Made this for my husband who loved it. Yes, it's spicy. We love spicy. If you don't like things hot and spicy, then don't make this. I paired this with a cheesy grits casserole that also have a spiciness to it but also is creamy and he loved the 2 together. As someone else suggested, I did add sliced red, yellow and orange peppers that I sauteed at the beginning before adding the shrimp.