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.
Want to Save This Recipe?
More New Orleans Favorites
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Don’t change a thing !! Keep recipe AS IS … this was a marvelous “mouth-watering-juicy-tasting-delicious-I-want-more” type of recipe. Kudos!
We forgot to get the crusty bread .. ended up using sandwich bread, I suggest get the crusty bread, LOL.
Just made this tonight! Super quick and easy. The only changes I made were to peel the shrimp (I hate messy hands, it’s a me-problem) so I shelled them and then left the shells on top of the baking dish while cooking so I still got the flavor. I also didn’t have enough lemon juice so I had to substitute with white wine to make the remaining liquid. The ratios were perfect and thank you so much for this recipe!
I often serve New Orleans BBQ Shrimp with French bread to soak up the rich sauce.
10
Just made this! I’ve made this so many times but this recipe is my new go to, simple with the right Cajun seasoning. Love the oven it makes it easier and I agree it really lets the flavor soak in
Made this tasty recipe today for New Year’s 2024 and it’s definitely a recipe worth keeping! So easy as we had all of the ingredients, just added FRESH San Felipe Mexico shrimp. French bread is the perfect accompaniment to soak up the buttery, garlicky goodness. Thank you for sharing this recipe, and Happy New Year!!
Amazing and easy. Serve it with rice and some ciabatta bread to dunk the shrimp lemon Cajun sauce. It’s divine.
Quick, easy and Oh So Delicious!! Make sure you have a nice crusty bread to sop up the sauce.
My Mama always made us individual square cake pans of this growing up in NOLA. This recipe is exactly like she made hers. Wonderful! Add in that NOLA french bread and goodness is created 🥰
Awesome flavor and totally easy to do. We do ours in a big iron skillet and put it in the middle of the table to serving.
authentic f’sure!
Amazing! We made our own creole seasoning and the sauce was amazing. Dipping the bread in it is almost better than the shrimp!
Louisiana girl here, this recipe is delicious! Thanks! Truly a genuine Nola style BBQ shrimp recipe!
Love this recipe. I’ve made it for parties and for my family served over rice. Delicious!
superb….. I added some Italian herbs, otherwise spot on delicious New Orleans style BBQ shrimp….thank you, thank you!!!
I have made this for my family on many occasions.. it’s a hit every time!
Reminds me of New Orleans every time I prepare. Love this!
I made this for my family and got no complaints! I used jumbo shell-on white shrimp. I followed the recipe since I don’t eat shrimp.. They loved the flavor of the sauce and soaked it up with French bread. Great meal!
Made this to use in a spicy Bloody Mary. I cooked as directed but drained, skewered the shrimp and added it to Bloody. As the saying goes BAM. Will definately try as a dinner sometime in the near future,
(i used Bloody Mary mix from Pinterest- LT Dan’s Best Bloody Mary Mix Recipe-spicy and definately complemented the shrimp
Absolutely the BEST shrimp recipe. Served it with tiny red new potatoes & crusty French bread.