These Shrimp and Grits Appetizer Cups are so cute, delicious, EASY, and fun. I love the creamy cheese grits topped with the most flavorful Garlic Butter Shrimp. This is the best EASY Shrimp and Grits Recipe that you can make for a main course, or split into individual small cups for deceptively simple yet elevated appetizer.
Shrimp and Grits Appetizer Recipe
These Shrimp and Grits Appetizer Cups will blow your mind with their cuteness, tastiness, and ease!
I’m always on the hunt for new delicious, EASY appetizer recipes. These Cheese Grits topped with THE BEST Garlic Butter Shrimp are all I need when entertaining. When you’re throwing a party it’s imperative that you find the perfect food and drinks to serve to your guests. You want your snacks and sips to be unique, creative, tasty, but most importantly super simple to prepare. There’s nothing worse than being stuck in the kitchen preparing food, when all you want to do is socialize.
This Garlic Butter Shrimp and Grits Recipe is so easy to prepare (think INSTANT Grits and Frozen Shrimp just waiting to be fixed up) but has the appearance of taking all day. The fact that this cute individual appetizer recipe is super easy and quick can be our little secret. You can let your guests think you slaved away all day.
Shrimp and Grits Appetizer Cups are amazingly flavorful, fool-proof, and oh so cute to boot. Don’t you want to just dig right in??
Tips for Making Easy Shrimp and Grits
You guys. You already know I’m obsessed with SeaPak Shrimp and Seafood Company. You might remember my Buffalo Shrimp Taco Recipe I recently posted…and ever since Pat has been requesting them again and again. I love that SeaPak has incredibly tasty and quality products with none of the fuss. YOU’VE GOT THIS! They’re out there making it possible for us to look like the ultimate hosts, with none of the work behind the scenes.
Handling raw shrimp has never been my very favorite thing, so their Frozen Shrimp Scampi is right up my alley. When I say the sauce on this shrimp scampi is incredible…I mean it is…INCREDIBLE. What starts out frozen in a bowl turns into the MOST amazing garlic butter shrimp scampi with just 4.5 minutes in the microwave. Be still my heart? You can read more about it and find out where to buy HERE.
How to serve these Shrimp and Grits as an appetizer:
These Shrimp and Grits with Garlic Butter Shrimp and Cheese Grits can be split into 8 individual appetizer cups, or you can serve it as 4 meals. We LOVE it as an appetizer, but there are also nights where having Shrimp and Grits for dinner just sounds perfect. It’s so easy to throw together that we regularly make it as both!
Other ways to serve Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi:
If grits aren’t your thing, you can eat this AMAZING Shrimp Scampi so many ways. You can toss it in pasta, serve it on pizza (THIS HEALTHY SHRIMP PIZZA IS CALLING MY NAME), lay it over a simple salad, or even eat it on its own. When I say I’m obsessed…that’s the understatement of the year. I don’t even want to admit how many times we have eaten this shrimp in the last month. It’s SO DELICIOUS.
Great side dishes for this Shrimp and Grits Recipe:
We love to serve these Cheese Grits with Garlic Butter Shrimp with bread sides such as Garlic Butter Hawaiian Rolls, Homemade Garlic Bread, or Beer Bread Muffins, and love to serve it alongside sides such as Mandarin Orange Salad, Mexican Grilled Corn, and Lemon Butter Asparagus.
How to make Cheese Grits:
These are the BEST Easy Cheese Grits in the history of the world, and I stand by that! You’re going to be so blown away. I love to make these Cheese Grits with easy recipes as grilled salmon or parmesan tilapia. There’s just something delicious about seafood and grits. They just go together.
To make the BEST Cheese Grits:
- Bring milk or cream to a boil in a medium saucepan. (and in this recipe, some of the amazing sauce that comes with the frozen shrimp scampi!)
- Stir in a LOT of butter, some shredded cheese, and simple salt and pepper.
- Continue stirring over low heat until they’re creamy to your liking, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve for breakfast, brunch, or as a delicious side for your favorite dinner.
- YUMMMMM!
See the recipe card below for the full recipe!
I topped my Shrimp and Grits Appetizer Cups with chopped fresh parsley and some crispy bacon. Simple is sometimes best, especially in this case. The flavor combination is just delicious! I cannot wait for you to try it and report back how you like them. Serve them for a cute starter at your next dinner party, on a platter for your Super Bowl Party, or just as a simple romantic dinner at home.
Be sure to check out other seafood recipes we love:
- Seafood Lasagna
- Air Fryer Crab Cakes
- Shrimp and Grits
- Baked Salmon with Basil Pesto
- Bang Bang Shrimp
- Buffalo Shrimp Tacos
- Shrimp Ceviche
- Caprese Stuffed Salmon
- Margarita Fish Tacos
See the recipe card below for how to make Shrimp and Grits Appetizer Cups. Enjoy!
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 package instructions. Set aside, reserving the sauce separately.
- Pour the milk and the sauce from the shrimp into a medium/large saucepan.
- 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.
- Once grits are the desired consistency (I usually stir for about 2-3 minutes), remove from the heat and place into 8 appetizer cups (SEE NOTE)
- Top with 4 shrimp each and sprinkle with chopped parsley and bacon crumbles.
- Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
Nutrition Information
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
What size are the cups? I do not know what appetizer cups are!! These look amazing!!
I used 5 ounce clear plastic cups from my local grocery store. Hope that helps!
This looks so amazing. I’ll eat shrimp and grits every day of the week. I absolutely love the idea of the individual little cups. That way I won’t feel as bad when ‘m eating them. I mean, I’ll have to eat all the cups but it will FEEL like less.
I love the way you think!!!
Whats that thing in the cup which looks like a snail on the top.? Sorry for this I know that these things are for eating and I used the worst word for this… I didn’t get the exact thing so I ask you to tell me again that thing, please
Hi! They’re shrimp. There are also bacon crumbles.