Name: Shrimp Creole Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 large green bell pepper (chopped (Or use jalapenos peppers for a spicier version)); 1 medium yellow onion (chopped); 1 stalk celery (chopped); 3 cloves garlic (chopped); 6 ounces tomato paste; 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes; 1 cup shrimp stock (or use chicken stock); 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning (or more to taste); 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 2 tablespoons Louisiana style hot sauce; 2 bay leaves; Salt and pepper to taste; 1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined); Rice, chopped parsley, sliced peppers and extra hot sauce for serving

This shrimp creole recipe is pure New Orleans, an icon of Louisiana, with succulent shrimp simmered in a perfectly seasoned tomato sauce made with the Cajun holy trinity. You may need to make an extra large batch. I'll take mine extra spicy.

Shrimp Creole coming your way, my friends. I love this recipe. It's an easy shrimp recipe for one. Everyone needs those quick and easy recipe ideas for when you're just too busy to spend time in the kitchen.

Creole shrimp is one of those recipes you can have done and on the table in 30 minutes or so, maybe a little longer if you're a slow cook like me. The only real work is a bit of chopping and prepping. Then it's just simmering.

It's super satisfying, too, a perfect dish for the spicy food lover, loaded with big flavor. Shrimp Creole, my friends!

It's a recipe that's been around forever, and it's open to certain interpretations, so feel free to customize here and there to your personal tastes. I hope you enjoy it.

Let's talk about how to make shrimp creole, shall we?

Shrimp Creole Ingredients

Olive Oil. For cooking.
Cajun Holy Trinity. You'll need green bell pepper, or use jalapeno peppers for a spicier version, onion, celery, and garlic. Bell peppers are traditional.
Tomatoes. Use both tomato paste and chopped tomatoes.
Stock. Use shrimp stock for a more pronounced seafood flavor, or use chicken stock or chicken broth.
Creole Seasonings. Try my homemade creole seasoning recipe, or use your favorite.
Additional Flavors. Worcestershire sauce, Louisiana style hot sauce, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
Shrimp. Peeled and deveined. Gulf shrimp are great, though any shrimp will work here.
For Serving. Cooked white rice, chopped parsley or use green onions, sliced peppers, extra hot sauce, spicy red pepper flakes.

How to Make Classic Shrimp Creole - The Recipe

Peppers and Onions. Making Shrimp Creole is easy enough. Add the onions, peppers, celery and garlic to a pan over medium heat with some oil and cook until they soften up.

Tomato Paste. Next, stir in some tomato paste and cook it down about a minute.

Liquids and Seasonings. Then, add canned tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, Creole seasonings and bay leaves. Adjust for salt and pepper to your preferred levels.

Simmer the Creole Sauce. Stir it all together, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes to thicken and let the flavors develop. You can simmer longer if you’d like.

Cook the Shrimp. Remove the bay leaves, then add the shrimp and tuck them under the sauce. Cook another couple minutes, or until the shrimp is nicely pink and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serving the Shrimp Creole. Finally, serve it over rice, if desired, sprinkled with parsley, extra hot sauce and extra peppers! Or just eat it out of the pan. It's OK. Really.

I served mine over this new, awesome Cajun Cauliflower Rice Recipe. SO good. Works great as an appetizer, too.

That's it! Easy enough! It's definitely a favorite recipe here, my friends. Love it! Pretty low calorie. I could eat this all day. Let me know how it turns out for you. Super curious! Send pics!

Recipe Notes and Tips

Heat Factor. I like to use the classic Cajun Holy Trinity to start - onion, pepper and celery - though I'll either substitute jalapeno peppers for the bell, or I'll toss a jalapeno into the mix, or sometimes something spicier, like a serrano pepper, or maybe a habanero pepper. Ghost pepper, anyone? Yeah, you can go REALLY spicy on this if you'd like. Just don't surprise your dinner guests, OK?
Variations. The creole sauce is an excellent base for including other ingredients. Try it with different meats or seafood, like crawfish or white fish. It's also great with pasta noodles.

Cookbook Recommendation

If you enjoy Louisiana cooking, including Cajun and Creole cuisine, I have found this book very informative with lots of great recipes and techniques.

Louisiana Real and Rustic, by Emeril Lagasse
Check out my own cookbook for spicy cooking - "The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook"

Check Out Some of Our Other Popular Cajun Dishes

Try Some of My Other Popular Shrimp Recipes

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.

Shrimp Creole on a spoon, ready to serve

Shrimp Creole Recipe

This shrimp creole recipe is pure New Orleans with succulent shrimp simmered in a perfectly seasoned tomato sauce, so easy to make and nice and spicy.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creole, one pan, shrimp, spicy

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Calories: 263kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

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5 from 6 votes

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large green bell pepper chopped (Or use jalapenos peppers for a spicier version)
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
6 ounces tomato paste
14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 cup shrimp stock or use chicken stock
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning or more to taste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Louisiana style hot sauce
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
Rice, chopped parsley, sliced peppers and extra hot sauce for serving

Instructions

Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the peppers, onion and celery and cook them down about 5 minutes to soften.
Add the garlic and cook another minute, stirring.
Swirl in the tomato paste and cook another minute.
Add the canned tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, Creole seasonings and bay leaves. Adjust for salt and pepper.
Stir and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes to thicken and let the flavors develop. You can simmer longer if you’d like.
Remove the bay leaves.
Add the shrimp and tuck them under the sauce. Cook another couple minutes, or until the shrimp is nicely pink and cooked through.
Serve over rice, if desired, sprinkled with parsley, extra hot sauce and extra peppers!

Video

Notes

Heat Level: Mild (or Medium with Jalapeno peppers).

If you'd like a spicier version, use extra Creole seasoning in the recipe. You can also add in spicy chili flakes, spicy chili powder, extra hot sauce, or use hotter peppers, such as the serrano.

Nutrition Information