Cowboy Butter Shrimp and Grits

  4.5 – 8 reviews  • Shellfish Recipes
The delectable combo of butter, garlic, lemon and parsley known as cowboy butter makes everything better — even shrimp and grits.
Level: Easy
Total: 55 min
Active: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  1. 1 cup quick-cooking grits
  2. Kosher salt
  3. 3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
  4. 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  5. 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
  6. 1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges
  7. Kosher salt
  8. Hot sauce, for seasoning
  9. 2 slices bacon, chopped
  10. 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  11. 1 small onion, finely chopped
  12. 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  13. 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  14. 1/2 cup heavy cream
  15. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. For the grits: Bring 4 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the grits and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer until the grits are thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
  2. For the shrimp: Meanwhile, pulse the garlic in a mini food processor until chopped. Add the butter, parsley and lemon zest and season to taste with salt and hot sauce. Process until smooth, then scrape into a small bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons of the “cowboy butter” to a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave to melt it; set aside. 
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add the shrimp to the skillet and sprinkle with salt. Cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes, then remove to a plate. Add 3 tablespoons cowboy butter to the skillet. When the butter is melted, add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir until the onion absorbs the flour, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, cream and Worcestershire until smooth. Adjust the heat to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until thickened and the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked shrimp and toss to heat through and coat in the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with hot sauce and salt to taste and squeeze in juice from 1 lemon wedge. 
  4. Stir the remaining 3 tablespoons cowboy butter into the hot grits until melted. Spoon the grits into shallow bowls. Top with the shrimp and sauce, then drizzle with the melted cowboy butter. Garnish with the cooked bacon and chopped parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges on the side. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 of 4 servings
Calories 698
Total Fat 42 g
Saturated Fat 24 g
Carbohydrates 40 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Sugar 3 g
Protein 42 g
Cholesterol 385 mg
Sodium 904 mg

Reviews

Amy Sandoval
Wow, really really tasty. So great on a rainy cold night.
Tammy Tucker
Absolutely amazing! Cowboy butter is now a must-have in my fridge.
Jesse Young
I loved it! so delicious. Best grit and shrimp I have ever had. that said I only had shrimp and grits once while I was in South Carolina. It cost $16 @ lunch time. It had 5 very small shrimp and no flavor at all from the grits. When I made this I almost ate the whole bowl. It was really a tasty treat. Thank you for the great recipe!
Julie Davis
So good! Maybe I made some kind of mistake but my sauce was definitely creamy.  Only thing I would change is less salt in the grits but over all, we really liked it.
Ashley Bowers
Good recipe but I prefer a creamier sauce.
Christina Erickson
Comment/Question – Can this also be made with polenta instead of grits?  Pretty much a straight swap no?
Matthew Campbell
!
Yvonne Horne
Sounds very good can’t wait to try it!

 

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