Shrimp Creole
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1tablespoon chili powder
- 1teaspoon onion powder
- 1teaspoon garlic powder
- ½teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less, if desired)
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½teaspoon black pepper
- 1pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2teaspoons homemade or store-bought Creole seasoning
- ¼cup unsalted butter (½ stick)
- ⅓cup all-purpose flour
- 1medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 1green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 4garlic cloves, minced
- 1(15-ounce) can tomato sauce (no salt added)
- 1 to 2teaspoons hot sauce, to taste (optional)
- 1teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½teaspoon dried thyme
- ½teaspoon dried oregano
- ½teaspoon dried basil
- 2dried bay leaves
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- ¼cup chopped scallions
- ¼cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
- Steamed rice, for serving
For the Creole Seasoning (optional)
For the Shrimp
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
382 calories; 13 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 918 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Make the optional Creole seasoning: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir together. The seasoning makes about ¼ cup; store it in a closed container in a cool, dry place.
- Step 2
Toss the raw shrimp with 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning and set aside.
- Step 3
In a Dutch oven or large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until a roux the color of peanut butter forms, about 10 minutes.
- Step 4
Add the onion, celery and bell pepper, increase the heat to medium and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Step 5
Stir in ⅓ cup water, then the tomato sauce, hot sauce (if using), sugar, thyme, oregano, basil, bay leaves, 1½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally to make sure that the bottom doesn’t burn. (If needed, add more water.)
- Step 6
Once the stew has thickened, add the seasoned shrimp and simmer until opaque and cooked through, about 5 minutes, turning each piece halfway through the cooking time. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Step 7
Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle with scallions and parsley, and serve over steamed rice.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
judys
I think I’ll try diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce if I make this again.
Eegulleye
Flavor was fine. Next time I'd let the roux darken a bit more before adding the vegetables. I felt the sauce to shrimp ratio was high and I'd increase the shrimp to 1.5 or 2 lbs.
Hilary
I thought this was very tasty, but after making it exactly as is, I would change a few things to fit my personal taste a bit more. 1) I think the recipe could use much more salt, but that is largely a me problem as I tend to under-salt dishes. 2) The recipe needs more hot sauce if you like spice. I added about 4 teaspoons of Crystal hot sauce and I thought it could use much more. 3) Next time, I'll cut back the sugar to 1/2 teaspoon. It was a bit sweet for me when I initially tasted it.
Lula
Hello, I am from the Caribbean and creole and we don't use dried herbs, oregano or basil which are used in Italian cuisine or canned veggies but yeah call it another name than creole because does not have no creolism in it...
Eric
Pretty good simple meal, perfect for a cold weeknight. A good one to cook with the kids, especially since teamwork would make this an efficient prep. I would say that 1/3 cup of water was not enough. Before the 10 minute simmer was up, I had added at least 1 cup, and it probably could have used a bit more.
Isabel
The best shrimp creole recipe is by Paul Prudhomme.
Michael
For diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce, use RoTel tomatoes that have chopped green chilies. That is what they use in Louisiana
Lidiya
Followed the recipe but substituted diced tomatoes as other suggested and added lime juice at the very end for extra zing. Fantastic. Compliments from the whole family.
Ya-Man
That's too long to cook shrimp. Shrimp only needs 2-3 minutes in simmering liquid. They will become chewy! Not sure why people tend to OVER cook shrimp!!
Cynthia
A recipe that call for 20 ingredients sure doesn’t fit my definition of a simple, weeknight meal!
TJ
Shrimp creole is not made with a roux, though it is made with tomatoes. This is a strange version using a roux, tomato sauce and sugar.
Reed from Biloxi
I haven’t made this. Don’t have to make it to give you my opinion. This recipe is spot on. I’m trying to figure out how the chef found my creole seasonings recipe! Let me suggest you make a cup or two of this seasoning to just have around the kitchen. Add dried thyme, oregano and SAGE not basil. Also add White Pepper. You’ll find yourself using this mixture often.
sara
This was amazing... used some rendered fat from our prime rib roast instead of the butter to make my roux. Also used a homemade seafood stock in lieu of water. Everyone in my household loved it!
Meta Nash
Simmer shrimp shells in 1 cup or more of water to have in place of plain water while you're chopping veggies. Amps up flavor.
Margie LaBarge
I will try with diced tomatoes next time and more shrimp
donna logan
I would never use the roux again. made the creole much too thick and floury.
Martha
Made this last night and it was delicious. I ended up using a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes - I like it saucy.
BD
Wonderful recipe but made many adjustments. Used less flour, dice tomatoes rather than sauce, eliminated the sugar. Added lime and used cilantro instead of parsley. Used a teaspoon of mixed Italian herbs in step five, but that was for simplicity rather than taste. It's a great dish to make for company because you can get it ready ahead of time before and add shrimp at the last minute. I might try it without the roux next time.
Ronkie
I've made it four or five times now just as it's printed, and it's been a big hit every time. I have no opinion as to whether it's "authentic" or not. Whatever it is, it's a great recipe. And it's basically just cutting stuff up and cooking that stuff in stages - very easy.
Aprila
I've made this a number of times. I like marinating the shrimp for an hour or more before cooking. I also leave out the sugar.
MelM
Great depth of flavor!
Herm
This was a lot of work for something that was not great. The sauce turned out too thick, in my opinion. Should have added more water.
JeanieDiva
I finally cooked this and loved it. I used cooked medium shrimp and added some mushrooms because I had them. I used Newman's Spaghetti Sauce and dried herbs. It's very tasty and relatively easy.
middaygourmet
Excellent when modified by adding 2-10 ox cans of Rotel Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with green chiles instead of 15oz tomato sauce. Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly.
Chris Potter
This is an etouffee, I’m pretty sure—but what do I know? Old white lady from NY who lost her Prudhomme cookbook in a divorce 35 years ago. Just whipped it up and am having a quick bourbon and ginger before dinner on this Mardi Gras night! Recipe is good, but it needs more liquid. I used passata for tomato sauce—will try the Rotel tomatoes next time. Great for entertaining, I’d think—you can put the sauce together, chat with your friends, and then poach the shrimp. We will surely have this again.
Paula
Sherry modified the recipe. In place of tomato sauce use tomato purée and a pinch of sugar. Add 2 andouille sausages. Also use fresh thyme and basil. Also instead of purée use 2 T tomatoes paste 8 oz of crushed tomatoes.
Mel
I made it the first time as is and it lacked that zingy authentic depth of flavor. The second time was excellent, with several modifications. I used 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, 2.5 times the creole spice, probably 2 TBS Louisiana brand hot sauce, doubled the oregano and thyme and one cup chicken stock (it needed way more moisture). Oh and I omitted basil, I don't think dried basil has much flavor and fresh basil would overwhelm the dish.
Kathy
For a gluten free roux option, try Savoie’s GF Instant Roux mix. It has a few other seasonings (and chicken if veg/pescatarian), but works great. Even saves a few minutes as the roux comes together. A Louisiana company.
Brian
This is a good recipe with one big flaw. Way too much roux for the amount of liquid. Also, better to use fish or seafood stock instead of water. Making a darker roux will provide a richer flavor and decrease the thickening effect.
sheila
i only had diced tomatoes and it came out great. also i used a 28 oz can.
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