Shrimp Creole with Rice (Printable)
Tender shrimp simmered in spicy Creole tomato sauce served over fluffy white rice with fresh herbs.
# What goes in:
→ For the Shrimp Creole
01 - 1 ½ lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
08 - 1 cup tomato sauce
09 - ½ cup chicken or seafood stock
10 - 2 tsp Creole seasoning
11 - ½ tsp cayenne pepper
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1 tsp dried thyme
14 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
15 - 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper
17 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
18 - 2 green onions, sliced
19 - Juice of ½ lemon
→ For the White Rice
20 - 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
21 - 3 cups water
22 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
23 - ½ tsp salt
# Directions:
01 - Rinse the shrimp under cold water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Set aside at room temperature while preparing the base.
02 - In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and onions are translucent.
03 - Add minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to brown it.
04 - Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, stock, Creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, dried thyme, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine all seasonings.
05 - Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until flavors are well melded and sauce has thickened slightly.
06 - While sauce simmers, prepare rice in a medium saucepan. Bring water, butter, and salt to a boil. Stir in rice, reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes before fluffing.
07 - Add prepared shrimp to the simmering Creole sauce. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring gently, just until shrimp turn pink and opaque throughout. Do not overcook.
08 - Remove and discard bay leaf. Stir in fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley, and half the sliced green onions. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or cayenne as desired.
09 - Fluff cooked rice with a fork and divide among serving plates. Spoon shrimp and Creole sauce generously over the rice. Garnish with remaining green onions.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The tomato sauce simmers into something rich and complex, but somehow still feels light enough for a weeknight dinner
- Everything happens in one pan, which means you get maximum flavor with minimum cleanup
02 -
- Shrimp cook shockingly fast and turn from perfect to rubbery in seconds, so set a timer and trust it
- The sauce needs time to develop, but once you add the shrimp, the game changes completely
03 -
- Let your sauce simmer longer than you think necessary, because that extra 10 minutes transforms it from good to can't-stop-eating-it
- Room temperature shrimp cook more evenly than cold ones, so let them sit out while you prep everything else