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New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp

Developed in the 1950’s at Pascal’s Manale, this iconic New Orleans dish isn’t made on a grill, with coals or on anything resembling a BBQ. It got its name because of the lovely brick color of the final dish. It is spicy, buttery and oh, so delicious!

This dish! I can’t say enough about this dish. It’s spicy, and buttery, and tangy, and rich. There’re so many descriptors that I could go on with. Let’s just say this dish is a must make!

How Did This BBQ Shrimp Originate?

One of the things that I love about this dish, outside of how amazingly delicious it is, is its origin story. It goes something like this:

After a business trip to Chicago, a long-time customer of New Orleans’ iconic restaurant, Pascal’s Manale, came into the restaurant requesting that the chef recreate a dish that he had eaten in the windy city.  Based on the customer’s description of the dish, the chef created what he thought was a good representation. When he served it, the guest said, “No, this is not what I tasted in Chicago. It is better!” I may have taken a little creative license with the dialogue, but it’s in line with the story ;)

As with so many of the shrimp recipes on the site, this dish comes together quickly and relies on ingredients that I typically have on hand.

I use the shrimp shells to add flavor to the sauce, but if that isn’t something that you want to fuss with, you can use peeled shrimp instead. It’ll still be very tasty. But, maybe just give it a try once and see what you think.

Serving New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

If you want to serve the BBQ Shrimp with a side dish, try roasted carrots or Brussels sprouts. I usually just have a basket of warm bread to sop up all of the delicious sauce. And when I say all of the sauce, I mean ALL of the sauce!

More Great Shrimp Recipes

Podcast Episode On Making BBQ Shrimp

Listen to learn how to make this recipe, along with some great tips from Christine:

Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.

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New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp Recipe

  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Entrée
  • Method: Stovetop

DESCRIPTION

Developed in the 1950’s at Pascal’s Manale, this iconic New Orleans dish isn’t made on a grill, with coals or on anything resembling a BBQ. It got its name because of the lovely brick color of the final dish. It is spicy, buttery and oh, so delicious!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 lb. (21 – 25 count) shrimp, shells on
  • 4 tsp. Creole seasoning, divided
  • 2 tsp. black pepper, divided
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp. hot sauce, Crystal or Tabasco
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped chives

Instructions

  1. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tails attached reserving the shells. Set the shells aside.
  2. Place the shrimp in a large bowl, sprinkle with 3 teaspoons Creole seasoning and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir to coat the shrimp. Set aside.
  3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the reserved shrimp shells and sauté for 5 minutes. Remove the shells with a slotted spoon and discard. Make sure as much of the oil remains in the pan as possible.
  4. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  5. Add the wine, Worcestershire sauce, remaining teaspoon of Creole seasoning, remaining teaspoon of pepper, bay leaves, and hot sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Add the shrimp and cook 5 minutes stirring frequently.
  7. Add the butter and cook for an additional 2 minutes until the butter has melted completely. Don’t overcook your shrimp or they will be tough.
  8. Spoon into a wide soup bowl and garnish with chives.
  9. Serve with crusty French bread to sop up the wonderfully spiced, buttery sauce.

Notes

  • You can substitute peeled and deveined shrimp for the shell on shrimp. Just skip step three.