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.
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
Before 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.
Mix to blend.
Toss the shrimp with the spices until evenly coated.
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.
Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for about a minute. Do not brown.
Add the shrimp.
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.
Continue cooking for a few minutes more until the shrimp are cooked, then scatter the thinly sliced scallions over top.
Serve with buttered rice or toasted baguette slices.
You may also like
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- Ginger, Garlic & Chili Shrimp
- Peel n’ Eat Shrimp with Homemade Cocktail Sauce
- Sheet-Pan Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Orzo Risotto with Shrimp, Bacon & Peas
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.
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
- 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.
- 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
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- 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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This note is on this recipe but it is for your general email box.
I loved your old website because, unlike all the others, I didn’t have to read through all of the recipe history and emotions. I could just click on “recipe” or check the “reviews.” I really don’t want to have to go through all of a chef’s blog to get to a good recipe. That’s why I love Ina and Lidia. It’s not about them. It’s about the food. I have recommended your website to many many people. I have your cookbook. I love your recipes. You are an amazing chef and have contributed so much to my family.
A major reason for this is not just your recipes, but because of the efficiency of your previous website. I am a professional and an incredible cook, and I highly value great organization without having to go through fluff. I would have never followed you if your website was like it is today. I don’t need to hear and see all of the additional information before the recipe. It should be after the recipe. Loved the recipe shortcut link at the top!!
I hope I can do this new website. I have avoided all others that present their opinion before their recipe. Please, Jenn, reconsider. Would love the recipe link back up at the top.
Thank you.
Hi Charlene, There is still a “jump to recipe” button — it’s the little recipe card right on top of the photo (to the right). You can also jump straight to the reviews by clicking on the drop-down arrow next to the stars. Hope that helps!
Good morning Charlene…
I’m surprised with all your skills you overlooked the button which takes you directly to the recipe. Very,very simple to see…
Apparently there are many of us here who thoroughly enjoy & appreciate the layout of Jenn’s website. The last thing one finds here is “fluff” about Jenn and her life. When the personal experiences are included, it’s very little and in good taste. More than anything,Once Upon A Chef provides ongoing inspiration, along with solid recipes & instructions (she’s the best at this). I personally look forward to it,and from the loads of ongoing positive reviews,I’m not the only one.
Good Luck
Lisa
Yum! We loved this! And the next time I made it we didn’t have shrimp so I substituted catfish filets. That made a different dish, but it was equally delicious. My husband said we should have it often, and it’s so easy that I’m sure we will. Served the catfish with your butternut squash polenta as you suggested. Perfect!
Loved this recipe and served over grits!
Flavorful, easy after work meal! The balance of flavors was perfect. We were in the mood for some comfort food and had shrimp in the freezer. While I prefer fresh , this is good recipe to use with frozen because the spices conceal some of he frozen flavor. I soaked the shrimp in coconut milk and little baking soda to neutralize any iodine/freezer taste and then rinsed and proceeded with the recipe. I cut the butter in half and added a splash of sherry at the end but those changes weren’t necessary , just based on my pantry. Also added some fresh diced tomato. Served with cauliflower Mac and cheese and arugula stewed in ham stock. Will mak again !
Wanted something quick and different with the shrimp I had in the fridge and this really fit the bill. Have no idea why Bryant gave this a 1 star as this was very flavorful with the right balance of spice, acidity and sweetness and I love the fact that Jenn lowered the fat content in this. Emeril’s recipe is a heart attack on a plate and more time consuming. Anything tastes better with tons of fat. My husband loved it and he is very picky on flavors and taste.
Absolutely one of the worst shrimp recipes we have ever tried. Shrimp were totally bland and flavorless. Of course I am from New Orleans, but if you want anything near the real thing try Emeril’s recipe and leave this one alone.
I agree with you on Emeril’s recipe being better. This was just okay for us. Not horrible; not great. I kind of feel $30 worth of fresh shrimp were lost to a fair to middlin’ recipe that was missing depth of flavor.
We made this recipe and thought it was missing something… flavor, missing flavor. What did we do wrong. We used new and fresh ingredients.
Hi Jace, I’m sorry that you found this to be lacking in flavor. If you didn’t make any changes to the recipe and used fresh ingredients, it may just not suit your tastes. Sorry it was a flop for you!
Not knocking Emeril’s recipe, but that one takes at least an hour, working fast with prep. This one takes 20 minutes, uses fewer pans, and is quite good. Got the shrimp on sale for $7/lb. Great recipe for a weeknight meal. Will go into the rotation.
I love this recipe but made a few changes that I think improve the taste, after sticking exactly to the original recipe the first time. First of all, I used a whole stick of butter and doubled the other ingredients. I did not toss the shrimp with the spices but added the spices, worcestershire sauce, and a couple of bay leaves to the melted butter and garlic, heated gently for 5 minutes, then turned up the heat and cooked the shrimp. The last time I made this recipe, I used unshelled, deveined shrimp. I think these changes make a great recipe even better!
Any way to Skewer and grill the shrimp to achieve a simalar flavor?
Hi Carla, I do think you could get away with skewering and grilling the shrimp. I’d brush just a little of the sauce on the shrimp before grilling and then serve the rest (the majority) of it on the side. (Make sure to pour a little bit of the sauce for brushing on the shrimp into a separate bowl so you don’t contaminate the remainder of the sauce.) LMK how it turns out!
Delicious and easy!
Fast, simple and delicious! This was a great Lent friendly option!