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This New Orleans BBQ Shrimp is plump, juicy shrimp simmered in a rich, buttery creole sauce with garlic, Worcestershire, lemon, and a kick of cajun spice, and it comes together in one skillet in about 20 minutes. Despite the name there is no barbecue or grill involved, just a saucy, finger-licking New Orleans classic you sop up with crusty bread. If you love bold Louisiana flavors, our chicken, sausage, and shrimp gumbo is another must-make.
One skillet, big buttery creole flavor, and ready in about 20 minutes for an appetizer or main that always impresses.
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 347kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Buttery, garlicky, spicy creole shrimp
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our creamy lemon shrimp
Quick Answer
To make New Orleans BBQ shrimp, stir together a creole spice blend of thyme, onion powder, creole seasoning, rosemary, pepper, and smoked paprika. Melt butter in a skillet and saute minced garlic, then add the shrimp and spices and cook for a couple minutes. Deglaze the pan with lager beer, then stir in Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and zest and simmer. Finish by swirling in cold butter a little at a time to make a velvety sauce, and serve with crusty bread.
Jump to:
- New Orleans BBQ Shrimp Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- New Orleans BBQ Shrimp FAQs
- Other Recommended Seafood Recipes
- New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- It is all about that butter sauce. Swirling in cold butter at the end creates a glossy, velvety creole sauce you will want to sop up with bread.
- Bold New Orleans spice. Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, thyme, and rosemary give the shrimp deep, layered Louisiana flavor.
- Beer deglazes for depth. A splash of lager scrapes up all the browned bits and adds a savory richness to the sauce.
- It is a fast one-skillet recipe. Everything cooks in a single pan in about 20 minutes, start to finish.
- Worcestershire and lemon balance it. Tangy lemon and savory Worcestershire keep the rich butter sauce bright and balanced.
- Appetizer or main. Serve it as a shareable appetizer with bread or over rice as a hearty main.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is plump, juicy shrimp in a rich, buttery creole sauce you sop up with bread.
- It comes together in one skillet in about 20 minutes.
- It is full of bold Louisiana flavor, just like our Cajun sausage dirty rice.
Key Ingredients
Here is everything you need for this buttery New Orleans BBQ shrimp. A handful of pantry spices and a few fresh ingredients build big creole flavor.
- Shrimp: Colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on, stay juicy and look impressive. Thaw if frozen.
- Butter: Cold unsalted butter, added in batches at the end, is the secret to the velvety sauce.
- Garlic: Plenty of minced fresh garlic gives the sauce its savory backbone.
- Creole Seasoning and Spices: Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, and pepper build that signature New Orleans flavor.
- Lager Beer: Used to deglaze the pan and add savory depth. Any light lager works.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds savory, tangy umami that is classic in BBQ shrimp.
- Lemon: Fresh juice and zest brighten the rich, buttery sauce.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This New Orleans BBQ shrimp is easy to adjust to your taste. Here are a few ways to switch it up.
- Turn up the heat: Add cayenne, hot sauce, or extra creole seasoning for a spicier sauce.
- Skip the beer: Use seafood stock or chicken broth in place of the lager.
- Make it a main: Serve over rice or grits to soak up all that buttery sauce.
- Add more seafood: Toss in some crab or andouille like our gumbo for a heartier dish.
- Use jumbo shrimp: Any large shrimp works; just adjust the cooking time so they do not overcook.
- Extra lemon: Add more lemon juice and zest for a brighter, tangier sauce.
How to Make New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
- In a small bowl, stir together the thyme, onion powder, creole seasoning, rosemary, pepper, and smoked paprika and set aside.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the shrimp and the spice mixture, toss to coat, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Deglaze the pan with the lager beer, scraping up any browned bits, and cook down for 1 minute.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and lemon zest and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Swirl in the remaining cold butter in two batches until melted into a velvety sauce and the shrimp are cooked through, then serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use cold butter at the end and add it in batches so the sauce emulsifies into a velvety, glossy finish.
- Do not overcook the shrimp; they only need a few minutes and turn rubbery if cooked too long.
- Pat the shrimp dry before cooking so they sear instead of steam.
- Deglaze well, scraping up the browned bits, since that is where a lot of the flavor lives.
- Have everything prepped before you start, because this recipe moves fast.
- Serve with crusty bread to soak up every drop of the buttery creole sauce.
- Use fresh lemon for the brightest flavor in the sauce.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
New Orleans BBQ shrimp is meant to be a saucy, hands-on dish, so serve it in a shallow bowl or skillet with plenty of crusty French bread for sopping up the buttery sauce. A stack of napkins is a must, because peeling those tail-on shrimp gets messy in the best way.
Serve it as a shareable appetizer to start a Louisiana-style feast, or make it a main over rice or grits. It is right at home next to our Cajun sausage dirty rice and a bowl of chicken, sausage, and shrimp gumbo.
For a lighter seafood spread, pair it with our air fryer salmon or a batch of creamy lemon shrimp so there is plenty to go around.
This dish is best enjoyed fresh and hot, but any leftovers keep in the fridge for a day or two. Reheat gently so the shrimp do not toughen.
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp FAQs
Despite the name, New Orleans BBQ shrimp is not grilled or made with barbecue sauce. It is a classic Louisiana dish of shrimp simmered in a rich, buttery, peppery sauce with Worcestershire, garlic, and creole seasoning. The name is thought to come from the deep, savory, smoky flavor of the spices, which is reminiscent of barbecue even though it is all made in a skillet.
Large colossal or jumbo shrimp are best because they stay juicy and plump in the buttery sauce and make an impressive presentation. Traditionally the shrimp are left with the shells and heads on for extra flavor, but peeled and deveined shrimp with the tails on are easier to eat and still delicious. Just be careful not to overcook them.
Yes, you can make it without beer. The lager is used to deglaze the pan and add savory depth, but you can substitute seafood stock, chicken broth, or even a splash of white wine. The sauce will still be rich and flavorful from the butter, garlic, Worcestershire, and creole spices.
Crusty French bread is the classic pairing, perfect for soaking up all that buttery creole sauce. You can also serve the shrimp over white rice, grits, or pasta to turn it into a hearty main dish. A simple green salad or some roasted vegetables on the side rounds out the meal.
New Orleans BBQ shrimp has a mild to medium heat from the creole seasoning and black pepper, but it is more savory and buttery than fiery. If you like it spicier, add cayenne, hot sauce, or extra creole seasoning. If you prefer it mild, simply reduce the creole seasoning and skip any added cayenne.
New Orleans BBQ shrimp is best made fresh and served right away, since shrimp can turn rubbery when reheated. You can prep ahead by mixing the spice blend, mincing the garlic, and peeling the shrimp so everything is ready to go. Then the actual cooking only takes about 10 minutes when you are ready to serve.
Love bold Louisiana flavor? Try our hearty chicken, sausage, and shrimp gumbo next.
Serve these shrimp alongside our easy crab cakes for a New Orleans-style seafood spread.
Spoon these saucy BBQ shrimp over a bowl of our creamy grits for an easy shrimp and grits dinner.
For another fun seafood starter, boil up a batch of our peel and eat shrimp with cocktail sauce.
Skip bland grits and make our luscious cheesy grits with three kinds of dairy.
Pipe whipped dill cream cheese into crisp cucumber boats for an easy crowd pleaser.
My roasted shrimp cocktail brings the same roasted depth in appetizer form.
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh finely chopped rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cut into tablespoons, divided
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 pounds colossal shrimp peeled and deveined, tail on
- 1/4 cup lager beer
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
- zest of half a lemon
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the thyme, onion powder, creole seasoning, rosemary, pepper, and paprika, and set aside.1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon creole seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon fresh finely chopped rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter.1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
- Once melted, add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant.4 cloves garlic
- Add the shrimp and the spice mixture, toss to combine, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 1/2 pounds colossal shrimp
- Deglaze the pan with the beer, scraping the bottom of the pan in case there are any browned bits stuck, and cook down for 1 minute.1/4 cup lager beer
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and stir to combine. Simmer for 2 minutes.2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, zest of half a lemon
- Add the remaining cold butter in two batches, stirring it in while it melts to form a velvety sauce.
- Once all the butter is melted and the shrimp is fully cooked, it is ready to serve.
Notes
- Keep the Butter Cold: Adding cold butter in batches helps create a smooth, velvety sauce.
- Don’t Overcook the Shrimp: Shrimp cook quickly; as soon as they turn pink and opaque, they’re done.
- Use Fresh Herbs if Possible: Fresh thyme and rosemary enhance the flavor but dried herbs work in a pinch.
- Deglaze the Pan Well: Scrape up those browned bits when adding the beer for maximum flavor.
- Serve with Crusty Bread: Don’t let that delicious sauce go to waste—bread is perfect for soaking it up.
- Adjust Spice Level: Feel free to add more black pepper or hot sauce if you like it spicier.
Nutrition
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