After the tragedy of the oil spill in the gulf, you guys know how I came out in support of the fishermen there and returning to the coast to support the local economy. So when I was contacted by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board asking if I’d like them to send me a pound of fresh Louisiana shrimp, I jumped on it. I had been contemplating doing a post about Shrimp Creole for a long time and this was the perfect opportunity. Sara with the Seafood Board told me that my shrimp would be sent from Lance Nacio, the owner of Anna Marie Seafood. I got to doing a little research and found that Lance has an innovative and unprecedented method of delivering the freshest shrimp possible. He has a freezer on board his vessel, the Anna Marie, and freezes the shrimp within an hour of catching. The end product is shrimp that are the closest thing to straight out of the water that you can get. He is also running a sustainable operation by using revolutionary shrimping nets that allow turtles and other sea life to easily escape. He’s really got a great operation. All of this was evident when I received my overnight package of some of the prettiest shrimp I’ve ever seen. 
After running them under cool water, they were defrosted and ready to go. Honestly, these were absolutely the best looking shrimp I have ever cooked. No exaggeration. They ended up sending me 5 pounds rather than just 1, and I was quite delighted. The recipe uses only about 2 pounds so the rest went on the grill with a little garlic and lemon (my favorite way to eat fresh beautiful shrimp). It’s really amazing to taste the difference between wild caught gulf shrimp over farm raised. The taste and quality just aren’t even close. I always, always support local fisherman and gulf seafood. I hope you will, too.
Ingredients
- 2 to 2.5 lbs raw shrimp (I used 10/15 count, but another is fine)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 28 oz canned, diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning
- dash of hot sauce
- green onion for garnish
Instructions
- Peel and devein shrimp. (I used 10/15 count shrimp, but you are welcome to use a different size. Shrimp are graded by size in terms of approximately how many it takes to make a pound.)
- In a large dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and saute until onions are translucent.
- Add garlic and saute 30 to 45 seconds, being cautious to not burn it.
- Stir in tomatoes with juice and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and season with Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning and hot sauce. One tablespoon of creole seasoning should be fine for people who don’t like any heat, but I prefer 2. (If you choose to use another seasoning, be cautious about the salt. Different seasonings have different amounts of salt in them.)
- Add shrimp and cook until shrimp and pink and cooked through. Serve over hot white rice. Garnish with chopped green onions.
Recipe Card
Easy Shrimp Creole
Ingredients
- 2 to 2.5 lbs raw shrimp
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning
- dash of hot sauce
- diced green onion for garnish
Instructions
- Peel and devein shrimp.
- In a large dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and saute until onions are translucent.
- Add garlic and saute 30 to 45 seconds, being cautious to not burn it.
- Stir in tomatoes with juice and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and season with Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning and hot sauce. One tablespoon of creole seasoning should be fine for people who don’t like any heat, but I prefer 2. (If you choose to use another seasoning, be cautious about the salt. Different seasonings have different amounts of salt in them.)
- Add shrimp and cook until shrimp and pink and cooked through. Serve over hot white rice. Garnish with chopped green onions.
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Jackie Pash
Hi Stacey, love your recipes. I am wanting to try this recipe but my store does not carry the Zatarain brand creole seasoning. They have Tony Chahere’s. Would this brand make the dish to salty? Thanks for your help
No, Tony’s should work just fine here. Enjoy!
Citygal
Sorry, I missed the rating!!
Citygal
It’s really a good recipe! I made a half recipe as it was just for me. I did add 1 chopped jalapeno as I do enjoy the extra heat! Thanks so much for a great recipe, it’s a keeper.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!!
Linnie
This recipe sounds great. I am so glad you started showing pictures of all the steps in the recipes. I am a visual person, so it helps a lot.
Thanks, Linnie! Hope you’ll enjoy it!
Barbara Miller
We have a shrimp/shellfish allergy so I opt for Pollock and cut it into large shrimp size portions. I can’t wait to try your recipe using it.
Such a great idea! Thanks for sharing!!
Sarah Vestal
I made this last night with fresh NC shrimp and it was a big hit with my family!!! I did make a couple of modifications out of necessity. I didn’t have Zatarain’s so I made a creole spice blend. It was good but a bit salty. So I balanced it with a bit of sugar, no harm done. I should have heeded Stacey’s advice in tbe recipe about checking it to see how salty it was… DEFINITELY taste as you add it! In addition, I used 3 chopped thick cut bacon strips instead of the oil and left the bacon grease in the pan. It is a delicious recipe… thanks Stacey!!!
Yum! So glad to hear you enjoyed this one, Sarah!!!
Lynn Gilbert
How many people does this recipe serve? Thanks!
It depends on the serving size. 4 to 6 usually.
James Driza
I sure do enjoy your recipes thank you
I’m so glad, James!
Tina
Looks delicious! I’ve never had Shrimp Creole so I’m looking forward to giving your recipe a try!
paula
I recently saw a news article where one of the Louisiana seafood companies was passing off shrimp from Mexico as Louisiana shrimp. Now I’m very angry that my own people would do something like this. I was born and raised in New Orleans until I was 11. But I have always considered Louisiana my home. I hope to retire there when I’m older. My question is how do we know if we are truly getting Louisiana shrimp? I hate being deceived and I hate that some of our own are doing it.
Hi Paula! The best way to ensure that you’re getting what you think you’re getting is to go straight to the fisherman. He should be able to tell you exactly where a particular catch came from. There’s a great site specifically for Louisiana seafood that deals with this issue and exists to help connect consumers directly with fishermen: https://louisianadirectseafood.com
Jackie @Syrup and Biscuits
Nicely done, Stacey! I only buy wild harvested Gulf shrimp. My heart is still in Mobile and we know too many people who try to making a living as a commercial shrimper. Thanks for supporting the cause.
Florie Tampa, Fl
So nice to see you supporting harvested Gulf shrimp… My brother is a shrimper out of Tampa Fl. and has been fishing for over 30 yrs between Florida, Louisiana and Texas.. It really is a hard way to make a living today with all the farm raised shrimp as well as the shrimp coming in from other countries… I am fortunate enough to get my shrimp right off the boat but still try to explain to people although you may find the other shrimp cheaper, fresh shrimp out of the Gulf tastes so much better… I can’t wait to try my newest shrimp creole recipe. Just wanted to say thanks for supporting the commercial shrimpers out there trying to make a living…
You bet! It’s hard work that requires a real dedication. I’m happy to do every little bit I can to help.
Sarah
I’ve never peeled and deveined shrimp. Could you do a post on how to do it??
That’s actually a great idea, Sarah. It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it, but can be a little tricky. I’m on it! I’m thinking video… hmmmmm. 🙂