Dinner Tonight
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Shrimp and grits on a corn tortilla: a recipe that shouldn't work but does [Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]

About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is the editor of Serious Eats: Chicago. He loves tacos and spicy food. You can follow him as @nickdk on Twitter.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup coarse ground grits
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 4 ounces cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  • 2 serrano chilies, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (about 2 tablepsoons)
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 quart)
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • 12 corn tortillas, warmed
  • 2 limes, quartered

Procedures

  1. Bring water and milk to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Whisk in the grits and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Reduce heat to a bare simmer and cook, stirring every other minute, until grits are creamy, 20 to 25 minutes.

  2. When grits are done, turn off heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter and cheddar cheese. Season with lots of black pepper. Cover and set aside.

  3. Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When butter stops foaming add shrimp. Cook until pink on the bottom, about 1 minute. Flip and cook until pink on the other side and firm, about 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.

  4. Add the onion, serranos, and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they soften, release their juice, and make a thick sauce, about 4 minutes. Add half of the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir the shrimp back in.

  5. Smear some of the grits on a tortilla and top with shrimp and salsa mixture. Garnish with more cilantro. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve tacos with lime wedges.