Cheese Polenta with Chorizo and Shrimp

by Anna Chwistek

Manchego cheese polenta with chorizo and shrimp. A garlic butter sauce with green olives and sautéed cherry tomatoes. Beyond any doubt a 20-minute knock-out flavor bomb.
There are about as many polenta recipes as there are reasons to love it. It’s quick to cook, creamy with a nice texture and it can take on so many flavors. Spicy chorizo? Check. A butter sauce? Check. Garlicky shrimp? Double check.
This recipe is great for busy weeknights or that dinner party you’re planning. The hardest thing about this recipe? Deciding how many times per week you want to eat this polenta. If you’re always excited about shrimps or a creamy polenta, then this recipe is made for you. It’s easy to make and delicious, you can throw it together whenever the craving strikes.

serving dumplings | Cheese Polenta with Chorizo and Shrimp

First we fry the chorizo, add shrimp, then garlic and the spices, this will add a lot of depth to the sauce. Next we throw in the cherry tomatoes and olives, and cook everything together for a couple of minutes. When the tomatoes start to burst, we help them a little by pressing down the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to release their juices and create a flavorful sauce that makes for nice tender bites.

Lastly, we make the polenta. Instant polenta works really well in this recipe, you’ll only need 2 minutes to boil it, then stir in Manchego cheese and some butter. Done.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this  step-by-step VIDEO

serving dumplings | Cheese Polenta with Chorizo and Shrimp

RECIPE NOTES

  • You can use kielbasa or bacon in this recipe, but spicy chorizo gives this polenta a nice kick
  • Can’t find Manchego cheese? Use fontina cheese, pecorino, mozzarella or mild cheddar
  • Got some leftover mashed potatoes? Use them instead of polenta and just add some cheese

serving dumplings | Cheese Polenta with Chorizo and Shrimp

Cooking Video

Cheese Polenta with Chorizo and Shrimp

Yield: serves 4

Cheese Polenta with Chorizo and Shrimp

Cheese Polenta with Chorizo and Shrimp
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

Polenta

  • 200 g/1 cup instant polenta
  • 1 + 3/4 cups/400 ml milk
  • 1 + 3/4 cups/400 ml unsalted chicken broth
  • 130 g/5 oz grated Manchego cheese
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • sea salt + black pepper

Shrimp & Chorizo

  • 450 g/1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 100 g/3.5 oz spicy Spanish chorizo sausage, cut into slices
  • 150 g/5 oz green olives, pitted
  • 200 g/7 oz cherry tomatoes
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • olive oil
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp each: dried oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • fresh parsley, for serving (optional)

Instructions

    1. Get all the prep done before you start cooking: mince the garlic, slice the chorizo, chop the scallions and grate the Manchego cheese. Peel and devein the shrimp. 
    2. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add chorizo, cook for 1 minute over medium-high heat. Then slide chorizo a little aside and add shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes, tossing often. Add garlic, sauté for 1 minute, stirring often. Add more olive oil, about 3 tbsp. Stir in oregano, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
    3. Add cherry tomatoes, cook about 2 minutes or until the tomatoes start to burst. Don’t forget to stir from to time, you don’t want to burn anything as we are cooking on high heat constantly. Press on the back of the tomatoes to release their juices and stir to combine. Stir in olives, scallions, lemon juice and butter. Turn off the heat and set aside.
    4. In the meantime, make the polenta. In a saucepan, bring chicken broth and milk to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta, stirring continuously, about 2-3 minutes, over low heat. Stir in butter, Manchego cheese, salt and black pepper. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand for 1 minute. If the polenta thickens too much, thin out with some additional milk or chicken broth.
    5. Divide polenta over bowls, top with chorizo and shrimp mixture. Garnish with chopped scallions and parsley. Serve!

Notes

Calories Per Serving: 723 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know! Leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram and don’t forget to tag me with @anna_s_table or #servingdumplings I’d love to see what you’re making. Happy cooking!

© Anna Chwistek
Category: Fish | Seafood
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14 comments

  • I’m so happy I found your site as your recipes sound AMAZING! I can’t wait to get home and try these out! But which one first…?? Hmmm probably the cheesy polenta with shrimp and chorizo!
    I’ll let you know how it came out!

    Reply

    • I just made this tonight and wow! The ingredients are simple, the flavors are amazing and, as an added bonus, the cleanup is minimal! My husband loved it too. Next time I might have to double the recipe so we have more leftovers. 🙂 Since I’m not a big fan of olives, I chopped up some green bell pepper instead, but other than that pretty much followed the recipe.

      Reply

  • Glad I found you, made 2 of your recipes this week & husband said I elevated my cooking, with your recipes that was an easy step. Can’t wait to try this one. Do you have a cookbook? I’m printing out recipes & making my own notebook of just yours. Thank you for posting these fabulous meals. Anna

    Reply

    • hi Anna! That’s so nice to hear. I’m really glad you’re enjoying the recipes. Thank you so much for following along and happy cooking!

      Reply

  • This is the first recipe of yours that I’ve tried. Amazing!! Will definitely make it again and find more on your site. (ps saw this re-post on instagram by food52.)

    Reply

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