Name: Puerto Rican Shrimp with Creole Sauce (Camarones a la Criolla)
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 5 Servings
Cuisine: Other

OnlineCook Verified

April 29, 2025

23 Ingredients

EASY

Creole sauce is a richly flavorful tomato-based sauce that was introduced to Puerto Rican cuisine by the Spanish. In this version, the sauce comes together easily with the help of fresh Puerto Rican Sofrito and pantry staples. Add some shrimp, and you have yourself a quick and delicious weeknight meal. For a fancier presentation, you could split and butterfly the shrimp before cooking, but that’s totally optional. You could also substitute bite-size chunks of firm fish such as cod or snapper for the shrimp. Traditionally, Creole sauce is served on top of mofongo, a garlicky fried mashed green plantain dish. But we also enjoy it with white rice and fried ripe plantains. The recipe is a Yummly original created by Reina Gascon-Lopez.

Puerto Rican Shrimp with Creole Sauce (Camarones a la Criolla)

Puerto Rican Shrimp with Creole Sauce (Camarones a la Criolla) cover

From the Cook

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Puerto Rican Shrimp with Creole Sauce (Camarones a la Criolla)

OnlineCook Verified

Ingredients

Servings

WarningMilk and 5 other allergens identified

Instructions

Preheat a large pot such as a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. SautÃ© the sofrito until it’s fragrant and toasty, 3 to 5 minutes. Then add the sliced onion and capers and stir well. Season with salt, black pepper, bay leaf, oregano, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the onion is slightly translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.

Then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and stir to blend. Add the sazÃ³n and vegetable broth. Bring the sauce to a boil; then reduce heat to medium to medium-low and cook at a low boil for about 15 minutes, stirring often.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Stir into the sauce to thicken it and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes. It should be the consistency of a gravy.

Fold in the shrimp and reduce the heat low. Once the shrimp are no longer translucent and are pink and slightly firm, about 2 minutes, they’re ready. Taste and add some sugar if the Creole sauce is a little acidic (this will depend on the tomatoes themselves and personal preference).

Sprinkle the dish with green onions. Serve immediately with lime wedges, steamed white rice, and fried plantains if you like.

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Sofrito Secret 🌶️
Homemade sofrito is key - make a large batch and freeze in ice cube trays for instant flavor boosting in future dishes.
Shrimp Timing Precision ⏱️
Cook shrimp just until they curl and turn pink, typically 2-3 minutes, to prevent rubbery texture and maintain tender, succulent meat.
Capers Complexity 🧂
Rinse capers before adding to reduce excessive saltiness and balance the overall flavor profile of the Creole sauce.
Rice Pairing Perfection 🍚
Use long-grain white rice and toast it briefly in olive oil before adding broth to enhance nutty undertones and prevent clumping.
Tomato Layering Technique 🍅
Build depth by adding tomato paste first and caramelizing it slightly before introducing tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes.