The best shrimp creole I ever had was in Louisiana, the birth place for it. It was so bomb y’all. I wanted to share a shrimp creole recipe with y’all that is simple and still gives all those bomb layered flavors. My version has plump shrimp, a perfectly seasoned creole sauce, plus it can be prepped and ready in about 30 minutes. This one is as close to perfection as can be, and it won’t take you all night to prepare.
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How to make shrimp Creole
Step 1: Sauté the veggies
Start by melting your butter in a large skillet then sauté the vegetables, the chopped onion and green bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. You want the vegetables to be tender and soft before moving forward in the recipe.
Step 2: Season it up!
We add in our flavor enhancers like parsley, garlic powder, tomatoes, chicken stock, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce here to build. We stir everything then we bring everything to a boil to start marrying the flavors.
Step 3: Thicken
Next we work on thickening the sauce and we will need to create a slurry, which is a combination of the cornstarch and water so the mixture doesn’t create lumps to our base.
We stir it in and let it thicken.
Step 4: Add the shrimp
Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then we add them directly to the sauce. Shrimp can cook incredibly fast so it is important not to overcook them.
As soon as they start to turn pink, remove the sauce from the heat so they don’t continue cooking.
Step 5: Serve
Serve it up immediately with steamed white rice and a garnish with parsley.
Shrimp Creole Recipe
This Classic Shrimp Creole is so darn good! Shrimp, vegetables, incredible spices, and a rich tomato creole sauce. It’s the best eva y’all!
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Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper along with salt and pepper and cook until soft and tender, about 5-6 minutes.
Next add 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, garlic powder, tomatoes, chicken stock, hot sauce, and worcestershire sauce.
Stir together and bring to a boil.
Next add cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water together in a separate small bowl and add to the liquid allowing it to thicken the sauce. Once it has thickened, turn the heat down between a low and medium heat.
Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the sauce. Bring the temperature back up to a medium heat. Stir together and place a lid on the pot to continue to help the shrimp cook. As soon as shrimp turns pink, remove sauce from heat and top with remaining parsley and serve with rice.
What to do with leftovers
Fridge: Once cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Freezer: If you’re using fresh shrimp, store the dish in a freezer-safe bag or container and it will last up to 3 months. It’s not recommended to re-freeze frozen shrimp, but you can freeze everything else.
Reheating
If frozen, thaw it in the fridge overnight. If not, heat everything for 5-10 minutes in a saucepan over low-medium, stirring occasionally, until warmed.
Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 352mg | Potassium: 380mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 903IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe Tips
Grab the quality shrimp: The best shrimp is wild-caught but this isn’t always available. I recommend purchasing uncooked, frozen, tail-on shrimp for the best taste and quality if fresh isn’t available.
Don’t Overcook! Remember not to overcook your shrimp. They will taste rubbery and will ruin all of your hard work.
Recipe Help
It honestly depends. This recipe doesn’t have a ton of spice with just the addition of hot sauce but you can definitely make this milder by leaving it out. If you want more spice, think about adding a spicier hot sauce or some cayenne for kick.
Yep absolutely, just thaw under cold water, dry and use. But for leftovers, I would recommend you don’t freeze any as the shrimp won’t maintain its delicious texture.
For this recipe, it requires deveined and peeled shrimp. If you don’t have the time, you can grab it already done at the grocery store.
