Shrimp and Grits Salad is a little twist on the iconic southern classic dish. Grilled cajun shrimp and discs of jalapeno grits on a bed of greens with a spicy vinaigrette.
If enjoy cornmeal in recipes like polenta cake, or cornbread, you really need to give this grits recipe a try.
When bbq season is here, you won’t find me in the kitchen much. It’s all about cooking outside on the grill.
We love eating our meals on the patio during the summer. Easy, stress-free recipes are a must. Lots of great salads for dinner, especially when we add some grilled protein to the dish. Buckwheat and Scallop Salad is a favourite.
I love using grains as the base in salads. Healthy, nutritious and a change from traditional vegetable or pasta salads.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for these grilled grits and shrimp can be found at the bottom of this post.
Hot grilled grits and cajun shrimp create a wonderfully spicy dish that is perfect as an appetizer or a main dish. Pour a glass of wine and call it dinner.
How To Make Shrimp And Grits Salad
Creamy grits are the traditional way to enjoy this southern specialty. But have you ever noticed those polenta tubes in the grocery store? Get ready, you are going to make it yourself, and it is so much better than store-bought.
This is the first part of the recipe, and it needs to be made ahead of time. Everything you need to know is in the recipe card below. It is super easy.
- Cook the coarse grits according to package directions.
- Add the cheese and jalapeno.
- Wrap in plastic, forming a tube.
- Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
You need the grits to be cold so you can slice the log into nice thick pieces.
When it’s time to grill, take the log out of the fridge, remove the plastic, and cut it into thick discs (about 1 inch thick).
What Are Grits?
Is there a difference between polenta and grits? Yes, there is. Both are made from corn. Polenta from yellow corn and hominy grits from white corn.
In Canada, we have a hard time finding hominy, so most of the time we substitute (affiliate) coarse polenta instead.
They come in a variety of grinds, so depending on the recipe you are using you will want to match the texture for the perfect results. Similar to using different kinds of oatmeal.
- Stone ground is the most coarse of all. Use it in recipes that will produce less creamy results. They also take the longest to cook since less processing is involved.
- Quick ground is a little finer. They cook up creamy, smooth, and take under 10 minutes to cook.
- Instant is the most processed of all. Just add boiling water. This can be eaten in place of instant oatmeal for breakfast. Not ideal for recipes.
Next, you can make the dressing and have it ready and waiting. This is a simple vinaigrette.
- olive oil
- (affiliate) jalapeno lime white balsamic vinegar
- agave nectar
You can certainly use other flavours of vinegar, or just plain white balsamic and add some spice to the mix. Make this salad dressing the way you like. You can’t go wrong with an oil and vinegar blend.
Next prepare the shrimp. Clean and pat dry. Remember to remove the “poop” sac, no one wants to eat that. Just ask Gordon Ramsay.
Properly clean shrimp by:
- With a small knife make a shallow cut all the way along the top of the shrimp. Look for the black vein so you know you are on the correct side of the shrimp.
- Use the tip of the knife to pull out the vein.
- Rinse under water and pat dry.
- You can leave the shell and the tail on. Makes for a great presentation.
For the marinade I used:
- (affiliate) chipotle olive oil
- (affiliate) smoked paprika
Brush over the shrimp. Marinate the cleaned shrimp for about 30 minutes. They can also marinate overnight. I like to place them in a freezer bag. Always keep them in the fridge.
Again, feel free to experiment with other flavoured oils. We really like things spicy in our house.
Fire Up The Grill
Preheat your grill to medium heat. Hubby used a well-oiled grill basket to cook with.
- Cut your grits into nice thick slices.
- Grill the shrimp and grits, turning halfway through.
- The shrimp (depending on the size you have) cooked in about 2 minutes per side.
- Grits warmed up nicely at 3 minutes per side.
Arrange the salad:
- Take a nice handful of whatever salad greens you want to use.
- Drizzle a bit of oil on the greens.
- Place your fried grits and drizzle a little more dressing.
- Add the grilled shrimp, and dig in!
Great choices of greens would be:
- baby kale
- romaine
- butter lettuce
- mixed greens
- arugula
There you have it, a tasty grilled shrimp and grits recipe. Serve this at your next bbq party. Your guests will love it.
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If you love shrimp recipes, here are a few of our favourites:
- Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp is an easy and delicious dinner ready in minutes. Just in time for all that garden fresh zucchini. Healthy dinner idea.
- Shrimp Endive Cups are the perfect summer appetizer. Sweet and spicy. Great added to the weekend brunch menu.
Looking for more great grilling recipes, try
- Chili Lime Chicken Skewers
- Zucchini Burger with Sriracha & Pancetta
- Grilled Mushroom Stacks
- Grilled Garlic Scapes
Grilled Shrimp and Grits Salad
Ingredients
For the Grits:
- ½ cup yellow grits
- 2 cups water
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons garlic pepper
- 1 fresh jalapeno (seeded and diced)
- ½ cup smoked cheddar cheese (shredded)
For the Dressing:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons jalapeno lime white balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar
For the Shrimp:
- 12 fresh shrimp (cleaned)
- 1 tablespoons chipotle olive oil
- ¼ teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
- smoked sea salt (for seasoning)
- greens
Instructions
To make the Grits:
- Add 2 cups of water to a small saucepan, and bring to a oil
- Season with ¼ tsp. salt.
- Slowly add the grits.
- Cook over low heat till done, about 20 minutes (stirring often).
- Remove from heat and add cheese, garlic pepper and diced jalapenos.
- Mix well, and set aside to cool slightly.
- Take a sheet of plastic wrap, and scoop grits onto it.
- Roll into a log and tie the ends of the plastic wrap into a knot.
- Place in fridge overnight (or for at least 4 hours) to chill.
To make the Dressing:
- Combine the olive oil, Jalapeno Lime White Balsamic Vinegar and agave nectar.
- Mix well and set aside till ready to use.
To make the Shrimp:
- Clean shrimp and pat dry.
- Combine the Chipotle Olive Oil and smoked paprika in a bowl.
- Brush over shrimp.
- Marinate shrimp in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Get your salad greens ready.
- Remove grits from fridge, take off plastic wrap and slice into 1 inch thick discs.
- Grill shrimp and grits in a well oiled grill basket, turning ½ way through. Ususally about 1-2 minues per side depending on the size of the shrimp.
- Grits about 3 minutes per side.
To Assemble:
- Arrange some greens on a plate.
- Drizzle some dressing over greens.
- Add the grits, and drizzle with more dressing.
- Season with smoked sea salt.
- Add the shrimp and any additional garnish you may like.
Platter Talk
I love this method of preparing shrimp & grits. It’s one of my favorites! Beautifully done.
Homemade & Yummy
Thank you so much.
lalaine
This food pairing sounds amazing! What a creative way to prepare grits 🙂
Chef G
Thanks…it really is great.
Angela
I love what you’ve done with the grits! Such a great looking salad! Cannot wait to give this a try!!
Chef G
It is fun to make and fun to eat.
Krysten (@themomnoms)
I’m definitely going to try those infused olive oils in my near future.
And being the southern girl that I am, the idea of this plate makes me beyond happy! 😀
Chef G
Hope you totally enjoy it..we sure do.
Samantha | My Kitchen Love
Great idea to chill then grill the polenta! Looks like a great summer patio meal!
Chef G
Yes it really is a great summer salad.
Lisa Rios
My goodness, this looks absolutely delicious & mouth watering. Shrimp is so much favorite in my home & my husband loves anything that is bit spicy. I would love to try out this yummy salad at home!
Chef G
Hope you give it a try…it really is delicious.
Nicoletta6
Oh Gloria we’d love this dish with shrimp and grits! My husband loves barbecuing too, even in the winter ?. And Oliv products are great!
Chef G
Thanks Nicoletta…we love it too.
Dana
Great recipe, Gloria! I’m pretty new to shrimp and grits and I’ve learned to love it, living in the South and all. When I first tried them I hated them, but they weren’t made properly. The grits were super gluey. It wasn’t until Disney where I tried them again and my mind was blown. So, as long as they are prepared right, DELICIOUS! I’ve been wanting to blog some myself, lately. I have yet to make them at home. This has definitely inspired me!
Chef G
Thanks Dana, I love cornmeal (might be a Ukrainian thing), so grits for me is along the same line. This is the first time I created them this way, and they turned out really well.
Cynthia Rusincovitch
Comfort food! I love all the infused oils and vinegar. Wonderful recipe.
Chef G
Thanks so much!!
Chef G
Thanks so much Jolina….it was a fun dish to make…you must try and visit a store!!
Natalie
Looks yummy!
Chef G
Thanks.
Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table
I adore olive oil tastings, and have indeed been to the Niagara Oliv tasting room! Great use of a fantastic product. It’s important to make the most we can out of the short warm season we experience here.
Chef G
It really is a GREAT store!!
IGOR @ COOKING THE GLOBE
Love grits and love this salad. Perfect!
Chef G
Thanks so much!!
Melanie @ Nutritious Eats
I have actually never made grits but recently bought some to make! And I just love shrimp 🙂
Chef G
Hope you try it…we just finished the grits tonight…they were delicious.
Diana Johnson
I”ve never heard of the Olive Tasting Room, but they sound amazing! This recipe looks delicious.
Chef G
It really is an awesome store.