Slow Cooker Shrimp and Grits

Introduction & Inspiration

Shrimp and Grits is a quintessential Southern comfort food classic, and I’m always looking for ways to enjoy its creamy, savory goodness with minimal fuss. This recipe for Slow Cooker Shrimp and Grits immediately caught my eye because it promised to deliver perfectly creamy, cheesy grits using the gentle, hands-off heat of the slow cooker, topped off with quickly sautéed shrimp. It sounded like a fantastic way to simplify a beloved dish.

My inspiration came from wanting that rich, comforting bowl of cheesy grits infused with flavors like bacon, onion, garlic, and Cajun seasoning, without needing to constantly stir a pot on the stove. The slow cooker seemed like the ideal tool for achieving perfectly cooked, creamy grits, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully over time.

My goal was to explore this specific slow cooker method for making the grits base, pairing it with quickly cooked shrimp for a complete and satisfying meal. While the recipe includes an interesting method for the bacon (adding it raw initially), we’ll explore that and offer tips for achieving the best texture for all components.

Let’s get ready to slow cook some incredibly creamy and flavorful grits!

Nostalgic Appeal / Comfort Food Connection

Shrimp and Grits is a dish steeped in Southern culinary history and holds significant nostalgic appeal, particularly for those with roots in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia. It evokes images of comforting breakfasts, hearty brunches, or satisfying suppers. The combination of creamy, humble grits with flavorful shrimp is a unique and beloved American classic.

This slow cooker version taps into that comforting heritage by focusing on creating incredibly creamy, cheesy grits infused with savory elements like bacon, onion, and garlic. The addition of Cajun seasoning adds a familiar Louisiana-inspired warmth and spice that complements the core ingredients beautifully.

Using the slow cooker enhances the comfort factor, suggesting a relaxed, unhurried approach to cooking this classic dish. It allows the grits to cook gently while you attend to other things, filling the kitchen with welcoming aromas.

Enjoying a bowl of this feels like savoring a piece of Southern culinary history, made accessible and easy through the convenience of modern appliances.

Homemade Focus (Slow-Cooked Grits, Flavor Building)

This Slow Cooker Shrimp and Grits recipe, while utilizing the slow cooker for the grits, emphasizes homemade flavor development. You are essentially creating a rich, savory, cheesy grits base from scratch, allowing the flavors of bacon, onion, garlic, and spices to infuse the grits during the long, slow cooking process.

I appreciate recipes that build flavor layers, even in simple preparations. This recipe uniquely adds chopped raw bacon, onion, and garlic directly into the slow cooker with the uncooked grits and broth from the start. While this differs from crisping bacon separately, the intention is likely for the bacon fat to render slowly, flavoring the grits intensely as they cook. (We’ll discuss texture implications later).

Making the creamy, cheesy finish yourself by stirring in heavy cream and cheddar at the end allows you to control the richness and achieve that perfect melt. Sautéing the shrimp separately just before serving ensures they are perfectly cooked, plump, and juicy – a key homemade step for delicate seafood.

From combining the base ingredients to finishing with cream and cheese and topping with fresh shrimp, the process results in a deeply flavorful, multi-component dish crafted in your own kitchen.

Flavor Goal

The primary flavor goal of this Slow Cooker Shrimp and Grits is intensely creamy, cheesy, savory grits with smoky bacon notes and a hint of Cajun spice, topped with perfectly cooked, succulent shrimp. It aims for the ultimate Southern comfort food experience – rich, savory, creamy, and satisfying.

The quick-cooking grits become exceptionally creamy and tender after hours of slow cooking in chicken broth, absorbing flavors deeply.

The bacon (added raw) renders its fat, infusing the grits with smoky, salty flavor, while the onion and garlic soften and add aromatic depth.

The Cajun seasoning provides a warm, savory, and slightly spicy kick characteristic of Louisiana-inspired cuisine.

Heavy cream and shredded cheddar cheese, stirred in at the end, create an ultra-rich, creamy, and cheesy finish for the grits.

The sautéed shrimp provide a sweet, tender counterpoint to the rich grits. The final garnish of green onions adds a fresh, sharp bite.

Ingredient Insights

Let’s explore the key ingredients:

• Shrimp, peeled and deveined: The star protein topping. Cooked separately and quickly at the end to ensure perfect texture.
• Grits (quick-cooking specified): The base of the dish. Quick grits cook faster than stone-ground, making them suitable for this slow cooker timeframe. Stone-ground grits would require much longer cooking and potentially more liquid.
• Chicken broth: Provides flavorful liquid for cooking the grits. Low sodium recommended.
• Heavy cream: Added at the end for ultimate richness and creaminess.
• Cheddar cheese, shredded: Melts in at the end for cheesy flavor. Sharp cheddar adds more punch.
• Bacon, chopped: Added raw to the slow cooker initially to render fat and infuse flavor. Note: This method will result in soft, chewy bacon pieces, not crispy ones. See Tips for alternatives.
• Onion, chopped & Garlic cloves, minced: Aromatic base flavors cooked with the grits.
• Cajun seasoning: Provides characteristic spice and warmth. Adjust amount to taste.
• Salt and pepper: Essential seasonings (use salt carefully due to bacon, broth, cheese).
• Green onions, for garnish: Adds freshness and color.

The combination of bacon fat rendering into the grits and the final cream/cheese addition creates a very rich base.

Essential Equipment

You’ll need your slow cooker and a skillet for the shrimp:

• A Slow Cooker (Crockpot): A 4-6 quart size should work well.
• A Skillet: For cooking the bacon first (recommended variation) and for quickly sautéing the shrimp at the end.
• A cutting board and knife: For chopping bacon, onion, garlic, and green onions.
• Measuring cups and spoons.
• A whisk or spoon: For stirring grits occasionally.
• A grater: For cheddar cheese.
• A slotted spoon: Helpful for removing cooked bacon if pre-cooking it.

Standard kitchen tools are mostly sufficient.

List of Ingredients with Measurements

Here’s the complete list of ingredients, with precise measurements:

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup grits (quick-cooking)
• 4 cups chicken broth (low sodium recommended)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning (adjust to taste)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Green onions, for garnish
• (Implied: 1 tbsp olive oil or reserved bacon fat for sautéing shrimp)

These quantities yield a generous amount, likely serving 4-6 people.

Prep onion, garlic, and bacon before starting.

Step-by-Step Instructions (Slow Cooker Grits Method)

Let’s walk through making these creamy grits and topping them with shrimp:

1. Combine Grits Base Ingredients:

• In the insert of your slow cooker, combine the chicken broth and the uncooked quick-cooking grits. Stir well.
• Add the chopped raw bacon, chopped onion, minced garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together. (See note below regarding raw bacon)

2. Cook the Grits:

• Cover the slow cooker securely with the lid.
• Cook on the LOW heat setting for 4-5 hours. Stir occasionally, especially during the last hour or two, to prevent the grits from sticking to the bottom and ensure even cooking. The grits should be thick and creamy when done.

3. Add Cream and Cheese:

• During the last 30 minutes of the cooking time, stir the heavy cream and shredded cheddar cheese into the grits until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Keep covered for the remaining time.

4. Cook the Shrimp (While Grits Finish):

• Near the end of the grits’ cooking time, prepare the shrimp. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil (or reserved bacon fat if you pre-cooked bacon – see Tips) in a skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the peeled and deveined shrimp in a single layer (cook in batches if necessary). Sauté quickly for 1-2 minutes per side, just until pink and opaque. Do not overcook the shrimp. Season lightly with salt and pepper if desired.

5. Serve:

• Taste the finished grits and adjust salt, pepper, or Cajun seasoning if needed.
• Ladle the hot, creamy, cheesy grits into bowls.
• Top generously with the freshly sautéed shrimp.
• Garnish with sliced green onions before serving immediately.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON BACON: Adding raw bacon to cook with the grits for 4-5 hours (as per Step 1) will render fat and add flavor, but the bacon pieces themselves will become soft and chewy, not crispy. For classic crispy bacon texture, cook the bacon first in a skillet until crisp, remove it, crumble it, and stir the crumbles back into the grits along with the cheese and cream at the end (Step 3). You can sauté the onion and garlic in the reserved bacon fat before adding them to the slow cooker initially for extra flavor.

Troubleshooting

Slow cooker grits require some attention:

• Problem: Grits are lumpy.
  • Solution: Whisk the grits thoroughly into the cold broth initially. Stirring occasionally during cooking also helps prevent lumps from forming at the bottom.
• Problem: Grits are too thick or sticking badly.
  • Solution: Stir in additional hot chicken broth or water, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Ensure you stirred occasionally during cooking.
• Problem: Grits are too thin.
  • Solution: Remove the lid and cook on HIGH for the last 15-30 minutes (after adding cheese/cream) to allow some liquid to evaporate. Grits thicken considerably upon standing.
• Problem: Shrimp are tough/rubbery.
  • Solution: Shrimp cook very quickly! Sauté them separately for only 1-2 minutes per side, just until pink. Do not add them to the slow cooker for extended periods.
• Problem: Bacon is soft/chewy (if following recipe exactly).
  • Solution: This is the expected result of slow cooking raw bacon in liquid. For crispy bacon, cook it separately first and add the crumbles at the end (see Tips/Instructions Note).

Monitor grits consistency and cook shrimp separately just before serving.

Tips and Variations

Let’s enhance this Southern classic:

• Tip (Crispy Bacon!): Cook the chopped bacon in a skillet until crisp before starting. Remove bacon, reserve crumbles. Sauté onion and garlic in 1-2 tbsp of the reserved bacon fat, then add sautéed aromatics to the slow cooker with grits/broth. Stir in bacon crumbles with cheese/cream at the end.
• Variation: Use stone-ground grits instead of quick-cooking for more texture, but significantly increase the LOW cooking time (often 6-8+ hours) and potentially the liquid amount – follow package guidance for slow cookers if available.
• Tip: Use freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor and melt.
• Variation: Add other cheeses like Monterey Jack, Gruyere, or smoked Gouda along with or instead of cheddar.
• Tip: For extra flavor, add a bay leaf to the slow cooker (remove before serving) or a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
• Variation: Stir in some sautéed mushrooms or bell peppers along with the onion/garlic.
• Variation: Make it spicier by adding more Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, or serving with hot sauce.

Customize the flavor and texture to your preference!

Serving and Pairing Suggestions

Slow Cooker Shrimp and Grits is a hearty and satisfying meal, perfect for brunch or dinner.

Serving: Serve hot in shallow bowls, ensuring a generous portion of creamy grits topped with plenty of shrimp.

Pairing:

• Garnish: Sliced green onions are essential. Extra crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, or chopped fresh parsley are great additions.
• Hot Sauce: A Louisiana-style hot sauce on the side is a classic accompaniment.
• Bread: Crusty bread or cornbread is perfect for soaking up any remaining creamy grits.
• Side Salad: A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette can balance the richness.
• Brunch: Serve alongside fried eggs or fresh fruit.

A true taste of Southern comfort!

Nutritional Information

This dish is rich and decadent due to cheese, cream, bacon, and grits. Nutritional info is approximate (per serving, assuming 4-6 servings):

• Calories: 500-700+
• Fat: 25-40+ grams
• Saturated Fat: 12-20+ grams (High from cream, cheese, bacon)
• Cholesterol: 150-200+ mg (from shrimp, cheese, cream)
• Sodium: 800-1200+ mg (Bacon, cheese, broth, Cajun seasoning contribute significantly)
• Total Carbs.: 30-45 grams (primarily from grits)
• Dietary Fiber: 2-4 grams
• Sugars: 3-6 grams
• Protein: 25-35+ grams

A high-protein meal, but also high in fat (especially saturated) and sodium. Using lower-fat cheese/milk, turkey bacon, and low-sodium broth/seasoning can adjust the profile, but will impact richness.

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Recipe Summary and Q&A

Let’s conclude with a summary and common questions:

Recipe Summary:

Slow Cooker Shrimp and Grits features quick-cooking grits simmered in a slow cooker with chicken broth, raw bacon, onion, garlic, and Cajun seasoning until creamy. Heavy cream and cheddar cheese are stirred in near the end. Fresh shrimp are sautéed separately and served over the hot, creamy grits, garnished with green onions. (Note: Pre-cooking bacon separately is recommended for crispy texture.)

Q&A:

Q: Can I make this ahead of time? A: Grits tend to thicken considerably upon cooling. It’s best served fresh. You can make the grits ahead, store refrigerated, and reheat gently on the stovetop with additional broth or milk to loosen before cooking shrimp and serving.

Q: How do I store leftovers? A: Store leftover grits and shrimp separately (if possible) in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Q: How do I reheat leftovers? A: Reheat grits gently on the stovetop, adding milk or broth as needed to restore creaminess. Reheat shrimp very briefly (microwave or skillet) to avoid making them tough.

Q: Can I use stone-ground grits? A: Yes, but they require a much longer cooking time (6-8+ hours on LOW) and may need more liquid (check package recommendations for slow cooking). The texture will be different (more toothsome).

Q: Do I have to add the bacon raw? A: No, and for better texture, it’s recommended to cook the bacon until crisp first, then crumble and stir it in at the end with the cheese and cream. You can sauté the onion/garlic in the bacon fat before adding them to the slow cooker.