Shrimp Creole

By Becky Hardin

Published Aug 18, 2021

Make this Shrimp Creole recipe for a flavorful dinner that everyone will love. This classic dish is spicy, filling, and unbelievably delicious!

Easy Shrimp Creole Recipe

Shrimp Creole is a rich, traditional dish that’s sure to delight everyone who tries it. This hearty recipe can serve the whole family, or make plenty to save for leftovers.

The thick, flavorful sauce coats the shrimp perfectly, and there’s just enough heat to light up your taste buds. Served along with rice, this recipe makes a full meal on its own.

Why you’ll love this Creole Shrimp recipe:

FLAVORFUL: There’s no lack of flavor in this classic Creole dish! Your taste buds will thank you.
SPICY: The spice isn’t overwhelming, but there’s plenty of heat thanks to the Creole seasoning.
FEED THE FAMILY : There’s plenty of food to go around with this recipe, so don’t skimp on the servings.

You’ll also love this Chicken Sausage and Gumbo and this Red Beans and Rice recipe .

dutch oven filled with creole shrimp - 6

dutch oven filled with creole shrimp - 7

How to make Shrimp Creole

You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!

Begin by seasoning the shrimp, then store it in the refrigerator until later.
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet, then cook the onions and peppers briefly, just until slightly softened. (2 minutes)
Add garlic, flour, tomato paste, and Creole seasoning , and continue cooking until vegetables have softened. (4-5 minutes)
Add in the rest of the sauce ingredients, reduce heat, and let it simmer until it thickens. (1 to 1 1/2 hours)
Cook the rice according to package directions while the sauce is cooking.
When the sauce is almost done, briefly cook the shrimp in another skillet. (1 minute)
Add the shrimp into the skillet with the sauce and continue cooking. (3-5 minutes)
Add in lemon juice and parsley, and season to taste.
Serve the Shrimp Creole over a bed of the white rice, and season or garnish as desired. Enjoy!

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What is Shrimp Creole?

Shrimp Creole is a classic Creole dish originating in Southern Louisiana. Shrimp is served in a thick tomato-based sauce filled with peppers, onions, and plenty of spice. It’s traditionally served over a bed of rice.

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes, you can use frozen shrimp in this recipe. Let it fully thaw in the fridge before cooking and mixing it into the sauce.

What can I serve with this dish?

Because Shrimp Creole is served on a bed of white rice, you don’t need much else to fill out this meal. However, some bread (great for dipping) or another simple side dish can definitely be added for dinner.

I recommend serving it with these delicious cornbread muffins , skillet creamed corn , black eyed peas , or sauteed molasses green beans .

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Tips!

The shrimp only needs a few minutes to fully cook, so keep it refrigerated while the sauce cooks.
Try making your own Creole seasoning for this recipe (although a store-bought spice mix works as well).
The sauce will need about 1 to 1 1/2 hours to thicken, so give it plenty of time.
The base recipe has a pretty manageable spice level for most people, so feel free to add some hot sauce or more Creole seasoning if you prefer.
Ladle the Shrimp creole over a bed of rice to serve.

up close creole shrimp served over rice - 12

This easy Shrimp Creole recipe is just so good and it makes such a great dinner , any time. And don’t be afraid to make it as spicy as you like!

MoreSeafood Recipeswe Love

Honey Sesame Shrimp
BBQ Shrimp
Surf and Turf Recipe
Creamy Parmesan Shrimp
Blackened Salmon
Seared Scallops
Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Cream Sauce
Bang Bang Shrimp

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!

Ingredients1x2x3x

▢ 2 pounds medium shrimp peeled & deveined
▢ Creole Seasoning; homemade or store-bought
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or bacon fat divided
▢ 1 medium yellow onion diced
▢ ½ red bell pepper diced
▢ ½ green bell pepper diced
▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
▢ 2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning or store-bought
▢ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
▢ 1 tablespoon granulated sugar dissolved in ¼ cup hot water
▢ 28 ounces Marzano whole tomatoes crushed by hand
▢ 24 ounces Passata
▢ 2 bay leaves
▢ ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons medium dry red wine
▢ Juice of 1 lemon
▢ 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley divided
▢ White rice enough for 8 servings

Garnishes/Optional Additions:

▢ 1-2 lemon cut into wedges
▢ Salt & Black pepper to taste
▢ 2-3 splashes Hot Sauce like Frank’s
▢ Sliced scallions

Instructions

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and lightly sprinkle with Homemade Creole Seasoning. Refrigerate the shrimp until ready to use.
Heat a large skillet over MEDIUM heat. Add oil, 1-tablespoon butter, onion and bell peppers. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables have softened a little, about 2 minutes. The vegetables will have time to cook, so no need to cook the vegetables until soft now.
Add garlic, flour, tomato paste and Creole Seasoning. Stir well and reduce the heat to MEDIUM-LOW. Cook until vegetables have softened and mixture turns brown, about 4-5 minutes.
Stir in Worcestershire Sauce, sugar/water mixture, tomatoes, Passata, bay leaves and ¼ cup red wine. Reduce heat to LOW and simmer sauce about 1-1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until cooked to desired consistency.
While the sauce simmers, cook the rice.
About 10 minutes before sauce is ready, set shrimp on the counter. Heat a different large skillet over medium heat and add 1-tablespoon butter. When the butter has melted, add the shrimp and 2 tablespoons red wine. Cook 1 minute.
Add the partially cooked shrimp to the simmering sauce and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until shrimp is opaque and begins to curl.
Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Add the juice of one lemon and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; stir well.
Taste and, if needed, season with additional salt, freshly ground black pepper, Creole seasoning and hot sauce. Stir and cook an additional 1-minute.
Ladle the Shrimp Creole (with plenty of sauce) over a bed of white rice, and serve with additional chopped fresh parsley, a lemon wedge, extra hot sauce and sliced scallions.
Enjoy!

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Shrimp Creole Recipe

Ingredients

2 pounds medium shrimp peeled & deveined
Creole Seasoning; homemade or store-bought
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or bacon fat divided
1 medium yellow onion diced
½ red bell pepper diced
½ green bell pepper diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning or store-bought
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar dissolved in ¼ cup hot water
28 ounces Marzano whole tomatoes crushed by hand
24 ounces Passata
2 bay leaves
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons medium dry red wine
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley divided
White rice enough for 8 servings

Garnishes/Optional Additions:

1-2 lemon cut into wedges
Salt & Black pepper to taste
2-3 splashes Hot Sauce like Frank’s
Sliced scallions

Instructions

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and lightly sprinkle with Homemade Creole Seasoning. Refrigerate the shrimp until ready to use.
Heat a large skillet over MEDIUM heat. Add oil, 1-tablespoon butter, onion and bell peppers. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables have softened a little, about 2 minutes. The vegetables will have time to cook, so no need to cook the vegetables until soft now.
Add garlic, flour, tomato paste and Creole Seasoning. Stir well and reduce the heat to MEDIUM-LOW. Cook until vegetables have softened and mixture turns brown, about 4-5 minutes.
Stir in Worcestershire Sauce, sugar/water mixture, tomatoes, Passata, bay leaves and ¼ cup red wine. Reduce heat to LOW and simmer sauce about 1-1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until cooked to desired consistency.
While the sauce simmers, cook the rice.
About 10 minutes before sauce is ready, set shrimp on the counter. Heat a different large skillet over medium heat and add 1-tablespoon butter. When the butter has melted, add the shrimp and 2 tablespoons red wine. Cook 1 minute.
Add the partially cooked shrimp to the simmering sauce and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until shrimp is opaque and begins to curl.
Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Add the juice of one lemon and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; stir well.
Taste and, if needed, season with additional salt, freshly ground black pepper, Creole seasoning and hot sauce. Stir and cook an additional 1-minute.
Ladle the Shrimp Creole (with plenty of sauce) over a bed of white rice, and serve with additional chopped fresh parsley, a lemon wedge, extra hot sauce and sliced scallions.
Enjoy!

Nutrition

By Becky Hardin

Published Jul 12, 2017

This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.

Essential Grocery List

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In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.

I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.

Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List

What to Buy at the Grocery Store

This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.

When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.

So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!