Shrimp & Sausage Creole Recipe

This delicious shrimp and sausage Creole recipe is made with succulent shrimp and spicy andouille sausage, cooked in a sweet, spicy, and veggie-packed tomato sauce.

Hey y’all! Today, I’m sharing a staple of Creole cuisine – a homemade, Cajun-style shrimp creole recipe! I absolutely love this stuff, and judging by the quantity of requests I’ve been getting to make it, y’all do too! AND, when it’s served with a big bowl of hot steamed rice…LAWD HAVE MERCY! It’s truly one of my favorite Southern dishes.

What is Shrimp Creole?

Shrimp Creole is a popular recipe you’ll find on just about any restaurant menu in New Orleans and anywhere else in the great state of Louisiana. It’s a creole classic, traditionally made with what Southern cooks call the “holy trinity” of vegetables – onion, celery, and green bell pepper.

A shrimp creole is somewhere between jambalaya and gumbo, so if you love either of those dishes, you’ll love this! The dish is saucy, rich, and spicy, and it’s packed with tender veggies. My version (keyword “MY”) includes andouille sausage, which adds a bit more spice and beefs up the dish.

Ingredients for Shrimp & Sausage Creole

My version of shrimp and sausage creole is simple. I don’t use any fancy ingredients; I just use the basics that almost anyone would have in their kitchen. But it is still packin’ that creole flavor, y’all! The only “fancy” fancy ingredient I use is the type of tomato, because I like the sweetness. I don’t want my creole too spicy, either. It may not be “traditional”, but dang is it delicious!

Here’s everything you need to make a tasty homemade shrimp and sausage creole recipe the Cousin Rosie way.

• Jumbo Shrimp: I prefer using jumbo shrimp, but medium or large shrimp are fine too.
• Andouille Sausage Links: Since I prefer to limit the spice, I only use two links. Feel free to kick it up if you like more heat!
• Heavenly Villagio Marzano & Zima Tomatoes: This is the one “fancy” ingredient I use because I love the sweetness these two types of tomatoes bring to the sauce. Feel free to use your favorite kind!
• Canned Tomato Sauce: nothing fancy here, just some canned tomato sauce to help create that killer sauce.
• Celery, Onion, & Garlic: “MY” version of the “holy trinity” of vegetables.
• Chicken Broth: used to loosen up the sauce.
• Hot Sauce & Worcestershire Sauce: The key ingredients that give the creole sauce so much flavor – don’t skip these!
• Seasonings: I keep it simple with salt, black pepper, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves.

What seasonings should I use for a traditional creole sauce?

If you want to stick to more “traditional” creole flavor, you’ll need to use creole seasoning, which is a blend of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried herbs. Popular brands like Tony Chachere’s or Slap Ya Mama make tasty creole or Cajun seasoning blends that can really amp up the flavor in a shrimp creole.

How to Make Shrimp and Sausage Creole

Lucky for y’all, a good Southern shrimp creole recipe is crazy simple to make! You only need 45 minutes to an hour total to get this dinner on the table. You can watch me make my own shrimp and sausage creole recipe in the video below! Don’t forget to subscribe to I Heart Recipes on YouTube, where you can find this video and so many more savory Southern recipes.

Directions for Shrimp and Sausage Creole:

1. First, start by sautéing the veggies – onion, celery, and garlic – in a deep, large skillet or pot with some vegetable oil. Cook the veggies until they’re soft and translucent.
2. Next, add the tomatoes and let those cook down until tender – about 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat.
3. Once the tomatoes cook down, add the tomato sauce and chicken broth. Stir to combine.
4. Next, add your seasonings, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
5. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the creole sauce simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until it begins to thicken up.
6. Add your sliced andouille sausage and continue to let the dish simmer for about 10 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat completely, then add your shrimp. Give everything a good stir, and let the pot sit for another 10 minutes or so (the shrimp will cook with the residual heat, and you’ll avoid overcooking them!).
8. Dish up, serve with fluffy white rice, and dig in!

Homemade Shrimp Creole Recipe Tips & Variations

Y’all know I like to keep my recipes as simple as possible for you, and sometimes simple doesn’t always mean traditional! Just ‘cause this shrimp and sausage creole recipe isn’t exactly what you’d find in classic creole cooking, don’t mean it’s not packin’ BIG flavor. It’s one of my favorite dishes to make when I’m craving Southern comfort food.

Here are some Cousin Rosie tips to make your shrimp creole recipe perfect for your tastes:

• I left out green bell peppers in my recipe, but feel free to use them in yours!
• Instead of sautéing the veggies in vegetable or olive oil, cook them up in some butter until they’re super soft and translucent – it adds a ton of flavor!
• If your creole sauce is too thin, you can thicken it up by adding a little tomato paste. Too thick? Add some more chicken broth.
• You control the spice level. Add more red pepper flakes or even cayenne pepper for more heat (but be careful, especially if you’re using a Cajun seasoning blend, which is usually spicy on its own!).

What other protein can I add to shrimp creole?

If andouille sausage isn’t your vibe, you can add just about anything else or leave protein out completely! Try shrimp creole with another type of seafood, such as crawfish, catfish, or scallops. You could also make it with bacon, chicken, or a different kind of sausage.

Can I make shrimp & sausage creole ahead of time?

You can, but do so with caution – shrimp is hard to reheat! I recommend making the recipe as directed, up until you add the shrimp. Store your creole sauce in an airtight container, and when you’re ready, heat it up on the stovetop, then add the shrimp. Leftovers are also easy to freeze, but again, shrimp doesn’t always reheat well.

What can I serve with shrimp creole other than rice?

If white rice sounds too boring for you, try brown rice, quinoa, or a seasoned rice blend like Zatarain’s – their Dirty Rice or Jambalaya-style rice would go great with this recipe. For a non-rice option, try cornbread or mashed potatoes.

More Soul-Food Inspired Dinners from I Heart Recipes

Well, there you have it, fam! An easy recipe for delicious, homemade shrimp and sausage creole. If you tried this recipe and loved it, drop a comment below! If you’re looking for your next dinner idea, here are some tasty soul food options that define comfort food.

• Dirty Rice Stuffed Peppers
• Smoked Turkey Gumbo
• Loaded Cajun Fried Cabbage
• Sheet Pan Low Country “Broil”
• Seafood, Chicken, and Andouille Sausage Gumbo
• Cajun Crawfish Mac and Cheese

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