With tender shrimp dancing in a harmonious blend of spices, tomatoes, and veggies, this dish brings the warmth of Louisiana right to your table. An easy recipe that promises bold taste, Shrimp Creole is a must-try for seafood enthusiasts and comfort food lovers alike.
Preheat a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and swirl to coat the pan as it melts.
Add the peppers, celery, and onion, and a pinch of salt.
Saute the veggies until they are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring as needed.
Add the minced garlic and the spice mix and stir to coat the veggies, cooking 1 minute longer.
Make the sauce:
Carefully pour in the chicken broth a little at a time, and turn the heat to medium-high to bring to a boil.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, crushed tomatoes, and hot sauce. Add the bay leaf and stir to combine.
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and allow the sauce to thicken for about 30 minutes.
Cook the sausage and shrimp:
Heat another skillet over medium heat and add the sausage and cook until browned on all sides and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F with a instant-read thermometer.
Transfer the sausage to a plate but reserve the drippings.
Toss the shrimp in the remaining 1 tablespoon of Creole seasoning and add them to the hot pan with the drippings.
Cook the shrimp 3 to 5 minutes, stirring as needed to cook evenly until they are opaque and cooked through.
Combine:
Mix the cooked sausage into the creole sauce and toss to combine. Ladle the shrimp over top to serve.
Garnish and Serve:
Garnish the dish with minced parsley, green onions, and lemon wedges.
Serve hot in individual bowls with your desired sides, and squeeze a pinch of lemon juice over each bowl to enjoy.
Notes
The key to any dish with a long list of ingredients is mise en place, translated that means to 'set up.' That means chopping, mincing, dicing, and having all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start cooking so everything comes together smoothly. We first discovered how essential this step was over ten years ago when we started cooking our first Cajun dishes, and we still put this practice into place every time we cook.
We’ve tested this recipe with both diced and crushed tomatoes and prefer the texture of the sauce with crushed; however, both work for this recipe.
A quick way to add depth to this dish without the roux is to use a little tomato paste while you cook the shrimp. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the pan and mix it in as the shrimp cook.
Taste as you go, and crank up the heat by adding more of the Creole spice blend or hot sauce to suit your tastes.