My Shrimp and Grits cups are delicious, easy, and fun! Creamy cheese grits topped with flavorful Garlic Butter Shrimp make a perfect main dish or an elevated appetizer in individual cups. They’re great for a romantic dinner, a party starter, or a crowd-pleasing Super Bowl platter!
5-Star Review
“I made these for some girlfriends I was entertaining. We all loved them! Easy and delicious!” -DD
Garlic Butter Shrimp and Grits Recipe
These Cheese Grits with Garlic Butter Shrimp are my favorite go-to appetizer. With instant grits and frozen shrimp, they come together fast — but their elegant, single-serve look will have guests wondering how you pulled it off! I love topping them with fresh parsley and crispy bacon for the perfect finishing touch.
Tips For Beginners
- These can be split into 8 individual appetizer cups, or as 4 meals.
- I use frozen garlic butter shrimp to make this quick. If not available, use any deveined frozen shrimp. Thaw them overnight and cook with butter, garlic and salt.
- Grits tend to clump and get messy over time, so it’s best to make a fresh batch.
Shrimp and Grits Appetizer Cups
Ingredients
- 2 12 ounce packages SeaPak Shrimp Scampi, prepared according to package instructions
- 3 cups whole milk or cream
- 6 ounces instant grits
- 1/2 stick salted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup cooked bacon crumbles (for serving)
Instructions
- Cook shrimp according to the package instructions. Set aside, reserving the sauce separately.2 12 ounce packages SeaPak Shrimp Scampi, prepared according to package instructions
- Pour the milk and sauce from the shrimp into a medium/large saucepan.3 cups whole milk or cream
- Heat the milk mixture over medium high heat, watching carefully. Just as it begins to boil, reduce heat to simmer.
- Stir in the grits, butter, salt, and pepper. Stir until butter melts and then add in the cheese, stirring constantly as it melts.6 ounces instant grits, 1/2 stick salted butter, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Once grits are at the desired consistency (I usually stir for about 2-3 minutes), remove from the heat and place into 8 appetizer cups.*
- Top with 4 shrimp each and sprinkle with chopped parsley and bacon crumbles. Enjoy!1/4 cup cooked bacon crumbles
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to make Shrimp and Grits Step by Step
Cook the shrimp: First start by cooking 2 (12 ounce packages) SeaPak Shrimp Scampi per the package instructions. Set aside, reserving the sauce.
Prepare grits: Bring 3 cups whole milk (or cream) to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the sauce from the frozen shrimp scampi.
Heat the milk mixture over medium high heat, watching carefully. Just as it begins to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Stir in 6 ounces of Instant Grits, 1/2 stick salted butter, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir until butter melts.
Now add 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Continue stirring over low heat until creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and place into 8 appetizer cups. Top with 4 shrimp each and sprinkle with chopped parsley and 1/4 cup cooked bacon crumbles. Enjoy!
How to Store and Reheat
Transfer any leftovers to airtight containers and refrigerate for 2-4 days. To reheat, microwave them for 30 seconds or until desired hot. You may have to add some liquid (vegetable/chicken/water) to adjust the consistency.
This recipe takes 20 minutes from start to finish, but if you want to make these ahead, cook the shrimp and refrigerate in a container once they’ve cooled. I recommend cooking the girts fresh.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing them.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve these Shrimp and Grits with my Garlic Butter Hawaiian Rolls or Garlic Bread. My Mandarin Orange Salad or Lemon Butter Asparagus also goes well with this dish.
They look great and easy my question is how do you keep them warm or do you?
If you have one available, a chafing dish is the best option. But you can also tent them with foil.
Hi Queene, this is one of our recipes designed to be quick and easy for beginners. More advanced cooks can certainly make their own grits!
I made these for some girlfriends I was entertaining. We all loved them! Easy and delicious!
So happy to hear they were a hit!
Is there a way to make this ahead of serving time?
How do you keep the shrimp and grits warm, in the plastic cups? They look ABSOLUTELY delicious, and one of my favorites are shrimp and grits. Thank you for your reply.
I place them in the cups just before serving, that way it’s fresh and warm!
How about small mason jars instead of the plastic cups? They would be able to stay in a warm oven until serving, and the mason jars will retain some of the heat! Just warn guests the jars may be warm when serving.
Just made this tonite for a family Christmas get together. It was WONDERFUL! Even people who claimed not to like grits are now new grit lovers! Thanks for this recipe- it’s a keeper!
I’m glad everyone enjoyed these!!
Hi how do you keep these warm before the party? They look amazing! Thank you
I made these as individual appetizers. They were easy and absolutely rich and delicious! The grits were buttery and garlicky. I added about 5 to 6 shrimp to ea
Thanks, Vicki!
This recipe is wonderful and so easy!!!! My husband absolutely loved it and wants me to make it again. For our diets, it was too much butter so next time I make it, I’ll not use as much butter and hopefully it will be just as good. I also added a dash of Old Bay to give it a little Cajun feel. This dish is going to be an appetizer for our family Christmas meal this year! Thank you Becky for sharing this recipe!!!!
HOORAY!!!! We love it too. I’m so glad it was a hit for you :)
Great looking appetizer I want to do this at a baby shower and wondered if plastic cups are ok to use with the hot grits. So glad I saw your post. Thanks