Shrimp Creole is a wonderful dish that can stand on its own or be used as a topping sauce for various fish dishes. My Shrimp Creole recipe is simple yet delicious, requiring only a few ingredients to deliver a tremendous amount of flavor.
I usually serve my shrimp creole over rice. I won’t go over rice cooking instructions in this recipe as I’m sure most of you have that covered. If cooking rice on the stovetop isn’t your thing, check out this mini rice cooker by Dash on Amazon.
Ingredients
- 1# peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- tomato sauce, also 1 can
- 2 stalks of celery
- large onion
- green bell pepper
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tbsp Creole Seasoning
- 3 chicken bouillon cubes
- tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Prep
If you bought already peeled and deveined shrimp, all you need to do is thaw it out. If not, get to work peeling and deveining! The safest way to thaw any food is in the refrigerator, but if you are in a hurry you can thaw it quickly in the sink using cold running water.
With the shrimp out of the way, you can prep your vegetables. Both the onion and the bell pepper need to be diced. I generally go with smaller dice for this recipe, but you can cut them to your liking.
Open up your cans of tomatoes and sauce, measure out your seasonings, and you are ready to start cooking!
How To Make Shrimp Creole
Grab a high-sided pot and place it on medium-high heat. Toss in your tablespoon of butter. Once it’s melted and the pan is coated, add the bell peppers and onions. Season with salt, pepper, and a bit of creole seasoning. While the veggies are cooking, stir them occasionally.
Once the onions have a bit of translucence to them, add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. After that, add in the Worcestershire sauce, creole seasoning, chicken bouillon cubes, and a bit of salt and pepper. Finally, stir everything together and lower the heat.
The sauce needs to cook for at least 30 minutes. You want to give the flavors enough to marry and come together. If you can give the sauce more time, an hour is even better. Just make sure the heat is low enough that it doesn’t dry out. After the allotted time, check the sauce for seasoning and add more if needed.
At this point, it is time to add the shrimp. Toss them into the sauce and stir them around. The shrimp only needs to cook for two to three minutes. Once you have cooked all of the translucence out, they are done. The last thing you want to do is overcook shrimp, as it will become tough and rubbery.
How To Serve Shrimp Creole
As I stated above, I like to serve my Shrimp Creole over rice. It makes for a great dish on its own. It’s almost like a seafood cacciatore.
Another way I like to serve this recipe is over blackened or grilled fish. Start your plate with a bed of rice. Lay over a beautifully blackened catfish filet, and top it with Shrimp Creole. The sauce pairs amazingly well with blackened fish.
Coleslaw is a good side to go with the creole. The sweet creamy coleslaw is a nice contrast to the hot and spicy dish. If you are looking for a good recipe for slaw, check out my creamy coleslaw recipe!
Shrimp Creole can also be served as a side itself. It’s a great replacement for gumbo, as it’s a similar dish that is a lot easier to make. The creole will go great as a side for fried fish, oyster, or crab claw dinner!
[…] catfish is a great component of more robust dishes. I love serving it over rice and topped with my Shrimp Creole recipe. Shrimp and crawfish-based cream sauces are great alternatives as well. Another favorite of mine is […]