The beauty of this dish is how easy it is to make. You only need one pot (yay!), and you build the flavors by layering each ingredient then letting it simmer. Don’t let the ease of this meal fool you. It’s great for a busy weeknight, but also presents well for a formal dinner. Your guests will feel transported to New Orleans and be thoroughly impressed with your cooking skills!
The Holy Trinity of Creole Cooking
Creole cooking tends to be spicy and utilizes a mixture of ingredients from around the globe including French, Spanish, and African flavors. Shrimp Creole starts off the way many classic New Orleans dishes do, with the holy trinity—a mixture of diced onions, celery, and bell peppers. It’s the foundation of many Cajun and Creole dishes such as gumbo, any kind of etouffee, sauce piquant, and red beans and rice to name a few. In this dish, when you combine the powers of both the holy trinity and tomatoes, it produces an aroma that will instantly have you screaming, “Laissez les bon temps rouler,” or “let the good times roll” for those whose Cajun French is a little rusty!
Type of Shrimp to Use
The size is up to you! I love using fresh shrimp from my local market. I peel and devein them myself, which means I can save the shells to make shellfish stock. I typically use smaller shrimp, such as 60 count when I’m making a weeknight dinner, however I will use 16/20 count shrimp when I am entertaining. If you’re short on time, you can use peeled and deveined frozen shrimp to get dinner on the table a little quicker. If you do use frozen shrimp, be sure to thaw them. You can do this by placing them in a bowl of cold water while prepping your ingredients.
Cajun Seasoning
Cajun seasoning is usually a mix of celery salt, sweet paprika, sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and ground all-spice. I used Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning in this recipe, which is local to me here in Louisiana. If you cannot find this same seasoning mix, look for any packaged Cajun seasoning or go ahead and make your own! I typically use John Besh’s Cajun seasoning mix if I’m making it from scratch.
Ingredients Swaps and Substitutions
There are many ways to change this to your liking.
Add more (or less) cayenne or Cajun seasoning depending on how spicy you want the final dishUse vegetable stock or chicken stock instead of shrimp stockSubstitute the shrimp for crawfish. You can play with the recipe and also use chicken, tofu or pork here too.Add fresh garlic for more garlic flavorAdd okra as an extra vegetable
Storage Instructions
You can store your Shrimp Creole in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two days. After that, if you still have leftovers, feel free to freeze it! It makes a beautiful frozen meal. You can freeze this dish in an airtight container for up to three to six months. When you remove it from the freezer, allow it to defrost in your fridge overnight. Heat it up on your stove slowly, over medium heat, so it won’t separate. Store rice separately in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
More Classic New Orleans Recipes
Shrimp Etouffee Shrimp Gumbo with Andouille Sausage Slow Cooker Jambalaya New Orleans Beignets Oyster Stew
6 cups water 2 teaspoons salt 3 cups long grain white rice, rinsed
For the shrimp creole
1/2 stick butter 1 large onion, chopped 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped 4 stalks celery, chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 bay leaves 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup water 2 cups seafood stock, store-bought or homemade 2 pounds small 60 count shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
