Last Updated on July 4, 2024
Grits are a favorite in the southern parts of the US and it’s not difficult to see why. I discovered them when I visited the US, they were absolutely delicious!
When following a gluten-free diet, you need to be extremely careful about the foods that you eat. There are grains such as wheat, rye, and barley that contain gluten and must be avoided. However, there are plenty of safe grains to eat, which you can make dishes such as grits. Let’s take a closer look.
Table of Contents
What Are Grits?
To put it simply, grits are ground corn. While ground corn in a dish doesn’t sound all that appealing, it’s actually a delicious and creamy dish. It’s most often eaten at breakfast, but adding cheese to this dish means it can be served with virtually any meal. Usually, dent corn is used when making grits – this is because it’s a variety of corn that’s less sweet, but more starchy. It’s essentially porridge that is made using cornmeal, rather than oatmeal.
Ingredients In Grits
Ingredients in grits can differ depending on where you purchase them or how you make them. However, let’s take a look at the ingredients in one of the most famous brands of grits, Quakers.
Quakers Grits contains the following ingredients:
- Specially processed Degerminated white corn grits
- Salt
- Calcium Carbonate
- Reduced iron
- Niacin
- bht and citric acid
- thiamin mononitrate
- riboflavin
- folic acid
Learn more about: Is Quaker Corn Meal Gluten-Free?
Are Grits Gluten Free?
Grits are naturally gluten-free. This is because they’re made using corn, which is a gluten-free grain. However, when it comes to grits, there’s a huge risk of cross-contact. For example, as you can see from the ingredients in Quakers Grits, there are no gluten-containing ingredients. However, there’s a statement on their FAQs that say that they can not claim their grits are gluten-free, as their product may contain traces of gluten. From harvesting to storage, they can come into contact with gluten, as there’s no dedicated area.
Grits Gluten Free Brands
There are many brands of grits that are known to be gluten-free. It’s best to stick with one of the following brands when you’re following a gluten-free diet. Particularly if you’re celiac, or particularly sensitive to gluten.
The following brands are safe:
- Arrowhead Mills
- Bob’s Red Mill (Bob’s Red Mill is always my go-to choice!)
- Julia’s Pantry
- Medford Farms
- Sam Mills
- Palmetto Farms
These brands will clearly be marked as gluten-free and always be sure to check the ingredients label, as ingredients can change at any time.
Gluten Free Grits Recipe
Let’s take a look at this Cheesy Gluten-Free Shrimp and Grits recipe from Eat At Our Table. While grits are delicious on their own, they’re even better with a main-like shrimp. Let’s take a look at the recipe.
Ingredients
The ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are:
Grits
- 1 cup of grits (corn or rice)
- 1 cup of gluten-free chicken broth
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Shrimp
- 2 pieces of cut-up bacon
- 1 pound of shrimp (ready to eat)
- 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning (ensure it’s gluten-free)
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon of butter
Recipe
Grits
- In a pan, add all of the ingredients for the grits (besides the cheese) and combine
- Over medium heat, bring to the boil
- Stir to mix well
- Move heat to low, and cover and cook for around 20 minutes
- Remove from the heat. Add the cheese and mix well
Shrimp
- Zest your lemon until you have around half a teaspoon of zest
- Grab your Cajun seasoning and lemon and sprinkle over the shrimp. Place it to one side
- Cook the bacon and leave the leftover oil/grease in the pan
- Add the shrimp to said pan and on medium heat, cook each side for around 2 minutes
- Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the shrimp
- Continue cooking until shrimp are completely cooked
- Remove the shrimp from the pan and take off the heat. Add the butter to the pan
- Once melted, add the shrimp and cover well to ensure it’s coated
- Serve the grits, with the shrimp on top
- Your gluten-free dish is ready to eat!
Read more about Sausage Gravy With Cornstarch
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped to answer the question: do grits have gluten? And give you an insight into how to make your own gluten-free grits at home. Grits are one of the easier foods to find gluten-free – so we certainly don’t need to miss out on this delicious dish.
FAQs

Hi, my name’s Zoë. I live in London, UK. I work full time as a freelance writer and critic for West End theatre. Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I spend most of my free time at the theatre, or at conventions. I’m married to the love of my life, and live in a small apartment with my fur baby, Lillie. I run two of my own blogs: No Safer Place and Stage to Page: both of which have won awards. I also have a YouTube channel where I talk about all things stagey.