How To Thicken Grits - The 3 Best Ways

Grits are one of the South’s best-loved comfort foods for a cold winter night or summer morning.

Although grits can be very convenient to make, sometimes they don’t cook well and are too runny. Does that mean you should throw them away? Of course not.

But how do you thicken semolina? You can thicken grits with several simple techniques. For example, draining excess water, heating for a long time, or adding an egg can help to achieve the right consistency.

So, if your watery porridge bothers you, buckle up because your dish is about to be perfectly thick and creamy.

Read on to find different ways to thicken your runny porridge.

How to cook grits

To ensure that your grits cook well and end up being perfect, you need to follow the proper recipe.

If this is your first time cooking this dish, or even your third, read the tried and tested steps below to make sure you’re following the same technique:

• Take a saucepan with 4 cups of hot water and bring it to a boil.
• Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of milk.
• Add the cornmeal (if necessary) a little at a time to prevent sticking.
• Continuing to stir, also add 1 cup of semolina to the pan and continue cooking.
• Stir well until the mixture has thickened well.
• Reduce the heat of the skillet to low.
• Cover the grits with the lid.
• Let them cook for another 20 minutes until they have reached a thick consistency.

Although the cooking method seems simple, you may find that the semolina is too runny. If you do, don’t panic! Here we have some solutions for you.

Why is the semolina too runny?

Here are a couple of common issues to watch out for when making grits.

using too much water

If you find that the semolina is perfectly soft but still too runny, you may need to reconsider the amount of water you added in the initial phase.

Although this dish requires enough water for the grits to cook properly, you must be careful with the amount . Be sure to use a measuring cup to match the amount of water called for in the recipe.

Similarly, make sure you don’t use too little water either. This mistake can cause your grits to undercook, and you’ll most likely end up with an uncooked meal for breakfast.

Overcooking Grits at High Heat

In an attempt to make your own bowl of grits faster, you can cook it too hot and end up accidentally overcooking it. This can make them very runny and thin.

For a consistent porridge bowl, cook the grits over medium-low heat. Also, keep stirring the mixture to simmer them patiently.

Although this method may take some time to achieve your grits goals, the results will be much better than having overcooked grits.

Not letting the grits sit

If you consume the grits right after you turn off the heat, you can end up serving yourself a watery delicacy and ruining your morning.

Porridge needs at least 10 minutes to fully set after cooking to reach the level of thickness you want.

So if you are not in an emergency situation and have enough time to eat the bowl before leaving for work, let the porridge thicken naturally. Trust us, you won’t regret this waiting time.

How to thicken already cooked porridge

Despite all your best efforts, if your porridge has turned out to be soggy, don’t worry, as we all make mistakes when cooking. There are a few methods you can try to recover and make yourself a thick bowl of porridge.

Here are some fantastic ways you can take to turn your overly watery bowl of grits into a delicious dish.

overcook the grits

Try this method if you think your grits need a few more minutes to cook through.

• Return the cooked grits to a skillet over medium heat.
• Keep stirring until the mixture is hot enough to form bubbles.
• Allow the water in the pan to evaporate slowly to get a thick and consistent mixture. This should take 20-30 minutes, so don’t lose your patience.
• Once cooked, allow the grits to cool in a bowl before tasting.

add an egg

If you don’t have a problem consuming eggs, try using this method to thicken the mixture.

• Take a medium size bowl.
• Beat one small egg in the bowl.
• Beat it well until it becomes a well-whipped paste.
• Pour a small amount of the hot, runny semolina into the bowl with the egg, continuing to stir to temper the egg.
• Keep mixing until you get a creamy paste. Make sure it doesn’t have any unwanted scrambled egg bits on it.
• When you are satisfied with the result, add the semolina back to the pot with the rest of the mixture.
• Stir the egg with the semolina over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
• Turn off the heat when the correct thickness has been reached and pour the semolina into a bowl to enjoy.

This method will help thicken the semolina faster than any other technique.

Remove excess water

Even after cooking for 30 minutes straight, if the grits are still too runny, you can try straining out all the excess water. For it :

• Use a paper coffee filter and place it in a mesh strainer.
• Grab a measuring cup and scoop out some of the semolina from the watery mixture.
• You must be very careful in this step because the cooked grits will be quite hot to handle.
• Pour the scooped grits mixture through a strainer over a sink.
• Allow excess water to pass through the paper filter.
• Scrape up the strained grits with a spatula and pour it back into the slow cooker.
• Stir again and repeat the process until the grits are thick enough to suit your preferences.

Although this method is not very complicated, you need to have the right filter to carry it out. Also, if you use cheesecloth to strain the water, be careful because cleanup afterward won’t be easy.

What to avoid when thickening semolina

In the previous section, we have been able to show you some proven ways to thicken semolina.

However, in the next section, we thought we’d show you some common mistakes people make when trying to thicken their bowl of porridge.

add more semolina

It makes sense to add more semolina to your liquid mixture to achieve the desired thickness. But actually, it can be a bigger problem and a waste of your precious time.

You’ve cooked the porridge long enough for it to be thick, but is it still runny? Adding more uncooked grits may reduce excess water in the pan, but it won’t cook well with the available mixture. 

Uncooked additions won’t have enough water and time to soften, and you may end up with crunchy grits on top of the soft one.

Mix the cornstarch

Cornstarch does not thicken cooked grits, but only enhances the flavor of the starch. More often than not, cornstarch ends up amplifying the bland taste of cooked porridge without helping to thicken it.

So, in summary, cornstarch is not suitable for thickening a dish of runny grits.

Related questions

Now that we’ve gone over some of the best ways to thicken grits, as well as some issues to watch out for when making this dish, let’s address a few more questions on the subject.

What is the correct thickness of semolina?

There is no single standard of measurement for the perfect thickness of grits. It is a subjective matter and depends on the preferences of each one.

However, if you want to enjoy grits like most people do, make them thick enough to enjoy with a spoon and with little excess moisture. 

Does semolina cook well with milk or water?

The great thing about grits is that it mixes well with just about anything to add versatility to your breakfast bowl. However, with milk, these oat-like delights turn out to be a much creamier, thicker treat than with water. 

But you can always follow the above recipe and add water and milk to a pot to cook your semolina. A balanced combination of both will help the grits cook gently and quickly.

Can grits be enjoyed with any dressing?

The best way to enjoy grits is in its purest form with the basic recipe. However, if you like to add more flavors to the dish, you can do so without feeling averse.

A bowl of well-cooked grits tastes great with banana slices and chopped strawberries. Also, you can add a few drops of maple syrup or honey to your thick porridge and experience the sweet balance it creates.

You can also enjoy salty porridge by adding cheese to the mixture as it cooks. The options for enjoying this dish are endless, and you can always look for the one that makes your taste buds dance.