Spicy Shrimp Creole is a classic New Orleans dish with both a Spanish and French influence. It consists of plump shrimp smothered in a spicy tomato sauce that builds on a foundation of The Holy Trinity. The basic trio, onion, celery, and green bell pepper, mix with garlic and sautés in butter until tender. Cayenne and hot sauce ensure that this is the best spicy shrimp Creole recipe you’ll taste. Traditionally, you serve cooked white rice with shrimp Creole. We serve this famous Louisiana shrimp recipe with an outstanding Italian coarse grain polenta.
How we decided on Shrimp Creole
Honey and I are standing in line ready to check out of Meijer grocery. We’re debating on what to have for dinner. Nothing is really capturing our fancy.
I pick up the newest Women’s World magazine and start to leaf through it. Right there in the center of the magazine is Emeril and his best New Orleans eats. The excitement builds. I know, I know, I get excited about food.
“I found our dinner,” I say to Honey, pointing to the huge photo of Emeril’s Shrimp Creole.
Honey takes the magazine and scans the spicy shrimp recipe. “We just made a spicy shrimp recipe, Louisiana Gumbo. Besides, we don’t have any wild-caught shrimp.”
My heart is set on shrimp creole. It’s another great dish to celebrate Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday. “Let’s check out the Farmer’s Market. They might have the shrimp. We have the rest of the ingredients and it looks like a pretty easy shrimp recipe.”
Creole Recipes a blending of cultures
“I didn’t know there were so many cultures represented in Creole cuisine,” I say to Honey as he’s cleaning the shrimp. “I thought just Spanish, French and African. It says here in this article that Italian, German and Caribbean cultures also influenced the New Orleans cuisine.”
Hubby pauses from shrimp cleaning. “Well, if that’s the case, why don’t we make some polenta to go with the shrimp?”
“But, traditionally it’s served with cooked white rice.”
“Well, polenta is close enough to grits. That’s southern. Why don’t we try out that coarse Italian polenta? Just think! It’ll be an Italian combination of shrimp creole and shrimp and grits.”
“That sounds perfect! Italians are big on Carnivale just like New Orleanians are with Mardi Gras.”
Shrimp Creole Easy Recipe Simple Ingredients
Before we start on this spicy shrimp recipe we gather all of the ingredients and measure them out.
“What do we do first?” asks Honey.
“We add the holy trinity, you know, the diced onion, green pepper, and celery to the butter in the pan. Huh, trinity must be the creole version to Italian soffritto. Only we use carrots instead of green peppers.”
“Next?”
“Add the seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne. Wow! This is sure going to perk up our tastebuds. You cook until the veggies soften. About 10 minutes. Then the tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, and salt.”
After 35 minutes of simmering uncovered, hubby makes a slurry of flour and water. He adds the mixture to the pot stirring until the sauce thickens. A few minutes later, Honey sprinkles the rest of the cayenne and salt to the shrimp. He adds the seasoned shrimp plus Worcestershire and hot sauce into the pan.
Shrimp are amazing. They have a built-in thermometer to tell us when they’re done — they turn pink.
FAQs About Shrimp Creole
What is the difference between étouffée and shrimp creole?
- étouffée has a more gravy-like sauce
- shrimp creole adds tomatoes as its base
- étouffée uses a dark roux as its base
- étouffée is usually spicier than shrimp creole
Can shrimp creole be frozen?
Yes. Shrimp creole freezes well, but only the sauce. Make a large batch of sauce and freeze. When you’re ready to eat the shrimp creole, heat up the sauce and plop in the cleaned shrimp. Cook the shellfish until it turns pink. Easy peasy!
What do you serve with shrimp creole?
The spicy tomato based dish is usually served over cooked white rice. You may also serve it with grits or just crusty French bread.
What wine goes with shrimp creole?
Dry white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay is good. Something with dry and herbal undertones is ideal for cutting down the spice on your palate. Avoid oak-aged wines ad the spice in the dish can make the wines taste very oaky.
The King of Spicy Shrimp Recipes
This shellfish dish may not be the spiciest of Creole recipes but I can guarantee it will be one of the tastiest. The sauce is out of this world and not as spicy hot as what we thought it would be.
Finally, we sit to eat and take our first bite.”Well, what do you think?” asks Honey.
“We should have tripled the recipe!”
Shrimp a la Creole, as it was once known, has been around a long time. There are many variations of this recipe and what’s amazing is that the main ingredients are quite similar to several famous Louisiana shrimp recipes:
- étouffée
- gumbo
- jambalaya
And since we’ve proclaimed this dish the king, we thought we should add a royal tasting side to go with it — Rustic Italian Polenta.
What do you say? Would you like more Louisiana recipes?
If you like spicy and flavorful, we know you’ll love this recipe.
Here are some additional shrimp recipes for you to enjoy
Grilled Shrimp with Garlic and Lemon
Orecchiette with Spicy Shrimp Sauce
Barbecued Shrimp with Cheese Grits
Trust me, your family will love all of these recipes!
Tutti a tavola è pronto!
Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
YOU MAY NEED…
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We always buy a HUGE container of Cayenne Red Pepper just like this. It’s more economical and we go through it pretty quickly. Just a touch adds a pleasant heat to our dishes. Also, we make our own blends and we find buying the pepper in a large container a convenience.
Spicy Shrimp Creole With Italian Rustic Polenta
This New Orleans classic dish is made with tomatoes, celery, onions and green peppers cooked into a spicy mixture. The shrimp briefly goes into the hot sauce just until they turn pink. We serve it with polenta but you could also do the traditional cooked white rice. Or just use hunks of crusty French bread to scoop up the delicious shellfish and sauce. Believe me, take one bite and you’ll do a happy dance.
If you like this recipe please consider giving it a five-star rating. This helps others to decide whether to try the recipe.
Spicy Shrimp Creole With Italian Rustic Polenta
Ingredients
Shrimp Creole
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup onions chopped
- 1/2 cup green peppers chopped
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes Fire Roasted
- 1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, Oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 lb shrimp medium deveined and peeled
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1/4 cup scallion greens chopped
- 1 tsbsp parsley chopped
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
Rustic Italian Polenta ***see note
- 1 cup polenta not quick cooking
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
Shrimp Creole
- In a heavy skillet or pot melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, celery, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp cayenne; cook stirring, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in both cans of tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves and 1/4 tsp. salt. Over medium-high heat bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk together flour and 1/4 cup water. Add a small amount of the hot tomato sauce to flour mixture; stir to blend. (If you see you don't have enough liquid in the pan, add a bit of chicken stock to it.)
- Whisk mixture back into tomato mixture in the pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 4-6 minutes.
- Season shrimp with the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp cayenne. Add the shrimp to the pan along with the Worcestershire and hot sauce.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until shrimp turn pink, 4-6 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Stir in scallions and parsley.
Creamy Rustic Polenta
- Place the polenta, 4 cups of chicken stock, and the olive oil in a heavy 2 1/2 quart saucepan and stir to combine. We like using non-stick.
- Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the starch takes hold, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the grains are soft and hold their shape on a spoon, about 1 hour.
- Whisk in the salt, pepper, butter, and Parmesan.
- Serve the Polenta along with the Shrimp Creole. Garnish with chopped parsley and scallions.
Aline says
Yes, yes, yes!! This recipe was the bomb!! So SO good!!! Will be making it forever now – thanks!!
Aline says
Your polenta recipe is simply the best!! And the shrimp creole was pretty amazing as well. Thank you!!
Marisa Franca says
Thank you, Aline! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It is an easy way to make polenta. xoxo
Sharon says
I’m always in the mood for spicy dishes and this shrimp with creamy polenta is going on my dinner menu for the week.
Marisa Franca says
You won’t regret it, Sharon. Buon appetito.
Jess says
My boyfriend would absolutely love this dish! It’s creamy and dreamy on one side and spicy and shrimp-y on the other! YUM!
Marisa Franca says
I know you’ll both enjoy it – are you going to make the cooking a joint effort?
Eden says
New Orleans is one of our favorite places! I wanted to make something that reminded me of our trip so we tried this recipe and it was perfect. Thank you for sharing!!
Marisa Franca says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Eden! Thank you for letting us know. xoxo
Tammy says
Ahh how could you pass over an Emril recipe! This looks so heavenly and delicious. I love spicy foods and this southern classic is right up my alley.
Marisa Franca says
Emeril is the best. I miss his old shows on TV. His dishes always inspired us.
Amy Dong says
YUM! The Italian polenta sounds amazing right now! I love the pairing with sauv blanc or chard. Crisp and perfect!
Marisa Franca says
Hello, Amy! The wine certainly compliments the delicious recipe. xoxo
Leslie says
You really knocked it out of the park with this recipe! The flavors are absolutely perfect!
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli says
We’re loving this contamination of cultures, flavors, and textures! The idea to have the coarse polenta on the side of spicy creole shrimp is absolutely delightful!
Amanda says
Yum — I love shrimp Creole, and this recipe is so full of flavor! It’s perfectly spiced. Thanks so much for sharing!
Ben says
Get in my belly! I would eat that until I popped. It looks so good. The polenta is a nice twist on the classic.
Dee | Grammy's Grid says
Congrats Marisa! Your post is FEATURED at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty 36! Party starts tonight, Monday, April 1, 2019 at 9:00 PM CST.
Traci says
I can hardly believe I’ve never made a shrimp creole, but it’s true! I’ve eaten it plenty, but now I want to make it after seeing your recipe. Looks easy enough…and totally scrumptious! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Debra says
Ive never made polenta…I know, where have I been? BUT…your recipe has totally caught my eye and I’m going for it Sounds simple and creamy and the perfect base for this flavorful shrimp.
Trish Bozeman says
Ooooh what an awesome dish! Love all the flavors in here. It HAS to be good when it starts with “the holy trinity” LOL! Can’t wait to give this one a try!
Dana says
What a fantastic recipe! I’ve only ever seen shrimp creole toppled over rice. I absolutely love the use of polenta. It just takes this dish to a whole new level of comfort food. So many warming savory flavors!
Natalie says
I absolutely love polenta. But never quite know with what to pair it. This sounds so delicious and flavorful. And it’s so easy to make. I’m saving the recipe to give it a try.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
I am always looking for new creative recipes to try for dinner. This shrimp creole looks soo good! The flavour combo is amazing, can’t wait to try it!
Daniela says
Wow your post really inspired me to get my creole cooking on! And I really appreciate the in process shots :).
Thanks so much for sharing!
Amanda Mason says
Yum! Loving how this recipe turned out! I also found your post super informative, too! My daughter is allergic to shrimp and my husband has heartburn issues so he can’t eat spicy foods….but there are times when I’m here by myself due to travel club activities that takes them out of town and this will be a perfect dinner for me!!! Loving this!
Sherri says
Wow, I never knew about all the influences on New Orleans cuisine! I love reading and learning about the history of different foods. Thanks for the info! Your shrimp creole looks absolutely stunning! A perfect dish! The polenta with it sounds amazing too!
Susie says
Bought all my ingredients to make this recipe……Can’t wait to try it! Looks delish! Thanks, Marisa
Deseree says
This dinner is perfect! Creole is one of my favorite southern dishes to eat but never had the chance to make it. Can’t wait to change that.
Marisa Franca says
Thank you, Deseree! You might also take a peek at our Shrimp Gumbo. Super easy to make and loaded with flavor.
Jacquelyn Hastert says
I am always looking for a good southern dish that can easily be made at home. Looks like I have found it.
Marisa Franca says
It is easy, Jacquelyn. And so full of southern taste!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says
I’ve never had shrimp creole, but I’ve been seeing a few recipes around lately, so I think I’m meant to make it soon! I love shrimp and spicy food, and this recipe just looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Marisa Franca says
Hi Leanne! You’ll love this recipe. It’s spicy, saucy, and just the perfect topping for whatever you like. We like polenta but rice too. You don’t want either of those? Just drop some of the sauce and shrimp on top of crostini. Perfection!! Happy eating.
Clearissa Coward says
This looks so tasty. Thank you for sharing with #BloggingGrandmotherLinkParty.
Heather Perine says
We eat a shrimp dinner about once a week around here but I feel like it’s the same old same old. This will be fun to switch it up and try. Plus my fiancee loooooves anything with some heat! Now if I can just get him to clean the shrimp 🙂
Marisa Franca says
Well, Heather, perhaps you can “convince” him to clean the shrimp for a super delicious meal and of course a VERY grateful fiancee. Cooking together is really lots of fun. Honey and I are in the kitchen together all the time. Put on some of your favorite music and pour your favorite beverage and toast to a terrific meal! ????
Lisa says
I love that “Honey” helps you in the kitchen! It’s always nice to have a sous-chef. I like the idea that the holy trinity is sort of like soffrito — and love it in your shrimp creole — it looks so saucy and inviting. I also agree that polenta is a close cousin of grits, so I think your improvisation works beautifully. Thanks for this inspiration — I have shrimp in my freezer and now I know what I’m doing with them.
Amanda says
I love how you used polenta for a different twist on shrimp Creole! It does seem like it’d work well, and I always love polenta. I’m definitely giving this a try soon. Thanks for sharing!
Julie Menghini says
Happy Fat Tuesday! I’m all about celebrating Mardi Gras with a delicious spicy dish like the shrimp creole. I would never have thought to serve polenta alongside this dish but it works perfectly in my book! Spicy and creamy side by side and I can’t wait to try it!
Daniela says
I love Creole cooking precisely because of how it blends so many different cultural traditions together. This spicy shrimp Creole is the perfect example.I really like your suggestion for serving it over polenta rather than with the more traditional white rice! It’s been super cold where I live so this looks like the perfect recipe for a delicious, comforting dinner.
Tina says
I just made shrimp and grits last week and loved it. It was the first time I had served it this way and both me and my hubby loved it. Thanks for this recipe!
Elaine Benoit says
One of my dreams is to go to New Orleans to have some delicious Creole food. But until then, I can make your delicious shrimp Creole to tide me over until I get to go! Great recipe!
Rosemary says
HI Marisa, we love shrimp in our house. And this looks so good, I can’t wait to try it.
Aleta says
Whoa, this is a fully loaded dish that I cannot wait to grab a fork and dig in! My husband is going to love this, all your choice ingredients are right up his alley!
Denise says
This is my kind of dish! My mother in law is full blooded Italian and she introduced me to polenta. However they only make it with bagna and chicken. However I think this would be a delicious change of pace and I know my hubby would love it!
Frank says
I’ve been meaning to get into New Orleans cookery for some time now. This looks like a lovely introduction to the subject.
Jenni LeBaron says
Marisa, this looks phenomenal! I love that you do comfort food in such a flavorful way and I’m totally digging the bit of heat in this from the cayenne and hot sauce. Yum!
Kylee from Kylee Cooks says
I am ALWAYS looking for good shrimp recipes – I can’t eat it myself (allergic – therefore can’t taste for seasoning as I go), so I love finding a recipe that I can guarantee packs some flavor – my husband THANKS YOU!!
Mahy Elamin says
This recipe looks absolutely yummy! I love everything involving shrimp and must try this recipe!
Lois Christensen says
My husband loves shrimp and I know this would be something he would enjoy having for dinner!
Danielle Wolter says
i have this deep rooted love for all things cajun. this shrimp creole looks and sounds amazing, i wish i was eating it right now!
Veena Azmanov says
This is what I’d like on the table for dinner tonight. Looks simply so delicous. My family is inn for a treat tonight
Claudia Lamascolo says
I love shrimp and polenta. Just the sound of this combination has me salivating. I need to print this off and try it. The flavors are just so perfect together. We eat alot of fish here and this will be a great dish during Lent! thanks Marisa xo Cheers
Ciao Chow Linda says
Having just been in New Orleans, this recipe speaks to me! Besides, anything with polenta makes the cut for me. It’s a New Orleans variation of shrimp and grits!
Jolina says
This looks sooooo good. Love the step-by-step photos, it’s a nice reference so we know how our dish should be looking every step of the way. And the polenta! We always order that when we eat out but haven’t yet tried to make it at home. This is the perfect dish to try!
Gloria says
Loving the sound of this great southern dish. I would love to visit NOLA just for the food alone. I also LOVE polenta. We just call it cornmeal (and I know there is a slight difference between this and grits). I have actually been able to find grits here now. What a great meal for the weekend. And YES…we are still getting SNOW!