New Orleans Shrimp Po’ Boy

Are you looking for an amazing New Orleans shrimp Po’ Boy without having to travel to New Orleans? Then this recipe is for you. Enjoy crispy, seasoned fried shrimp tucked onto soft, airy French bread with all the classic fixings including the Creole remoulade sauce. All creating a perfect balance of crunch, spice, and Gulf-coast flavor in every bite.

The New Orleans shrimp Po’ Boy’s history starts with the 1929 streetcar strike, when Benny and Clovis Martin offered free sandwiches to striking “poor boys,” leading to the name. When a striker arrived, one of the brothers would allegedly call out, “Here comes another poor boy!” and the name stuck to the hearty sandwiches they served. The original free sandwiches, all served on distinctive, crisp New Orleans French bread, often featured roast beef and gravy or fried potatoes, but seafood like fried shrimp quickly became popular.

New Orleans-style shrimp is really the star in this dish. The shrimp are crisp, juicy, and full of bold Creole flavors. Plump shrimp are seasoned generously, with garlic, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper, then dipped in a seasoned batter before frying to a golden crunch. Each bite delivers a mix of spice and sweetness from the shrimp, capturing the vibrant, soulful taste of classic New Orleans cooking. Check out my New Orleans-Style Fried Shrimp recipe for more details on how to make this delicious shrimp.

Shrimp: You can use any size shrimp, but I prefer 31-40 count peeled, tail off & deveined shrimp. (Basically this means there are 31-40 shrimp per pound.) While the shrimp’s back has been deveined, the underside has not and this size makes it easier to clean the underside. I know a lot of people don’t take the time to do the second deveining but I’m not comfortable eating shrimp poop.

Batter: After battering the shrimp, let it rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before frying. This helps the coating stick to the shrimp better so it doesn’t fall of when frying. While it is resting, you can make the remoulade sauce, if you haven’t made it ahead of time.

Oil: To cook the shrimp, heat the oil to 350 degrees F so your shrimp fries crispy. If the temp is too low, the shrimp will get soggy, absorbing the oil. Too high of heat and the batter will burn.

Creole Remoulade Sauce: There are many variations of this sauce but I’ve included the one we like best. Just make it to suit your taste buds. Making the sauce a few hours or even a day ahead allows the flavors to really meld.

Time: This dish looks time consuming and complicated but trust me it’s really not. The Creole remoulade sauce takes about 5 minutes to make. As mentioned earlier, it is best to make the sauce ahead of time to let the flavors meld. The most time consuming part of the shrimp is the second deveining. After that, the shrimp takes only 15-20 minutes to prep and about 20 minutes to cook.

1. Mix salt, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper together in a small bowl. Divide the spice mixture in half.
2. Season the thawed and cleaned shrimp with half of the spice mixture.
3. Mix flour, cornmeal and the rest of the spice mixture together in a medium size bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk and hot sauce together.
5. Working one at a time or in small batches, dip seasoned shrimp in buttermilk mixture, then gently dredge the shrimp in the dry mixture to coat it.
6. Place the coated shrimp on a parchment lined cookie sheet or plate. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
7. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a deep, wide skillet. Be sure the oil has reached 350 degrees F before frying.
8. Work in batches, fry shrimp until golden brown about 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool.

Mix all remoulade ingredients together in a medium size bowl and chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to build the sandwich.

1. Cut the french bread loafs in half lengthwise. Lightly toast under a broiler or toaster oven.
2. Lather both insides of loaf with Creole remoulade sauce.
3. Dress your sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and pickles then pile on the shrimp.

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New Orleans Shrimp Po’ Boy

Recipe by janet @ mykitchenandkin.com

5.0 from 2 votes

Course: Dinner, SeafoodDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

1147

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

Enjoy crispy, seasoned fried shrimp tucked onto soft, airy French bread with all the classic fixings including the Creole remoulade sauce. All creating a perfect balance of crunch, spice, and Gulf-coast flavor in every bite.

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Ingredients

US Metric

• Fried Shrimp
  

• 2 pounds 2 raw 31-40 count peeled, tail off & deveined shrimp

• 3 teaspoons 3 fine sea salt

• 2 teaspoons 2 smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon 1 garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 cayenne pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 black pepper

• 1 1/2 cup 1 1/2 all purpose flour

• 1 cup 1 cornmeal

• 1 cup 1 buttermilk

• 3 Tablespoons 3 hot sauce (Cholula hot sauce or one of your choice)

• Canola or vegetable oil for frying

• Creole Remoulade Sauce

• 1 cup 1 mayonnaise

• 2 Tablespoons 2 Creole mustard (spicy brown or stone-ground Dijon can be substituted)

• 1 Tablespoon 1 ketchup (optional, for color and slight sweetness)

• 1 Tablespoon 1 fresh lemon juice (bottled will work too in a crunch)

• 1 teaspoon 1 hot sauce (such as Tabasco or Cholula)

• 1 teaspoon 1 Worcestershire sauce

• 2 cloves 2 garlic, minced (or 2 tsp granulated garlic)

• 2 Tablespoons 2 fresh parsley, finely chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 cayenne pepper (adjust to desired spice level)

• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

• Fried Shrimp
• Mix salt, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper together in a small bowl. Divide the spice mixture in half.
• Season the thawed and cleaned shrimp with half of the spice mixture.
• Mix flour, cornmeal and the rest of the spice mixture together in a medium size bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk and hot sauce together.
• Working one at a time or in small batches, dip seasoned shrimp in buttermilk mixture, then gently dredge the shrimp in the dry mixture to coat it.
• Place the coated shrimp on a parchment lined cookie sheet or plate. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Heat about 2 inches of oil in a deep, wide pan. Be sure the oil has reached 350 degrees F before frying.
• Work in batches, fry shrimp until golden brown about 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool.
• Creole Remoulade Sauce
• In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Creole mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined and smooth.
• Stir in garlic, chopped parsley, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
• For best flavor, cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld together. The sauce can be made up to 2-4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Assemble Po’ Boy Sandwich
• Slice four 8 inch long French loaves horizontally. Lightly toast.
• Garnish with dill pickles, shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes.
• Add shrimp.
• Drizzle with remoulade sauce or spread onto loaf halves.

Notes

• Hot Sauce: We like the taste of Cholula Hot Sauce, but I’ve also used Tabasco, Burman’s and Frank’s hot sauce too. They add a bit more vinegar taste.
• Storage: This shrimp should last up to 2 days in the fridge and up to 2 months in the freezer. To freeze, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze individually. Then transfer to a freezer safe Ziplock bag or container. Keep in mind, they may become overcooked when reheating.
• Oil: The amount of oil needed depends on the size of your pan. Instead of using 2 inches you can add about an inch and flip the shrimp half way through cooking.
• Creole remoulade sauce: This is a versatile condiment. It is excellent as a dipping sauce for fried seafood, crab cakes, shrimp po’ boys, and french fries, or as a dressing for a unique salad.
• Optional spices: 2 Tbsp prepared horseradish and 1 Tbsp finely chopped capers can be added to the remoulade sauce.

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