New Orleans bbq shrimp are buttery, tangy, and full of zesty Cajun flavor. They’re not cooked on a barbecue grill or slathered in barbecue sauce, so the name might be misleading — but you’ll love the ease of this simple, 30-minute meal!
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If you love shrimp, don’t miss this cajun shrimp pasta alfredo, these marinated grilled shrimp, this crispy fried shrimp recipe, this shrimp pesto pasta, and these sheet pan bbq shrimp, too!
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
In spite of the name, New Orleans-style bbq shrimp actually has very little to do with barbecue. Instead, the iconic Louisiana dish includes oven-baked or sautéed shrimp in a rich, Worcestershire-spiked butter sauce with plenty of lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and spices. They’re always prepared with the shell-on for maximum flavor and served peel-and-eat-style for a fun, messy, and delicious happy hour snack or easy dinner. Roll up your sleeves, grab a cold drink, and don’t forget this French baguette recipe or a skillet of cast iron cornbread for sopping up that extra sauce!
Why do they call it BBQ shrimp?
The original recipe for New Orleans style barbecue shrimp was created by Pascal Radosta in his New Orleans restaurant, Pascal’s Manale. Chef Pascal invented the recipe in 1953, and it has since become the most copied New Orleans dish in the world — so it’s absolutely worth recreating in your own kitchen!
Since the tangy, buttery shrimp are neither cooked on a barbecue grill nor basted in barbecue sauce, the name might be confusing. In fact, the only real similarities between NOLA BBQ shrimp and the more traditional barbecue sauce that we all know and love today is that the two sauces include a lot of the same notes: zesty (but not too spicy), sweet, salty, tangy, and rich. One New Orleans chef claims that it’s called barbecue shrimp “only because when it comes out, it kind of looks like it’s got a reddish tint.” Regardless of the misnomer, this is an amazingly delicious recipe that has stood the test of time!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Worcestershire sauce is a classic ingredient for authentic Louisiana BBQ shrimp! It might seem like a lot, but the Worcestershire sauce contributes a powerful umami flavor to the dish.
- Head-on shrimp are best when available. Keeping the head on the shrimp is important because it contains fat and protein, which contributes a lot of flavor to the dish. If you can’t find head-on shrimp, then use shell-on shrimp.
- I recommend either jumbo shrimp (21-25 count per pound) or “Extra-Large” (26-30 count per pound) shrimp. These larger shrimp are more impressive, have better flavor, and are “meatier” than their smaller counterparts. They’re also more expensive, so take that into consideration and purchase the size that best fits your budget.
- For a dish that’s less messy and easier to eat, you can use peeled shrimp. You might want to amp up some of the other seasonings to make up for the lost flavor from the missing shells, though.
- Use frozen, unpeeled shrimp for convenience or if you can’t find fresh shrimp. To quickly thaw the shrimp, place them in a colander and run under cold water.
How to Make this New Orleans Style Barbecue Shrimp Recipe
- Bring the sauce to a simmer in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the shrimp.
- Toss to coat the shrimp in the savory sauce.
- Bake the shrimp in a 400°F oven for about 13-15 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink and the tails are just slightly curved. Stir and baste with the sauce occasionally as it cooks. The total cooking time will vary depending on the size of your shrimp. You might need to bake larger shrimp for up to 20 minutes, while smaller shrimp will be done in about 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on them when basting with sauce and pull them out of the oven as soon as they turn pink.
- Remove the bay leaf, then spoon the shrimp and the sauce into bowls for serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or thyme. Don’t forget lots of napkins and lots of crusty french bread to soak up all of that sauce!
Serving Suggestions
Serve the shrimp on their own as a main course, appetizer, or happy hour snack with cold drinks! We tend to enjoy them as a quick weeknight dinner, too. If offering the dish as an entrée, they’re great alongside a loaf of crusty Dutch oven bread, 3-ingredient sour cream muffins, Charleston red rice, cheese grits, Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient buttermilk biscuit recipe, a traditional coleslaw recipe, hush puppies, Southern collard greens, Southern-style green beans, and okra and tomatoes.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Storing Leftovers: The leftover shrimp and sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. I recommend enjoying the shrimp warm from the skillet, though! Reheating shrimp can sometimes lead to over-cooking, which results in tough, rubbery shrimp (not ideal).
- To Freeze: You can easily store leftovers in the freezer for 3-4 months. Additionally, this recipe is easy to prep ahead of time and have on-hand as a quick and easy freezer meal. Just thaw the shrimp before cooking.
- How to Reheat: If you must reheat leftovers, do so on the stovetop over low to medium heat in a skillet with some olive oil (about 5 minutes).
Did you make this recipe?
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New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) salted butter
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano (or ½ teaspoon dried oregano)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 2 lbs. shrimp, unpeeled (I use “jumbo” shrimp with 16-20 ct./lb.)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, green onions, salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, rosemary, oregano, cayenne, bay leaf and lemon slices. Increase heat and bring to a simmer. Once the mixture simmers, remove from the heat.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet with the sauce; toss to coat.2 lbs. shrimp,
- Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for about 13-15 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink, stirring occasionally and basting with the sauce. Remove the skillet from the oven. Remove the bay leaf. Spoon the shrimp and sauce into bowls and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
NOLA BBQ Shrimp Recipe Variations
- Swap out the paprika and cayenne and use Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning instead. Remember, these can be salty. You will likely want to reduce the amount of salt that you add to the sauce or use unsalted butter.
- As written, the sauce is not too spicy. It has a hint of “kick” from a little bit of cayenne pepper but is still very kid-friendly. If you like a spicier dish, increase the cayenne. You can also add red pepper flakes, chili powder for some smokiness, or add some hot sauce!
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare just 1 pound of shrimp.
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
Shrimp Rolls
15 minutes mins
Sheet Pan Shrimp and Potatoes with Vegetables
55 minutes mins
Garlic Butter Shrimp with Old Bay
25 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in July, 2021. It was updated in January, 2025.
Scan this be made successfully with cleaned peeled shrimp?
Yes, ma’am! I’ve tried it that way and it works just fine. Less flavor since you’re missing the shells, but still delicious!