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Home » Recipes » Main Dishes/ Casseroles

Spicy Shrimp Creole With Italian Rustic Polenta

Published: Jan 19, 2023 · Modified: Jun 14, 2025 by Marisa Franca

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Collage of Shrimp Creole in pan, plate, and polenta in bowl.

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. 

For this recipe you will need: unsalted butter, onion, green bell pepper, celery, salt, cayenne, can of diced fire roasted tomatoes, can of diced tomatoes in basil garlic oregano, garlic, bay leaves, all-purpose flour, shrimp, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, scallions, fresh parsley.

White bowl holds polenta and shrimp creole in tomato sauce with a red striped tea towel and a bottle of chianti wine.
Jump to:
  • How we decided on Shrimp Creole
  • Creole Recipes a blending of cultures
  • Shrimp Creole Easy Recipe Simple Ingredients
  • FAQs About Shrimp Creole
  • The King of Spicy Shrimp Recipes
  • Spicy Shrimp Creole With Italian Rustic Polenta
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

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.

On top of a stove burner a cast iron pan filled with a tomato mixture with shrimp.
Spicy Shrimp Creole is a one-pan meal that is easy to make.

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."

The ingredients for Shrimp Creole are all prepared and on a stainless steel table.
Ingredients for Spicy Shrimp Creole

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

A collage of the first four steps to making Spicy Shrimp Creole.
1. Prepare ingredients. 2. Melt butter in pan. 3. Add the Trinity and spice. 4. Add tomatoes.

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 ¼ 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."

Collage of second set of steps for making Spicy Shrimp Creole.
1.Add the bay leaves and garlic. 2. Stir in and let cook. 3. Add flour slurry to thicken. 4. Season shrimp.

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.

A collage of the third set of steps for making Spicy Shrimp Cuisine.
1. Add the shrimp to the sauce. 2. Sprinkle with hot sauce. 3. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce. 4. Sprinkle in the green onions.

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 fourth collage of steps to making Spicy Shrimp Creole with rustic Italian polenta.
1. Add the parsley and mix in. 2. Coarse Rustic Italian Polenta. 3. Shrimp Creole with creamy polenta. 4. Delicious shrimp creole over rustic Italian polenta.

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.

A close up of pink shrimp in a rich tomato sauce sprinkled with green onions and parsley.
Spicy Shrimp Creole with Creamy Italian Polenta has pump shrimp smothered in hot tomato sauce.

What do you say? Would you like more Louisiana recipes?

If you like spicy and flavorful, we know you'll love this recipe. And next time you have to try our fantastic BBQ shrimp recipe. It is amazingly simple and you can have it ready for family and friends in less than 15 minutes. Take your tase buds on a delicious adventure to New Orleans with our classic Shrimp and Grits recipe. It's perfect for a lively Mardi Gras gathering or a special dinner with a love one.

If you'd like to learn more about making and serving Southern corn grits, we have the recipe and information.

And next time you feel like whipping up a mouthwatering dish that'll make your tastebuds dance, try the delightful Easy Creamy Shrimp Risotto. The recipe is jazzed up with fresh parsley and basil herbs.

Our savory and spicy Shrimp Fra Diavolo recipe is another one-pan seafood meal perfect for a cozy night in. Delight your family with this easy, classic Italian dinner.

If you love spicy comfort food, this Cajun Chicken Orzo Pasta is a must-try! It's savory, smoky, and full of bold Louisiana flavors, making it perfect for weeknights or when you're craving something extra delicious.

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.

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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.

A closeup of a bowlful of shrimp creole on top of golden polenta.

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.

And if you want to continue dancing you must try our Classic Jambalaya recipe at your next party or gathering. You can make it ahead, and you'll find everyone asking you for the recipe.

Another recipe with a bit of New Orleans flavor is our Shrimp Gumbo that is bursting with that Louisiana flavor.

And if you are partial to Tex-Mex flavors, you must try our spicy and creamy Best Shrimp Enchiladas Recipe.

Do you like spicy? Then our Italian-Jamaican Shrimp Rasta Pasta recipe is going to thrill your tastebuds!

If you like this recipe please consider giving it a five-star rating. This helps others to decide whether to try the recipe.

📖 Recipe

A black skillet fillet with shrimp creole with green onion sprinkled on top.

Spicy Shrimp Creole With Italian Rustic Polenta

Plump juicy shrimp in a smothered in a rich tomato sauce seasoned with garlic, onion, cayenne and hot sauce. One taste of these shrimp with sauce will have you swooning in delight. Serve with rustic polenta, white rice, or just a hunk of crusty French bread. 
5 from 43 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Party appetizer, Seafood dish
Cuisine: Creole, New Orleans
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 611kcal
Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
As An Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

Shrimp Creole

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup onions chopped
  • ½ cup green peppers chopped
  • ½ cup celery chopped
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes Fire Roasted
  • 1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, Oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoon garlic chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 lb shrimp medium deveined and peeled
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • ¼ cup scallion greens chopped
  • 1 tsbsp parsley chopped
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne

Rustic Italian Polenta ***see note

  • 1 cup polenta not quick cooking
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 3 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Shrimp Creole

  • In a heavy skillet or pot melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, celery, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon cayenne; cook stirring, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. 
  • Stir in both cans of tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves and ¼ 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 ¼ 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 ½ tsp. salt and ¼ teaspoon 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 ½ 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. 

Notes

*** We used an old-fashioned polenta that we mail-ordered and it was fantastic. This polenta has the body just like my mamma used to make. You may use a quicker polenta - just follow the directions with your polenta.

Nutrition

Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 341mg | Sodium: 2074mg | Potassium: 550mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 950IU | Vitamin C: 26.2mg | Calcium: 238mg | Iron: 3.7mg

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    I’m Marisa Franca, a home chef, food writer, and photographer who believes that you can make gourmet quality food at home with simple seasonal ingredients. I’m passionate about family, food, friends, everything Italian, and happy endings.

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