New Orleans-Inspired BBQ Shrimp

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This sautéed barbecue shrimp in a Worcestershire-spiked butter sauce is one of those dishes you can throw together at a moment’s notice.

Bread in a bowl with New Orleans-inspired barbeque shrimp.

New Orleans BBQ shrimp has actually very little to do with barbecue. The Louisiana dish refers to sautéed shrimp in a garlicky, Worcestershire-spiked butter sauce. Typically made with copious amounts of butter, the shrimp are cooked and served with the shell on and then peeled at the table. It’s a rich and delicious dish but not very practical for a weeknight family dinner. This is my super-simple, easy-to-eat version. Butter is still the main ingredient in the sauce but I’ve scaled the amount way back, and the shrimp are peeled before cooking. If you keep shrimp in your freezer, it’s one of those shrimp recipes you can throw together at a moment’s notice. Bonus: kids love it!

What you’ll need to make New Orleans-Inspired BBQ shrimp

bbq shrimp ingredientsBefore we get started, a few words on buying shrimp. While fresh seafood is obviously superior to frozen, I always buy frozen shrimp. Fact is, unless you live on the coast, it’s near impossible to find truly fresh shrimp. The “fresh” shrimp you see in the seafood case at the supermarket is typically thawed frozen shrimp, and you never know how long it’s been sitting out.

Almost all shrimp are cleaned and flash frozen shortly after being caught, so for the freshest shrimp, you’re better off buying frozen and defrosting it yourself. For this recipe, I buy extra-large frozen shrimp labeled “shell split and deveined.” Come dinnertime, all I have to do is run the shrimp under warm water to quickly defrost and then peel.

Step-by-step instructions

To begin, add the paprika, ancho chili powder, cumin, salt, and sugar to a bowl. Note that ancho chili powder is not the same as regular chili powder. Chili powder is a blend of spices, while ancho chili powder is a pure chili powder made from ground ancho peppers with deep rich flavor and mild to medium heat.

Unmixed spices in a bowl.

Mix to blend.

Spatula in a bowl with mixed spices.

Toss the shrimp with the spices until evenly coated.

tossing shrimp with spices

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.

melting butter in skillet

Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for about a minute. Do not brown.

sautéing garlic

Add the shrimp.

adding shrimp to skillet

Continue cooking until almost done but still opaque in spots. Keep the heat at medium so the shrimp cook gently; if shrimp are cooked over high heat, they can seize up and become tough. Add the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and a few tablespoons of water.

partially cooked shrimp

Continue cooking for a few minutes more until the shrimp are cooked, then scatter the thinly sliced scallions over top.

cooked bbq shrimp with scallions

Serve with buttered rice or toasted baguette slices.

Bread in a bowl with New Orleans-inspired barbeque shrimp.

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New Orleans-Inspired BBQ Shrimp

This sautéed barbecue shrimp in a Worcestershire-spiked butter sauce is one of those dishes you can throw together at a moment’s notice.

Servings: 4 - 6
Total Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 2 pounds extra large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 3 scallions, dark green parts, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Mix the paprika, ancho chili powder, cumin, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Add the shrimp to the spices and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.
  2. Melt the butter over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet. Add the garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for one minute. Do not brown. Add the shrimp and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are almost cooked but still opaque in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and water and cook until shrimp are done, 1 to 2 minutes more. Scatter the scallions over top and serve.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Calories: 209
  • Fat: 11 g
  • Saturated fat: 7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 5 g
  • Sugar: 2 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 21 g
  • Sodium: 928 mg
  • Cholesterol: 216 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • I make about 90% of these recipes when they come! It’s almost as if they were heaven sent! Can’t wait to make this one! Happy cooking! 🙂

    • — Monica Armijo-Miranda
    • Reply
  • I graduated from Univ of Louisiana. I love the food in that area. This looks very good.

  • This sounds wonderful. I will definitely be trying this out this week.

  • Well, this looks easy enough and I have all the ingredients. I see a delicious dinner in my future! Thank you!

  • Looks like another great recipe. Thanks.

  • sounds amazing. That’s what we’re having tonight!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Went to college in NOLA so this is a must try for dinner

  • Almost feel guilty planning this for a Lenten meal ; )

    • — Denise Glennon
    • Reply
  • Really excited to try this out!

  • Definitely trying this this weekend.

    • Thank you for the shopping tip on purchasing shrimp! Great insight.

      • Do you live in Naples?

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