Southern Style Shrimp and Grits with Andouille Sausage

Southern Style Shrimp and Grits with Andouille Sausage is a classic Lowcountry dish made with creamy stone-ground grits, tender shrimp, smoky andouille, and a rich pan sauce. It’s a true Southern staple that balances comfort with bold flavor. In our version, the grits are finished with sharp cheddar, and the sauce is built on homemade shrimp stock for a deeper flavor you just can’t get from water or store-bought broth.

Want To Save This Recipe For Later?

Enter your email to have this recipe sent to your inbox.

While you’ll see shrimp and grits on plenty of brunch menus, it has roots as a simple coastal supper. The shrimp cook quickly, the sausage adds heat and smokiness, and once the grits are simmering, the rest comes together in one skillet. If you’re serving it for brunch, add our Spicy Red Snapper on the side and call it a proper Southern spread.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

There are four key ingredients, along with a list of pantry staples.

The complete ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.

Grits: We used Luquire Family Food’s Stone Ground Grits, which cook to creamy perfection and serve as the perfect base for shrimp and sauce. Feel free to substitute it with your favorite brand of grits, but the key is to cook the grits low and slow.
Shrimp: This recipe can use “fresh” or frozen shrimp. Large or jumbo shrimp work best, but regardless, the shrimp should be cleaned and deveined with the tails left on.
Shrimp Stock: This secret ingredient adds flavor to the dish, but you can use chicken stock instead.
Andouille Sausage: Typically pork-based, you can substitute any andouille sausage, such as chicken. Chorizo and kielbasa are also good substitutes if you do not like andouille.

What is the Best Shrimp to Use?

Shrimp are not all created equal, so the choices can be confusing and overwhelming. There is fresh or frozen, head-on or head-off, with shell or without, cocktail or jumbo, white or pink. The type of shrimp you choose depends on preference and taste, but some shrimp do better in certain dishes than others.

Fresh vs Frozen – Don’t be fooled into thinking you are getting shrimp that just arrived off the shrimper’s boat. Most shrimp is frozen at sea before being delivered to distributors or retailers. When you see the display that says “fresh,” it likely isn’t.
Shell: You typically have three options -shell-on, easy-peel, or pre-peeled. While pre-peeled shrimp is the easiest to prep, you will probably end up with mangled shrimp, which are usually overpriced. Easy-peel shrimp have been split and deveined, but will be more expensive. Like pre-peeled shrimp, easy-peel might not make the best presentation, so our go-to is shell-on shrimp. They are a little more work but completely worth it; they are the least expensive option, which is always a win. Don’t toss the shells… instead, use them to make a flavorful shrimp stock to add flavor to your dish.
Brown, White, or Pink – Here in south-central Texas, brown shrimp are plentiful but not the most flavorful of shrimp. Typically imported from Latin America, Thailand, and China, white shrimp are sweeter. Pink shrimp are the sweetest and have less ammonia or mineral taste.

For this recipe, we prefer large brown or white shrimp with their shells on. It is extra work to clean and devein, but we use the shells to make the shrimp stock, so it’s worth it.

How to Make Shrimp and Grits with Andouille Sausage

Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.

Pro-tip: Don’t rush the grits. We can’t say this enough…cook your grits low and slow.

shrimp shells in a pan with water being cooked for stock

1. Shrimp Stock: In a small saucepan, combine water and shrimp shells and boil until the liquid has reduced by half. Remove the shells from the liquid using a slotted spoon or spider, or pour the liquid into a bowl using a strainer, and set the stock aside.

cooked grits in a pan after cheese has been added

2. Grits: Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once the water has reached a rapid boil, stir in the grits, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed and the grits are tender. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese, butter, and salt until well combined.

onions, peppers, and sausage in a pan being cooked

3. Cook the Andouille Sausage: In a heavy-bottomed large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté the Andouille sausage, onions, pepper, and garlic until softened, approximately 3 minutes.

onions, peppers, sausage, and tomatoes in a pan being cooked

4. Make the Roux: Next, add the tomatoes and thyme, stirring well, and allow to simmer for approximately 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and stir thoroughly to thicken the mixture.

5. Add the Shrimp: Add the cleaned and deveined shrimp to the andouille sausage mixture, stirring constantly until the shrimp have turned pink, approximately 2 minutes. Add ⅓ cup of the shrimp stock to the shrimp mixture and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to let the sauce boil.

6. Make the Sauce: Stir in the tomato paste until blended well, then add the cream, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and additional stock, if needed. The sauce should be spoonable so it can coat the shrimp.

5. Plating: Serve some cheesy grits topped with a spoonful of sauce, shrimp, and andouille sausage. Garnish with green onions, chives, and parsley.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Save the shells. Simmer shrimp shells with a little onion and celery to make a quick stock, then freeze it for future seafood dishes. It adds real depth to sauces and soups.
Measure before you start. This recipe moves fast once the shrimp hit the pan, so have everything prepped and ready to go.
Watch the shrimp closely. Cook just until pink and opaque. Pull them off the heat as soon as they curl and firm up to avoid that rubbery texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Leftover shrimp and grits should be stored separately in air-tight containers. The shrimp and sauce can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container.

This dish is best eaten immediately, but if you have leftovers, you can reheat them. The shrimp and sauce can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave, but be careful not to overheat as the shrimp will become rubbery. The grits should be reheated on the stove in a saucepan with additional water or stock to help thin them out.

We love our grits with a bit of cheese, but you can skip the cheese.

Chorizo and kielbasa are also good substitutes if you do not like andouille.

More Seafood Recipes To Try

Looking for more Southern seafood recipe favorites? Try these other favorites:

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict – Another brunch favorite with a coastal twist. Golden crab cakes replace the traditional Canadian bacon, then get topped with poached eggs and hollandaise for a rich, restaurant-style plate at home.
Crawfish Corn Beignets with Mustard Remoulade – Crawfish meets roasted corn in this irresistible crispy appetizer. These beignets (or fritters) are even better when paired with the mustard remoulade, the perfect dipping sauce.
Saffron Shrimp Risotto – Creamy Arborio rice slowly simmered with saffron and finished with tender shrimp. It’s a little more hands-on, but the payoff is worth it for a seafood dinner that feels special without leaving the house.