This Shrimp Creole Recipe is cooked in a foil packet with cajun spices, rice and vegetables. This is a quick easy weeknight meal with minimal cleanup. You will love this shrimp dish with that cajun kick!
Happy Fat Tuesday! If you are celebrating this Shrimp Creole Recipe is one to make! Do you know what Fat Tuesday means? Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday“, reflecting the practice of the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual Lenten sacrifices and fasting of the Lenten season.
This is a recipe I love making year round. There is a version for the oven or a version for the grill in the summer. This Shrimp Creole Recipe is made in foil packets. Have you tried making foil packets before?
You might remember this recipe for Sausage and Shrimp Foil Packets I shared last year. I love them! The packets helps to infuse the cajun flavors in the shrimp and vegetables.
We love making this Easy Blackened Fish, Cajun Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Shrimp and One Pot Cajun Pasta. We also love shrimp in my house. You can often find us eating this Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp, Honey Garlic Sriracha Shrimp or this Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions.
- Shrimp: Fresh or frozen raw medium to large sized shrimp work best in this recipe. These need to be peeled and deveined before you use them.
- Rice: The best rice to use in this recipe is long grain white rice. You will need to precook your rice before you make the recipe. You could easily meal-prep this a day or two before you make the recipe.
- Vegetables: Diced tomatoes, green pepper and celery are the vegetables in this dish. You can add any vegetables that you have on hand.
- Oil and Butter: I add olive oil and butter to each packet. The olive oil helps with the cooking process and butter adds extra delicious flavor!
- Spices: The spices used in this recipe are thyme, smoked paprika {or regular}, Old Bay or Cajun seasoning. You also can add hot sauce when you are ready to eat for extra heat.
- Corn: You can add small pieces of whole corn or drain a can of corn and add if you like, this is optional.
How to Make Shrimp Creole
Step 1: Chop Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Start by chopping up your ingredients into the same size pieces. This will help everything cook evenly.
Step 2: Place Ingredients in Bowl: Place the olive oil, melted butter, shrimp, rice, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, celery, thyme, old bay or cajun seasoning and paprika in a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine and coat everything with the spices.
Step 3: Make Foil Packets: Make the foil packets but cutting 4 – 12 inch long sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Divide the shrimp mixture in the packets evenly.
Step 4: Fold Sides: Fold up all 4 sides of each foil packet.Fold the sides of the foil over the shrimp mixture making sure to cover completely and seal the packets closed.
Step 5: Bake: Place tinfoil packets on a baking sheet, careful not to crowd. You may need to do 2 at a time. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Don’t overcook or the shrimp will get rubbery.
Open packets carefully to let steam escape. Garnish with green onion and hot sauce.
Recipe FAQ
When cooking shrimp you want the internal temperature to reach 120 degrees F. Aside from the temperature you don’t want to overcook them. You want them to be pink, tender and juicy. If you overcook them they will get rubbery.
Traditional Shrimp Creole has a kick. Adjust cayenne pepper or hot sauce to your liking. A splash of Tabasco can brighten up the dish just before serving.
Long grain white rice is traditional, but brown rice or even cauliflower rice works for healthier variations.
What to Serve with Shrimp Creole
- I like serving potatoes with our meals throughout the week. Some of my favorites are these Gouda Smashed Potatoes, Spicy Lebanese Potatoes or these Lemon Cilantro Potatoes.
- Adding a salad to your meals is a nice way to get those vegetables and greens in. A few of the ones I serve on repeat are this Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing or this Mediterranean Bean Salad.
- Simple side dishes work nicely with this shrimp creole. A few I make are this Simple Roasted Broccoli, Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt Tahini Sauce or these Za’atar Roasted Carrots.
More Shrimp Recipes
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Shrimp Creole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh or frozen raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 cups cooked long grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 – 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 medium green pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup onion, diced
- ½ cup celery, diced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning or Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°. Start by chopping up your ingredients into the same size pieces. This will help everything cook evenly.
- Place the olive oil, melted butter, shrimp, rice, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, celery, thyme, old bay or cajun seasoning and paprika in a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine and coat everything with the spices.
- Make the foil packets but cutting 4 – 12 inch long sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Divide the shrimp mixture in the packets evenly.
- Fold up all 4 sides of each foil packet.Fold the sides of the foil over the shrimp mixture making sure to cover completely and seal the packets closed.
- Place tinfoil packets on a baking sheet, careful not to crowd. You may need to do 2 at a time. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Don’t overcook or the shrimp will get rubbery.
- Open packets carefully to let steam escape. Garnish with green onion and hot sauce.
To prepare on the grill:
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill over high heat. Start by chopping up your ingredients into the same size pieces.
- This will help everything cook evenly. Place the olive oil, melted butter, shrimp, rice, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, celery, thyme, old bay or cajun seasoning and paprika in a large mixing bowl.
- Toss to combine and coat everything with the spices and olive oil. Make the foil packets but cutting 4 – 12 inch long sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Divide the shrimp mixture in the packets evenly. Fold up all 4 sides of each foil packet. Fold the sides of the foil over the shrimp mixture making sure to cover completely and seal the packets closed.
- Place foil packets on the grill and cook until just cooked through, about 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables and shrimp are cooked. Serve with green onion and hot sauce.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can reaheat the shrimp creole in the microwave or in a skillet on low.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can’t wait to try this😋
Hope you like it!