Crispy, Creamy Southern Grit Cakes Recipe Will Make You Love Grits Side Dishes Vegetarian Vegan

Recently I discovered my love for grits – beyond shrimp and grits. These creamy, cheesy vegan grits were a pleasant surprise that we enjoyed as a side dish with my sweet tea-brined oven-fried chicken. While I was looking at the leftover grits and about to plop them into an airtight container, I had an idea: grit cakes. The idea was inspired by mashed potato patties, which are made with leftover mashed potatoes.

These pan-fried grit cakes were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Such a quick and easy side dish and way to use up the leftovers! To make these southern grit patties you just need leftover grits. Don't have any? Make your favorite savory or basic grit recipe, let it cool and shape into patties.

These crispy, creamy grit cakes are the perfect side dish with fried or baked chicken, pork chops, meatloaf, fish, shrimp or whatever you desire. It's the new way to eat grits!

Note: 30Seconds is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program and this post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• cooked grits, cooled
• olive oil

Helpful Products

• Skillet
• Cast Iron Skillet
• Salt and Pepper
• Spatula
• Airtight Containers

Recipe Notes

• Use whatever grit recipe you enjoy.

• If your grit recipe is cheesy, watch them closely as they cook so they don't stick.

• If you have time, refrigerate after forming into patties, especially if you have softer grits.

• If you've made plain grits, you can stir in additional ingredients before frying like chopped fresh chives, green onions, fresh garlic, garlic powder, onion powder or your favorite seasoning blends, grated cheese or even chopped ham or bacon. 

• Don't have olive oil? You can use vegetable oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil or whatever you prefer to pan-fry in. 

• The nutritional information is based on 1 cup of cooked plain grits and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Nutritional value will vary based on type of grits and ingredients in your grit recipe. 

• Store any leftover grit cakes in an airtight container in the fridge.

Here's how to make it:

1. Shape the cooled grits into patties. Refrigerate until ready to cook or cook immediately.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet (if your pan is nonstick you won't need a lot of oil). Add the grit cakes and cook until golden brown on one side.
3. Flip the cakes over and continue to cook until golden on the bottom and hot throughout. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories: 242

Total Fat: 23.5g

Saturated Fat: 3.3g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 129mg

Total Carbohydrate: 9.2g

Dietary Fiber: 0.6g

Total Sugars: 0g

Protein: 1g

Vitamin D: 0mcg

Calcium: 4mg

Iron: 4mg

Potassium: 17mg

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

Need to convert cooking and baking measurements? Here are some kitchen conversion charts. Here's how to submit your recipes to 30Seconds.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily.