Lemon Garlic Chicken

This lemon garlic chicken recipe is creamy, dreamy and the perfect dish to impress anyone! You’ll want to lick your…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This lemon garlic chicken recipe is creamy, dreamy and the perfect dish to impress anyone! You’ll want to lick your plate clean.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

If there’s one recipe that’s a sure hit in our house, it’s creamy chicken. And this one is an absolute family favorite: try this creamy lemon garlic chicken! The chicken is coated in spices and pan fried until tender and juicy, then topped with a quick pan sauce made with lemon, garlic and a little cream. It wows everyone, whether you’re cooking to impress or just whipping up a weeknight meal. (This one is on repeat in our house!)

What you need for lemon garlic chicken

This creamy lemon garlic chicken recipe is simple to put together in a skillet. The basic idea is to take chicken cutlets, season them and pan fry them for a few minutes, then make a simple creamy sauce with lemon and garlic.

  • Protein: Boneless skinless chicken cutlets or breasts
  • Spices: Oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper
  • Pantry: Olive oil, garlic
  • Dairy: Butter, milk, heavy cream
  • Fresh ingredients: Lemon, parsley (for garnish)
  • Equipment: Large skillet
  • Time: 25 minutes
Lemon Garlic chicken

A note on serving size

This recipe makes 4 modest servings, so if you’ve got very hungry eaters or more people to food, consider making 1.5 times or double the recipe. If so, use a very large skillet and pan-fry the chicken in batches.

How to butterfly chicken

For this lemon garlic chicken, you’ll want to buy chicken breasts that are already butterflied into cutlets or butterfly it yourself. Why? Chicken breasts are often very thick, making them tricky to cook evenly. Slicing the chicken breast in half horizontally (butterflying it) makes thinner pieces that cook more evenly, are easier to eat, and are better seasoned.

You can buy a chicken breast already butterflied, which is marked on the package as butterflied or “cutlets”. If you buy regular chicken breasts, you can butterfly them yourself! Here’s what to do:

  • Place your hand over the top of the chicken breast.
  • Use a sharp knife to carefully slice the breast horizontally, leaving the edge intact so it can open up like a book (or butterfly!).
  • Unfold the chicken breast like a book, then for cutlets, cut along the fold to separate the two halves (each half is a cutlet). To make evenly thick chicken, you can cover the chicken with plastic wrap and lightly pound the chicken with a mallet or heavy pan to make it even (we did not do that for this recipe).
Lemon Garlic Chicken

Buy organic chicken if possible

The best chicken to buy is organic chicken. Per the USDA, organic chicken is raise in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones.

Buying organic chicken makes sure that it is the highest quality meat that was raised sustainably, and it is also free of chemicals and additives! It’s both the healthiest and tastiest option for eating.

Sides to make it a meal

This lemon garlic chicken makes a fast and easy dinner, paired with some easy side dish recipes! Here are some tasty side dishes that are simple to whip up alongside this chicken:

Lemon Garlic Chicken

More easy chicken recipes

Let us know in the comments below what you think of this chicken recipe. Our kids love it, and it always impresses at a dinner party! Here are a few more easy chicken recipes you’ll love:

This lemon garlic chicken recipe is…

Gluten-free.

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Lemon Garlic Chicken

Lemon Garlic Chicken


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4

Description

This lemon garlic chicken recipe is creamy, dreamy and the perfect dish to impress anyone! You’ll want to lick your plate clean.


Ingredients

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 4 cutlets (about 1 pound, organic if possible)*
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup milk
  • Zest of 1/2 lemon plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon slices for garnish
  • Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. If using breasts, slice them in half horizontally (if you bought cutlets, skip this step). Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano.
  2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until browned on both sides. When the internal temperature is 165°F, or the center is no longer pink, remove to a plate.
  3. Melt the butter in the same pan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Add the cream, milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring and scraping, until thickened slightly. Return the chicken to the pan and warm each side for 1 minute. Serve immediately, with sauce spooned over. If desired, garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices.

Notes

*This recipe makes 4 modest servings, so if you’ve got very hungry eaters or more people to food, consider making 1.5 times or double the recipe. If so, use a very large skillet and pan-fry the chicken in batches. 

  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Chicken
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: Lemon garlic chicken, garlic lemon chicken

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Creamy Spinach Pasta

This spinach pasta recipe is simple and irresistible! A creamy Parmesan garlic sauce complements the leafy greens. Want to eat…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This spinach pasta recipe is simple and irresistible! A creamy Parmesan garlic sauce complements the leafy greens.

Spinach pasta

Want to eat your greens and love it? Try this creamy spinach pasta recipe, starring chewy al dente pasta and an irresistible Parmesan garlic cream sauce! The way the creamy sauce and garlic accentuate the leafy greens makes it one of our top vegetarian pasta recipes to date. Cozy up to a bowl and it’s positively life-giving. You’ll never love spinach more!

Ingredients in this spinach pasta recipe

There’s not much that doesn’t taste amazing cooked with butter, garlic, Parmesan and cream. And this spinach pasta recipe is no exception! It’s hard to make a vegetarian pasta taste good, but this one passes with flying colors: and it’s simple! Even better, leftovers even stay flavorful in the fridge (which is my personal test for a good pasta recipe). Here’s what you’ll need for this spinach pasta:

  • Pasta of any shape
  • Butter
  • Garlic
  • Oregano
  • Milk
  • Heavy cream
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh spinach
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Spinach pasta recipe

Cook the pasta to al dente

The most important thing to remember when making any pasta is to cook your pasta to al dente! Al dente means “to the bite” in Italian, or when it’s tender with a small white speck inside when you bite into a piece. There’s nothing worse than soft, rubbery pasta. Here are a few tips for the perfect al dente pasta:

  • Boil the pasta a few minutes less than indicated on the package instructions. Often package instructions make for overcooked pasta.
  • Start taste testing early. Start taste testing and stop cooking when the pasta is just tender but you can still see a small white speck inside.

Tips for making spinach pasta

This spinach pasta recipe is so simple and straightforward, there aren’t many tips and tricks to call out. Besides cooking your pasta to al dente, here are a few things to note:

  • Reserve some pasta water. It’s not required, so don’t worry if you forget it! But you can add a splash to loosen the sauce at the end of cooking.
  • You’ll add thickener after simmering the sauce. This is not a standard white sauce that starts with a roux, a mixture of flour and butter that thickens cheese sauces. But it does contain flour as a thickener: you’ll add it at the end of simmering here.
Spinach pasta

A note on serving size

The spinach pasta recipe below makes enough for 8 ounces of pasta, which is technically 4 servings. However, we find that if you eat this pasta as a main dish, it makes more like 3 servings. Feel free to double the recipe if desired: click the 2X recipe button below!

Leftovers and storage info

Spinach pasta tastes the best the day it is made. However, we were surprised to find that the flavor of this pasta tastes great as leftovers! Store leftovers for up to 3 days refrigerated. You can reheat them in a skillet on the stove, adding a splash of milk to keep the sauce creamy. Or you can simply eat them cold (they’re still good!).

Spinach pasta recipe

More spinach recipes

Got lots of spinach? Here are a few recipes you might enjoy:

This spinach pasta recipe is…

Vegetarian.

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Spinach pasta

Creamy Spinach Pasta


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 3

Description

This spinach pasta recipe is simple and irresistible! A creamy Parmesan garlic sauce complements the leafy greens.


Ingredients

  • 8 ounces pasta of any type (we used rigatoni)
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 5 cups (5 ounces) fresh spinach, roughly chopped
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Start a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and boil until al dente (check a few minutes before the package instructions indicate). Reserve about ½ cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Toss with a little olive oil if the sauce is not yet ready. 
  2. Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium low heat. Melt the butter, then add the garlic and oregano and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Add the milk, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese has melted. Add the spinach and salt and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the spinach is wilted.
  3. In a small bowl, mix ½ tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon pasta water. Pour it into the pan with the sauce, then stir until it thickens.
  4. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss. If necessary, add a few splashes of pasta water as necessary to make a creamy consistency. Top with fresh ground black pepper and serve. Enjoy immediately; leftovers last refrigerated for up to 3 days. 
  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Pasta
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Spinach pasta

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Carrot Ginger Soup

This carrot ginger soup recipe is simple but comes out with a pure flavor and velvety texture! Everyone will love…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This carrot ginger soup recipe is simple but comes out with a pure flavor and velvety texture! Everyone will love this bright orange puree.

Carrot ginger soup

Here’s a bright orange puree that that tastes like sunshine: Carrot Ginger Soup! This recipe is ideal for when you’ve got a big bag of carrots to use up, or when you’re in the midst of a gray season craving sun. We often avoid pureed soups around here because they’re not filling enough to be a meal. But this carrot ginger soup: this one’s worth taking time for! It’s great as a first course, or for lunch with grilled cheese. Here’s why it’s worth peeling and chopping all those carrots.

Ingredients in carrot ginger soup

Carrot ginger soup is a simple pureed soup made with carrots, onion and ginger. For maximum creaminess, this one’s got coconut milk for a velvety texture. It also adds a subtle fruitiness that compliments the carrot perfectly. You could substitute heavy cream for a richer soup, but we adore the flavor that coconut brings. Here’s what you’ll need for this soup:

  • Yellow onion
  • Carrots
  • Ginger root
  • Olive oil
  • Vegetable broth
  • Garlic powder
  • Cinnamon
  • Salt
  • Coconut milk

Most of the effort involved in this soup? Peeling and chopping the carrots! It takes a while to prep, but once you take the first bite: we promise you it will be worth it.

Ginger

A quick way to peel ginger

Here’s a quick tip on how to peel ginger for this carrot ginger soup. Instead of using a vegetable peeler, here’s a trick: use a spoon! Ginger root is notoriously hard to peel with a vegetable peeler: it’s knobby and the skin is tough and stringy. But peeling it with a spoon works like a charm. It sounds unbelievable until you try it: but it’s the perfect tool for the uneven surface of ginger root.

Blending it up: a few tips!

Chop those veggies, sauté them up, and boil until the carrots are tender (head to the recipe below for exact details). The only fussy part of this carrot ginger soup is blending it! Here are some notes on blending:

  • While immersion blenders are handy, we like to use a standard blender here. With a stick blender, somehow we always end up with un-blended chunks and a mess all over our kitchen. It’s worth using a blender for this one!
  • Carefully transfer the hot soup using a ladle. Don’t pour it all into the blender, or you’ll get lots of hot splatters! A ladle is the way to go.
Carrot ginger soup recipe

What to serve with carrot ginger soup

This carrot ginger soup is not a meal: just like most pureed soups. They’re meant as a first course, or a side dish that compliments another. For that reason, we usually avoid purees because we prefer spending cooking time on a main dish. But this carrot ginger soup is so tasty, it’s absolutely worth the prep time! Here are a few ways to accessorize it and make it into a meal:

Carrot Ginger Soup

More carrot recipes

Got more carrots? Here are a few more carrot recipes to use them:

This carrot ginger soup recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free

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Carrot ginger soup

Carrot Ginger Soup


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 medium or 6 small servings
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This carrot ginger soup recipe is simple but comes out with a pure flavor and velvety texture! Everyone will love this bright orange puree.


Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion
  • 4 cups chopped carrots (1 3/4 pounds or about 12 large carrots)
  • 1 ½ tablespoon peeled and minced ginger root (about 1-inch nub)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pinch cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup full fat coconut milk

Instructions

  1. Dice the onion. Peel and chop the carrots. Peel the ginger with a spoon, then mince it.
  2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the ginger, carrots, vegetable broth, garlic powder, cinnamon and salt and bring to a boil. Then simmer until the carrots are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender using a ladle (or use an immersion blender). Add the coconut milk and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve swirled with a drizzle of coconut milk and topped with fresh cilantro.
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Pureed
  • Cuisine: Soup

Keywords: Carrot ginger soup

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Wild Rice Mushroom Soup

This wild rice mushroom soup is the definition of cozy: it’s packed with creamy, savory flavor! Enjoy it with crusty bread. Here’s a soup recipe that’s the definition of cozy…we think. Wild rice mushroom soup! What’s better than a steaming cup of wild rice soup to warm your insides on a gray day. This one absolutely delivers with flavor: the light smokiness of the rice, umami of the mushrooms and creamy Parmesan cheese make absolute magic. We could eat it for every meal! This one’s a variation on our fan favorite, our popular wild rice soup and it’s every bit as satisfying. Ingredients in wild rice and mushroom soup This wild rice mushroom soup has a lightly creamy broth, made creamy with Parmesan cheese and milk: and it’s got a bit of the soup itself blended back in to give it the perfect body. There’s no heavy cream, so you feel a lightness after you eat it. Here’s what to know when you’re hunting for the ingredients for wild rice and mushroom soup: Wild rice: Don’t use a wild rice blend! You’ll need 100% wild rice for this soup. Mushrooms: Using a mix of mushroom types is nice: we used […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This wild rice mushroom soup is the definition of cozy: it’s packed with creamy, savory flavor! Enjoy it with crusty bread.

Wild rice mushroom soup

Here’s a soup recipe that’s the definition of cozy…we think. Wild rice mushroom soup! What’s better than a steaming cup of wild rice soup to warm your insides on a gray day. This one absolutely delivers with flavor: the light smokiness of the rice, umami of the mushrooms and creamy Parmesan cheese make absolute magic. We could eat it for every meal! This one’s a variation on our fan favorite, our popular wild rice soup and it’s every bit as satisfying.

Ingredients in wild rice and mushroom soup

This wild rice mushroom soup has a lightly creamy broth, made creamy with Parmesan cheese and milk: and it’s got a bit of the soup itself blended back in to give it the perfect body. There’s no heavy cream, so you feel a lightness after you eat it. Here’s what to know when you’re hunting for the ingredients for wild rice and mushroom soup:

  • Wild rice: Don’t use a wild rice blend! You’ll need 100% wild rice for this soup.
  • Mushrooms: Using a mix of mushroom types is nice: we used a mix of baby bella (cremini) and shiitake, but you can use all white mushroom or baby bella if you’d like.
  • Onion
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Olive oil and butter
  • Vegetable broth
  • Spices: Garlic powder, thyme, oregano and dill
  • Salt and pepper
  • Milk
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
  • Soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)
Wild rice recipe

Did you know wild rice isn’t really…rice?

Did you know that wild rice is not actually rice? (Mind blown, right?) This whole grain is actually the seed from a native grass that grows in lakes and streams in the Northern US and Canada. Since it looks and tastes like rice, it’s treated as rice in most cuisines.

Wild rice was an important staple in the diet of the indigenous peoples in the Northern US. I’m from Minnesota originally, so wild rice is part of the heritage and history of this region. We often ate wild rice growing up, and I love grabbing bags of Minnesota wild rice when we’re home.

Wild rice and mushroom soup

Use a mix of mushrooms

This wild rice mushroom soup is great with any type of mushroom! But we like it with a mix of mushrooms to have maximum variety in flavor and texture. Here are the types of mushrooms we recommend: and the differences between them:

  • Baby bella (cremini) mushrooms are a more mature version of a white button mushroom, so it has a more robust flavor. It’s also a baby version of a portobello mushroom, which has the most meaty flavor!
  • White button mushrooms: Substitute white button mushrooms if you can’t find baby bella! They taste and look very similar.
  • Portobello mushrooms: You can use these too! Just chop them fairly small. They have a great meaty flavor!
  • Shiitake mushrooms: A Japanese variety of mushroom with great flavor. Make sure to remove the tough stems before slicing them.

How to make wild rice mushroom soup

It takes about 1 hour to make, but this healthy soup is absolutely worth it. Most of the time is hands-off, since rice takes quite a while to simmer. Other than that, all you’ve got to do is chop some veggies! Here’s the main method for this wild rice and mushroom soup (or jump down to the recipe):

  • Chop those veggies. It takes about 15 minutes to chop all the veg. If you need some pointers, head to our Knife Skills page.
  • Simmer until the rice pops. Wild rice notoriously takes quite a while to cook: upwards of 50 minutes. Cook this soup until most of the rice grains burst and are tender. It might feel like a long time, but it’s important that the rice is perfectly tender.
  • Blend 2 cups of the soup to create a creamy body. This is the key to this soup: blending a few cups of the soup makes it thicker and creamier. Add everything to the blender: veggies, broth and rice, then whiz it up!
Wild rice mushroom soup

What to serve with wild rice mushroom soup

Want to make it a meal? There are lots of great sides to serve with soup: here are a few of our top ideas:

Vegan variation: go to Creamy Wild Rice Soup

Looking for a vegan wild rice mushroom soup? Head over to our famous Creamy Wild Rice Soup: it’s ultra creamy with no dairy to speak of. The secret? Cashews add a rich creaminess to the broth. But no one will ever know it’s plant based! Got an Instant Pot? Try our Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup.

Wild rice mushroom soup

Is wild rice healthier than standard rice?

Though they’re not truly related, wild rice is often compared to brown rice. Wondering how they stack up? Here’s what to know:

  • Wild rice has less calories than brown rice, about 66% less! 1 cup of cooked wild rice has 166 calories and 1 cup brown rice has 248 calories. (Source)
  • Wild rice has slightly more protein than brown rice. 1 cup cooked wild rice has 6.5 grams protein vs 5.5 grams in brown rice. (Source)
  • Both wild and brown rice have the same amount of fiber, about 3 grams per 1 cup cooked.

This wild rice and mushroom soup recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For plant-based, dairy-free and vegan, go to Creamy Wild Rice Soup.

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Wild rice mushroom soup

Wild Rice Mushroom Soup


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4 to 6
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This wild rice mushroom soup is the definition of cozy: it’s packed with creamy, savory flavor! Enjoy it with crusty bread.


Ingredients

  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 3 celery ribs
  • 3 medium carrots
  • 12 ounces mushrooms: baby bella (cremini) or a mix of baby bella and shiitake
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cups or 7 ounces wild rice (not a wild rice blend)
  • 1 tablespoon each dried thyme, dried oregano and dried dill
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, or more salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Dice the onion. Thinly slice the celery. Dice the carrots into rounds. Clean the mushrooms and slice them (if you’re using shiitake, make sure to remove the tough stems). Mince the garlic.
  2. Add the olive oil and butter to a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the vegetable broth, wild rice, spices, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until rice breaks open, stirring occasionally.
  4. When the wild rice is cooked, stir in the milk and Parmesan cheese. Remove 2 cups from the soup using a liquid measuring cup (including veggies, rice and broth) and place it in a blender. Add the cornstarch, then blend. Pour it back into the soup. 
  5. Stir in the soy sauce, taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Enjoy warm. Stores refrigerated for 3 days.
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Soup

Keywords: Wild rice mushroom soup

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

Famous Cajun Shrimp and Grits

This Cajun shrimp and grits recipe will wow everyone at the table! This recipe really is “world famous” and was blessed by Gordon Ramsey himself. There’s a guest chef in our kitchen: it’s Tanorria Askew! Tanorria is a MasterChef finalist turned personal chef who’s sharing her famous recipe for shrimp and grits with us. And my, we cannot wait for you to taste these creamy grits, tender shrimp, and luscious veggie gravy! Why this recipe world famous? Well, when Tanorria was competing on MasterChef, Gordon Ramsey himself proclaimed her shrimp and grits the best in the MasterChef kitchen. How’s that for impressive? Since Tanorria is our real-life friend and colleague, we asked if she’d share her secrets with us…and luckily, she agreed! And even better: we made you a video to show you how it’s done. Watch below! Follow Tanorria on Instagram! Video: How to make shrimp and grits Watch guest Chef Tanorria Askew join Sonja in the A Couple Cooks kitchen to share her famous shrimp and grits recipe! Making the BEST shrimp and grits Tanorria taught us all the secrets to making the best shrimp and grits: creamy grits, veggie gravy, and shrimp. Now, her original recipe uses […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, Vegetarian Recipes

This Cajun shrimp and grits recipe will wow everyone at the table! This recipe really is “world famous” and was blessed by Gordon Ramsey himself.

Shrimp and Grits

There’s a guest chef in our kitchen: it’s Tanorria Askew! Tanorria is a MasterChef finalist turned personal chef who’s sharing her famous recipe for shrimp and grits with us. And my, we cannot wait for you to taste these creamy grits, tender shrimp, and luscious veggie gravy!

Why this recipe world famous? Well, when Tanorria was competing on MasterChef, Gordon Ramsey himself proclaimed her shrimp and grits the best in the MasterChef kitchen. How’s that for impressive? Since Tanorria is our real-life friend and colleague, we asked if she’d share her secrets with us…and luckily, she agreed! And even better: we made you a video to show you how it’s done. Watch below!

Follow Tanorria on Instagram!

Video: How to make shrimp and grits

Watch guest Chef Tanorria Askew join Sonja in the A Couple Cooks kitchen to share her famous shrimp and grits recipe!

Making the BEST shrimp and grits

Tanorria taught us all the secrets to making the best shrimp and grits: creamy grits, veggie gravy, and shrimp. Now, her original recipe uses sausage, which is classic in a Cajun shrimp and grits recipe. Since this website is all vegetarian, vegan, and seafood recipes, we asked if she’d do a take on shrimp and grits without sausage. Of course, Tanorria obliged and created this incredible new take on her classic.

If you’d prefer shrimp and grits with sausage, head to Shrimp and Grits with Okra on her website! Otherwise: let’s get down to cooking! First: the grits.

Cajun shrimp and grits

How to make the best creamy grits

How to make the best creamy grits? First of all, let’s talk about what grits are. Grits are ground cornmeal that is boiled and made into a sort of porridge. The dish originated in the Southern US and is usually served with savory toppings, either for breakfast or dinner. Grits are very similar to polenta, which is essentially the Italian version of grits! There are very minor differences between grits and polenta, which we could go into but don’t want to get too technical.

The main takeaway: when you’re buying grits for this shrimp and grits recipe, you can use packages labeled medium grind cornmeal or grits.

The secrets to these creamy grits? It’s all about the butter and cream, baby! Here are the rough steps to perfectly creamy grits:

  • First, you’ll boil a mixture of milk, seafood stock, and butter. Once it’s boiling, whisk in the cornmeal or grits and reduce the heat to low.
  • Add the salt and allow the grits to simmer until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • When done, stir in the cream and mix until creamy.

You’ll find that these grits will taste savory and cheesy, but there’s no cheese! The butter and cream carry it all the way. What I liked about these grits is that they have little lumps, which is my favorite. (I’m a lumpy cream of wheat kind of girl, over here!)

Shrimp and grits with Cajun holy trinity

What’s the Cajun holy trinity? Making the gravy

Once you’ve got those grits simmering, you can move on to the veggie gravy. Here Tanorria uses a take on the Cajun holy trinity to make this gravy shine. What’s the Cajun holy trinity? It’s a mix of the three “holy” vegetables in Cajun cuisine: onions, bell peppers and celery. These are used as the base for many Cajun/Creole dishes like crawfish étouffée, gumbo, and jambalaya. For Tanorria’s version of the holy trinity, she’s dropped celery in favor of garlic. And I must say, we are 100% behind that decision.

For the veggie gravy in this shrimp and grits, you’ll dice the onion, dice the peppers, and mince the garlic. If you need it, click each of those links to see more instructions on how to quickly cut each vegetable. Then you’ll saute the veggies, adding Old Bay (yes!) and smoked paprika (double yes!). Add seafood stock and then simmer to let it thicken into a gravy.

And then the veggies are ready for…the shrimp!

Cajun shrimp and grits

How to cook the shrimp for shrimp and grits

The final step in this shrimp and grits recipe is the shrimp. The shrimp cook right on top of the vegetables in the skillet. Here’s what Tanorria does to make sure they cook evenly and don’t over cook:

  • Place the shrimp on top of the vegetables in a clockwise circle — that way you’ll remember which was the first shrimp in the pan and which will cook the fastest.
  • Watch for the shrimp to start to turn pink on the bottom side — this should take about 2 minutes.
  • Flip the shrimp using tongs, and then remove from the heat right when all the translucence is gone. This will be another 1 to 2 to minutes.

Plate up your grits, add the shrimp, top with spoonfuls of gravy…and prepare to be amazed.

Shrimp and grits

What type of shrimp to use?

For this recipe, here’s the type of shrimp we’d recommend using:

  • Find large shrimp, tail on, that has already been deveined. (If your shrimp are not deveined, here’s How to Devein Shrimp.)
  • Either fresh or frozen shrimp work here! (See How to thaw shrimp below.)
  • Look for wild-caught fish if possible. If you live in the US, look for US caught if you can. 90% of the seafood we eat in the US is imported. Imported seafood runs the risk of being overfished, caught under unfair labor practices, or farmed in environmentally harmful ways.

How to thaw frozen shrimp

If you use frozen shrimp for this recipe, here’s how to thaw frozen shrimp:

  • Place the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Or,
  • On the day of serving, place the frozen shrimp into a bowl with cold water. Let a small trickle of cold water run into the bowl to keep the water moving. The shrimp should defrost in about 15 minutes.
Cajun shrimp and grits
Tanorria MasterChef and Sonja Overhiser A Couple Cooks

And that’s it!

This is hands down the best recipe we’ve had for shrimp and grits. A huge thank you to Tanorria for sharing her recipe and showing us how it’s done! Make sure to follow Tanorria on Instagram and give her some social love.

This best shrimp and grits recipe is…

Pescatarian and gluten-free.

Print
Shrimp and Grits

Cajun Shrimp and Grits (World Famous!)


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  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 to 6

Description

This Cajun shrimp and grits recipe will wow everyone at the table! This recipe really is “world famous” and was blessed by Gordon Ramsey himself.


Ingredients

For the grits

  • 1 1/2 cup medium or coarse grind cornmeal or grits
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 cup seafood stock
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

For the shrimp

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 lb 21/30 ct Shrimp, peeled and deveined (tail on optional)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 cup seafood stock (or 1/2 cup seafood stock and 1/2 cup white wine)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • Chopped chives, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat medium pot to high heat. Add seafood stock, milk, and butter. Let it come to a boil. Quickly whisk in cornmeal and reduce the heat to low. Add the salt. Let it simmer until thick, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, dice the peppers and yellow onion. Mince the garlic.
  3. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add the peppers, onions, and garlic. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, then season with the Old Bay, smoked paprika, and salt. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, then add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Pour in the seafood stock and let it simmer 2 to 3 minutes until thickened.
  4. Add the shrimp on top of the vegetables, working in a clockwise direction (see the video!). Cook until they are just starting to turn pink on one side, about 2 minutes, then use tongs to turn the shrimp and cook until pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Drizzle the cream on top, and use tongs to work it in until it’s just incorporated, without stirring. Remove from the heat.
  5. Once the grits are done, pour in the cream and mix until creamy and incorporated.
  6. Place the grits into bowls and top with shrimp and spoonfuls of gravy. Garnish with chives.
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Southern

Keywords: Shrimp and Grits, Shrimp and Grits Recipe, Best Shrimp and Grits, Cajun Shrimp and Grits

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