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This shrimp dish is New Orleans-inspired, the kind of saucy shrimp that is served at many a Big Easy restaurant, along with plenty of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce. Often times the shrimp is cooked and served in its shell, which is messy, but fun to eat… unless you don’t find peel-and-eat shrimp fun at all, but just messy.
This version calls for peeling the shrimp, but leaving on the tails, which function as little handles. They also serve to call attention to how many shrimp you have eaten, so some of us (read: me) often have to hide some of the tails under a stray piece of salad or something to avoid looking gluttonous.
Spice Blend for Creole Shrimp
You can surely take a big old shortcut and buy a Creole spice blend and skip the making of your own. Most of these spices are things that many folks have in their pantry, so if you are so inclined, it does give you extra bragging right to say you made your own Creole spice mix.
This one has paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, cayenne and salt and pepper. It offers up generous amounts of heat and flavor, and a moderate amount of salt, which is not something many spice blends can state.
How to Make Shrimp Creole
The shrimp is sautéed up in a skillet in a simple buttery sauce spiked with a bit of garlic, Worcestershire and lemon juice. The alcohol in the small amount of white wine burns off during cooking. (At this point if you wanted to, you could remove some of the shrimp and a bit of sauce, which should be plain enough for those with milder tastes).
And then fling that spice blend into the shrimp, and both the shrimp and the sauce get infused with those I-won’t-be-ignored seasonings that make Creole food so crazy appealing.
This shrimp dish is New Orleans-inspired, the kind of saucy shrimp that is served at many a Big Easy restaurant, along with plenty of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce.
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The quantities of the spice mix given below are intended for the whole 1 1/2 pounds shrimp. If you decide to take out some shrimp before seasoning the rest up, adjust the amount of the seasonings. If you take out 1/2 pound of shrimp, add 2 tablespoons of the spice mix to the remaining pound of shrimp in the skillet, then taste and see if you want to add the rest of the blend. Leftover spice mix is great to toss into a soup, or to rub on a piece of chicken, steak, or fish for that irresistible Creole-Louisiana flavor.
What to Serve with Creole Shrimp:
- White Rice
- Brown Rice
- Farro and Tomato Salad
- Green Bean Nicoise Salad
- French Potato Salad
- Tomato, Red Onion, Watercress, Feta and Olive Salad
Other Shrimp Recipes to Try:
- Shrimp Lo Mein
- Shrimp, Sugar Snap Pea and Scallion Stir Fry with Miso Sauce
- 15-Minute Hoisin Shrimp
- Spicy Lemon Shrimp Over Rice
- Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry with Udon Noodles
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Creole Shrimp
Ingredients
For the Creole Spice Mix
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
For the Shrimp
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- 1 ½ pounds extra large raw shrimp 26/30 count, peeled and deveined, but with the tails left on
- ⅓ cups dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- Hot cooked white rice and hot crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Combine the paprika, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, cayenne, salt and black pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large skillet melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until it is fragrant and beginning to color. Turn up the heat to medium-high, add the shrimp and sauté for about 2 minutes until the shrimp is starting to turn pink, then add the white wine and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until the wine starts to reduce. Add the Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice and sauté until the shrimp is just barely cooked though, another minute or so. Season those with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle the spice mix over the shrimp in the pan. Stir until spices have dissolved themselves into the sauce and the shrimp is nicely coated with the sauce. Immediately transfer the shrimp and sauce to a shallow serving bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with the hot rice and crusty bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Super easy. Tasted very close to real Nola shrimp. Really enjoyed this.
I’d add a touch of whipping cream and throw it over linguini.