How to make grits that are creamy, rich, and flavorful. We asked Chef Richard for his grits recipe, perfected over 20 years in Southern kitchens. These are so good!
Watch the Video
A classic Southern dish, grits are made from coarsely ground dried corn. Their texture, similar to creamy porridge or polenta, makes them the perfect base for sweet and savory flavors.
Trust us, Richard’s grits are amazing – this is the only recipe you need! Enjoy them with poached eggs, shrimp (like in shrimp and grits), as a side dish, or sweetened with brown sugar or honey butter for breakfast.
The Basic Recipe
To make Richard’s Southern-style recipe, use a 1:4 ratio of grits to liquid and add butter (a must) and cream (optional but delicious).
- Stone-ground grits: These offer the absolute best flavor and texture.
- Chicken stock or water: Stock bumps the savory factor. Stick with water for sweeter dishes with brown sugar and honey.
- Butter: My college roommate Jodi – who grew up eating Southern grits – swore by the power of butter. Trust me, it’s not optional!
- Cream: Add a splash of cream for the creamiest grits.
- Salt & Pepper: Salt is crucial to bring out the flavor. If the taste doesn’t pop, add a bit more salt. Don’t skimp on the pepper – another trick I learned from my roommate and Richard.
How to Make Grits
To make them, bring your liquid (in our case, that’s stock) to a boil, and then whisk in the grits. You want to keep whisking for about 2 minutes, which prevents them from becoming lumpy.
Then, you’ll add your butter, cream, salt, and pepper. They need to simmer for about 20 minutes before they are ready. The key here is to use low heat so they cook but don’t splatter out of the saucepan.
One note on cheese: we leave cheese out of our recipe, but if you are a fan of cheese grits, feel free to melt in some shredded cheese at the end of cooking.
Serving Suggestions
We often eat these as a bed for vegetables, like sautéed greens or these quick veggies. I love shrimp and grits, and they are just incredible piled high with these hot honey chicken meatballs.
They are fantastic for breakfast with poached eggs on top and a side of bacon or sausage. Or, swap the stock for water in our recipe and serve with sweet toppings. Some examples of sweet toppings are fruit, brown sugar, honey butter, apple butter, and maple syrup.
The Only Grits Recipe You Need
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These creamy homemade grits are delicious. Use stock for savory dishes and water for sweet. Our recipe specifically calls for stone-ground grits, known for their rich corn flavor and slightly coarser texture.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 cup (165g) stone-ground grits
4 cups (945ml) chicken or vegetable stock, try homemade chicken stock or veggie stock
4 tablespoons (55g) butter
1/4 cup (60ml) cream
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the grits, then keep whisking for 2 minutes to avoid clumping.
2When they begin to thicken, reduce the heat to a low simmer (helps to prevent splattering). Whisk in the butter, cream, salt, and pepper.
3Continue to cook at a very low simmer until thickened. Expect a cooking time between 20 to 50 minutes, depending on the brand and how coarsely your grits are ground. Continue simmering on low if they need to thicken further. The longer you keep them on the heat, the more they thicken.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Cook time varies by brand. We used Bob’s Red Mill in the photos and video, and they took 20 minutes.
- Non-savory dishes: Use water instead of stock when serving with sweeter items like brown sugar, honey, or fruits.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1/6 of the recipe
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Calories
207
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Total Fat
10.8g
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Saturated Fat
6.3g
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Cholesterol
26mg
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Sodium
341.4mg
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Carbohydrate
22.8g
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Dietary Fiber
0.4g
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Total Sugars
0.5g
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Protein
5.7g
