What Louisiana dish combines shrimp with a tomato-based Creole sauce and vegetables?

Shrimp Creole is the Louisiana dish that combines shrimp with a tomato-based Creole sauce and vegetables.

The sauce commonly includes tomatoes, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and seasonings. The shrimp are usually added near the end so they cook gently in the seasoned sauce rather than becoming tough.

Shrimp Creole belongs to the Creole cooking tradition associated especially with New Orleans. Unlike étouffée, which is generally a thicker shellfish stew built around a roux, Shrimp Creole is recognizably tomato-forward. It is commonly served over steamed white rice.

Recipes vary in heat and seasoning, and some include hot sauce or cayenne pepper. The dish is sometimes confused with shrimp Creole-style preparations from outside Louisiana, but the Louisiana version is rooted in the region’s blend of French, Spanish, African, Caribbean, and Indigenous influences.