Slow Cooker Grits
6 Comments Jun 11, 2022
Updated Oct 27, 2024
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This slow cooker grits recipe makes some of the best creamy and buttery grits you have ever tasted. With just four ingredients, this is a dish even your kids can make.
Love southern side dishes? We love making these grits, mac and cheese, and fried apples. Grit are a wonderful side for a seafood boil.
Table of Contents
What are Grits?
Grits are similar to porridge, and there are a variety that you can cook with. This recipe calls for stoneground grits, which are still ground from corn but with the germ intact. Through that process, the grits are a bit more coarse but also present a more pronounced flavor.
The most popular type of grit purchased and cooked today are quick-cooking grits. These are more finely milled and will cook quicker than the stone ground. Quick-cooking grits are ideal for cooking on the stovetop.
If you’re looking for the quickest way to cook grits, then instant grits would be your best bet. Since they are already cooked, they’ll only need to be rehydrated with boiling hot water. Overall, grits are a nice addition to any breakfast-time meal or enjoyed anytime throughout the day, and this crockpot recipe makes cooking them a lot easier.
Recipe Ingredients
- Stoneground Grits: Since these grits take longer to cook, they are ideal for cooking in the slow cooker.
- Water: A must-have for making this creamy grits recipe.
- Butter: Adds an oil base, slight taste, and overall texture to the grits.
- Salt: Adding salt to the grits before the cooking process starts yields a better effect than adding the salt at the end.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Add the grits to a large mixing bowl and pour in some water. Allow the grits to sit for about 10 minutes. You’ll notice the chaff floating to the top, which will need to be skimmed off.
Step Two – Pour the rinsed and skimmed grits into the crockpot (drain them in a mesh strainer)
Step Three – Pour in the water, butter, and salt. Cook on LOW for 6 hours (stirring occasionally).
Step Four – Once done, the grits will still have a bit of texture to them. Stir and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
What goes well with this grits recipe?
- Toppings: There are a variety of toppings you can add to grits depending on your flavor preference. Grated sharp cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, bacon bits, caramelized onions, and/or sprinkled with dried herbs are just a few ideas. Cheese grits are quite popular!
- Eggs: Grits have long been a complimentary side to eggs. You can have them scrambled, fried, over easy, or sunny side up. Either way, a few spoonfuls of grits will taste great with them.
- Meat: Since grits are typically thought of as a breakfast dish, you can’t go wrong by serving them with freshly cooked bacon or sausage. They’re also infamously known to be paired with shrimp.
Don’t forget that you can always serve a bowl of southern grits as is. Although it is often seen as a side dish, you can always eat grits right out of the slow cooker. If necessary, add more butter and shredded cheese to make the most delicious cheesy grits ever!
Recipe FAQs
Stone-ground grits are basically made from the whole corn kernel, and because of this, they have a lot more minerals and vitamins than the quick-cooking type that has had the pericarp and germ removed. Stone-ground grits need a lot more cooking than the quick type. On the stove, stone-ground grits need about 45-60 minutes to cook, whereas the quick-cooking type can be ready in minutes.
I find that they don’t freeze well. It’s best to cook them on an as-needed basis for best results.
During the grinding process, a lot of ‘chaff’ can be left behind with the grits; it’s harmless pieces of the corn but can make the texture somewhat gritty if you don’t skim this off.
Grits are full of iron, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and folate and so in that regard, they’re very good for you.
If you want to add a bit of sweetness to your grits, simply add a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, honey, or molasses. Adjust accordingly to taste.
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Slow Cooker Grits Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Cups stoneground grits
- 8 Cups water
- 3 Tbsp. butter, plus more for serving
- 1.5 tsp. salt
- salt and pepper to taste, (after cooking)
Instructions
- Add the grits to a large mixing bowl and pour in some water – allow the grits to sit for 10 minutes. The chaff will float to the top where you can skim it off.
- After you have skimmed and rinsed the grits you can strain and add to the slow cooker.
- Pour in the 8 cups of water, add the butter and about 1-2 teaspoons of salt.
- Cook on low for 6 hours. Stir here and there. It is cooked when the grits are soft but still have a texture to them.
- Stir and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with grated cheese, green onions, eggs, whichever you prefer.
Sarah’s Notes
- Toppings: There are a variety of toppings you can add to grits depending on your flavor preference. Grated sharp cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, bacon bits, caramelized onions, and/or sprinkled with dried herbs are just a few ideas. Cheese grits are quite popular!
- Eggs: Grits have long been a complimentary side to eggs. You can have them scrambled, fried, over easy, or sunny side up. Either way, a few spoonfuls of grits will taste great with them.
- Meat: Since grits are typically thought of as a breakfast dish, you can’t go wrong by serving them with freshly cooked bacon or sausage. They’re also infamously known to be paired with shrimp.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
1st you do not soak grits. My mother born and raised in Georgia said you don’t do that.
With that kind of grits you do soak them, and also because you are preparing them to go into the slow cooker.
This looks awesome. But it makes 10 servings. What do you do with leftover grits?
You can make something like this: https://keviniscooking.com/southern-bacon-cheesy-fried-grits/
Shrimp and grits and a salad
Can I cook polenta like grits