Slow Cooker Shrimp in Purgatory Recipe (2024)

Question: I don't eat shellfish, so I wonder if this would work well with a firm fish like cod, swordfish, or tilapia added at the end instead of shrimp? the sauce and method sound too good to miss out on.

I love the shrimp in here and will make this. (I love slow cooker cooking.) I was wondering, however, about little meatballs dropped in the sauce and how good that might be. A mix of veal, pork, and beef . . . Thoughts?

My bad...I wanted to make this for dinner tonight...and didn't carefully read the recipe ahead of time. So, I ignored the directions for using the slow cooker for 5 hours and simply sautéed the onion and garlic and then threw the rest of the ingredients (except shrimp, capers and scallions) and simmered for an hour and it was just terrific. We think this dish, plus a green salad and crusty bread is totally company-worthy.

I don’t own a slow cooker. Can I cook this low and slow in the oven?

An afternoon commitment, but well worth it and your kitchen will smell heavenly! I admit I was curious to cook for the first time with Calabrian chiles (which sound so tantalizingly exotic, like Ricardo Montalban saying "Corinthian leather" if you're old enough to remember) and which are readily available on Amazon if you can't find them locally. Fresh shrimp is a must for this dish. Richly complex, delicious on polenta with sauteed spinach and garlic on the side. Thin with water if necessary.

I'd suggest trying Monkfish as the texture is lobster like.

Wow this was amazing. Even got my supposed caper-hating husband to lap this up. Didn't add the cheese because he is lactose-intolerant but trust me, he has some attributes that lend him worth keeping around.

Wondering if this sauce could be made ahead of time and frozen, then reheated on stovetop and add the shrimp when sauce is heated through? Sounds like a fabulous dish!

We loved this. Shrimp were super fresh tasting, moist inside and delicious. Super easy recipe. Did cut back on the hot peppers as we don’t tolerate super spicy well. 1 tsp instead of 2 tbsp worked just fine. Served with orzo. Enjoyed with some Gavi.

I made this with fresh cod. I cut the pieces into 2 inch squares and stirrred them in to the slow cooker 10 minutes before serving. It helps to not stir after the fish cooks to avoid breaking up the pieces. It was wonderful.My daughter did the same but with tofu, wonderful vegan alternative!

See the alternate version of this recipe at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022266-shrimp-in-purgatory

Really good but I had to make some modifications. I used a 28oz can of San Marzano tomatoes as I wanted to have enough sauce to use over pasta in another meal. After 4 hours of cooking the sauce didn't have the depth of flavor needed so I added 1 tablespoon seafood paste. As an Italian, I'm religious about mixing cheese with seafood; it's just not done. So the Parmesan was omitted.

As is it's like a very thick tomato sauce with shrimp, I feel like it has to be served over something to be a complete meal. When it was time to finish I switched to low, added red and orange cherry tomatoes, cooked for 15 minutes then when to high and finished with the shrimp. The tomatoes held their shape but cooked inside so they were perfect little explosions that added a little extra to the sauce. Served ours over toasted bread with a garden salad. Would make again!

I don’t see why not. I do eat shrimp, but I think I may add fish to this when I make it.

I for one am happy to see the lower temps again. More like crock-pots were in the 70s when I first got one--meant to mimic slow cooking on the back of the stove, in the residual heat of an oven, or over a dying open fire. It was impossible to overcook anything. IMO the textures come out better at the lower temps, especially meats, and the flavors are improved. Yes, it takes longer, but that's a plus for someone away from home 10 hours or more a day.

I followed the suggestion of others and doubled the amount of tomatoes(only change I made), and then doubled the entire recipe. I'm not normally a big fan of tomato based sauce, but omg, this is amazing! I didn't even care about eating the shrimp. All I wanted was the sauce spooned over polenta.My daughter used the leftover sauce to cook eggs, and my husband had a great time eating the rest of the shrimp. Will definitely be making this again!

We love this and make it several times a year. Double the tomatoes or there’s not enough sauce. After cooking the sauce and before adding the shrimp, I sub-divide the sauce so we have a meal for two to put in the freezer. My husband adores shrimp and so I cook a pound for us on the side, 2 minutes in boiling water, then add them to the half-recipe of sauce for a minute on the stovetop . Perfect! We serve it over cauliflower rice and it is very satisfying with a Vermentino,

Double the tomato

My husband LOVED this. I fling a lot of things at him and most of the time I get an "I like it" or "it's OK" and this was one where I literally had to get him to stop eating what was being put up for leftovers. I started mid-afternoon and we ate at 7:30. I didn't have calabrian chilis so used jarred cherry peppers chopped up. We served it over orzo with sauteed spinach on the side. Could definitely do with fish. It was spicy, but not overwhelmingly so, particularly over the orzo.

This is really really hot. Cut the heat with some jarred marinara sauce

Awesome flavor. Definitely got too dry so I added a cup of white wine (nice light and crisp Sauvignon Blanc). Served over polenta which was perfect.

Two cans of tomatoes, added cherry peppers, and a whole lot of other peppers along with some chopped zucchini. Glazed the chopped onions and garlic in a pan with tomato paste before transferring to the slow cooker and adding other ingredients. I did have to add a little acid with vinegar and more heat as the slow cooker did its thing. Even better the second day served over rice. So nice.

Whoa! Super good, super spicy…because we used ancho Chile peppers in place of the roasted red peppers. Served it over cauliflower rice, which was a nice add.

This is so delicious! And a breeze to make. We served it with polenta that we buy from Anson Mills in South Carolina. Divine. We used 1/2 Tbs chipotle chili powder instead of minced jarred chilis. Love that deep smokey flavor.

Sauce is much better the next day after the flavors have a chance to blend. I make it ahead and just add protein to individual portions when needed.

Make this with 1/2 pound of shrimp. It will burn if cooked on high, so cook on low for about 3 hours.

Cooked this last night and it turned out fantastic on a bed of polenta. Not a big spice family so only used a small amount of the red pepper flakes.

I had large shrimp and they took closer to 40 minutes to cook. Also, although I like spicy, this was too spicy for us, I would cut red pepper flakes to 1/4 tsp. My red pepper flakes were from a fresh jar, so they were potent.

I've made this twice now. First time with Calabrian and this time with jarred hot cherry peppers....the Calabrian version was way better flavor-wise hands down. Just more depth as opposed to pure heat. I also use double the capers simply because I love them and the brine they bring. Paired with salad. Overall, an extremely easy, flavorful and healthy meal!

Serve with polenta.