two bowls. One for topping the grits later, and one for using on the shrimp.
- Grill the shrimp. Head outside with the shrimp and the BBQ butter sauce. Place the shrimp on the grill grates and cook for 2-3 minutes, basting with the BBQ butter sauce. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes, again basting with the sauce. Discard any BBQ butter that was used on the raw shrimp.
- Assemble the shrimp and grits. Dish up with a scoop of cheesy grits, topped with 6-8 shrimp, and a drizzle of the BBQ butter you set aside. Sprinkle with minced chives, if desired, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
