This One Pan Shrimp Creole is a quick keto weeknight meal! Under 6 net carbs a serving, this flavor-packed low carb seafood dish will make your weekly rotation!

Low carb Shrimp Creole

If you find yourself craving some New Orleans cuisine, this is a great recipe to satisfy your cravings! We’ve loved our Cajun Shrimp and these Cajun Pork Chops with Fried Cabbage, but this one might be a new favorite! With a few shortcuts, you can have an easy Shrimp Creole that’s low in carbs but packed with flavor.

Shrimp Creole Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need. Keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card for the exact measurements!

Butter or olive oil
Vegetables: Celery, Onion, Bell pepper, Garlic
Fire roasted tomatoes
Broth
Worcestershire sauce
Lemon juice
Seasonings: Old Bay, Bay leaves, Paprika, Oregano
Shrimp: Shelled & deveined

How to Make One Pan Shrimp Creole

This recipe is super simple–Start with a large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven. Melt the butter over medium heat, then sauté the celery, onion, and bell peppers for 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic. Once the vegetables have softened and the garlic is fragrant, add the drained tomatoes, broth, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and all of the spices.

Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally until it has reduced and the sauce has started to thicken. In the step-by-step photos, you can see what the sauce looks like when it has reduced and is ready for the next step.

Stir in the thawed, uncooked shrimp and cook until the shrimp has turned pink and is cooked through (took about 3 minutes for me). Remove from heat, garnish with herbs if you’d like, and serve!

Are Creole and Cajun the same thing?

Sometimes people use Creole and Cajun interchangeably, but there are subtle differences. Both cooking styles come from Louisiana and use similar ingredients, but there are some distinct differences (like Creole often uses tomatoes while Cajun doesn’t).

Generally, Creole uses a bit milder spice than Cajun. Cajun has a heavier focus on spice while Creole focuses more on herbs. Because I wanted to use what I already had in my cabinet, I used Old Bay, Oregano, Paprika, and Bay Leaves for this recipe. I know Old Bay is an East Coast blend, not a Louisiana blend, but it was delicious, easily available, and gave a great, well-rounded base flavor!

Feel free to use a Creole or Cajun seasoning instead of the Old Bay—You may want to reduce some of the Paprika if your blend substitute is particularly spicy.

What’s the difference between Shrimp Creole and Shrimp Etouffee?

Shrimp Creole and Shrimp Etouffee are kind of recipe “cousins.” They have quite a few similarities but also some key differences to set them apart.

Shrimp Etouffee tends to be spicier, a brown-ish/orange-ish color, and has a thick gravy coating all the delicious bits. Shrimp Creole is milder, a dark red-ish color, and has a thinner sauce coating the dish.

What to serve with Shrimp Creole

Shrimp Creole is normally served over rice, but you could substitute that with a tasty low-carb Cauliflower Rice instead. This would also be amazing over Cauliflower Grits! Summer favorites like Cold Asparagus Salad or these Grilled Zucchini Mozzarella Wraps complement the spice as well. These Crispy Green Bean Fries would be a great kid-friendly side dish, too!

These Cheddar Bay Garlic Keto Biscuits make 22 biscuits, just 1.9 net carbs each! They’re a Red Lobster copycat, are amazing with seafood, and they freeze and reheat easily. It’s a great meal prep side to store in the freezer anytime you’re craving bread!

Is Shrimp Creole good for keto meal prep?

Yes, this recipe works well for keto meal prep. I don’t usually love reheating seafood, but the sauce really changes things for me here. The flavors meld and become even more amazing as the dish sits up to 3 days in the fridge.

To reheat, warm slowly in a pan on the stove, stirring often so it doesn’t burn. If you need to thin out the sauce, you could add seafood/vegetable broth or water. If microwaving, try heating on 50% power in 30 second intervals so that the shrimp doesn’t become overcooked and rubbery.

More Keto Seafood Recipes:

Want more? Check out this list of 17+ Keto Seafood Recipes!