Easy Shrimp Creole
Enjoy the taste of Louisiana Cajun cookin' any night of the week with a classic one pot meal! This Shrimp Creole is an easy and healthy dinner recipe that's ready in about 30 minutes!
Servings 4 people
Calories 236kcal
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, NOT drained
- ½ cup chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Hot sauce to taste
- 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp (I used “extra large” 16-20 count per pound shrimp)
- For serving: cooked rice; chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Fry bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven (about 5 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked bacon, but leave the drippings in the pan.
- Add bell pepper, onion, celery and garlic to the skillet with the reserved drippings. Cook over medium-high heat, just until soft (about 3-4 minutes). Add tomatoes, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Reduce heat to low; simmer until thick, stirring occasionally (about 7-10 minutes). Add shrimp and cook just until pink (about 5 minutes). Serve over rice and garnish with cooked bacon and fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- This recipe yields 4 relatively small servings. If you're feeding a larger family, I suggest doubling the recipe. By contrast, if you're feeding just 1 or 2 people, you can cut the ingredients in half and follow the same cooking instructions.
- What size shrimp for Shrimp Creole? I used "extra large" shrimp (16-20 count per pound), which were previously frozen. I just thawed them in the refrigerator overnight before using them in the recipe. If you prefer larger or smaller shrimp, that's fine -- just adjust the cooking time during the final few minutes.
- Be careful to keep a close eye on your shrimp as they're cooking. It only takes a few minutes, and you want to remove them from the heat as soon as they turn pink. Overcooked shrimp are tough and not very appetizing!
- Garnish the dish with fresh parsley and the cooked, chopped bacon. The parsley adds the perfect bright, fresh finish to the dish.
- Make a Shrimp Creole with Okra by adding chopped fresh or frozen okra to the dish when you add the rest of the vegetables.
- Create a Spicy Shrimp Creole by using more hot sauce. To keep the dish mild and kid-friendly, omit the hot sauce or only use a little bit.
- Serve a Shrimp Creole Pasta by spooning the shrimp and sauce mixture over cooked pasta instead of rice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the recipe | Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 299mg | Sodium: 2412mg | Potassium: 572mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 36.7mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 4.1mg