How to make Grits

Grits is simply dried corn that has been ground into a fine porridge. It’s not too dissimilar from polenta. When I think of grits, I think of southern comfort cooking. But you don’t have to be from the south to enjoy this easy, delicious food. Grits can be made savory and sweet and served at breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s a super versatile food.

Sometimes folks are intimidated about making grits, assuming there’s a right way and a wrong way, but this really isn’t true. Like most foods, there are more or less traditional ways to make and serve it, but in the end it comes down more to your own taste and preferences. In this post, I will show you how to make basic, delicious grits you can then customize all sorts of ways.

Related: If you like grits for dinner, next up learn how to make risotto—another creamy, tasty grain that can be served with all sorts of meals.

Ingredients

Grits
Water
Chicken bouillon
Butter
Salt
Black pepper

I usually stir some cream (half and half) and shredded or grated cheese into my grits as well. But it depends what I am serving alongside it. I use water and chicken bouillon when making savory grits (which is most of the time).

Bring the water to a boil. Add the chicken bouillon cube and stir to dissolve.

While whisking, stir in the grits and continue to cook on medium/high heat for 12-14 minutes. Stir occasionally so the grits do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter, salt and pepper. Grits are done when they have a smooth and creamy texture and the grains feel softened, not gritty. If adding cream and cheese, add this now so everything can melt together and get warm.

Tips and Notes

Grits are made with a 4:1 ratio of water (or stock) to grits. In the recipe card here I’ve listed 2 cups of water to 1/2 cup of grits (in order to make two servings). You can cut this in half, double it, etc. Just use the 4:1 ratio as your guide.
Grits are usually labeled as simply grits, stone-ground or old fashioned. If the package says “instant,” this means the grits have been pre-cooked and the preparation is different (only need to add boiling water).
You can substitute the water and chicken bouillon cube for chicken stock or broth. You can also use other types of stock (beef, seafood, etc.), depending how you want to flavor your grits and what you are serving them with.
If you want to make the grits richer, add more butter, cream or cheese. If you want the grits to be thinner, add more liquid when cooking.
If I am wanting to make sweet grits, I skip the bouillon cube and black pepper and will usually add a little brown sugar and cinnamon to flavor and sweeten the grits. Cream and butter are still great additions, or you can add a little bit of cream cheese. 🙂

What to Serve with Grits

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Soft, savory and creamy stone-ground grits made with just a few ingredients.

Yield 2

Prep 3 minutes

Cook 12 minutes

Total 15 minutes

Instructions

Bring the water to a boil.
Add the chicken bouillon cube and stir to dissolve.
While whisking, stir in the grits and continue to cook on medium/high heat for 12-14 minutes. Stir occasionally so the grits do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter, salt and pepper. Grits are done when they have a smooth and creamy texture and the grains feel softened, not gritty.
If adding cream and cheese, add this now so everything can melt together and get warm.

Notes

Grits are made with a 4:1 ratio of water (or stock) to grits. In the recipe card here I’ve listed 2 cups of water to 1/2 cup of grits (in order to make two servings). You can cut this in half, double it, etc. Just use the 4:1 ratio as your guide.
Grits are usually labeled as simply grits, stone-ground or old fashioned. If the package says “instant,” this means the grits have been pre-cooked and the preparation is different (only need to add boiling water).
You can substitute the water and chicken bouillon cube for chicken stock or broth. You can also use other types of stock (beef, seafood, etc.), depending how you want to flavor your grits and what you are serving them with.
If you want to make the grits richer, add more butter, cream or cheese. If you want the grits to be thinner, add more liquid when cooking.
If I am wanting to make sweet grits, I skip the bouillon cube and black pepper and will usually add a little brown sugar and cinnamon to flavor and sweeten the grits. Cream and butter are still great additions, or you can add a little bit of cream cheese.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

How to make Grits

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

How to make Grits – 15 minutes