These New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp are so buttery, spicy, and good. Fresh shrimp are baked in a sauce flavored with lots of spice, garlic, lemon juice, and green onion. Serve with crusty French bread for an out of this world appetizer or meal. An accompanying cold beer is a must.
My favorite restaurant in Charlotte, The Cajun Queen, has a too-die-for BBQ Shrimp Appetizer. This one is almost as good.
The most important thing about eating BBQ Shrimp is the sauce. You need lots of it. And lots of crusty French bread to mop it up with.
Also, make note that you will get your fingers very messy and greasy peeling the shrimp. It’s not pleasant, but it’s unavoidable.
For me the key to good New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp is lots of butter, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Ironically BBQ Shrimp has nothing to do with the barbecue. It is either cooked stove-top or in the oven. I prefer oven-baked BBQ Shrimp. The shrimp have a little longer to linger in the sauce and pick up the flavors.
It’s important to cook the shrimp in the shells. Yes, it’s messy to peel them, but the shells really help keep the shrimp tender and moist and they flavor the sauce.
Tips for making New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp
- This is a fairly salty dish. If you want it to be less salty, try using reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce or a reduced-sodium Creole seasoning.
- You may want more heat. If so add a little extra cayenne pepper or serve it with Tabasco sauce.
- If you can get your hands on shrimp with the heads still on, use them for this recipe. The heads will add even more flavor to the sauce.
Watch the video below to see how easy it is to make New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp
New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2 pounds medium to large fresh shrimp, unpeeled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients EXCEPT shrimp in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Taste mixture and add a little salt if needed.
- Place shrimp in a 9X13-inch baking dish.
- Pour butter mixture over shrimp.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once.
- Serve with French bread to mop up the liquid.
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Tried tonight for the first time. There was a strong bitter flavor, possibly from the lemons, but otherwise it was a delicious dish. I’m going to try again with just lemon juice, not the rind.
The bay leaves turn bitter, I would also pull the lemon rinds once the dish is done cooking.
Bay leaves aren’t bitter. It’s the lemon.
Delicious!
I’m gonna try with bow tie pasta. Sounds Great!
Made this tonight but poured over pasta. Was so good!
Everyone loved these! I doubled the recipe and feel it was too much olive oil.
Peeled and ate the delicious shrimp. Served sauce mixed with Ziti. Baked garlic bread. What a meal. Thanks <3
Love this recipe easy to make . Make sure to have lots of French bread to sap up the delicious gravy.
Loved it! First time I tried it.
The shrimp should have heads and shells, wich add to the flavor, and make it messy to eat. Dipping crusty bread is the best part!
Outstanding! From the N.O. Area and this is the best recipe for that special dish!!! I added fresh basil to mine and it made it that much better. Hard to imagine!
Mr. B’s is truly the best for this dish , you are soooooo right !
Best Barbecue Shrimp recipe. As good as Mr. Bs on Royal Street.
We had frozen shrimp (headless and peeled) from New Orleans in the frig. I found your recipe while I was thawing out the shrimp. It turned out AMAZING even without the heads and shells. Definitely will make again with the right shrimp!!!
Thank you!!! I have peeled shrimp and was scared to make it but now I am 🙂
How long did you cook????
Thanks!
I made this with a 2-lb package of frozen shrimp I had stored for NYE. I was not happy they looked freezer burned, so I whipped out your recipe & saved my shrimp! I made modifications because I wasn’t headed back out to the store … Montreal Steak Seasoning & a couple of accidental dashes of Greek Seasoning before I realized I grabbed the wrong container 😃. My husband couldn’t stop eating it, so when I do this again, he’s REALLY going to flip!
Best ever! I don’t eat really hot/spicy food at all, but this shrimp was great! Loved it! Thanks, Lo and Hunt
My boyfriend and I made this last night and let me tell you it was so amazing we were both speechless! I brought some leftovers to work any my coworkers assumed I got it from a restaurant lol Absolutely yummy. We added tiger sauce and hotsauce to add more of a kick and we loved it!
This was a good recipe. Seasonings are great, however, it was a little too acidic for my taste. Not sure if it was the amount of Worcestershire sauce or the lemon juice. Next time I will cut both back and work from there. Thank you for sharing.
Put a little sugar in it…start w a teaspoon and work up til the right degree of acidity.
Best BBQ shrimp ever! And easy too!
First time making this. We had to use frozen large shrimp, 13-15ct. One bag was more then enough for my wife and I (about 2lbs). We had crusty French bread along side with a ice cold beverage of your choice. You can’t go wrong. Super easy to make. I ended up cooking in the over for 30mins since the shrimp was still partially frozen. I will definitely make again! Thank you.
You need to leave the head and shells on. The head especially because it gives it flavor from the fat.
From recipe tips:
“If you can get your hands on shrimp with the heads still on, use them for this recipe. The heads will add even more flavor to the sauce.”
I’ve been looking for these recipes for a long time. Thank you
SHRIMP ETOUFFEE WAS JUST PERFECT,,,loved it,,,thanks