Shrimp and potatoes in a silky, cayenne-spiced gravy served with rice is a traditional Cajun shrimp stew perfect for satisfying comfort food cravings.
I first discovered this recipe when reviewing one of Emeril’s cookbooks, and this Cajun Shrimp Stew was one of the delicious recipes we had permission to share.
Unlike other comfort food, this dish is warming but not heavy. The potatoes are hearty and satisfying, but I decided to add a few yellow carrots and celery in there just for fun. If you’re looking to lower the carb count a little, subbing out some of the potatoes with cauliflower or parsnips would be equally good.
When you pull out the Dutch oven, you know there will be plenty to share, so invite someone to join you for dinner.
New Orleans Style Shrimp Stew
This comforting stew is a Cajun dish many home cooks in Louisiana enjoy, especially during the Lenten season.
Some recipes include simmering hard-boiled eggs in the shrimp stew, creating an even heartier meal. If you want to follow that path, simply boil, peel, and quarter two eggs and simmer them in the stew for the last 5-10 minutes.
The secret to the best shrimp stew is getting the roux to the right color—about a notch darker than peanut butter should do the trick. And don’t be tempted to skip the crucial step of starting with homemade shrimp stock—it makes all the difference.
How to Select Shrimp for Stew:
Fresh or Frozen?
We opt for frozen shrimp because even the shrimp in the “fresh” seafood case is all previously frozen in our local stores.
Buying frozen also gives us more flexibility on when to make the dish since shrimp defrosts quickly (less than 20 minutes) when ready to use.
The nice thing about this recipe is you don’t have to defrost the shrimp before cooking it in the stew, but if you add the frozen shrimp, you’ll need to increase the cooking time.
We have detailed instructions for the best way to defrost shrimp in our Red Curry Shrimp Recipe.
What Does Shrimp Count Mean?
Shrimp count means the number of shrimp you can expect per pound. When a label indicates 18/22 it means you can expect somewhere between 18 to 22 shrimp in a pound. The smaller the number, the larger and fewer shrimp per pound.
For this stew recipe, I chose medium shrimp, typically an 18-22 count.
Can you overcook shrimp in stew?
Yes, shrimp can overcook if simmered too long. It’s a quick-cooking protein that cooks in only 5-6 minutes, so it is best when added to recipes at the end of the cooking time.
You know when shrimp is done by a change in color and the tail curls toward the head.
Recipe TIPS & Variations:
- Sweet rice flour makes a beautiful gluten-free roux, replacing wheat flour in equal amounts for gravies and sauces. This simple adjustment will create a gluten-free meal as long as the spices are gluten-free also.
- Use different vegetables. Root vegetables like parsnips, butternut squash, cauliflower stems, sweet potatoes, celery root, carrots, and turnips are all suitable substitutes for potatoes.
- Serve with cauliflower mash for a lower-carb meal.
- Substitute tender, quick-cooking white fish for the shrimp and fish stock for the stock to accommodate shellfish allergies.
More Creole and Cajun Spice Recipes You’ll Love
Cajun Shrimp Stew with Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil (avocado oil is healthier choice)
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups finely chopped onion
- ¼ cup minced garlic (about 12 cloves)
- 10 cups Rich Shrimp Stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne or other Cajun spice
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 3 large baking potatoes (2 ½ to 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 pounds medium shrimp , peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup chopped green onion , green part only
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Steamed rice , for serving (RECIPE BELOW)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat and, when hot, add the flour. Whisk to combine and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until a medium roux is formed (it should look a bit darker than peanut butter), about 10 minutes.
- (If the roux begins to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and take your time—it is important that the roux not be burned at all or the stew will have a bitter taste.) As soon as the roux is the right color, add the chopped onion and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, little by little, and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Add the bay leaves, black pepper, cayenne, thyme, and 4 teaspoons of the salt and reduce the heat so that the sauce just simmers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the floury taste is gone, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and continue to cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very tender and the sauce is thick and flavorful, 30 to 40 minutes longer. (Add a bit of water or chicken broth to thin the gravy should the stew get too thick during the cook time. The sauce is meant to be thick and rich but not pasty.)
- Toss the shrimp with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir the shrimp, green onion, and parsley into the stew and continue to cook until the shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove the bay leaves. Serve the stew in shallow bowls over hot white rice.
Notes
- Sweet rice flour makes a beautiful gluten-free roux, replacing wheat flour in equal amounts for gravies and sauces. As long as the spices are gluten-free, this simple adjustment will create a gluten-free meal.
- Use different vegetables. Root vegetables like parsnips, butternut squash, cauliflower stems, sweet potatoes, celery root, carrots, and turnips are all suitable substitutes for potatoes.
- Serve with cauliflower mash for a lower-carb meal.
- Substitute tender, quick-cooking white fish for the shrimp and fish stock for the stock to accommodate shellfish allergies.
Nutrition
Steamed Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown short grain rice dry, uncooked
- 1 1/2 cups filtered water
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Rinse rice in a collander to remove any dust and depris.
- Place cold water, rice and salt in a 3-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Keep the lid on (don't peek) and slide off heat to let steam another 10 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and serve.
Mary Slanker says
What a great blog, Judy!!!
Judy Purcell says
Well, thank you, Mary!
Kieran H says
After making the wonderful shrimp stock,I feel that the quantity of onion and garlic in this obliterated any flavor from the stock. In fact the day after I have lingering garlic tongue after scrubbing it for 5 minutes. One cup of onion and 6 cloves would be fine.
Judy Purcell says
Hi Kieran, thank you for taking the time to stop back by and let us know your experience with this recipe. Emeril is not shy about garlic and it is understandable the amount here would not be for everyone. Thank you for your feedback, I am confident it will be helpful for future readers.
Queen Tee says
Just masde this last night and it was amazing!
Judy Purcell says
Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let us know how the recipe turned out for you! Makes my day! 🙂
Alea Milham says
This stew looks wonderful! I love one pot dishes, not only does it mean less work, but so often they are hearty and comforting dishes. This looks like the perfect meal for a cool fall evening. Thank you for sharing this recipe with the Hearth and Soul Hop.
Swathi says
This shrimp stew looks awesome. i love the cajun spice. thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop.
Karen says
It must be the weather that has us cooking Cajun dishes. The stew sounds great. It was interesting that some people cook eggs in it. Traditions like that are so interesting.
Judy says
Yes, I agree–comfort foods and spice warm the belly this time of year. I still have your Spicy New Orleans Shrimp highlighted in my in box…haven’t had as much time the last few days, but I’ll hang on to it ’til I can.
Stefanie says
That looks amazing! As well as the shrimp stock in the previous post. I love Cajun food, though it’s been a while since I’ve had some… gotta give this a try. And so convenient in only 1 pot!
Raymund says
Why oh why I have to see this post 4 hours before my next meal! Stomach is now complaining
diabeticFoodie says
Beautiful! Love how you plated this.
kat says
That’s the perfect “I’m so lazy, I don’t wanna do dishes” meal! 🙂
Savory Simple says
This looks like the perfect one pot dish! I will have to try this.
Rachel @ Not Rachael Ray says
Looks like it came out great!
The Teenage Taste says
Mmmm…this looks delicious! I love Emeril’s recipes!
frugalfeeding says
It looks really delicious, really simple but effective. I adore one pot dishes and this looks perfect.
Cajun Chef Ryan says
“Aieeeee……looks like you got some Cajun shrimp stew there charie! ”
That was my Cajun accent…can you hear it?
Love your take on this great dish!
Bon appetit!
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide says
Love the deep rich color, and the shrimp. So wonderful. For years we had a friend that brought us shrimp from the Gulf, when she visited. It’s about 8 hours away. Man we went through withdrawl. Couldn’t eat store-bought for years.
ChgoJohn says
This looks just incredible! That Emeril. When he does it right, he does it RIGHT!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
Looks fabulous! My kids are begging for this one, shrimp is a real treat around here.
Nelly Rodriguez says
Oh I love how you served it with rice! And thanks for the substitution guidelines, great ideas!