New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp
Ingredients
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- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, shell-on (head-on if available)
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter – for sautéing
- 4 cloves garlic – minced
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cups lager beer
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice – freshly squeezed
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter – cut into pieces, chilled (for emulsifying)
- 2 green onion – thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons parsley – finely chopped
- lemon wedges – for serving
- french bread – for serving
Instructions
1. Pat the shrimp dry. If needed, snip along the back of each shrimp shell and remove the vein, leaving shells (and heads, if attached) on. Toss the shrimp with the kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne until evenly coated.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil, then arrange the shrimp in a single layer. Sear until just turning pink at the edges, 1–2 minutes per side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate; they will finish cooking in the sauce.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the skillet, then the minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30–45 seconds; do not brown.
4. Add the Worcestershire sauce, beer, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Scrape up any browned bits and bring to a brisk simmer. Cook until slightly reduced and aromatic, 2–3 minutes.
5. Lower the heat to low. Whisk in the chilled butter pieces a few at a time until the sauce is glossy and lightly thickened, 2–3 minutes.
6. Return the shrimp and any collected juices to the skillet. Add the green onions and parsley, tossing to coat. Cook until the shrimp are opaque and just cooked through—curled into a loose C and no translucent spots remain—1–2 minutes.
7. Remove from heat. Spoon shrimp and plenty of sauce into warm shallow bowls. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and French bread for dipping.
New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp brings big, buttery, peppery flavor without ever touching a grill. Jumbo shell-on shrimp simmer in a bold pan sauce layered with Worcestershire, lemon, garlic, hot sauce, and lots of black pepper, creating a glossy, spoonable jus that begs for bread. The shrimp are cooked just to tenderness and served in their shells so they stay plump and juicy while lending extra savor to the sauce.
Despite the name, there’s no backyard barbecue involved. The dish was popularized in mid-20th-century New Orleans, most famously at neighborhood restaurants where head-on Gulf shrimp and warm French bread were the standard. Its ‘barbecue’ moniker refers to the dark, tangy, pepper-spiked butter sauce reminiscent of barbecue’s sweet-sour depth rather than to the cooking method. Today it’s a beloved Creole staple served in casual and white-tablecloth settings alike, eaten with your hands and plenty of napkins.