Charleston Shrimp and Gravy

Name: Charleston Shrimp and Gravy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 slices thick-cut bacon; 2 tablespoons butter; 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped; 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 2 teaspoons seasoned salt; Ground black pepper, to taste; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; 1½ cups chicken stock

Creamy, smoky Lowcountry breakfast gravy loaded with fresh shrimp and bacon

↓ Jump Straight to the Recipe

Watch Cletus's Latest Video

Fresh from the skillet — new cookin' straight from the holler!

Watch Latest Video →

Rise and shine, it’s Cletus time! This is one of those recipes that sound kinda odd at first but it’s soo good. Shrimp in gravy? With bacon and a little roux magic? Folks down in Charleston been eatin’ this for breakfast longer than most of us been alive, and once you try it you’ll see why it stuck around.

I first tasted a version of this on a trip down South back in my younger days. I was drivin’ through Charleston when a little old lady at a roadside diner slid a plate in front of me and said, “Sugar, you ain’t lived till you had shrimp gravy.” One bite and I was hooked. Brought the idea back to the Kentucky holler, fired up the cast-iron skillet, and gave it that good ol’ Cletus twist with extra bacon and a little more smoke. Now it’s a regular on the table — creamy, savory, and downright addictive over hot grits or split biscuits. One spoonful and you’ll be hollerin’ for seconds… or thirds.

Funny thing is, the first time I made it for the family, my cousin Ray Bob took one look and said, “You puttin’ shrimp in gravy? That’s Yankee food!” Ten minutes later he was soppin’ the plate with his third biscuit and askin’ when I was makin’ it again. Even ol’ Bigfoot would approve — he once stole a whole pot of my shrimp gravy right off the back porch. Left nothing but shrimp tails and a big hairy footprint. True story.

⏱ Prep Time
10 minutes

🔥 Cook Time
20 minutes

⏲ Total Time
30 minutes

🍽 Servings
4

⭐ Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients (Serves 4 hungry folks)

3 slices thick-cut bacon
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1½ cups chicken stock

How to Make Charleston Shrimp and Gravy

1. In a big cast-iron skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon till it’s nice and crisp. Pull it out, crumble it up, and set aside. Leave all that glorious bacon grease in the pan.
2. Add the butter to the bacon grease and let it melt. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the flour and keep stirrin’ until it turns a beautiful golden brown (2–3 minutes).
3. Toss in the chopped onion and green bell pepper. Cook until soft and smelling like heaven (about 5 minutes).
4. Stir in the shrimp. Season with seasoned salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Cook just until the shrimp start turning pink (2–3 minutes).
5. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons flour over everything and stir well. Slowly pour in the chicken stock while stirrin’ like crazy to keep lumps out.
6. Bring it to a gentle simmer and let it bubble until the gravy thickens up nice (5–10 minutes). Stir the crumbled bacon back in at the end.

Cletus’ Pro Tips from the Holler

Don’t overcook the shrimp — they only need a quick kiss of heat at the end.
Roux trouble? If it’s too thin, make a quick slurry and whisk it in. Too thick? Splash in a little more stock.
Salt control — seasoned salt and stock can sneak up on you. Taste as you go.
Make ahead — The gravy (minus shrimp) keeps in the fridge 2 days. Just reheat gently and add shrimp at the end.

Variations to Keep It Interestin’

Add sausage — Throw in some sliced andouille or smoked sausage with the veggies.
Crab it up — Toss in a handful of lump crabmeat at the end.
Spicy kick — Add a pinch of cayenne or hot sauce if your holler likes it with a little fire.

Cletus’s Kitchen Wisdom – Why This Works

The real magic is in that bacon grease + butter roux. It gives you a deep, smoky flavor that plain flour-and-stock gravy just can’t touch. Cooking the shrimp right in the gravy lets them soak up all that Lowcountry goodness without turning rubbery. The green pepper and onion add that classic Charleston sweetness that balances the saltiness of the bacon and seasoned shrimp. It’s rich, creamy, and built for soppin’ — exactly what Southern breakfasts were made for.

What to Serve With It

Classic: Creamy stone-ground grits + this gravy = breakfast of champions.
Biscuits on the side for soppin’.
Fried eggs or home fries if you’re goin’ full Southern plate.

Shop this Chicken stock on Amazon Amazon
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Watch Cletus Cook It! →

Got a tweak or your own family shrimp gravy secret? Drop it in the comments or holler at me! I read every one!