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    Home » Main Dishes

    How to Make Creole Sauce

    Published: Jul 7, 2019 · Modified: Aug 7, 2021 · By: Sweet Daddy D · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

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    creole sauce served over rice with stuffed pepper and garnished with lemon and bay leaf

    Creole Sauce, or Sauce Creole, is a Creole classic-tomatoes with lots of the Holy Trinity-a Creole and Cajun cooking staple comprised of yellow onions, bell peppers, and celery.  Add some customary Louisiana spices and seasonings and a slow simmer and you have created a traditional Creole Sauce that will elevate just about anything to a Creole classic. Here’s Sweet Daddy D’s no-angst method to make this delicious sauce.

    This post is not sponsored, but you will find affiliate links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase.

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    Here’s What You Need

    A Creole Sauce is a tomato-based sauce so we will get the tomatoes from a 15 ounce can Whole Tomatoes, plum or Roma are excellent, and some Tomato Sauce. Here are the other ingredients you will need. 

    Start with the Trinity and vegetables

    • yellow onions
    • green peppers
    • celery
    • garlic
    • green onions
     
     
    onons, celery, peppers, tomatoes, flour and spices for creole sauce
    Here's What You Need

    Other ingredients

    • butter
    • all-purpose flour
    • white sugar
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • lemon juice
    • lemon zest
    • stock (see hints and tips)

    Herb and Spice Blend

    • oregano
    • basil
    • thyme
    • bay leaves
    • kosher salt and black pepper
    • Creole seasoning
    • Cayenne pepper (optional)
       
    coupon for Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning

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    Here’s What You Do

    First...you have a beer. No-angst cooking requires a proper start. Pop a top and sit down and read the recipe all the way through. Gather up your ingredients and your tools and get going. That's the mise en place, which simply means that you make sure you have what you need, ingredients and tools and cookware, then prep all the ingredients so that all you have to do is assemble the dish as you cook.

    prepared ingredients for creole sauce
    Everything prepped and ready to go!

    This recipe has quite a few ingredients, so get started chopping and measuring everything into small ramekins. Use a whole lemon-start by zesting it, then cut it in half. Juice one half and slice the other half into 3 or 4 slices. This dish can be prepared in a single dutch oven.  Simple as that.

    Start with the vegetables

    In a heavy Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat until bubbling then add the Trinity and sauté until it starts to caramelize, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

    sauteeing the trinity for creole sauce in a dutch oven
    Saute the Trinity

    Next, it's the aromatics: add the garlic and about half of the Herb and Spice Blend (not the bay leaves yet) and about ⅔ of the green onions. Mix well and sauté until you get the super fragrance of the garlic which will only take about 2 minutes. At this point, add in the AP flour and stir thoroughly, cooking it for about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir constantly so it does not stick.

    herbs and spices added to the trinity for creole sauce
    Add in the aromatics

    Add the Liquids

    The whole tomatoes go in next, crushing each tomato by hand as you add them to the dutch oven-this really is the fun part. Make sure to add the juice from the tomatoes and the tomato sauce. Stir this really well as it comes to a simmer, then add about half of the remaining Herb and Spice Blend, both bay leaves, the sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir it up.

    adding the sugar, juices and bay leaves to simmering creole sauce
    Keep adding ingredients!

    Add in the lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon slices and ¾ cup of the stock (reserve the remaining stock). Mix well and bring back to a heavy simmer.

    add the lemon zest and stock to simmering creole sauce
    Lemon zest and stock come next!

    Let it cook

    Lower the heat to a slight simmer and cook for 20 minutes uncovered, stirring often while it thickens. After 20 minutes, cover the dutch oven, turn the heat very low and continue to simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often so it does not stick.

    simmering creole sauce in a dutch oven
    Let the Creole Sauce simmer and simmer

    After 30 minutes, taste for seasoning and add more if needed.  When it has reached the consistency that you like, turn off the heat and let it sit about 15 minutes uncovered. Then, give it a final stir, remove the bay leaves and lemon slices and serve over rice sprinkled with green onions on top.

    Creole Sauce after simmering in a dutch oven
    Thickening Up!

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    Hints and Tips

    • Serve this sauce over rice to accompany just about any main dish, but it shines ladled over fried or baked fish, wild game such as rabbit, stuffed peppers of any kind, omelets and eggs and even jambalaya. Simmer it with shrimp or crawfish and serve that over rice. The possibilities are endless...let me hear how you serve it in the comments below. 
    • This sauce is thickened by blending flour into the butter, Trinity and other vegetables after they have sauteed for a while.  If you were to start out by making a roux and then adding the vegetables, the outcome would be a stew where the roux would provide even more thickening and produce a different base of flavor. 
    • Many creole sauce recipes are described as quick and only cook the ingredients together for a few minutes. That’s fine and can produce a very good creole sauce. My recipe's longer cooking time gives the tomatoes and onions a chance to release their sweetness, melding their wonderful flavors together producing a richer sauce with more depth. But, if you're crunched for time (who isn't?) cut back on the cooking time. 
    • We are looking for a thick, smooth sauce that is still a little chunky, so remove the cover or leave the cover on the Dutch oven while it simmers, depending on how the thickening is coming along. If it gets too thick, add some of the reserved stock, if it's not thick enough simmer with the cover off longer.
    • Many commercial creole seasonings and stocks contain salt, so keep that in mind when you add more salt. It's a good practice to taste it before adding any salt. Similar situation with the cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper is great with tomato dishes if you like a little kick, but check out your Creole seasoning before you add too much. Lots of times the Creole seasoning can be pretty spicy on its own and may not need any extra oomph!
    • It is always better to use stock instead of water. For general purposes, chicken stock is always good. If making this sauce to accompany crawfish, try to use crawfish stock; if accompanying shrimp, try to use shrimp stock,  to keep it purely vegetarian, use vegetable stock.....you get the idea!  You can also grab these commercial stocks from Amazon...it's actually what I use most of the time!

    • Fresh tomatoes can certainly be substituted for canned. Use any variety of tomato that you like, but make sure they are VERY ripe and peel them first. To make up for the liquid in the can, you can add a small bit of water, extra stock or extra tomato sauce. If you don't have a favorite brand of canned tomatoes, this is what I used when I developed the recipe. There are lots of good ones out there and this is a very good one!

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    Here are some other great  recipes from Sweet Daddy D that will go well with Creole Sauce:

    New Orleans Shrimp Creole
    Classic Creole fare-fresh shrimp simmered in Creole Sauce. Tomatoes smothered with the Holy Trinity in rich stock and lots of creole herbs and spices. Louisiana comfort food, served over rice
    Shrimp Creole on a plate with green onions and green beans
    Classic Cajun Jambalaya
    Cajun Tradition...pork, chicken and andouille sausage cooked with the Trinity and wonderful Cajun seasoning and spices as uncooked rice slowly absorbed all that Cajun goodness.
    Mixing up jambalaya in a dutch oven
    Stuffed Bell Peppers
    Stuffed bell peppers-the ultimate comfort food! Every cuisine has a version of stuffed peppers, this recipe uses beef. pork and veal with a Creole and Cajun flair. A staple in South Louisana cooking, these Stuffed Bell Peppers make a great main dish or a fabulous side dish!
    two stuffed bell peppers with creole sauce on a blue and white platter garnished with lemon slices and parsley
    Mirlitons Stuffed with Shrimp and Creole Tomatoes
    Mirlitons, stuffed with a shrimp filling made from sauteing the trinity (onions, celery and bell peppers) along with the mirliton fruit and sweet Creole tomatoes blended with fresh shrimp and creole seasoning. South Louisiana comfort food-hearty and delicious! Mirlitons, a peculiar looking squash, also known as Chayote or Vegetable Pear, is a Louisiana favorite-try this recipe and they will also be a favorite of yours!
    Stuffed Mirliton with Shrimp and Creole Tomatoes and Roasted Carrots with Cane Syrup
    Shrimp Stuffed Eggplant
    Commonly referred to as Eggplant Pirogues-eggplant hollowed out like the ubiquitous Cajun boat (pirogue), these eggplants are stuffed full of a mixture of smothered eggplant, vegetables and shrimp in Louisiana seasonings. They're baked to a golden brown and deliver an unparalleled South Louisiana treat. This is so delicious, you'll never believe how simple it is.
    Eggplant stuffed with shrimp on a platter

    If you make this recipe, please tell us about it in the Comments section below and make sure to LEAVE A RATING ON THE RECIPE. Post a picture on our Facebook page or on Instagram with a #firstyouhaveabeer. Make sure to Pin it on Pinterest.  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest and make sure to share this with your friends…they will love you for it.

    Creole sauce on a spoon
    Yum...Sauce Creole!

    Yeah You Right!

    creole sauce served over rice with stuffed pepper and lemon and bay leaf

    Sauce Creole

    Sauce Creole is a classic South Louisiana tomato-based sauce made by slowly simmering tomatoes in Creole seasoning until a savory sauce, which is both smooth and chunky, is created.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Sauce, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Creole
    Keyword: creole sauce
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 109kcal
    Author: Sweet Daddy D

    Here's What You Need

    • 4 tablespoons Butter
    • 1 medium Yellow Onions diced
    • ½ Green Peppers diced
    • 2 stalks Celery diced
    • 4 cloves garlic chopped
    • 1 bunch green onions
    • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
    • 15 ounce Whole Tomatoes in juice
    • ¼ cup Tomato Sauce
    • Juice of ½ Lemon
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
    • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
    • 2 tablespoons White Sugar
    • 1 cup stock

    Herb and Spice Blend

    • 1 teaspoon Oregano
    • 1 teaspoon Basil
    • ½ teaspoon Thyme
    • 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

    Here's What You Do

    • Chop and measure all ingredients into small prep bowls. In preparing the lemon, start by zesting the lemon. Slice the lemon in half, juice one half and slice the other half into 3 or 4 slices.
    • In a heavy Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until bubbling; add the trinity (yellow onions, bell peppers, and celery) and sauté for about 15 to 20 minutes until starting to caramelize.
    • Add the garlic and about half of the Herb and Spice Blend (not the bay leaves yet) and about ⅔ of the green onions. Mix well and sauté until aromatic - about 2 minutes.
    • Mix in the flour and stir thoroughly. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes stirring constantly so it does not stick.
    • Add the tomatoes (and the juice), crushing each by hand as you add them. Add the tomato sauce and mix well. Bring to a simmer, add about half of the remaining Herb and Spice Blend, both bay leaves, the sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
    • Add in the lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon slices and ¾ cup of the stock (reserve the remaining stock). Mix well and bring back to a heavy simmer; lower the heat to a slight simmer and cook for 20 minutes uncovered, stirring often while it thickens.
    • After 20 minutes, cover the dutch oven and continue to cook on low for another 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often so it does not stick. We are looking for a thick, smooth (but chunky) sauce, so remove the cover or leave the cover on, depending on how the thickening is coming along. If it gets too thick, add some of the reserved stock, if it's not thick enough simmer with the cover off.
    • At this point taste for seasoning.
    • Remove the bay leaves and lemon slices and serve over rice or whatever you are serving, sprinkled with green onions on top.

    Recipe Notes

    This post is not sponsored, but you will find affiliate links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase.
    This is a dish that benefits from a long, slow simmer. However, if you are crunched for time, you can cut the covered simmer time down to meet your needs.
    Many commercial creole seasonings and stocks contain salt, so keep that in mind when you add more salt. It's a good practice to taste it before adding any salt.
    It is always better to use stock instead of water. For general purposes, chicken stock is always good. If making this sauce to accompany crawfish, try to use crawfish stock; if accompanying shrimp, try to use shrimp stock.....you get the idea!  You can also grab these commercial stocks from Amazon...it's actually what I use most of the time!
    This sauce is wonderful with fresh tomatoes-make sure they are VERY ripe and peel them before using. You may want to add a little more tomato sauce if you use fresh tomatoes. If you don't have a favorite brand of canned tomatoes, this is what I used when I developed the recipe. There are lots of good ones out there and this is a very good one!
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 503mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 650IU | Vitamin C: 26.4mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.9mg
    « Making Super Tender Pot Roast
    Glazed Pecans with Rum and Cane Syrup »
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    1. Roger

      November 12, 2020 at 9:24 pm

      Ingredients include juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Instructions show to add lemon juice and lemon slices (step 5), and to remove lemon slices (step 8), and there is no mention of lemon zest. Please clarify what is required.

      Reply
      • Sweet Daddy D

        November 12, 2020 at 11:51 pm

        Hey, Roger. I see that it is a little confusing the way I have written it. Here’s what you do: when you prep the lemon, first zest the lemon, then slice it in half, juice one half and slice the other half. Add all of those-zest, juice and slices in Step 5. Then later, remove the slices before you serve (step 8).

        I hope this clarifies it; I will correct the instructions for clarity as soon as I can. Thanks for calling that out.

        Reply

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