New Orleans BBQ Shrimp is an indulgent feast of flavor created when butter, pepper, garlic, lemon, and Worcestershire sauce are mixed with Creole flair into large, fresh Gulf Shrimp. Quickly cooked with the shells and heads on, peeling and eating these South Louisiana crustaceans take on a familiar joie de vivre, a common theme in much of New Orleans and Creole cuisine. Here is Sweet Daddy D’s simple, no-angst take on this delectable iconic Creole dish that has earned its name!
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What is New Orleans BBQ Shrimp?
Put your grill away, you won't be using it. No charcoal or wood, no syrupy BBQ sauce from Kansas City or Memphis. It's just big ol' shrimp with the heads and shells still on, quickly sauteed in a buttery, highly seasoned sauce with a reddish hue that may look like a BBQ sauce to many. It’s an interactive dish that begs to be eaten with your fingers, accompanied by lots of crispy French bread for dipping in that otherworldly sauce. Bibs are recommended so that the memories of this meal are only in your taste buds, mind, and heart, and not on your shirt!
It all started in Uptown New Orleans on the corner of Napolean Avenue and Dryades Street, just three blocks on the lake-side (as we say in New Orleans) off St. Charles Avenue. The place is Pascal’s Manale Restaurant. Founded in 1913, Manale’s is an institution among New Orleans restaurants and a perfect example of the influence of Italian immigrants on Creole cuisine. In the 1950s, Pascal’s brother, Jake, created the iconic BBQ Shrimp dish after a long-time customer named Vincent Sutro raved about a shrimp dish he had in Chicago. Jake added his Creole twist to Vincent’s description of the Chicago dish and the result was even better than the original, admitted Vincent. Pascal loved it so much, it was added to the menu. And just like that, another icon of Creole cuisine was born and now appearing on many menus throughout New Orleans and South Louisiana.
Here’s What You Need
Lagniappe Tip: This recipe makes 2 entree-sized servings or an appetizer for four people. If you need more than this, it's better to prepare it in batches as opposed to doubling the recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Shrimp: This recipe is traditionally served with very large, heads and shells on shrimp. Shrimp without the heads and shells also work in this recipe. 16/20s are recommended, but use as large of shrimp as you can find. Either fresh or frozen shrimp will work. Check out the Hints and Tips section below for more on the type of shrimp to use.
- Butter: This is primarily a butter sauce; I developed this recipe using salted butter, but you can substitute unsalted butter.
- Margarine: This is optional, but I add a little margarine to help keep the sauce together. You can substitute more butter for the margarine.
- Hot Sauce: This recipe doesn't use much, but I recommend Crystal Hot Sauce or Tabasco. You can substitute your favorite hot sauce, but the flavor profile will be affected somewhat.
- Pepper: Even though this recipe uses ground and cracked black pepper and optionally cayenne pepper, along with the hot sauce, this recipe is not "hot", but it is seasoned well.
- Creole seasoning: I developed this recipe using Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, an all-purpose, no-salt, and no-MSG Creole and Cajun seasoning. If you use a seasoning that contains salt, taste the sauce before adding more.
- Other Sources of Salt: Butter, Margarine, and Worcestershire. You can substitute unsalted versions of these.
Cookware
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp can be made in a 12" nonstick skillet or a 12" Cast-iron Skillet. Other than your usual prep equipment, I found a Mortar and Pestle, a Coffee Grinder, and a Citrus Squeezer helped put this recipe together.
Lagniappe Tip: Don't use anything smaller than a 12" skillet so the shrimp does not overcrowd the pan. If you don't have a 12" skillet, consider doing it in batches.
Tips to Make the Best BBQ Shrimp
- Don't overcook the shrimp! Shrimp cook quickly. An overcooked shrimp is hard and rubbery and hard to peel. A perfectly cooked shrimp will take only minutes to cook and become an opaque white with pink and red accents.
- Be prepared, this recipe cooks very quickly. Mise en place is important with every recipe, but it's crucial here.
- Try this dish using head and shell-on shrimp. It may not be what you are used to, but I think you will enjoy it this way.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet; this will slow the cooking process and the shrimp will not turn out the best. If you need more than 2 servings, make the recipe in batches.
- Don't forget the French bread. French bread is an essential part of eating.
Lagniappe Tip: This recipe is two entree-sized servings or enough appetizers for four people. If making more than two servings, do it in batches. It's important to cook the shrimp fast, and too large of a batch will hinder that.
Hints and Tips (FAQ)
Enjoying BBQ shrimp is an event. Use your fingers. It’s messy so a bib is recommended. First, snap off the head, then peel the shrimp by pulling the bottom (where the legs are) open and pulling off the tail to release the meat. You will get the hang of it in exactly one shrimp. Dip the shrimp into the sauce and have at it. Dip some French bread into the sauce and take a bite of Creole heaven.Â
It’s not called BBQ because it's slow-cooked on a grill and doused with heavy, ketchup BBQ sauce. It's nothing like that at all. The ingredients and quick cooking method yield a reddish sauce that perhaps resembles BBQ sauce to some. The butter-lemon-garlic-Worcestershire sauce flavor combination may remind some folks of a BBQ sauce, but it is likely just the overall appearance of the dish that gives it its name.
The heads and shells add a great deal of flavor to the dish because of the fat content contained by the shells. It also makes it fun to sit around with friends and family and peel and eat the shrimp. I highly recommend cooking the shrimp with the heads and shells on, at least the first time. Nevertheless, you can use headless shrimp or even peeled shrimp. Be mindful that peeled shrimp will cook a little faster.
You'll hear a lot of different terms for the various sizes of shrimp, like small, large, jumbo, etc. Shrimp sizes are best described using the "count" system, indicating how many shrimp make up a pound. In this recipe "16/20s", considered Extra Jumbo, means there are between 16 and 20 shrimp in a pound. Compared to "31/35s", which is between 31 and 35 shrimp per pound. Fewer 16/20s shrimp make a pound, so they are larger shrimp. For more info on this thrilling topic, read my article What Size Shrimp Do I Need?
Here’s What You Do
First...you have a beer. The great thing about this recipe is that it starts with a beer, just like all my recipes, but with this one, you get to use some of the beer in the recipe, not just the cook. So, pop the cap, pour about half a cup of beer into a measuring cup, and set it aside. While you enjoy the rest of the beer, read the recipe all the way through so you know what you need to have and what you will do with each ingredient, including that beer. This is a quick-cooking recipe, so performing your mise en place is vital for a good outcome.
Mise en Place
Prepare the Shrimp
- This step is optional but makes for a better presentation: Make a quick trim of the eyestalk and eyes along with some of the antenna. If you take a closer look at the shrimp head, you’ll see a spike sticking forward from the head, giving it a prehistoric look, but I’m sure that spear comes in handy in the rough-and-tumble world of underwater survival. You can leave that spike on there (it’s called the rostrum for us food nerds) or snip off the end and just behind the weirdly arranged eyes. Even though you won’t eat the eyes I find it oddly comforting not to have a bowl full of shrimp eyes staring back at me.
- Rinse the shrimp in cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Place them in a bowl and mix in about 1 or 2 tablespoons of Creole seasoning.
- Set the shrimp aside until needed.
Prepare the remaining ingredients
- Cut a half stick (¼ cup) of the butter into approximately ½ tablespoon pieces and place them in the refrigerator so they are very cold when you need them.
- Cut the rest of the butter and the margarine into 1 to 2 tablespoon-size pieces so it melts quickly. Set them aside to get to room temperature.
- Use a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder to crack some black peppercorns and smash the coriander seeds. (Leave them very coarse, you don't want to turn the spices into powder.)
- The mortar and pestle are also great for smashing the garlic cloves, or you can smash them with your chef knife and give them a rough chop.
- Chop the fresh rosemary, then mix the black peppercorns and coriander with all the other Herbs and Spices and set them aside.
- Squeeze the lemon juice, then quarter the lemon (after being juiced).
- Chop the parsley and measure all the other ingredients.
- Make sure the French bread is ready to go.
- Place all the ingredients near the stove so they are easy to reach.
- How's your beer? Make sure it's within reach, too.
Start the sauce
What happens in this step? This delicious sauce comes together quickly, but it is extremely flavorful.
- Place a large (at least 12") cast-iron skillet over medium heat and melt 8 tablespoons of the room temperature butter and the margarine. When the butter and margarine are frothy, add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and the Herb and Spice Blend. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Next, increase the heat to high and bring the butter mixture to a high simmer.
Quickly cook the shrimp
What happens in this step? The shrimp are added along with some remaining ingredients that round out this sauce. This must be done quickly so as not to overcook the shrimp.
- Add the shrimp to the cast-iron skillet, spreading them out on the bottom as best as possible. Saute the shrimp for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan in a back-and-forth motion. Halfway through (at 1 minute), turn the shrimp over to cook on the other side.
- Next add the beer, lemon quarters, and the hot sauce. Bring everything to a low boil, continuing to shake the pan, turning the shrimp as needed for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- At this point, remove the skillet from the heat and add the cold butter a few chunks at a time.
- Continue to shake the pan, adding more butter as the chunks melt.
Lagniappe Tip: The shrimp should cook for only 5 minutes over the heat, then finish cooking (carryover heat) while finishing with the butter.
Serving Suggestion
This recipe is enough for two entree-sized servings or an appetizer for four people.
This dish should be served immediately by placing about half the shrimp into separate bowls and ladling a generous amount of sauce on top of each bowl. You probably need more than that! Sprinkle parsley on top and serve it with crispy French bread to sop up the sauce. Have an extra bowl or two for the shells and heads while you are eating.
A crisp Sensation Salad is so, so good alongside this wonderful dish.
Lagniappe Tip: If you are serving this for guests, it's fun to provide your guests with disposable bibs and hand wipes just like in restaurants. This adds to the fun, the laughs, and the memories!
Here are some perfect side dishes for BBQ Shrimp
Here are Some Other Shrimp Recipes
Leftover Tips
Leftovers are rarely a problem with BBQ Shrimp, but it's best to be prepared.
Place leftover BBQ Shrimp in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. This should be done within 2 hours of cooking to minimize the time in the temperature danger zone (40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.) I'm not a huge fan of freezing butter sauces, but it can be done, in a freezer-ready, air-tight container for up to 3 months.
For best results, try to separate the sauce from the shrimp. This makes it better when you reheat. If freezing, remove the heads and discard. Defrost frozen BBQ Shrimp in the fridge overnight.
To Reheat:
Place the BBQ Shrimp in a skillet over medium heat. Bring the temperature up slowly and shake the pan while they warm. If you can separate the sauce from the shrimp, start with the sauce in the skillet; let it come to a slight simmer before adding the shrimp. Add some fresh butter and maybe a splash of beer if you need more liquid. Shrimp are very easy to overcook, so watch this slowly and keep the pan moving! I do not recommend the microwave, but if you go that route, don't rush. Zap the leftovers for about 20-30 seconds and repeat as necessary until they are warmed.
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Yeah You Right!
Publishers Note: This recipe was originally published in September 2020. I am republishing now with improved instructions with photos and a more search-friendly format.
Recipe
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
Here's What You Need
- 1 ½ pounds Shrimp with shells and heads
- ¾ cup Butter in all-1 ½ stick; 12 tablespoons
- ¼ cup Margarine ½ stick; 4 tablespoons
- 5 cloves Garlic crushed
- 2 Lemon juiced and quartered
- ¾ cup Worchestershire
- ¼ cup Beer
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley
- 2 teaspoon Hot Sauce
Herb and Spice Blend
- 1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning Plus some for the shrimp
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne Optional
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds crushed
Here's What You Do
Preparation
- Snip off the eyestalk, eyes, and the tip of the spike (rostrum) of the shrimp. This should remove most of the antenna as well.
- Rinse shrimp in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoon Creole seasoning on the shrimp and set aside.
- Slice ½ stick of butter into ½ tablespoon-size pieces and set in the refrigerator to stay cold. Cut the remaining butter and margarine into approximately 2 tablespoon-size chunks.
- Smash the garlic; crush the coriander and the black peppercorns. Mix these with the remaining Herb and Spice Blend. Measure the remaining ingredients.
Cook the shrimp
- Place a cast-iron skillet over medium heat; give it enough time to get hot; melt 1stick (8 tablespoons) of butter and ½ stick of margarine.
- When frothy, add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and The Herb and Spice Blend. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Increase heat to high and bring the mix to a high simmer.
- Immediately add the shrimp, trying to keep it to one layer if possible. Shake the pan in a back and forth motion for a total of 2 minutes, turning shrimp once halfway through (after 1 minute). You will notice the shrimp turning a nice reddish color as they cook.
- After 2 minutes, add the beer, lemon quarters and hot sauce. Bring to a low boil and shake pan for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat; add the reserved cold butter pieces a few at a time. Continue to shake the pan back and forth to emulsify the sauce as the butter melts. This should be no more than 1 or 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately in a bowl with plenty of sauce. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top and serve with crispy French bread for dipping.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
It's Me!
Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
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