Seafood Creole with Shrimp and Crab
This Caribbean-style seafood Creole combines shrimp and crab in a rich tomato sauce seasoned with green seasoning, hot pepper, and aromatics. It’s spicy, saucy, and easy enough to pull together in one pot, then serve over rice.
I’ve always loved the richness of Creole dishes, but of course, I had to put my own Trini spin on this one. I season the shrimp and crab with green seasoning and add hot pepper to the tomato-based sauce for a little Caribbean flavor and heat.
I like mine on the spicy side, but you can easily adjust the pepper to suit your taste. I’ve also made this with just shrimp when that’s what I had on hand, and it was just as good.
What is seafood Creole?
Seafood Creole is a tomato-based dish made with seafood, vegetables, aromatics, and seasonings cooked together into a flavorful sauce. It’s commonly served over rice and can be made with shrimp, crab, or a combination of seafood.
My Caribbean-style version uses shrimp and crab seasoned with green seasoning, along with ochro and hot pepper. The butter and flour create a roux that gives the tomato sauce a thicker consistency.
How to make seafood creole (Caribbean style)
Ingredients breakdown
Seafood
Shrimp and crab are the base of this seafood Creole. I use peeled and deveined shrimp along with canned uncooked crab meat. You can also make it with just shrimp, which I’ve done when I didn’t have crab on hand.
Aromatics and vegetables
Onion, garlic, celery, and ochro build the base of the sauce. The ochro adds another vegetable to the dish, while chopped chives are stirred in toward the end for fresh flavor.
Green seasoning and heat
The shrimp and crab are seasoned with green seasoning before cooking. For the heat, I use chopped hot pepper, but pepper sauce works well if you want more control over how spicy the finished dish gets.
Creole sauce
Butter and flour create a roux that helps thicken the sauce. Diced tomatoes form the tomato base, along with Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, a small amount of sugar, salt, and water. You can also use fresh chopped tomatoes instead of canned.
Instructions
- Season the seafood. Toss the shrimp and crab meat with green seasoning and set aside while you start the sauce.
- Cook the aromatics. Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cover and cook until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent without browning.
- Make the roux. Stir the flour into the butter and softened vegetables. Let it cook briefly, stirring so the flour is completely incorporated.
- Build the sauce. Add the diced tomatoes with some of their liquid, followed by the ochro, bay leaf, sugar, salt, hot pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and water. Stir everything together and let the sauce simmer until it begins to thicken.
- Add the seafood. Gently fold in the seasoned shrimp and crab. Cook just until the shrimp are pink and opaque and the crab is cooked through. The seafood doesn’t need long, so keep an eye on it to avoid overcooking.
- Finish and serve. Stir in the chopped chives, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve the seafood Creole over rice.
What to serve with seafood Creole
With all that tomato-based sauce, you want something that can soak it up. Plain white rice is my go-to, but there are a few other good options.
- White rice is an easy choice and lets the flavor of the seafood Creole stand out.
- Boiled dumplings work well with the sauce. Try flour, cassava, or cornmeal dumplings.
- Ground provisions like yam, dasheen, or green fig make another good Caribbean-style pairing.
- Calypso rice works when you want something a little more flavorful than plain rice.
- Crusty bread or roti is perfect for getting the last of the sauce from the plate.
Storage and reheating
Store leftover seafood Creole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, warm it gently on the stovetop over low heat just until heated through. Add a small splash of water if the sauce has thickened in the fridge. Avoid letting it boil for too long, since the shrimp can become tough when overcooked.
You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave using short intervals, stirring between each one until heated through.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. I’ve made this recipe with just shrimp when I didn’t have crab, and it still came out great. Simply leave out the crab and use additional shrimp.
Yes. Fresh chopped tomatoes work in place of canned diced tomatoes. Since canned tomatoes can vary in how much liquid they contain, add only as much tomato liquid or water as you need to get a saucy consistency.
Use less chopped hot pepper or substitute pepper sauce so you can add the heat gradually. Start with a small amount, taste the sauce, and add more if needed.
Tried this recipe?
If you make this Caribbean-style seafood Creole, leave a comment and rating below and let me know how it turned out. And if you switched up the seafood, tell me what you used!
Recipe
Spicy Seafood Creole – Caribbean Style
Ingredients
Method
- Season the seafood. Add the shrimp and crab meat to a bowl with the green seasoning. Toss gently to coat and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Cook the aromatics. Melt the butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and garlic. Cover and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, without letting it brown.
- Make the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the softened vegetables and stir it into the butter. Cook briefly, stirring, until the flour is incorporated and no longer looks dry.
- Build the Creole sauce. Add the diced tomatoes along with some of their liquid, the ochro, bay leaf, sugar, salt, hot pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well, then add the water. Let the sauce simmer until everything is combined and it begins to thicken slightly.
- Cook the seafood. Gently fold in the seasoned shrimp and crab meat. Simmer just until the shrimp are pink and opaque and the crab is cooked through. Avoid overcooking the seafood.
- Finish and serve. Stir in the chopped chives. Taste and adjust the salt or pepper if needed, then serve the seafood Creole over rice.
Recipe Printed From ThisBagoGirl.com
This sounds so good! Shrimp and crab with all of those flavors!
So many good things in this dish and the flavor sounds incredible!
Oh my! The seafood eaters in the family would love this!
This was delicious! I also added some green bell peppers.
Ohh nice addition. Thanks for letting me know Alicia.
This was delicious!!!