Smothered Shrimp with Andouille Sausage and Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Grits
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 with Gouda Cheese
- Shrimp Burgers with Jalapeno Remoulade
- Easy Red Beans and Rice
Smothered Shrimp with Andouille Sausage and Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Grits
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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.
Recipe 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
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Sounds so delicious! I am not a fan of tomatoes… is there any way to reduce the amount of tomatoes used or eliminate them completely?
Hi, Kate, Thanks so much for your question. I’ve never made this without the tomatoes. If you’re not a fan, try eliminating them or if you’re okay with tomato paste, just add a little of that. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
You don’t give measurement on grits to liquid. Please give measurements. Ty
Hi, Rose, Thanks so much for your question. I see the measurements so apologize if something isn’t clear. Here it is: 3 cups chicken broth, salt to taste, 1/2 cup quick grits (not instant), 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
The recipe was incredible! I followed the recipe, but we have a large family. I prepared this for 8 hearty eaters. So I doubled the recipe and added 1/2 lb of Tasso 1 lb of chicken thighs that I seasoned like the shrimp and cut into about 1” cubes. There was a lot of meat, but it was outstanding with the Parmesan grits!
I loved this recipe, especially the grits. One problem I encountered was everything seemed a bit to loose for my taste. I’ll reduce the liquid in both items next time. But fabulous flavors!
Hi, Gary, Thanks so very much and glad you enjoyed! You could increase the amount of flour, too. Products used will vary so that could also be why–like more water/juice in the tomatoes. Thanks again!
My husband would eat Shrimp and Grits every week if he could. The recipe I’ve been using is really good, however, I wanted something that had more depth in flavor. I tried this one tonight that I had been eyeing and I was not disappointed. When my husband was fixing his plate he said it looks different then normal but a good different. Everyone loved it. The first bite tasted better than most we’ve ordered in Cajun restaurants. The only changes I made was instead of cayenne I used smoked paprika and added more Parmesan and butter in the grits. This recipe will now replace my usual. Thank you so much for sharing!
I am not typically a grits gal but I fell in love with this dish at a restaurant. I looked everywhere for a recipe that was very similar to the dish served and this was it. I only altered it slightly (adding crumbled bacon and a little more flour for a thicker consistency). Try serving it with some garlic toasted naan…simply amazing.
Thank you for posting this recipe.
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!