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Blackened Cajun Catfish, Shrimp & Sausage Grits

A rich, comforting Southern bowl loaded with beautifully blackened flaky catfish, bright pink shrimp, and savory smoked sausage over perfectly creamy cheese grits. Every single bite is flooded with a massive, heavy, scroll-stopping thick creamy Cajun butter sauce drip!

  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • The Creamy Cheese Grits
  • 1 cup stone-ground grits
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups heavy cream or whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, freshly grated
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • The Blackened Seafood & Sausage
  • 2 catfish fillets, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 6 oz smoked sausage, sliced
  • 2 tbsp blackened or Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • The Thick Cajun Butter Drip
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
  • Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Cook the Grits: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and heavy cream to a gentle boil. Slowly whisk in the stone-ground grits. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, whisking occasionally until perfectly thick and tender. Remove from heat and stir in the grated cheddar and butter until smooth, rich, and velvety.
  2. Sear the Sausage: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drop in the sliced smoked sausage and sear until deeply browned and crisp on the edges. Remove and set aside.
  3. Blacken the Seafood: Toss the catfish chunks and raw shrimp heavily in the blackened Cajun seasoning. Heat the olive oil and melt the butter in the exact same skillet. Sear the catfish and shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the fish is perfectly flaky with a dark crust and the shrimp turn beautifully bright pink. Remove and set aside with the sausage.
  4. Make the Thick Drip: In the same hot skillet, melt the extra butter and sauté the minced garlic until fragrant. Whisk in the heavy cream and extra Cajun seasoning, letting it simmer for 1 minute until it reduces into a completely smooth, thick, and velvety Cajun butter cream sauce.
  5. Assemble and Drip: Heavily spoon the hot, creamy cheese grits into serving bowls. Top generously with the blackened catfish chunks, bright pink shrimp, and browned sausage slices. Flood the entire bowl with a massive, heavy, scroll-stopping thick creamy Cajun butter sauce drip straight from the pan! Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.
  • Author: Chef Stella
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes