Grits and green chile is the ultimate fusion of southern and New Mexico cuisine. It’s creamy, spicy, and cheesy, and definite comfort food. It takes about 15 minutes to make and has only 5 ingredients, two of which are water and salt. You can’t make an easier or more comforting breakfast, lunch or dinner. With this dish, I have turned many people who disliked grits into grits lovers!
Ever since I discovered green chile back in the 70′s, this has been our favorite cool/cold weather breakfast. Bobby wasn’t that big on grits, but once he tried them with green chile, he became hooked and this is now one of his most requested breakfasts (right alongside Huevos Rancheros). I make grits and green chile at least once a week from fall to spring. It was a standard breakfast on camping and backpacking trips, and is a regular request from our houseguests. And, like my Mushroom Garlic Soup, it’s a great dish to ease the common cold.
Even if you think you don’t like grits, please give this dish a try. You will be converted – I guarantee it! 
And for those of you who don’t know what grits are, fear not – check out the Kitchen Notes.
Grits and Green Chile Recipe
Serves 4 (In truth, Bobby and I can finish this off in one sitting)
Prep and cook time: 15 minutes (assuming you already have roasted and chopped green chile)
Ingredients
3 cups water
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup quick-cooking grits (not instant!)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped green chile (the amount depends on the heat of the chile and how much heat you want)
1 overeasy or sunnyside up egg per person (optional)
Instructions
- Bring the water with salt to a boil.
- SLOWLY whisk in the grits. Reduce heat to low and cover. Whisk every 1 minute for 5 minutes.
- Once the grits have thickened, stir in the cheese and chile. Cook for another 1 minute, stirring.
- Remove from heat and pour into bowls and enjoy!
- If desired, top your bowl of grits with a fried egg.
Kitchen Notes
What are grits? Grits can be a couple of things. First of all, grits can be a Girl Raised In The South (like me), or they can be coarsely ground corn. There are white grits and yellow grits. White grits (the ones I prefer for this dish), are ground from hominy which is an alkali-treated corn. Yellow grits are ground from yellow corn. Coarsely ground yellow corn is also used for polenta.
Instant grits vs. quick cooking grits vs. slow-cooking grits – Remember the movie My Cousin Vinny? There is a classic line from that movie that says “No self-respecting southerner uses instant grits.” Well, I don’t use “instant” grits, but I do use Quaker “Quick” grits which cook in 5 minutes. I don’t feel at all guilty about it because my mother, who has lived in Louisiana all of her life, used quick grits. And if they were good enough for her, they are good enough for me. Mama could get a large bowl of grits on the table within 15 minutes. Sitting on the top of that bowl of grits was a melting slab of butter. YUM!!!!
The chile – You know what I’m going to say don’t you? The best chile for this dish is New Mexico roasted, peeled, and chopped green chile. A lot of you know it as Hatch chile or Anaheim chile. However, you can also use roasted and chopped poblano, and if you don’t like spicy, roasted sweet bell peppers work great. If you have chipotle you can make my Chipotle Grits with Feta.
The cheese – One of the best cheeses to use is a mild cheddar cheese, but any mild semi-soft cheese works. If I don’t have cheddar, I just use what I have in the fridge. One day the only cheese I had was feta so I used it. It was delicious – different in flavor, but a creamier outcome. We loved it! You could also leave the cheese out altogether. In addition to just omitting the cheese, you could replace it with 1 tablespoon butter or butter substitute (if there is such a thing ).
An egg on top – Bobby loves a fried egg on top. Me…not so much, which is surprising since I do love fried eggs on pasta and enchiladas. But for some reason, I prefer my grits without an egg.
Increasing the recipe – As with polenta, if you want to increase the recipe just work with a ratio of 1/4 cup uncooked grits to 1 cup water.
This Grits and Green Chile post has been shared with Thursday Treasures, Gluten-free Fridays, Weekend Potluck, Hearth and Soul, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Wonderful Food Wednesday, Made From Scratch Monday, Creative Thursday, My Meatless Monday
Never tried chile with grits but your version looks amazing
This looks so good! I’d have a bowl for breakfast. I’ve yet to make grits or polenta, but they’re definitely on my list, just like this recipe!
Thanks Barbara! You really need to try one or the other. I like polenta and grits more than rice.
15 mins cook time. I like that! I haven’t tried grits, but I remember seeing it at the supermarket. From the way you describe the dish, I am confident that it will be up to my alley. The texture kind of reminds me of rice porridge we have back home, so I am really curious with grits now. Spicy, creamy & cheesy…definitely a new dish I’d love to try!
Thanks Reese! Actually in some places, grits is described as a porridge, so you are so right! If you have never had them, you really need to give them a try. Try them with just a slab of butter first, then with grits and cheese. Too completely different but delicious bites!
I have yet to cook grits…. but you’ve peaked my interest with all that lovely green chile.
Have a wonderful weekend! 
YOU haven’t cooked grits!? I figured you had cooked about everything. I’ve seen such a variety of ingredients on your blog, that I’m surprised you haven’t had grits. Well, you SO need to change that.! You have a wonderful weekend as well.
I love grits! My mom was a GRITS from Alabama, so grits were a regular at the table when I was growing up. This looks wonderful!!
Thanks!! Yep – us GRITS do like our grits!
I am so glad to have found your blog to follow along!!! What a great combo for grits with the green chili addition! I used to live in AZ and now i live in SC, so I LOVE the way you are pairing Southern with Southwestern. SO CREATIVE!!!!
Thanks Roz! So nice to meet you! I hope to see you again and thanks for such lovely comments!
I love the combo of grits and chile. Looks comforting and delectable.
Spicy comfort food is the best
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
“… grits can be a Girl Raised In The South”. You are funny, MJ.
I haven’t cooked with grits before but I love to experiment in the kitchen and you always introduce me to new, wonderful ingredients and dishes. This is something I know my parents would love. I love your props and bowls!
Thanks Rathai! My sister gave me a baseball cap that says “GRITS”.
If you can’t find grits where you are, you can always order online. They are really good! Hope you get to try them and learn to love them.
I think quick-cooking grits are fairly good — in a taste test I’m not sure I could distinguish them from long-cooking grits. However, the instant grits are a cut below, at least IMO. I really like the idea of green chile in my grits. Not something I’ve thought of, but I’ll definitely give it a try. Super recipe — thank you.
I agree John. I have found the only difference between long cooking and quick cooking grits is the time to make. Instant grits on the other shouldn’t be allowed on the grocer shelf.
Hope you enjoy! Thanks and have a great weekend!
I love grits, but have never tried them with green chile, sounds good! Although I do like the “girl raised in the south” acronym. Nice!
Thanks so much Jane! Hope you are over your jetlag and having a great weekend!
Love the combination of grits and green chiles. I need a spoon to dig in now. Would love for you to share on Thursdays Treasures http://fooddonelight.com/thursdays-treasures-week-62/
Thanks Cristie! Headed over to your blog now.
Awee..those cute little bowls are lovely, MJ! And we do make almost a similar dish minus the cheese in Rajasthan (India) during winter. In fact I was planning to post the same soon….how our food unite countries…
Thanks Sanjeeta! Bought the little bowls at a Thrift store for a buck a piece.
Can’t wait to see your post and see how our different cultures unite with this dish!
First off, thank you for the link to your chile post. As a chile neophyte, I tend to overlook recipes that call for green or red chilies because I don’t know the kind of chile to purchase. That post of yours helped to clear things for me.
I enjoy grits. It reminds me of polenta and we Bartolini love polenta! Now that I know what chiles to shop for, I’m sure to give your recipe a try. Thanks, again!
Thanks John!!! Hey – us New Mexicans are very proud of our chile so if you want to know about it, just ask.
Hope you find the right chiles and get a chance to make this. I think you’ll love it!
Having been one of your fortunate house quests, you know your grits and green chili is my favorite. I was thinking of this last night. I made shrimp and grits for dinner. As I stood over the pot of bubbling slow cooking yellow grits stirring and stirring so they didn’t lump, I thought about your great dish. For some reason, when I make the grits and green chili at home they never taste as good as they do at your house. Maybe I use a different kind of chili or cheese. My guess is that it’s the company I’m missing.
Thanks Sis!! I certainly know that I miss your company!!! Shrimps and grits – YUM! Another favorite of ours! To be honest, I think the difference is the chile. I actually bought some frozen chile the other day and it wasn’t near as good as what I get from Frontier. Hope you’re having a great weekend!!!
So what do you call this fusion? Besides delicious?
This DOES look so comforting for a cold morning. I have never tried grits but I’m intrigued!
This looks perfect for this weather and the green chile and egg sounds fantastic as a topping!! Never made grits but love the creamy texture and know that I would enjoy it a lot
I’ve never made grits before, but I do make polenta. DO they essentially taste the same since they use such a similar ingredient list?
Grits and polenta do have different flavors. Since grits are made from alkali treated corn or hominy, it’s flavor is different (not so “corny”
), but the texture is the same. If you like polenta, I’m sure you would like grits.
I do love the sounds of this as I’ve always liked the taste of green chile. I’ve never eaten chillies for breakfast before! And I love polenta and it’s so great with an egg xx
“never eaten chillies for breakfast” – Here in New Mexico we always eat chile for breakfast.
Common NM breakfasts are breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros smothered in either red or green chile. It’s a great kick to the start of the day. Better than coffee! 
So this is how the grits look like! The word “grits” makes me think instantly of the southern US, but I have never seen them here (I must check the American grocery though). White grits look particularly intriguing. This dish looks extraordinary, with the chile and the egg… If one day I buy grits, this is the first dish I will prepare!
Your photos are simply amazing. I wish I could obtain something of similar quality one day.
oh Sissi – don’t sell yourself short! Your pictures are lovely!!!! Yes, these are grits – kind of like a grainy porridge. And yes – grits definitely is one of those foods that define the south. Hope you can find some grits. Have a great weekend!
I am sooooo in, GRITS ROCK!!!! There was a manager at one of my restaurants having a conversation about grits, and which brand/type you should buy. I agree here in the South, grits are beyond delicious. I love a bowl full with lots of butter, crispy bacon, and salt and pepper…..YUM! Love the idea of addding green chilies:-) Gorgeous, Hugs, Terra
Thanks Terra! Oh yes – bacon, salt/pepper and LOTS of butter! So good!
I can’t wait to make this. I have hatch chiles in my freezer. Perfect!
LL
WooHoo! Hope you enjoy!!
Beautiful photo Peach Lady. I would have loved this when I was younger and I could eat chili. Cream of wheat with maple syrup is what I do these days. Now I know what grits are. Please don’t laugh, I thought grits were something similar to pork rinds.
Thanks Zsuzsa! Actually cream of wheat with maple syrup sounds pretty darn good! “thought grits were something similar to pork rinds.” Sorry – I had to laugh.
Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Grits have such a terrible reputation, and yet they are so delicious.
This sounds like a fantastic recipe. All my favorite flavor combinations.
Excited to explore your blog further!
Thanks for coming over and leaving a comment! I hope to see you again! You’re right – grits have gotten a bad rap and they are SO good!
Honestly I never had tried grits, I hope I can find some here. It is very uncommon to see this in the supermarket
I’ve never eaten grits but being Mexican and consuming many corn products, I know I would love them. Your recipe made my mouth water as I read it. Would love to start my morning with this…maybe even try the fried egg on top.
Nancy – since you love corn products, you’ll love grits! Give the fried egg a try. Bobby won’t eat his grits without one!
I’ve still never tried grits – not sure if they even sell it here, but if it’s just made from ground corn then it sounds pretty ok to me… that name though… makes me think of little pebbles in my mouth – eek!
Lovely dish… green chili, yum (and spicy wooo!!)
I love grits! I just learned about grits only a few years ago. I discovered them on a trip to the East Coast and have been a fan ever since. Great recipe MJ!
I think I only had grits once. Definitely bookmarking this recipe. Thanks for sharing MJ!
The first time I tasted green chile, I was hooked too. Yes, freshly roasted green chile are a must. They make the best green chile. I have not tried grits but looking at yours make me want to try it soon.
I was trying to figure out since earlier what grits is! It sounded familiar and yours is so white, then it dawned to me that you meant polenta when I saw the yellow version. ^.^ I am the biggest polenta head in India, I just can’t get enough of the maiz. Now that i know what grits is I can recreate your recipe MJ. yay!
Thanks Helene! Yes, the yellow polenta would work fine, but it does taste a little different than the white version. Because white grits are made from the alkali-treated corn, the flavor is a bit different. Let me know if you make this! I’d love your feedback as always!
I need to give grits a try now that I live in the south. And this looks like a good way to do it! I love the addition of green chile.
If you can’t get grits, would oats work too? (Actually, I’ve already made savoury oats once, wasn’t too thrilled about them, but maybe with the added chile…)
Thanks for the comment Charissa! To be perfectly honest, no – I don’t think oats would work at all. I love cooked oats, but I wouldn’t add green chile to them. You can order grits online if so inclined. They aren’t expensive. Have a great week!
What a wonderful and creative fusion!
Looks amazing too!
Growing up in Texas, grits were breakfast food a lot. Love your green chili and grits!
So glad you shared on Thursdays Treasures. I just love the mix of flavors. What a great way to elevate breakfast.
Yum! It’s been ages since I’ve been to New Mexico, but you make me hungry for it all over again.
I have never tried grits but seriously want to. There’s a Filipino corn that’s similar to hominy (dense and white and sticky). The taste of that in a porridge consistency is probably very comforting.
I’ve actually never had grits
But I love polenta so I’m not sure why I haven’t given grits a shot. I think they’re just a big intimidating since they have the bad rap of being known as not a good food. I’ve got to rectify the never having grits problem soon and this looks like a great recipe to ease me into it – thanks!
Thanks FJ! I think the reason why grits have been given such a bad rap is that the “traditional” way to prepare them is with a huge slab of butter – the way my mama use to make them.
Without the butter, they are just cooked, ground cornmeal. With green chile and a little cheese, they are a lot healthier and tastier than that slab of butter.
I never tried grits before but when you had paired it with green chile, I think I’m going to love this….
Super easy and yet super tasty… it’s even a perfect comfort food, what could you ask more to a dish?!
I’ve only had grits a handful of times, but each time I try it, I like it. For some reason also, every grit dish I tried seems to be different…not sure why…I’m certain your dish is super delish!
I have never tried grits before. Thank you for the introduction and for educating us about different types of grits. My favorite is the girl raised in the South.
Hope you are enjoying the rest of the week, MJ! 
Chile with grits sounds interesting, MJ! A must try combination.
What a comforting meal. After blogging, I learned about grits from other bloggers but I’ve never tasted or seen it before. You always make food look so appetizing and it was such a fun post learning the new ingredient.
I have never cooked grits at home but have tried it and like it. Your dish looks warm and comforting! Would love to try this out.
This is on my to make list! My hubs will be so happy!
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 
I hope to see you again this week!
Stop by this week to see if you were the winner of the Sugar and Spice Prize pack! We had a super great variety of recipes and entries this week!
Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com
MJ this looks absolutely wonderful! A great dish for days that it decides to get cold here in NM! I’m saving this recipe for a comforting meal soon.
MJ, I bet my husband would love this dish! Thanks for sharing this month in our recipe linky! Hope you are having a great week
Sometimes i think I’m a displaced Southerner. I adore grits (and many other Southern foods). I’ll have to add this to my repertoire.
Love this Mj, you make delicious dishes. Thanks for sharing with Hearth and Soul blog hop.
NOW WE KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember how we have often discussed why my grits and green chile don’t taste as good as yours? I wanted some the other day so i made the grits and the only cheese I had left was a little smoked gouda, so I used that, and then added some of the chile you brought me. IT WAS THE CHILE!!!!! It was so delicious I ate a double bowl.
Yep! It’s hard to beat New Mexico chile!!! That’s why when you see it at your markets during the late summer and fall, buy it, roast it, peel it and freeze it so you too can have it all year long! Oh – I love the idea of using smoked gouda!!! XOXOX
I have never cooked grits….I need to rectify that soon! This sounds heavenly!
I would love this. I hope to find it on our table, soon. Thanks MJ.
Thanκs fоr finаllу writing about > Grіts and Green Chile Recipe | MJ’s Kitchen < Liked it!
Hi Mj
I love your website and was wondering about the grits…
I use a mill to grind most of my whole grains and wondered
if I could substitute ground corn or my cornmeal for grits in
this recipe.
Love your recipes and especially all the chile recipes/inspiration!
We spent a week in NM in the fall and bought heirloom
chile seeds from Espanola area and are they ever beautiful
plants this spring as we start our garden from seed in the house!
Vigorous and flowering at 4″ tall!
Can hardly wait to see them grow and then harvest them!!
Thanks so much for your nice comments Lois! I’m so glad that you are enjoying my website!
In answer to your question – I’d say to go for it! I’ve never ground my own grains and am very impressed that you do. That’s pretty awesome! The only recommendation I would have is to not grind it too fine. As you can see in the picture, grits are coarsely ground, about the same size grain as the coarsely ground cornmeal that I use for polenta or yellow grits. So give it a try and please let me know how it turns out.
That’s fabulous that you are planting Espanola green chile plants! You’re going to make all of your friends jealous once you start picking and roasting. I bought a huge bag of dried red chile pods last fall from a market in Espanola and have been using them for my red chile sauce this year. They are HOT, but they are SO good!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and thanks so much for contacting me. I love hearing from my readers! You make my day!
Cheers – MJ