Shrimp creole is a dish of Louisiana Creole origin (French, Spanish, and African heritage), consisting of cooked shrimp in a mixture of whole or diced tomatoes, the "holy trinity" of onion, celery and bell pepper, spiced with hot pepper sauce or cayenne-based seasoning, and served over steamed or boiled white rice.

Creole-type dishes combine the qualities of a gumbo and a jambalaya.

They are typically thicker and spicier than a gumbo, and the rice is prepared separately and used as a bed for the creole mixture, rather than cooked in the same pot as with a jambalaya.

Creole dishes also do not contain broth or roux; instead, the creole mixture is simmered to its desired degree of thickness.

Apart from the foundation ingredients of onion, celery and bell pepper, creole dishes are free-form "improvisational" dishes, as the basic recipe may be altered to include whatever ingredients the cook has available.