If you’re wondering what to serve with your shrimp and grits, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 45 of the most popular side dishes for shrimp and grits.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best side dishes for shrimp and grits are buttermilk biscuits, collard greens, fried okra, succotash, and squash puppies. You can also serve pasta salad, spinach galettes, eggplant rollatini, ribs, and cornbread stuffing. For healthier options, try serving wedge salad, zoodles, or coleslaw.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Breads
To make your dinner really comforting, serve the shrimp and grits with something that you can use to mop up every last drop.
Southern classics like cornbread and biscuits are an obvious choice. But you can also throw a wildcard in there and use a simple galette or some veggie fries.
Buttermilk biscuits
Buttermilk biscuits are usually partnered with a thick, creamy gravy.
But I also love these buttery, flakey morsels with a heaping serving of shrimp and grits.
Just think about scooping warm, cheesy grits up with a biscuit – doesn’t that make you drool?
Pro tip: I like to brush my buttermilk biscuits with honey butter as they come out of the oven.
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Traditional buttermilk biscuits
Make it colorful
Sweet potato biscuits
Sharing size
Bacon and cheddar skillet biscuit
Spinach and tomato galettes
Impress your friends by serving a tray of these spinach and tomato galettes at your next dinner party.
The galettes are buttery and flakey (just like the biscuits above), and have a creamy spinach-feta filling that pairs well with the delicate shrimp.
But the best part?
They’re super easy to make with the help of store-bought puff pastry dough.
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Spinach, tomato, and feta galettes
Swap the flavor
Rosemary mushroom galette
Go sweet
Mixed summer berry galette
Cornbread sausage stuffing
This cornbread sausage stuffing is a casserole dish full of pure meaty deliciousness and it has a salty-sweet flavor combination that’s strangely addicting.
Spoon heaping scoop of this stuffing on your shrimp and grits, and you have yourself a satisfying meal that will remind you the holidays are coming!
Warning: you might be too full to walk after eating this food combo.
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Cornbread casserole
Make it unique
Peach and prosciutto cornmeal muffins
Go for a salad
Cornbread salad
Squash puppies
Put a fun, healthy twist on traditional hushpuppies with squash puppies!
As you might have guessed, squash puppies are hush puppies with finely chopped squash mixed into the batter.
The squash adds a hint of sweetness to these fried dough balls, making it a great way to sneak some veggies into fussy eaters.
Psst… serve these squash puppies with a dipping sauce for extra flavor. Ezra Poundcake’s recipe suggests whipping up a roasted jalapeno mayo.
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Squash puppies
Make it tangy
Broccoli and cheese bites
Make it different
Squash fritters
Vegetables
You’ve got carbs and protein – the only thing missing are some vegetables!
You can go with something cozy and comforting like creamed peas or collard greens. Or with something bright like pesto zoodles.
Pretty much anything goes in terms of vegetables.
Southern-style collard greens
Shrimp and grits and collard greens are a classic Southern food combination.
They’re comfort food that will warm you up no matter what season it is.
Collard greens are usually slow-cooked for a few hours to get them nice and tender, but using an Instant Pot reduces the cooking time to less than an hour. Yay!
Ready to cook?
Pro tip: Umami Girl also share’s some tips if you want to make this a vegan-friendly dish (yep, vegan shrimp and grits is a thing!).
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Southern style collard greens
Make it healthy
Healthy collard greens
Make it creamy
Creamed spinach
Corn Succotash
This corn succotash is made with a fantastic mixture of colorful and vibrant summer vegetables including corn, tomatoes, and sweet peppers.
But you don’t have to stick to the recipe!
You can add in whatever vegetables you happen to have in your fridge, just chop them up into small chunks so they blend in.
Psst… the bacon is optional, but it really lifts the dish.
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Corn succotash
Go creamy
Creamy succotash
Winter time?
Winter veg succotash
Eggplant rollatini
Eggplant rollatini is made of thin slices of eggplant rolled up and stuffed with creamy spinach and ricotta.
It’s then baked with a tasty tomato sauce and sprinkle with extra cheese for good measure (I always add more cheese than the recipe calls for – it’s like garlic, there’s no such thing as too much cheese).
Check out Inside The Rustic Kitchen for the recipe and some handy tips and tricks on making this delicious dish.
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Eggplant rollatini
Make it tangy
Eggplant caponata
Make it different
Turkish eggplant salsa
Creamed peas
This creamed peas dish is made of simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
You can even use frozen peas!
Pro tip: when I serve two pretty heavy dishes together, like this and grits, I pop a lemon slice on the side to add some tartness.
Want a healthier version? Try mashing the peas without the cream!
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Creamed peas
Make it fresh
Smashed peas with mint and lemon
Make it savory
Peas and bacon
Pesto zoodles
I know what you’re thinking. This is a bit of an unusual food pairing.
But hear me out.
The zoodles are a great way to add a light healthy twist to a typically heavy meal, and pesto is always delicious with shrimp.
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Pesto zoodles
Make it unique
Broccoli stem noodles
Change the flavor
Marinated zucchini salad
Salads
In the summer, I have a side salad with every meal and shrimp and grits is no exception!
Lettuce wedge salad
This wedge salad is one of the easiest ‘fancy-looking’ salads you can make.
Chop the lettuce heads in half, and sprinkle some tasty stuff over them… done.
It doesn’t disappoint in the flavor department either. The tangy black pepper and buttermilk dressing provides a nice contrast to the cheesy bed of grits.
Want a taste? Make this salad with Simply Scratch’s recipe.
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Wedge salad
Try a spin
Mediterranean wedge salad
Another classic
Caesar salad
Vinegar coleslaw
Vinegar coleslaw is another great side dish to serve alongside shrimp and grits.
Unlike your typical mayo-slathered coleslaw, this slaw is dressed with an apple cider vinegar based dressing that will leave your taste buds tingling.
The tangy flavor will lighten the creaminess of the grits, but don’t worry, there’s also some sugar in the mix so things don’t get too sour!
Foodie Crush has a delicious sweet vinegar coleslaw recipe that you can have ready in just a few minutes.
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Vinegar coleslaw
Go traditional
The BEST traditional coleslaw
Try some fusion
Mexican coleslaw
Toppers
In shrimp and grits, the grits normally act as a bed for the shrimp – but there’s always room for more in the bed!
I normally go with something cooling, like guacamole, or refreshing like a pesto or a salsa.
Crunchy options are good too – like fried okra or even roasted chickpeas.
Homemade pesto
A perfect way to jazz up shrimp and grits is to drizzle some zesty homemade pesto over it.
The bright green will look great against the yellow grits and the sharp bite works wonderfully with the slightly sweet shrimp.
YUM!
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Pesto alla genovese
Prefer red pesto?
Sun dried tomato pesto
Go adventurous
Seaweed pesto
Fried okra
Fried okra is a staple food in Southern cooking.
They’re crispy and crunchy, making them the perfect contrast to the mushy grits and soft shrimp.
They always disappear so quickly, so I prepare a big batch to make sure I don’t run out.
I like serving these fried okras with a spicy dipping sauce. But you can also just dunk them in the creamy grits.
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Cornmeal fried okra
Make it saucy
Stewed okra
A different veggie
Fried button mushrooms
Slow-cooker ribs
Turn your shrimp and grits into a surf and turf meal by cooking these delicious barbecue ribs to go with it.
Barbecue ribs are typically made on a grill, but you can also make them in the slow cooker.
Just prep the ribs, put them in the slow cooker and let it do its job.
After six hours, you’ll have, tender, melt-in-your-mouth ribs ready to go.
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Honey balsamic slow cooker ribs
Make it bite-sized
Maple cocktail rib bites
More fusion
Sticky Asian ribs
Grilled guacamole
Everyone has their own version of guacamole, but this recipe is a must try!
Grilling the avocados might sound like a hassle, but the resultant smoky twist is well worth it.
Use it as a cooling topping for your grits or enjoy it as a dip for the shrimp. Either way it will make your meal.
This unique approach to a classic will leave your guests raving.
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Grilled guacamole
A different dip
Tzatziki
Make it even healthier
Spinach guacamole
The best side dishes for shrimp and grits
- Buttermilk biscuits
- Wedge salad
- Southern-style collard greens
- Spinach and tomato galettes
- Fried okra
- Corn Succotash
- Vinegar coleslaw
- Eggplant rollatini
- Squash puppies
- Slow-cooker ribs
- Creamed peas
- Cornbread sausage stuffing
- Pesto zoodles
What To Serve With Shrimp And Grits – Vinegar Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded white colesaw mix
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup shredded red cabbge
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp sugar or honey
- 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
- 1/2 tsp celery seeds
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cabbage mix with the red onion, carrots, and red cabbage.
- In a different, smaller bowl whisk together the oil, vingear, sugar, caraway seeds, celery seeds until fully combined.
- Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss until everything is nicely coated.
- Let the slaw rest in the fridge for 20-60 minutes before serving for best results.
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