Shrimp Creole

With this recipe for Shrimp Creole, you can easily bring the authentic taste of classic Cajun cooking straight to your dinner table in 45 minutes or less! Jumbo shrimp simmer in a spicy stewed tomato sauce, loaded with the holy trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery. Served over a bed of white rice, this dish will make the perfect main course for your next Mardi Gras celebration.

With Mardi Gras right around the corner, and king cakes in every grocery, I just can’t help but get nostalgic for my days of growing up in a small town in Southern Texas, right on the border of Louisiana.

The seafood was always so incredibly fresh, and ever since I moved to Austin five years ago, it’s been difficult to find good Cajun or Creole food to satisfy those cravings. 

So this time of year, I love to recreate all of my old Louisiana-inspired favorites at home, from Blackened Salmon and Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo to Instant Pot Jambalaya and Shrimp and Grits.

New Orleans-style home cooking is famous for its bold flavors, and this Shrimp Creole recipe is no exception. It delivers a TON of unique, spicy flavors WITHOUT taking a ton of your time in the process.

In 45 minutes or less, you and your loved ones can also enjoy this healthy Cajun dinner!

Ingredients

While some of the ingredients can be swapped out for various alternatives, to make this easy shrimp creole you at least need:

• Shrimp. Choosing the right kind of shrimp for this dish is SO important to yielding a good, authentic creole. Buying wild shrimp is recommended for quality assurance, ideally fresh, as they have a much better taste and texture than frozen shrimp. Aim to get 20/24 count shrimp – this means there are 20-24 shrimp in one pound, at a relatively consistent size. Shrimp should be peeled and deveined, with tails left on or off, according to preference.
• “Holy trinity.” Diced celery, bell peppers, and onions – otherwise called the “holy trinity” of Louisiana cuisine – are essential to creating the flavor base typically found in Cajun and Creole recipes.
• Stewed tomatoes. Unlike other canned tomatoes, stewed tomatoes have a bit of sugar added to them. If you are on a Whole30 or Paleo diet you can substitute these for diced tomatoes, but just know the taste and flavor will be slightly different.
• Tomato sauce. Make sure when selecting your tomato sauce you get the regular, plain tomato sauce, not the Italian-style. This will prevent any additional flavor profiles from interfering with the creole seasonings.
• Blackened/Cajun seasoning. The spice level of your dish will change drastically depending on the type of blackened or Cajun seasoning you use. Homemade blackened seasoning is recommended for the most control, but Slap Ya’ Mama Cajun Seasoning or Emeril’s Blackened Seasoning are both excellent store-bought alternatives.

How to Make Shrimp Creole

The basic steps for making shrimp creole are simple to follow:

Sauté the Vegetables

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and/or butter over medium heat, then add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Add the crushed garlic, and sauté for another minute. 

The vegetables should only sauté just long enough to soften the slightest bit and begin to release their flavors. If they’re cooked for too long at this stage, they’ll grow mushy and disappear into the creole by the time it’s done simmering.

Combine and Simmer

Add the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, blackened or Cajun seasoning, salt, and bay leaves. Stir until all the ingredients are well mixed, and then bring to a boil.

Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat back down to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Allowing the creole to sit and cook at a low temperature allows all those strong flavors to meld together, and gives the vegetables time to soften just enough to be tender.

Thicken the Mixture

While the creole simmers, whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until fully dissolved. Doing this in a separate container from the dish ensures that there are no lumps of cornstarch remaining, which clump up when added to hot liquid.

After 20 minutes, carefully remove the bay leaves from the creole and mix in the cornstarch slurry very well. 

The starch helps the creole to thicken up as it continues to simmer, so that it reaches its characteristically thick, almost curry-like texture without the need to cook it down for an extended period of time.

Season to Taste

Once the starch slurry has been mixed in, this is the perfect time to give the creole a taste to determine how much seasoning it still needs. Add the Worcestershire and hot sauce, and more salt or seasoning mix to taste, if needed.

Add the Shrimp

When the desired spice and seasoning level has been reached, add the shrimp and continue simmering, uncovered, for another 5-6 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked through. Shrimp are done cooking when they turn from translucent to opaque and their tails begin to curl.

Make sure not to overcook the shrimp, or else they will become rubbery. Remove the creole from the heat as soon as it’s finished cooking.

Serve it Up

If you would like to serve this shrimp creole recipe the authentic New Orleans way, then you will want to pile it on top of a bed of white rice with a garnish of fresh parsley. The rice provides a neutral base to soak up that spicy sauce, and the parsley brings visual contrast and a bright, peppery freshness to the dish.

A toasted baguette or some gluten-free biscuits on the side make for an excellent addition, too. 

Alternatively, this dish can be served without rice or on a bed of sautéed cauliflower rice, to keep it low-carb and high in nutrition.

Meal Prep and Storage

• To Prep-Ahead: The spice mix, if homemade, can be whisked up ahead of time. The celery, bell peppers, and onions can be diced and stored in airtight containers up to 3 days in advance.
• To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days if the shrimp have been added. If the shrimp have not yet been added, the base will keep for up to 5-7 days.
• To Freeze: While freezing will slightly change the texture of the shrimp, this dish can be refrigerated for 3-4 hours and then transferred to an airtight, freezer-safe container to be frozen for up to 3-4 months. The dish can also be prepared and frozen ahead of time, omitting the final steps of adding and simmering the shrimp until ready to be served.
• To Reheat: If frozen, transfer leftovers to the fridge overnight to thaw. Put the creole into a large skillet or pot, cover, and warm over low heat just until heated through. Too long, and the shrimp will become rubbery and overcooked.

Dietary Modifications

The recipe you’ll find below is already low-carb and gluten-free as written. Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help it fit your other dietary requirements:

• Keto: Instead of serving the creole on a bed of white rice, serve it up on a bowl of sautéed cauliflower rice.
• Whole30: Use tomato sauce and stewed or diced tomatoes free from added sugars. The dish can also be served without a side of grains. 
• Paleo: Use an MSG-free seasoning mix like Emeril’s Blackened Seasoning Blend, or make your own. Use diced tomatoes free from additives, instead of sweetened stewed tomatoes.
• Extra Nutrition: This recipe makes it incredibly easy to amp up the servings of vegetables, simply by increasing the amount of “holy trinity” mix at the beginning. It can also be served on a bed of cauliflower rice instead of white rice.

FAQs

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Don’t Skimp the Shrimp. Look for medium-large, 20/24-count shrimp – this means there are 20-24 shrimp in one pound which allows for even cooking times from batch to batch.
• … DO Skimp the Shrimp. If making this recipe ahead, the final steps of adding and simmering the shrimp can be put off until ready to serve; the creole base can keep up to 5-7 days in the fridge, or up to 3-4 months in the freezer.
• Mix it up! One of the best things about Louisiana-style cooking is the freedom to experiment with different things, so this recipe can serve as the base for adding and substituting other ingredients, such as crawfish, chicken, or sausage. 
• Start off Light. If you are unsure of how spicy your seasoning blend is, add half of the suggested amount to begin with and more as needed.
• Get Heavy Handed. Experiment with spicy garnishes and toppings as well – adding extra hot sauce or a fresh squeeze of lemon juice to the finished plates.

Make it a Meal

While this shrimp creole will be the star of any meal, there’s plenty of ways to round it out with these easy side dishes:

Instant Pot White Rice

Easy Green Beans Almondine with Garlic

Roasted Cauliflower

Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits

A decadent dessert of sweet, syrupy bananas foster can also serve as a pleasant relief from the spice, after the meal.

More Cajun Recipes

While Mardi Gras might only come once a year, you can enjoy New Orleans-style cooking year round with these classic recipes:

Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice

Shrimp and Grits

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Blackened Salmon Recipe

Remoulade Sauce Recipe

Sausage & Chicken Cajun Jambalaya