Shrimp Creole

The flavor of this Shrimp Creole is beyond hittin! It’s got juicy lump shrimp, tender veggies, and a kick of hot sauce all in a perfectly seasoned creole sauce. It comes together quickly too. You can prep this Shrimp Creole recipe in about 30 minutes in have it on the table in less than an hour. Serve it over white rice and get your life!

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The best shrimp creole I ever had was in Louisiana, the birth place for it. It was so bomb y’all. One thing Louisiana folks can do is throw down in the kitchen. They are so intentional about flavor and texture, and the cooking comes from the heart. That’s the thing about folks from the South. They put their heart and soul in it.

I wanted to share a recipe for shrimp creole with y’all that is simple and still provides the wonderful layered flavors that bring New Orleans right into your home. This one is as close to perfection as can be, and it won’t take you all night to prepare.

What is Shrimp Creole?

Y’all have probably noticed shrimp creole recipes on restaurant menus down in Louisiana. It’s such a beloved dish that you can basically find it anywhere while visiting. It’s has a spiced up tomato broth base with juicy shrimp and hearty vegetables like onion, bell peppers and celery (also known as the cajun holy trinity). The one word I would use to describe it is flavorful. Everything comes together so perfectly, then it is served on top of white rice that helps soak up all that saucy goodness.

The lowdown on this New Orleans Shrimp Creole

• Cuisine Inspiration: Creole Louisiana Comfort Food
• Primary Cooking Method: Simmering
• Dietary Info: Gluten-Free
• Key Flavor: Spiced up and Tomato-Based
• Skill Level: Beginner-friendly! No sweat, fam!

Ingredients you’ll need to make my Shrimp Creole recipe

• Butter: This is used to sauté and soften our veggies while adding in some rich flavorful fatty flavor throughout. Because we will be adding salt in other ingredients, I lean on unsalted here so I have more control. You can also sub in olive oil or vegetable oil here.  
• Holy trinity: The base of many Cajun and Creole recipes is made up of onion, green bell pepper, and celery. You will find this base in other recipes like gumbo and jambalaya.  Here, I left out the celery so I didn’t overwhelm the flavors but feel free to add if you love it.
• Parsley: I love adding parsley for color and a bright and fresh flavor pop. It also has a slightly bitter and sweet essence to it. It’s great for its peppery herbaceous vibes in the sauce and also as a splash of color garnish.
• Garlic powder: Nothing adds that savory goodness like garlic. Here I used garlic powder to really work into the sauce but you can also use freshly minced garlic if you have some lying around.
• Canned chopped tomatoes: To simplify that prep, I used some canned chopped tomatoes for that zesty acidic essence. Just toss them right on in that skillet without draining too.
• Chicken stock: The sauce ain’t saucing without a good hearty, full-bodied stock. Add homemade chicken stock or broth. If you ain’t got time for homemade, just grab store-bought!
• Hot sauce: Grab your fave for this recipe! My daddy loves the brand Louisiana hot sauce (pretty appropriate here).
• Worcestershire sauce: I love adding a pinch of this to my savory dishes because it adds such a rich umami essence. It’s got vinegar, anchovies, tamarind, molasses and other spices and ingredients that kick this creole shrimp recipe into another gear. It adds such complexity.  A little goes a long way too. You can also sub out for soy sauce or tamari instead.
• Cornstarch: This helps thicken up our brothy sauce. I create a slurry to make sure we don’t get any lumps. All-purpose flour will also do just fine as a replacement.
• Shrimp: Now we ain’t skimping on the shrimp. You need about 2 lbs.  I prefer a medium to large size. Simply peel and devein before adding to the sauce.  
• White rice: Boiled or steamed white rice is the way to go here. I’m not gonna tell you that you can replace with brown rice or quinoa because New Orleans folks will say that you don’t play around with the original.

How to make shrimp Creole

Step 1: Sauté the veggies

1. Start by melting your butter in a large skillet then sauté the vegetables, the chopped onion and green bell pepper and season with salt and pepper.  You want the vegetables to be tender and soft before moving forward in the recipe.

Step 2: Season it up!

1. We add in our flavor enhancers like parsley, garlic powder, tomatoes, chicken stock, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce here to build. We stir everything then we bring everything to a boil to start marrying the flavors.  

Step 3: Thicken 

1. Next we work on thickening the sauce and we will need to create a slurry, which is a combination of the cornstarch and water so the mixture doesn’t create lumps to our base. 
2. We stir it in and let it thicken.

Step 4: Add the shrimp

1. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then we add them directly to the sauce.  Shrimp can cook incredibly fast so it is important not to overcook them. 
2. As soon as they start to turn pink, remove the sauce from the heat so they don’t continue cooking.

Step 5: Serve

Serve it up immediately with steamed white rice and a garnish with parsley.

How to Serve the Best Shrimp Creole

In addition to serving with rice, bread is also great to sop up that sauce.  Try my fave crusty bread like this Garlic No Knead Bread or even a fave like my Southern cornbread. No Southern meal is complete without it.

And if you want to get super Southern, try some country grits and a basket of hush puppies.  

For some extra veggies, try these Green Beans or Collard Greens or a simple salad on the side. 

Recipe Substitutions

• Swap Out the Shrimp: Other seafood like lobster, crab or even a white fish like cod are great. You can even toss in a mix of all of it or add in some chicken too but make sure you sear it up first.
• Grains: My traditionalists will hate this substitution but if you want to make it a bit healthier, try a different grain like brown rice or cauliflower rice.

Recipe variations and additions

• Sausage Addition: Tossing in a bit of sliced Andouille adds some good robust smoky flavor.
• Cream it up: Want more of a creamy sauce? Adding a bit of heavy cream will create a richer brothy vibe.
• Vegan it up: You can keep the essence of this dish but switch out the butter, shrimp and chicken stock for plant based butter, veggies like okra, celery and mushrooms, and replace the stock with vegetable stock.
• Crank up the heat: If you like spicier New Orleans dishes, add some cayenne, some cajun seasoning, blackened seasoning, or a hotter hot sauce.

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Grab the quality shrimp: The best shrimp is wild-caught, fresh shrimp from the Gulf Coast but this isn’t always readily available. I recommend purchasing uncooked, frozen, tail-on shrimp for the best taste and quality if fresh isn’t available.  Once thawed, it will still be wonderful
• Don’t Overcook!  Remember not to overcook your shrimp.  They will taste rubbery and will ruin all of your hard work.

Can you freeze and reheat Creole Shrimp?

Yep you can! If you have too much creole shrimp (hard to believe I know!), store it up like this:

• Fridge: Once cooled, add the leftovers to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.  
• Freezer: If you’re using fresh shrimp, store the dish in a freezer-safe bag or container and it will last up to 3 months.  Just make sure you add a little bit of space to the top to allow for any expansion of the recipe.  I definitely wouldn’t re-freeze frozen shrimp if you used it here.
• Reheating: If frozen, take it out the freezer and add to your fridge to thaw overnight.  Once it’s thawed, add to a pot over medium heat until it is hot and bubbly again.  Stir it well to make sure it is combined perfectly if the sauce separated at all.

Additional recipes 

If Cajun and Creole spices are something you love, then you should check out some more of my favorites like these:

• Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
• Seafood Gumbo
• Cajun Shrimp Pasta
• Grillades and Grits
• Shrimp Etouffee
• Jambalaya Skillet
• Low Country Boil

Frequently Asked Questions