Give Grits Better Flavor By Making This Simple Liquid Swap

From the breakfast table to a near-perfect dinner party, grits are an incredibly versatile dish. The Southern staple is easy to elevate, whether you're adding cheese or topping it with flavorful ingredients like freshly cooked bacon or herbs. But what if you could make them even better before you even start cooking? By preparing your grits using broth instead of water, you can make them tastier from the very first step.

The golden ratio for grits is 4 cups of liquid for every 1 cup of grits. When cooking with water, you might add 1 teaspoon of salt for every cup of grits. Since grits gain most of their flavor during the cooking process, this step ensures they're properly seasoned. However, instead of using salt, swapping the water for broth seasons the grits without any extra steps and imparts additional flavor from whichever type of broth you choose. 

Broth contains a high amount of sodium, so make sure to skip the extra salt when making this swap. Using broth instead of stock is important, too. Stock, which is made by simmering animal bones instead of meat or veggies (or scraps of either), can be too strong flavor-wise, and can easily overtake the earthy, corn-forward taste of grits. Whether you're using quick grits or making them the old-fashioned way, using broth imparts more flavor directly into the grain from the beginning.

When deciding what broth to cook your grits in, you have a few choices. Chicken broth is the most ideal option for cooking grits. Grits, which are made from ground corn kernels, have a distinct yet subtle flavor you don't want to overpower. Chicken's light, savory flavor complements the slightly sweet and earthy corn flavor well, combining to create a tasty, balanced bite with both umami and nutty, sweet flavors. Chicken bone broth is another option, but it has a stronger flavor. Bone broth is simmered much longer, allowing all of the nutrients, amino acids, and minerals from the chicken bones to impart. That means it's better for you, but its flavor is more intense, which isn't always ideal.

Veggie broth, a vegetarian option, works well too. This light broth will preserve and uplift the corn's flavor more, adding a slightly sweet, herbaceous, and savory taste to the grits. Beef broth, however, isn't an ideal choice for this swap. Dark broths like this have a much heavier flavor that's likely to overpower the flavor of the grits. The grits will also have a darker color, which can be less appealing to the eye. This swap should ideally impact the flavor profile, not the look of the dish itself.

There are many ways to make your grits even better, from add-ons to cooking techniques. A warm bowl of grits can take a breakfast spread from good to great, and with this one simple change, your grits are sure to impress.