This is one of those get messy, dip the bread, and enjoy every spicy bite of perfectly cooked jumbo shrimp in an easy but ridiculously good New Orleans BBQ Shrimp recipe that everyone can master – better yet – over the coals in cast iron.
Table of Contents
- Save This Recipe ✉️
- You’ll Love Our Mouth Watering BBQ Shrimp Recipe
- BBQ Shrimp Ingredients
- How to Make New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
- New Orleans BBQ Shrimp Recipe Expert Tips
- How to Serve This Louisiana BBQ Shrimp
- Leftovers & Reheating
- More tasty shrimp recipes
- Save This Recipe ✉️
- Louisiana BBQ Shrimp Recipe
- Recipe FAQs
A few years back, someone served us a delicious dish loaded with spicy shrimp and crusty bread. It was our first time experiencing New Orleans BBQ shrimp, and ever since we have been absolutely obsessed with this shrimp dish.
You’ll Love Our Mouth Watering BBQ Shrimp Recipe
The steaming hot skillet is loaded with jumbo gulf shrimp simmered and sauteed with garlic, onions, and spices before being tossed in a rich sauce with a hint of heat and a pop of freshness from some lemon juice. It’s a balanced dish that has you peeling and dunking shrimp and bites of crusty bread into the sauce over and over.
Pretty much almost as fun as shrimp skewers. Ok, more fun. But also, more clean up.
Now, technically, this dish doesn’t have to be cooked on a grill (or over a fire), but since it’s BBQ shrimp, we figured we’d give it a try. Turns out, it’s one of our favorite camping dinners! And much like our favorite Cajun shrimp tacos, it packs a ton of flavor!
BBQ Shrimp Ingredients
This is one of those recipes where you don’t want to skimp. It’s incredibly easy, and top-quality ingredients will shine through:
- Jumbo gulf shrimp – the large, shell-on shrimp.
- Butter – unsalted.
- Hot sauce – use your favorite hot sauce.
- Cajun-style seasoning – we used Louisiana Lightning, but any creole seasoning will do.
- White wine – use a dry white wine with higher acidity, like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc. They’ll add a hint of flavor without overwhelming the dish.
- Chicken broth – low sodium.
- Garlic
- Onion
- Lemon
- Parsley
- Worcestershire sauce – adds a subtle umami flavor.
Oh! And the sauce is amazing, so you are going to want to dip lots of crusty French bread into it as well.
GirlCarnivore Pro Tip: Cooking over coals can be tricky, especially when regulating heat in a cast iron pan. For success, have all of your ingredients ready to go before you start, and don’t be afraid to pull the cast iron off the heat to cool things off. Remember, cast iron holds heat, so moving it around to make sure things don’t get too hot is totally ok.
How to Make New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
Start by preheating your cast iron over a 2-zone cooking fire or grill. Now, add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and give it a good coat. Next up, toss in the onion and sauté in the melted butter for 5 minutes until they’re translucent and get a hint of golden brown.
Next, add the garlic and let it cook for just 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the Cajun seasoning, giving everything a good stir to make sure it’s evenly coated. Now, pour in the Worcestershire and hot sauce, and give it a good mix. Don’t forget to add that zing with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Toss the shrimp into the onion mixture, cook, and flip until the shrimp turn pink and cooked through about 3 to 5 minutes. Once done, wrap the shrimp in foil and set them aside.
Now, let’s whip up that savory sauce. Using the same cast iron skillet, deglaze with white wine, scraping up any browned bits for extra flavor. Stir in chicken broth and let it simmer until the liquid thickens, coating the back of the spoon for around 10 minutes. Remove it from heat, and whisk in butter, one tablespoon at a time.
Toss the sautéed shrimp back into the skillet, add the Over Easy blend, and give them a good coat in that delicious sauce. Top it off with some fresh parsley for that burst of color and flavor.
Now, with caution, serve it straight from the skillet while it’s hot. If you prefer, transfer it to a big bowl and serve it up with some grilled bread and lemon wedges.
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp Recipe Expert Tips
- Before reheating your shrimp, let them come to room temperature.
- Let your shrimp come to room temp before cooking to ensure it cooks evenly.
How to Serve This Louisiana BBQ Shrimp
This dish is super saucy, so you’ll need some crusty baguettes to sop up the goodness. If you plan on serving this dish as a meal, we suggest pairing it with some air fryer corn on the cob and roasted green beans. Or, if you’re serving it as an appetizer, serve it alongside some steamed stone crab claws with garlic butter and smoked bacon-wrapped scallops for the ultimate seafood spread.
Leftovers & Reheating
Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months, but we find that they lose quality when frozen and reheated.
To reheat:
- Place a large skillet on the stovetop on medium heat.
- Place leftover shrimp inside the skillet and sauté for a few minutes each side until warm.
- Remove and serve.
More tasty shrimp recipes
With fresh shrimp, cajun spices, and Worcestershire-spiked butter sauce, this easy recipe brings a taste of the bayou right into your home. It’s super easy to make and is the perfect appetizer or main course for any occasion.
Have you tried this recipe? Do us a favor and rate the recipe card with the ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and drop a comment to help out the next reader.
Louisiana BBQ Shrimp
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 6 tbsp butter butter
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 6 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp Cajun spice
- 1 lb Jumbo Shrimp shell on
- 4 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 tbsp Hot sauce
- 1 Lemon juiced
For the Sauce
- 1/2 cup White wine
- 2 cups Chicken broth
- 1 tsp GirlCarnivore Over Easy spice blend
- 2 tbsp fresh Parsley chopped
To Serve
- salt and coarsely ground pepper if desired
- 1 loaf crusty bread toasted
Instructions
Cook the Shrimp
- Preheat your cast iron over a 2-zone cooking fire or grill.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and coat.
- Add the onion and sautee for 5 minutes, until translucent and slightly browned.
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add the Cajun seasoning and stir to coat.
- Add the Worcestershire and hot sauce and stir to combine.
- Add the lemon juice.
- Add the shrimp, tossing in the onion mixture, and cooking, flipping as needed until shells become pink and shrimp is cooked through on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove shrimp, wrap in foil, and set aside.
Make Sauce
- Working with the same cast iron skillet, deglaze with white wine, scraping up any browned bits.
- Stire in chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Allow the liquid to reduce until thickened and coats the back of spoon, aboit 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat, whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Return the shrimp to coat
- Toss shrimp back in skillet, add the Over Easy blend, and toss to coat the shrimp in the sauce.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
Serve
- Using caution, serve directly from the skillet hot, or transfer to a warm bowl, with grilled bread and lemon wedges, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Recipe FAQs
You can, but keep in mind that they don’t take as long to cook, so watch them closely.
What is the blend of spices in your over easy seasoning? Because it is not available on Amazon And not available in your storefront. I’m not even sure if I can buy it in my country without paying more for shipping costs so I’m really curious what’s in the seasoning so I can make this recipe.
Thanks Madeline, we are currently between distributors and will have our spices back on shelves soon. Stay tuned!
You are the crustacean queen!!! 🦞 🦐 🦀
Delicious! As an almost 60 yr old native New Orleanian, please, please, please take my advice and try this with head-on shrimp. The fat and “goodness” that cooks in the sauce from the heads is an absolute game changer and a must! It will take the creaminess and flavor to a whole new level. And down here in NOLA, we are almost always in a bib and imbibing while consuming.
Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Oh absolutely! I don’t get em much out this way with the head on, but if you’ve got them and the people to enjoy them – absolutely! Cheers,
I’m confused. Where does the Louisiana Lightning come in? Is that a type of hot sauce?
Hi Robyn, Sorry for the confusion. Louisiana lightning was the name of the cajun spice blend I tested in this recipe, but whichever your favorite cajun spice blend is will work.
I didn’t serve this over grits or with cheese because we keep it keto however, I wish I could have! That would have been amazing. Another commenter said that they serve this with grits when they make it. Hope this helps!
I grew up in New Orleans. We serve this dish over the top of southern grits cooked smooth and creamy with milk. Shrimp and grits with lots of buttery sauce and French bread slices. One of my absolutely favorite dishes of all.
Do you use white grits or yellow? Did you add cheese of any kind? TIA
Robyn
Easter Sunday will be the 3rd or 4th time we have made this wonderful dish. The only minor thing that is a change is that we don’t rest the shrimp prior to serving. Anything that small does not need to rest. It should come off the grill and eat asap. All you get from resting the shrimp it colder shrimp.
Try it with fresh rosemary. You will thank me later.
Next time, will do!