New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

Cooked BBQ shrimp in a bowl with a loaf of crunchy bread.

4.83 from 17 votes

BBQ Shrimp is a classic New Orleans recipe where shrimp is sautéed in a savory sauce made from butter, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, black pepper, & lemon juice. You don't need a grill, but you'll want some crunchy French bread.

Prep Time2

Cook Time15

Total Time17

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Cajun, Creole, Southern

Keyword: barbecue shrimp, barbeque shrimp, new orleans bbq shrimp

Cooking Method: Stove

Servings:

Calories: 1558kcal

Author: Kari

Equipment

a large cast iron skillet

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds jumbo shrimp about 18 shrimp
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed if possible, about 1 lemon
4 tablespoons black pepper coarsely ground
2 teaspoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 ½ teaspoons garlic minced
1 ½ cups butter cold, cut into cubes. We like salted butter, but you can use unsalted to make the dish less rich.
French bread
lemon slices

Instructions

In a large skillet, combine shrimp, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, black pepper, Creole seasoning, and freshly chopped garlic over medium heat.
1 ½ pounds jumbo shrimp, ½ cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 tablespoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, 1 ½ teaspoons garlic
Let the sauce warm up, and cook until the shrimp turn pink - about 1 minute on each side.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, then slowly add small cubes of butter, a few at a time.
1 ½ cups butter
Allow the butter to melt and mix it in completely, whisking quickly, and repeat until all the butter has been added. (If the shrimp appear to be fully cooked before you have finished adding the butter, you can remove the shrimp and place them in a bowl off to the side while you finish the sauce.)*
Once all the butter is added to the sauce, add the shrimp back to the pan and spoon the sauce over the shrimp to make sure it is all fully coated.
Remove from heat and serve immediately, pouring the shrimp into a big bowl with all of the sauce poured over the top.
Serve with French bread to dunk into the sauce and lemon slices if desired.
French bread, lemon slices

Notes

*You want to be sure to add the cubes of butter slowly so that the sauce has time to emulsify - you don't want it to break. (If you drop an entire stick of butter into the warm sauce, it will split, and you will have a greasy mess on your hands.)

This recipe will serve two people as a main course and four people if it is served as an appetizer. It can easily be doubled to serve a larger crowd, but make sure to use a large enough skillet to have enough space to allow the shrimp to cook evenly and allow the butter to melt quickly into the sauce.

Nutrition