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Shrimp Creole

The best Shrimp Creole recipe you'll ever eat! This Cuban dish packs a flavor punch without the heat. Perfect for any special meal or New Year's Eve dinner.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Cuban
Keyword Caribbean, creole, Cuban, seafood, shrimp, Shrimp Creole
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author The Tiny Fairy

Ingredients

  • 2-3 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined & tails removed
  • about 1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • about 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus extra to sauté the shrimp
  • 1 large yellow Spanish onion, minced
  • 1 large green bell pepper, minced remove ribs and seeds
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 8 oz tomato sauce, unsalted
  • 1 8 oz roasted pimentos with juice, minced
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 3 Tablespoons seafood cocktail sauce prefer Crosse & Blackwell brand
  • ½ cup white wine prefer a Chenin blanc like Vouvray
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
  • 3 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt prefer Diamond brand
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 2-3 dashes hot sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 lemon cut in wedges

Instructions

Preparation

  1. Peel, devein jumbo shrimp and remove tails. Pat dry and evenly sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

  2. Use a food processor to individually mince the onion, green bell pepper and roasted red peppers (pimentos). Set each vegetable in their own container when prepping.

    Note: If you don't have a food processor, finely mince them with a knife.

Making the Creole Sauce

  1. When you start the sauce, remove the shrimp from the refrigerator to lose their chill.

  2. Add about 3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a large bottom-heavy pot or Dutch Oven casserole that has been heating over medium-high heat. Add the onions and green bell peppers and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5-8 minutes.  Add most of the minced garlic and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes.

    Note: You'll use the remaining garlic when you sauté the shrimp.

  3. Add tomato sauce, roasted red pimentos, ketchup, cocktail sauce, white wine, Worcester sauce, distilled white vinegar, hot sauce, bay leaves, sugar, salt and black pepper.   Stir and once the sauce comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook the sauce for 25-30 minutes, stir occasionally.

  4. Working in batches, sauté the shrimp over medium heat in a wide skillet that has been lightly coated with olive oil. Sauté on one side until bottom turns pink and tail begins to curl.    Flip each one with a fork, sprinkle with a few pieces of garlic and squeeze a little lemon juice over them.    When both sides are pink, gently toss to combine a few times before adding the shrimp to the sauce.   Repeat until all the shrimp have been sautéed and added to the sauce. 

Finishing the Shrimp Creole

  1. Once all the shrimp has been added to the sauce. Stir well to combine and coat all the shrimp with sauce. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Turn heat off, remove bay leaves, add parsley and serve immediately. Garnish with extra fresh parsley, if desired.

  2. Serve with white rice, crusty bread and sweet fried plantains or a side salad.  Have extra hot sauce and lemon wedges on hand. Enjoy!