I know it sounds crazy, but I do believe this will quickly become your favorite shrimp and grits recipe. I love shrimp and grits, but finding a restaurant that serves this comforting dish can sometimes be difficult. And, when we do actually find a place with it on their menu, it will almost certainly contain dairy ingredients, which, as most of y’all know, Harry can’t have. So, I decided to make my own dairy free shrimp and grits recipe so we could both enjoy it!
If you’ve stumbled across this recipe but CAN eat dairy, feel free to make a direct swap of the margarine/vegan butter and vegan cheddar for the real things. I recommend gouda for those of you who can eat it, but cheddar works great, too. I’d steer clear of mozzarella though. The texture doesn’t work well with the grits. And, to be honest, Daiya recently changed their formula, and to me, the cheese aficionado, the flavor and creaminess were on point! I almost couldn’t tell the difference.
I like to have all of my ingredients measured and prepped and ready to go so that I nothing has to “hold” for too long and risk burning or getting cold. Some people like to leave the tails on the shrimp for a prettier presentation, but personally, I’d rather not have to get the sauce all over my hands, so I just peel them completely.
You can also chop up your green onions in small rings or at an angle for a fancier look.
Shrimp and Grits (Dairy Free)
Ingredients
Grits
- 1 cup corn grits (not instant)
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups chicken bone broth (or stock)
- 2 tbsp Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks (or real dairy butter)
- 1 cup Daiya cheddar shreds (or full dairy cheese – gouda or cheddar work great)
- salt and pepper to taste
Shrimp and Sauce
- 1 lb shrimp, raw peeled and deveined, tails on optional
- 1 packet Cajun's Choice Cajun Shrimp Seasoning
- 8 oz bacon diced
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup diced tomatoes fresh or canned
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup chicken bone broth (or stock)
- juice from half a lemon
- 1/4 cup green onion diced or fancy sliced
Instructions
Grits
- Bring water and chicken bone broth to boil in a medium-sized pot and season with salt and pepper.2 cups water, 2 cups chicken bone broth, salt and pepper
- Add grits and lower heat to medium-low/low heat.1 cup corn grits
- Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once grits are fully cooked, remove from heat.
- Stir in butter and cheese into the cooked grits until melted.2 tbsp Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks, 1 cup Daiya cheddar shreds
Shrimp and Sauce
- Peel and devein shrimp, if needed. You can leave the tails on for presentation if desired.1 lb shrimp, raw
- Season the shrimp with Cajun's Choice Cajun Shrimp Seasoning, set aside.
- Cook diced bacon over medium heat until brown and crispy.8 oz bacon
- Once bacon is cooked, remove it from skillet, leaving about 3 tbsp of the grease in the skillet.
- Add shallots and diced tomatoes to the skillet with the bacon grease and saute until golden and caramelized.2 shallots, 1/3 cup diced tomatoes
- Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, being careful to not burn the garlic.3 cloves garlic
- Add chicken bone broth and lemon juice to the skillet, stir and bring to a simmer.3/4 cup chicken bone broth, juice from half a lemon
- Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turn pink and opaque on one side. Flip shrimp to the other side and let it cook until that side turns pink and opaque. Shrimp should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F1 lb shrimp, raw
- Once shrimp are cooked through, remove skillet from heat.
To Serve
- Put prepared grits into large bowls or deep plates.
- Top grits with shrimp and sauce, bacon bits, and green onion.1/4 cup green onion
Write a Review