This New Orleans Recipe Is My Favorite Way To Cook Shrimp

Don't let the name "barbecue shrimp" fool you—New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp is in a whole class of its own. Super flavorful and incredibly easy to make, you'll want to save this recipe.

Aug 9, 2024 - 04:00

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This New Orleans Recipe Is My Favorite Way To Cook Shrimp

New Orleans BBQ Shrimp in a dutch oven — Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser

This classic New Orleans dish isn’t actually barbecued—instead, it can be made on your stovetop in just over 20 minutes. The name refers to the sauce, which is smoky red and punchy in flavor.

What gives it that all-important flavor? Worcestershire sauce for one, along with a generous dose of black pepper which is tamed by just enough butter. Using shell-on shrimp gives the sauce real depth of flavor.

This recipe is straightforward: you make a flavorful and rich sauce, steam the shrimp in said sauce, and then enrich the sauce with butter. Serve with bread to soak up all of the flavors. It’s so easy and delicious, you’ll think you died and went to heaven. Serve New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp as a main dish or a fun, hands-on appetizer.

Shrimp Tips

Use big, shell-on shrimp for this recipe—either 16/20 or 21/25. I like to buy fresh shrimp from the seafood market for the best flavor, but frozen is perfectly fine. If you use frozen, thaw it properly before using.

To thaw shrimp, let sit in the fridge for 24 hours. If you’re short on time, place the shrimp in a zip-top bag and remove as much air as possible. Submerge the bag in cold water and let stand until thawed. No matter which method you used, it’s important to remove excess water from thawed frozen shrimp. Gently press them between paper towels before cooking.

You can use shelled shrimp for this recipe, but the sauce won’t be as flavorful. Subtract a minute or so from the cook time.

New Orleans BBQ Shrimp in a platter at a table setting with a bowl of sliced baguettes, bowl of herbs, a glass of water, and table napkin — Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser

A Note on Seasoning

Creole or Cajun seasoning work well for this recipe. I used Weber N’Orleans Cajun, but you can use your favorite. I don’t recommend Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning for this particular recipe—it’s too salty for the sauce. If you’re so inclined, make your own seasoning.

New Orleans Recipes

Melt the butter:

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the foam subsides and the butter starts to smell nutty, about 4 minutes.

Make the sauce:

Add the bay leaves (if using), garlic, Creole seasoning, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Bring to a vigorous simmer.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces to about 2/3 cup and coats the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes.

Cook the shrimp:

Add the shrimp to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring often, until shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with bread to soak up the sauce.

Shrimp does not reheat well, so we do not recommend saving leftovers for more than 1 day.

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