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!

shrimp and grit cups

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.
Recipe Card

Shrimp and Grits Appetizer Cups

4.58 from 71 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Becky Hardin
shrimp and grit cups on a wooden cutting board
These Shrimp and Grits Appetizer Cups are cute, delicious, and easy! Creamy cheese grits topped with flavorful Garlic Butter Shrimp make the perfect main dish or an effortlessly elegant appetizer in mini cups. It’s the best Shrimp and Grits recipe for any occasion!
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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

*You can serve this as 8 individual appetizer cups, or as a main course for 4. In that case you would divide the grits 4 ways and top with 8 shrimp each. The serving size is 1 appetizer cup serving.
Calories: 483kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 7gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 562mgPotassium: 180mgSugar: 4gVitamin A: 395IUCalcium: 236mgIron: 8.4mg

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!

top views of the cups on a plate with shrimp
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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.

More seafood recipes to try

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.58 from 71 votes (61 ratings without comment)
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27 Comments
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Becki Armstrong
Becki Armstrong
March 7, 2024 5:28 pm

They look great and easy my question is how do you keep them warm or do you?

Samantha Marceau
March 8, 2024 9:24 am

If you have one available, a chafing dish is the best option. But you can also tent them with foil.

Samantha Marceau
November 17, 2023 8:12 am

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!

D. D.
D. D.
August 14, 2023 3:38 pm

I made these for some girlfriends I was entertaining. We all loved them! Easy and delicious!5 stars

Samantha Marceau
August 16, 2023 3:25 pm
Reply to  D. D.

So happy to hear they were a hit!

Judy
Judy
August 9, 2020 11:14 am

Is there a way to make this ahead of serving time?

Shirley Harley
Shirley Harley
December 15, 2019 7:42 am

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.5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
December 17, 2019 3:16 pm
Reply to  Shirley Harley

I place them in the cups just before serving, that way it’s fresh and warm!

Brenda B.
Brenda B.
February 24, 2023 8:31 am
Reply to  Becky Hardin

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.

Tanya
Tanya
December 14, 2019 10:58 pm

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!5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
December 17, 2019 3:17 pm
Reply to  Tanya

I’m glad everyone enjoyed these!!

Jennifer
Jennifer
November 12, 2019 2:26 pm

Hi how do you keep these warm before the party? They look amazing! Thank you5 stars

Vicki Kennedy
Vicki Kennedy
August 21, 2019 12:41 am

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 ea5 stars

Becky Hardin
Becky Hardin
August 23, 2019 9:09 am
Reply to  Vicki Kennedy

Thanks, Vicki!

Glenna Black
Glenna Black
December 8, 2018 11:46 am

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!!!!5 stars

Teresa
Teresa
October 26, 2018 10:27 am

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