Grits In A Crock Pot (GF & DF Option)

Name: Grits In A Crock Pot (GF/DF (Option)
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 4 cups water; 1 cup grits; 4 tablespoons butter (no need to melt); 2 teaspoons salt (more to taste)

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Cooking grits in a crock pot is such an easy and delicious way to make grits! Try this really simple recipe and process for grits that everyone will love.

Background content: grits are a delicious southern dish for anytime of year. They warm the body in the winter and also back a classic southern punch in the summer especially when paired with shrimp!

I paired grits made in a crock pot with these delicious spicy mushrooms and guests raved! We also enjoyed gluten free frittata at our brunch for dinner.

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When I First Made Grits In A Crock Pot

The first time I ever made grits in a crock pot was for a girl’s small group. We were sharing a breakfast for dinner, potluck style. My contribution was grits in a crockpot. I knew I would want to keep the grits warm while hauling to the gathering. Cooking them in the crockpot seemed like a great way to save time and keep them warm. Let me tell you, they were a hit! I totally didn’t expect them to be the shining star of the night but they were.

Why Grits In A Crock Pot Are Better

Making grits in a crock pot is an awesome way to cook grits in my opinion. There are a few reasons why using the crockpot to make grits is a good idea.

Cleaner- Grits can sometimes be a mess to cook and clean up. But when you make grits in a crock pot, you only have one pot to deal with and no grit splatters popping all over the place. Once you are finished cooking the grits, you can easily fill the pot up with water and let it soak to get the sticky grits off of the pot.
- DON’T leave your pot sitting in the sink full of water. This can cause your sink to start to tear away from the counter top
Safer- grits can pop all over the place if you aren’t diligent to control the temperature. This can cause you to get small burns from when the grits pop and hit your arm while you are stirring. This does not happen when cooking grits in a crock pot.
Time efficient- instead of standing over the grits and stirring for a long period of time, you can add water, salt, and grits to a slow cooker and only make your way back to the crockpot to check out the finished product.

What Are Crock Pot Grits Like?

Grits made in a crock pot are really no different than stove cooked grits. I think if anything, they can get chunkier in the crock pot – which I love. But, they are simply grits.

Are Grits Hard To Cook?

Grits are not the least temperamental food. They require some attention and detail but are not necessarily hard to cook. It is important to get the water ratio and timing correct when cooking various types of grits. I explain the details for cooking stone ground grits as well as “regular” grits. I cooked grits in a crock pot for brunch for dinner one night and didn’t realize my stone ground grits would take twice the time that I am used to with regular grits. I peeked inside the crockpot hoping that my stone ground grits were fully cooked after 4 hours, only to find that I had a soupy mess and would need to continue cooking my grits on the stove for more time. So, remember that not all grits cook the same.

How To Mill Stone Ground Grits

I used my mockmill 100 to grind my grits. First, I set the grind size to 10 and milled the whole kernels. Next, I moved the setting to 5 and milled the flour I just created. This will give you the classic “grits” size. Make sure not to grind too small (closer to the 1-4 setting on the Mockmill) or you will get closer to a corn meal/corn flour size.

How To Cook Grits In A Crock Pot: Ratio and Timing

Cooking grits varies based on regular and stone ground. Mama Gourmand includes a really helpful table to explain the amount of time it will take to cook grits with different cooking methods and based on different grinds (stone ground, quick, regular). Since we are talking about Crockpot grits, we will stick to that information for now. See below for a quick reference.

Stoneground Crockpot Grits

Water to grits: 4:1 (water to grits)
Stone Ground grits: cook for 7 hours

Regular grits

Water to grits: 4:1 (water to grits)
Regular grits: Cook for 3-4 hours (Stir every 45 minutes)

Ingredients

I chose to make my crockpot grits from stone ground grits. Stone ground grits are grits produced from grinding whole kernels. See the next section on milling stone ground grits. The whole kernels that I buy are non-GMO and Organic. I mill the kernels with my Mockmill. A mill is not a typical appliance found in most homes these days, so obviously you can pick up some grits at a grocery store. I would make sure to choose an organic source like these grits. Corn is highly sprayed with herbicides. Read more here. So, it is important to choose non-GMO/Organic.

Grits
Butter
Salt
Water

Optional:
Spicy Mushrooms
Green onions
Goat Cheese
White Cheddar

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

If using stone ground grits, mill kernels on 10 one time and then mill again on 5. Those are the numbers on my Mockmill 100.

Oil the slow cooker pot. You can simply add some avocado oil or olive oil to the pot and brush around with a basting brush or paper towel.

Add grits, water, butter, and salt to the pot. Stir.

Place lid on pot and latch. Set slow cooker for 7 hours (low) for stone ground grits; 4 hours for regular grits.

Hint: Remove the lid every now and then and give the grits a good stir with a fork or a stainless steel whisk.

Watery Grits

Grits can sometimes come out watery. This is almost always because the ratio of 4:1 (water to grits) was off or because the grits have not been cooking long enough. If you find that when cooking your grits in a crock pot they are watery, try to look back on the steps you took and decide if you think this is a ratio issue or a timing issue and follow the instructions accordingly.

Timing issue: place them on the stove and stir them frequently for 20 minutes. If they have not thickened up in that time, follow the following instruction.

Ratio issue: add more grits to the pot, starting with 2 tablespoons at a time. Do not add any more water, and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Let me know if this worked out for you! Comment below!

Substitutions for Grits in Crock Pot

For dairy free and vegan omit the butter and cheese.

Serving Suggestions/Variations

Try some of the following serving suggestions below:

Goat Cheese and Chives: I absolutely love putting goat cheese in my grits. It is so delicious and creamy without having to put cream in the grits. If you like the flavor of goat cheese then that will be a big perk for you!

Spicy Mushrooms: One of the most delicious toppings to add to the crockpot grits are spicy mushrooms.

Just Cheese: If you aren’t dairy free, then simply adding cheese to grits is the most classic and one of the most delightful ways to eat grits. Experiment with your favorite cheese. Sharp white cheddar is a great choice!

Green Onions: Green onions and grits go together like peanut butter and jelly! Simply chop up some green onions and sprinkle on the top!

Shrimp: I’m sure you have heard of the famous southern Shrimp & Grits. I am a huge fan. Try taking these grits and pairing them with shrimp to make a delicious shrimp and grits recipe. Top with the spicy mushrooms above!

Equipment For Making Grits In Crock Pot

A crock pot is necessary for making grits in a crock pot. If you are in the market for a crockpot check these out.

Reheating Grits In A Crock Pot

Grits can be cooked in a crock pot, put in the refrigerator, and reheated! This is a great way to eat grits. You may even like to cook grits for the week and reheat in the mornings. I like to heat things up in the oven or on the stovetop but grits can also be heated in the microwave.

Storage

Store grits in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in an air sealed container. Again, they will thicken as they sit. They will reach a plateau in their thickness. But just remember, their texture won’t be the exact same as when you originally cooked them.

Do not freeze.

Top tip

If you want your grits to be creamy and you aren’t dairy free, make sure to add cream or milk and enough water.

FAQ

How will I know my grits in a crock pot are done?

You will know that your grits are finished when they are thicker than a soup consistency. The grits will continue to thicken as they dry. So, if you don’t like them super thick, especially for leftovers, then leave them a little on the soupier side. The texture of grits is completely up to the beholder. If you like them thicker, cook them longer and vice versa.

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