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My Cheesy Fried Grits are creamy inside and crispy outside. Making them a perfect addition for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. Whenever you're looking for something different to serve.
Here are some more tasty grit recipes: Barbecue Shrimp and Grits, Grillades and Grits, Smoked Gouda Grits, Parmesan Grits, and Goat Cheese Grits.
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I love grits! Growing up, my dad would make grits every weekend for breakfast. As a matter of fact, he still does it to this day. I have mastered the art of grit making, and this recipe is one of several ways you can make them.
The first time I had grit cakes was at an Italian restaurant. After tasting that, I always had the perfect recipe for any leftover grits. As you can tell from the list above, there are several ways to prepare them with cheddar cheese, bacon, or fresh herbs.
Regardless of how you like your grits, fried grits provide a wonderful presentation and texture to whatever you serve them with. Let's jump into whipping them up.
Key Ingredients
Before you start whipping up this fried grit recipe, look at this list of ingredients to make sure you have everything you need.
Stone Ground Grits
Sometimes they can be challenging to find, depending on your market, but they make the best grits. The coarse texture takes longer to cook than instant or traditional grits, but old-fashioned grits are worth the time.
Half and Half
I love adding a creamy component to my grits; half and half provide a delicious texture and creaminess.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Grate your own cheese every time. I do understand the convenience of pre-shredded cheese, so no judgment from me.
Flour
Avoid using self-rising flour; we don't need any "lift" from the baking soda. Plain all-purpose flour will do.
Eggs
Just like frying fish or chicken, we need an egg wash to help the flour coating stick.
How To Make Fried Grits Recipe
The key to cooking grits is adding them to boiling water; this jump-starts the cooking process immediately and will yield some incredibly smooth grits.
Cheddar Cheese Grits:
Bring water, half and half, kosher salt, and butter to a boil in a medium pot. Add grits, lower heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until grits have thickened. Whisk occasionally to remove any lumps. Stir in cheddar until melted.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish and spread out evenly. A loaf pan will not work because it's too narrow. Pop in the fridge uncovered for 1 hour to overnight. If overnight, cover and poke holes in the plastic wrap to allow heat to release.
Dredge:
After the grits are cold and set, dip a 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter into flour and cut out grit cakes.
Mix flour, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or plate. In another bowl, combine eggs and milk.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat once oil reaches 350°F (faint white smoke). Dredge grit cakes in egg mixture, then flour; let any excess egg drain off before dipping into the flour and shaking off any extra flour.
Fry grits in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown; reduce heat to medium-low if browning too fast.
Drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Keep cooked grit cakes warm in the oven. Serve hot and garnish with chives.
Storage
Fried grits are best eaten immediately but will remain fresh for 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat, pop in an oven or air fryer at 350°F for 5-8 minutes or until hot.
You can freeze fried grit cakes in an airtight container for 1 month. Thaw before reheating for best results.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
By practicing, you will become skilled at preparing grits.
- Because stone ground grits have a coarse cut, they may take as long as 30 minutes to cook.
- Using yellow grits and white grits would yield the same outcome. However, yellow grits are visually more appealing.
- If you want to replace grits with something similar, you can use polenta, the Italian version of grits.
- Using cornmeal as a substitute for grits is not recommended as it will result in a dish known as corn mush because cornmeal is more finely ground.
- You can substitute half and half with heavy cream, whole milk, or any milk available in your home.
- I wouldn't use almond milk or coconut milk because of its sweet flavor.
- To ensure that your grits are evenly stirred, I recommend using a whisk, as it can easily reach the edges of the pot.
- Using a larger pan allows the grits to cool faster and makes it easier to lift out after cutting them.
- If you have quick-cooking instant grits, go ahead and use them.
- Use a low-sodium chicken broth instead of water for more flavorful grits.
FAQs
Here are the top questions readers have about whipping up fried grit cakes.
Fried grits are made from cooked grits and usually include cheese, seasoning, and butter. After the grits cool off and firm, they're cut into shapes and fried to a golden brown, producing a creamy interior and crispy exterior.
Grits are coarser than cornmeal, which gives them their distinct texture. Corn meal is ground finely and used for frying fish and dusting surfaces to keep baked goods from sticking.
No one knows the exact origin of fried grits, but grits have been around since the 16th century among the Native Aboriginal Americans in the southeastern states. The Muskogee tribes are credited with drying corn and grinding them into a gritty coarse texture.
Technically, grits and polenta are the same, but old-fashioned grits (stone ground) can be found from coarse to finely ground for quicker cooking. Polenta is milled in a medium-coarse, producing a gritter/ granular final texture after cooking.
Several things can be served with fried grits, from red gravy to creamy sauces, sauteed spinach, scrambled eggs, fried chicken, bacon, sausage, or seafood.
More Southern Recipes
I believe these recipes will interest you if you share the same love for Soul food as I do.
- Cajun Fish and Grits
- Buttermilk Biscuits and White Sausage Gravy
- Chocolate Banana Pudding
- Southern Black-Eyed Peas
- Fried Chicken and Waffles
Before You Begin
Before getting started, here are the steps I use to get organized.
Step 1: Get all ingredients for the grits on the counter. Cook them in advance.
Step 2: Measure everything out for frying.
Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for some amazing grits for breakfast.
I can't wait to hear about your experience making these mouthwatering grits! Leave a comment and a star rating below, letting me know how they turned out!
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📖 Recipe
Cheesy Fried Grits
Ingredients
Cheese Grits:
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups half and half
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup stone ground grits no instant grits
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Dredge:
- ¾ cup unbleached flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg beaten
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 bunch chives chopped
Instructions
Cheese Grits:
- In a medium pot, bring water, half and half, kosher salt, and butter to a boil. Whisk in grits, lower heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until grits have thickened. Whisk occasionally to remove any lumps. Stir in cheddar until melted.
- Transfer grits to a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour in grits and spread out evenly. Pop in the fridge for 1 hour to overnight. If overnight cover and poke holes in wrap to allow heat to release.
Dredge:
- Preheat oven to 200°F. After the grits are cold and set, dip a 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter into flour and cut out grit cakes. Mix flour, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or plate. In another bowl, combine eggs and milk.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat once oil reaches 350°F (faint white smoke). Dredge grit cakes in egg mixture, then flour; let any excess egg drain off before dipping into the flour and shaking off any extra flour.
- Fry grits in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown; reduce heat to medium-low if browning too fast. Drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Keep cooked grit cakes warm in the oven. Serve hot and garnish with chives.
Notes
- Because stone ground grits have a coarse cut, they may take as long as 30 minutes to cook.
- Using yellow grits and white grits would yield the same outcome. However, yellow grits are visually more appealing.
- If you want to replace grits with something similar, you can use polenta, the Italian version of grits.
- Using cornmeal as a substitute for grits is not recommended as it will result in a dish known as corn mush because cornmeal is more finely ground.
- You can substitute half and half with heavy cream, whole milk, or any milk available in your home.
- I wouldn't use almond milk or coconut milk because of its sweet flavor.
- To ensure that your grits are evenly stirred, I recommend using a whisk, as it can easily reach the edges of the pot.
- Using a larger pan allows the grits to cool faster and makes it easier to lift out after cutting them.
- If you have quick-cooking instant grits, go ahead and use them.
- Use a low-sodium chicken broth instead of water for more flavorful grits.
Joanne says
Absolutely delicious. thanks for all the delicious recipes that you share!
DONA EVANS says
This is excellent. I love all the information and the way you laid out your page. the recipe is great. I needed an idea for my leftover grits. this saved me and I could use some grits I got for free. I had not eaten grits in years. It took me back to my childhood, except your recipe was better than how I'm used to eating grits.
Ellen says
Looks good, would love to give this a try, but....
Just wondering, in the 'ingredients' it says "stone ground grits no instant grits"
In the 'Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks' it says "If you have quick-cooking instant grits, go ahead and use them." ......
Which works and which doesn't???????
Kenneth Temple says
Hi Ellen! I'm a big fan of stone ground grits and anti-quick grits lol. However, sometimes the only thing available in some markets are quick grits, so to ensure that the type of grit doesn't stop someone from making them. I suggest that if you have quick-grits use them.