Smothered Shrimp with Andouille Sausage and Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Grits
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read My Disclosure
Smothered Shrimp and Andouille Sausage with Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Grits is decadent, delicious and the perfect way to enjoy a New Orleans-inspired dinner at home! The Cajun seasoning, fire-roasted tomatoes and Andouille sausage give this smothered shrimp dish an amazing depth of flavor without having to make a time-consuming roux.
“I made this dish this past weekend and OMG!!!! Hands down one of the BEST New Orleans dishes I ever had!!!!!”
Origin of shrimp and grits:
Shrimp and grits, the classic Southern comfort food, originated in the coastal low country of South Carolina as a fisherman’s breakfast. Then in 1985, Craig Claiborne of The New York Times visited a popular restaurant there that served shrimp and grits. He subsequently wrote about it and this once humble regional dish gained national notoriety.
It has now evolved into an iconic dish that appears on restaurant menus all across the South and practically every Southern home cook also has their own version.
My version was inspired by a recipe from Emeril Lagasse, so it has a distinct New Orleans flair.
Tips for making Smothered Shrimp and Andouille Sausage”
- I prefer to make the Cajun seasoning blend myself or I use a good blend such as the one from Penzeys.
- As with any spicy seasoning, adjust it to YOUR taste. What’s hot for one person can taste barely seasoned to another!
- Please try to always use wild-caught American shrimp. Wild-caught American shrimp tastes better and has a superior texture. It’s the only type of shrimp I will eat and the only shrimp I use for my customers.
- To make ahead, prepare to the point of adding the shrimp. Cool thoroughly and refrigerate. To serve, bring to a simmer in a saucepan, then add the shrimp and cook through.
- The grits are also best prepared shortly before serving. Quick (not instant) grits are fine to use and are readily available in the cereal aisle. If yo mama taught you to always use stone-ground, then, by all means, you’d better do it.
Laissez les bon temps roulez!
Thank you, hope you enjoy and please share this From A Chef’s Kitchen reader favorite!
More New Orleans-inspired recipes you’ll love:
- Shrimp Creole
- Low Carb Jambalaya with Chicken, Shrimp and Sausage
- Pumpkin, Chipotle and White Cheddar Grits with Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp
- Cauliflower Grits with Gouda Cheese and Blackened Shrimp
- Spicy Shrimp and Grits Casserole
- Shrimp Burgers with Jalapeno Remoulade
- Easy Red Beans and Rice
Smothered Shrimp with Andouille Sausage and Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Grits
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 3 links Andouille sausage links, (7 ounces) halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 can (15-ounce) diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 1 pound wild-caught American shrimp, (16-20 count) peeled, deveined and tail removed
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
Grits
- 3 cups chicken broth
- salt
- 1/2 cup quick grits
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Shrimp
- Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the green bell pepper and celery. Cook 7 to 8 minutes or until very soft.
- Stir in garlic, flour, Cajun seasoning and cayenne and cook briefly (15 seconds).
- Add sausage, chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until reduced slightly and thickened.
- Stir in shrimp and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until just firm.
- Stir in heavy cream and heat through. Stir in parsley. Serve with grits.
Grits
- Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add salt to taste.
- Slowly stir in quick grits and cook per package directions. Stir in cheese, cream and black pepper. Serve with shrimp.
Notes
- If Andouille is too spicy for you, use kielbasa or another smoked sausage.
- Always try to use wild-caught American gulf shrimp. Wild-caught American shrimp tastes better and has a superior texture. Farmed shrimp tends to be rubbery.
- The sauce can be prepared up to two days ahead WITHOUT the shrimp.
- Reheat on the stovetop and add shrimp before serving.
- The grits are best prepared shortly before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
My sauce came out perfect. Not runny at all. Andoille sausage is hot so you do not need to add cayenne. Substitutions are a waste of this recipe. Follow it exactly and you can’t go wrong. Thanks for the recipe. I never made cheesy grits but they were good. I am a bit a grits fan. Anyway everyone loved this recipe and no one complained of the heat. Just leave out the cayenne. Everything else was perfect. I did not have heavy cream. Just used regular milk and still not runny.
Hi, African Queen, Thanks so very much and glad you enjoyed! Some Andouille can be spicy and it’s really up to the maker to judge how much heat one can tolerate. Here at our house, we can handle quite bit! Thanks again!
I love New Orleans cuisine, and enjoy cooking so this caught my eye as an easy version to try. I made as is but used slap your mamma low sodium seasoning (overflowing tbsp) and spicy sausage – I love strong seasoning and heat. I used about a pound of Fresh Mayport jumbo shrimp, since I am lucky enough to live on the Florida coast. This recipe makes way more than two servings and I would definately use more shrimp! The sauce was nicely seasoned, and thickened up as it should. My only problem was the grits, something I rarely make. I got the quick grits and simmered over 10 minutes and they didn’t thicken to my liking. I would start cooking grits much earlier in the recipe next time- this time i started it when the sausage mix started simmering. I would definately make this again, tasty and pretty easy. Served with steamed green beans and a Riesling from WA.
This was really good, but 2 servings? I followed the instructions word for word and this makes enough for at least 4, maybe 6. The grits section says to cook according to package instructions, but the amounts were wrong. I used the liquid grit amount on the package. It was quite salty, so nexttime I will cut down on the Cajun seasoning..
This high protein meal can be ready on the table in 30 minutes. A family favorite!
This recipe was sooo hard to follow. I wish the directions were a little more detailed. It was just ok. But definitely not what I expected. My sauce was super watery due to the added can of chicken broth. It seems the portion of chicken broth was off. My stew never got thick. Does anyone know how to fix it ?
Hi, KC, Thanks so much for your feedback and sorry you had problems. I don’t recall anyone mentioning this was hard to follow. This recipe was inspired by one from Emeril that I cut in half. Proportionally, I used more flour to help thicken it up. His recipe called for three tablespoons, while I used two for half. In other words, if you doubled mine, you would use four. I also used more heavy cream which should also help thicken it up. Again, so sorry you had problems.
Mine was thin as well but I added more flour to thicken it up.
I hadn’t seen this comment when I tried the recipe and mine also came out watery. I was still good to my family though. We enjoyed it but I wish I’d seen this and maybe used less broth or more flour
Hi, Stacey, Thanks so much for your feedback. From what I can recall since posting this recipe back in 2015, I only saw one person report the sauce was thin. Seems to be a common occurrence lately! I adjusted the recipe to reduce the amount of chicken broth. Hope this helps everyone out! Thanks again!
Just made this for my family! I switched the cheese To Monterey Jack and used vegetable broth! ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
Hi, MJ, Thanks so very much! So glad you all enjoyed! I think numerous cheeses would work. Monterey jack melts very nicely so you made a perfect choice! Thanks again!
How do I print the recipes WITHOUT 33 pages of unwanted comments which is a waste of paper AND printer ink??
Hi, Addie, Thanks so much for your question. Not sure what system or browser you’re using but I tested the print function on the recipe card and when I hit “PRINT,” it comes out to two sheets of paper (it is a 2-part recipe). If you set it to 2-sided printing, that will only be one sheet of paper. Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!
Made this for brunch today and it was excellent! I’ve never made grits before, so I was a bit nervous… but they turned out delish! This was more than 2 servings in my opinion. It’s really rich so I think it could serve 3 or 4 (I had with salad). My bf approved as well so it was a hit all around!
Hi, Jen, Thanks so very much and so glad you both enjoyed! It probably could feed more than two–depending upon appetite and with something else like a salad. Thanks again and hope you’ll keep in touch!
Do I need to double this recipe if I’m making it for 4 people?
Hi, Allison, Thanks so much for your question. You would definitely want to double the amount of shrimp which would make it 6 ounces of shrimp per person or a total of 24 ounces. It wouldn’t hurt to add another link of Andouille sausage. I would also recommend increasing the amount of broth to two cups. If all you have is a 14.5-ounce can, you can just add some water. Thanks again and hope everyone enjoys!!
Very good but wish I had used low sodium chicken broth and not added extra salt. Should have tasted it first because it was super salty. Also the grit to liquid ratio was off. It needed about 1/4 cup more grits for the liquid. Otherwise really yummy.
Hi, Haley, Thanks so much and so glad you enjoyed! I’ve noticed different brands of grits and even polenta can react differently. Thanks again!