Paula Deen Shrimp Creole

Paula Deen shrimp creole turns shrimp, green bell peppers and canned tomatoes into a saucy, spicy Southern dinner in 3 hours 20 minutes. This slow cooker shrimp dinner over rice fits Sunday dinner, church supper and weeknight dinner nights, and it feeds 10 people.

Add the shrimp only for the last 3 minutes, because they turn pink and tender almost right away. Leave them in the slow cooker any longer and they go rubbery.

Sautéing the peppers, onions and celery with chili powder before they go into the crock pot builds a caramelized base that dumping everything in raw can't match. Then the slow cooker does the rest, so the sauce simmers for 3 hours while you do something else.

Paula Deen Shrimp Creole

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DinnerCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

3

hours 

10

minutes

Calories

120

kcal

Softened peppers, onions and celery simmer into a thick, spicy tomato sauce in the slow cooker. Quick-cooked shrimp stay tender and pink, and the whole thing spoons over fluffy white rice.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
  

• to taste Salt and pepper
  

• 1/2 cup diced green bell peppers
  

• 1/2 cup diced onions
  

• 1/2 cup diced celery
  

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
  

• 1 (14 oz) can tomatoes
  

• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  

• 1 tablespoon Hot sauce
  

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
  

• 1 1/2 lbs peeled and deveined fresh shrimp
  

• for garnish green onions
  

Directions

• Heat the slow cooker: Preheat your slow cooker on high. That way it's already hot when the sautéed vegetables go in.
• Sauté the vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan, then add 1/2 cup diced green bell peppers, 1/2 cup diced onions and 1/2 cup diced celery. Cook until they soften, then stir in 1 teaspoon chili powder and sauté until everything caramelizes.
• Fill the crock pot: Remove the pan from the heat and pour the vegetables into the slow cooker. Add 1 (14 oz) can tomatoes, 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, then stir in 1 teaspoon white sugar, plus salt and pepper to taste.
• Simmer the sauce: Cook the sauce for 3 hours on high. By then the flavors have melded and the vegetables are very tender.
• Add the shrimp: Stir in 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined fresh shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes. They're done as soon as they turn pink and curl.
• Serve over rice: Spoon the shrimp creole over hot cooked rice. Then top each bowl with chopped green onions.

Tools for this recipe

• Crock-Pot 7-quart manual slow cooker, Lodge 10.25-inch cast iron skillet, Partanna Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, 1 liter. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use frozen shrimp for shrimp creole?

Yes, but thaw them completely first and pat them dry, since extra water thins the sauce. Frozen shrimp that go in still icy will also take longer than 3 minutes and can end up tough.

How long does leftover shrimp creole keep?

Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, because high heat makes the shrimp rubbery.

Can I make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, the sauce is actually the part that benefits from sitting. Cook it the day before and refrigerate it, then reheat it and add the shrimp right before serving.

Can I make shrimp creole without a slow cooker?

A big pot on the stovetop works fine. Simmer the sauce covered on low for about an hour, then add the shrimp for the last 3 minutes.

How do I make shrimp creole spicier?

Add more hot sauce a little at a time, tasting as you go, or stir in a pinch of cayenne with the chili powder. Start small, because the heat builds as the sauce simmers.