Blackened Shrimp and Gouda Grits

You'll love this quick and easy Southern combination of Blackened Shrimp and Gouda Grits!  All-natural ingredients and ready in 10-minutes.

The combination of Shrimp and Grits has been a Southern favorite for years!

This recipe adds a little spin on the traditional dish with spicy blackened shrimp and cheesy Gouda grits!

Shrimp and grits are about as Classic Southern as you can get, (thank you South Carolina)!

You'll find this combination in just about every restaurant south of the Mason-Dixon line! Most Southerner's serve this as a main dish, but if you want a side dish, consider a green salad or some good ole' collard greens!

You'll love this recipe!

• Quick and easy - blackened shrimp cook lightening-fast...seriously, in about 5-8 minutes! I use quick-cooking grits, so those take about 5-minutes, too. 
• Great texture and flavor: the blackened shrimp are somewhat crunchy and pair well with the creamy cheese grits
• Easy to reheat: if you're lucky enough to have any leftover, just re-heat in the mirowave and you're done!

What does "blackened" mean?

The term "blackened" in culinary circles refers to a protein (typically fish or shrimp) that has been seasoned with a mixture of spices. 

The term also refers to the method of cooking, which is in a dry, hot cast-iron skillet. No oil or liquid is added; this hot and fast method of cooking most resembles grilling.

You'll find "blackened" seafood in Cajun and Creole recipes, as the dry-heat method was developed by Louisiana's own legendary Chef Paul Prudhomme.

He applied his technique to this combination, which was originally known in South Carolina as "shrimp and hominy." 

What are "Blackened seasonings"?

Blackening seasonings typically consist of cayenne pepper, chili powder, onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper. They do have a little heat to them so if you're not a fan of spicy, use cautiously.

Note: this recipe uses Kroger brand Blackened seasonings because the Zatarains' brand contains MSG.

If you're allergic to MSG, be sure and check the ingredient label first.

Here's what you'll need:

The ingredient list is simple: Shrimp, blackening seasoning, quick-cooking grits, cream, and aged smoked Gouda cheese. Smoked paprika is optional.

How to make it:

This cooks up really fast, so prep the shrimp first.

Peel, devein and lightly season shrimp; pat dry and sprinkle with blackening seasoning. Meanwhile, make the grits.

Bring grits to boil; add in cream

Add in shredded smoked Gouda cheese

Season the shrimp and cook in a dry cast-iron skillet

Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat; do not add oil

Place shrimp in searing hot skillet for 2-minutes on each side

Remove and serve over cooked Gouda grits

What is Gouda cheese and where do I find it at the store?

Gouda cheese is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. It's a product of the Netherlands so you'll most likely find it in the "fancy" or "imported cheese" part of your grocer. 

Tips

• Buy the biggest, freshest shrimp you can find; frozen is okay to use as well
• Use an aged Gouda or Smoked Gouda cheese
• If you substitute with pre-shredded or block Cheddar cheese, the result will NOT be the same; cheddar is sharper and more oily; this will affect the flavor and texture of your grits
• This cooks quickly! Make the grits first
• Use a cast-iron skillet
• Use tongs to flip the hot blackened shrimp
• Do NOT add oil or butter to the cast-iron skillet; you want to sear the shrimp in a dry skillet

Reheating

If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, reheat the grits separately from the shrimp. The grits will thicken upoon refrigeration, so add a little water to them and reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop.

As for the shrimp, they can be reheated in the microwave but make sure they're covered; if reheated uncovered, they get rubbery.

Serving suggestions:

Blackened shrimp and Gouda grits is a meal in itself, however, if you want to serve it with something else, you can never go wrong with a crisp green salad, a bowl of collard greens, a cup of Louisiana Gumbo or crab puffs.

Blackened Shrimp and Gouda grits is a quick and easy weeknight meal, perfect for when you're too tired to cook!

Related recipes:

• Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
• Smothered Okra and Tomatoes
• Louisiana Shrimp Etouffee
• Natchitoches Meat Pie
• New Orleans Cajun Chicken Gumbo
• Wild Rice and Oyster Dressing
• Easy Coconut Shrimp
• Fried Potato Cakes
• Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment! I love to hear from you!

📋 Recipe

Blackened Shrimp and Gouda Grits

Classic Southern Blackened Shrimp and Grits with Smoked Gouda Cheese

5 from 12 votes

Print Rate

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Cajun, Creole, Louisiana, Southern

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

Total Yield: 4

Author: Anecia Hero

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• Cast iron skillet
• Tongs

Ingredients 

½x1x2x3x

• 1 pound shrimp , large; peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons blackened seasoning
• Louisiana Hot Sauce , optional; as garnish

Ingredients for Grits

• 1 cup grits , quick cooking
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1½ cups smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (buy about 8 ounces)
• smoked paprika (optional) to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

Prep

• Peel and devein shrimp; pat dry and place on paper towel; lightly season with blackened seasonings; set aside
  1 pound shrimp, 2 tablespoons blackened seasoning
  
• Shred smoked Gouda cheese; set aside

Prepare the Grits

• Bring 4 cups of water to boil in large stockpot
  4 cups water
• Add grits; reduce heat to medium-low; cook 5-minutes
  1 cup grits
  
• Add garlic powder, heavy cream and shredded cheese; combine well; taste for salt; add paprika if using; turn heat to simmer and make the blackened shrimp
  1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 cup heavy cream, smoked paprika (optional), 1½ cups smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
  

Make the Shrimp

• Heat large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat
  
• Once skillet is super hot; add seasoned shrimp in a single layer
• Cook 2-minutes then, use tongs to flip shrimp; cook another 2-minutes; remove shrimp from skillet; season to taste
  salt and pepper to taste
• Plate cooked grits in bowl; top with blackened shrimp; garnish with Louisiana Hot Sauce, green onions or parsley
  Louisiana Hot Sauce
  

Notes

Prep time:

Allows for peeling and deveining shrimp; if you purchase shrimp already peeled, the recipe goes even faster!

• Cook the grits first
• Prepare the shrimp:

Place shrimp in single layer in pan; if your skillet isn't big enough, work in batches

A note about the cheese:

This recipe uses aged Smoked Gouda; if you substitute with pre-shredded or block-style Cheddar cheese, the result will NOT be the same

Cheddar is more oily and has a sharper taste; the texture and flavor of the grits will be completely different.

If you want to use a Cheddar cheese instead of Gouda, get a high-quality, aged cheddar in a block and shred it yourself; do not use pre-shredded cheese of any kind

• Total yield:

This recipe makes about four cups of grits; if you don't need that much, follow the directions on the side of the grit box (they have it broken down into one or four servings)

I allow about 8 large shrimp per person, but if you have big eaters, you might want to plan for 10 shrimp per person

Note the nutrition information doesn't take into account how many shrimp per person; it just calculates one pound of shrimp divided by 4.....

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1cupCalories: 466kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 28gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 367mgSodium: 1440mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 958IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 206mgIron: 3mg

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