New Orleans-Style Barbecue Shrimp

It's the most flavorful shrimp you'll ever eat.

By
Laurel Randolph
Laurel Randolph
Laurel Randolph
Laurel has over 10 years of experience developing recipes and writing about food. She is the author of 4 cookbooks, including the bestselling "The Instant Pot Electric Cookbook."
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Updated June 04, 2025
Laurel Randolph
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp in a dutch oven

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser

Why Make This

• New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp is an easy 25-minute recipe featuring shell-on shrimp cooked in a buttery, spicy sauce.
• Just stir garlic, Cajun seasoning, black pepper, and bay into melted butter. Add broth, lots of Worcestershire, and lemon, then simmer to reduce.
• Cook shrimp in the sauce, stir in more butter, and serve.

This classic New Orleans dish isn’t actually barbecued—instead, it can be made on your stovetop in just over 20 minutes. The name refers to the sauce, which is smoky red and punchy in flavor. 

What gives it that all-important flavor? Worcestershire sauce for one, along with a generous dose of black pepper which is tamed by just enough butter. Using shell-on shrimp gives the sauce real depth of flavor.

This recipe is straightforward: you make a flavorful and rich sauce, steam the shrimp in said sauce, and then enrich the sauce with butter. Serve with bread to soak up all of the flavors. It’s so easy and delicious, you’ll think you died and went to heaven. Serve New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp as a main dish or a fun, hands-on appetizer.

Shrimp Tips

Use big, shell-on shrimp for this recipe—either 16/20 or 21/25. I like to buy fresh shrimp from the seafood market for the best flavor, but frozen is perfectly fine. If you use frozen, thaw it properly before using. 

To thaw shrimp, let sit in the fridge for 24 hours. If you’re short on time, place the shrimp in a zip-top bag and remove as much air as possible. Submerge the bag in cold water and let stand until thawed. No matter which method you used, it’s important to remove excess water from thawed frozen shrimp. Gently press them between paper towels before cooking.

You can use shelled shrimp for this recipe, but the sauce won’t be as flavorful. Subtract a minute or so from the cook time.

New Orleans BBQ Shrimp in a platter at a table setting with a bowl of sliced baguettes, bowl of herbs, a glass of water, and table napkin

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser

A Note on Seasoning

Creole or Cajun seasoning work well for this recipe. I used Weber N’Orleans Cajun, but you can use your favorite. I don’t recommend Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning for this particular recipe—it’s too salty for the sauce. If you’re so inclined, make your own seasoning.

New Orleans Recipes

New Orleans-Style Barbecue Shrimp

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 servings

This recipe was developed by Julia Levy

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (4-ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, divided

  • 2 dried or fresh bay leaves (optional)

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tablespoon Creole or Cajun seasoning

  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 3/4 cup lower-sodium chicken broth

  • 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

  • 1 1/2 pound jumbo (16/20) unpeeled, raw shrimp 

  • Chopped fresh parsley, optional, for garnish

  • Warm crusty baguette, for serving

Method

  1. Melt the butter:

    Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the foam subsides and the butter starts to smell nutty, about 4 minutes.

  2. Make the sauce:

    Add the bay leaves (if using), garlic, Creole seasoning, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Bring to a vigorous simmer. 

    Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces to about 2/3 cup and coats the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes.

  3. Cook the shrimp:

    Add the shrimp to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring often, until shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 4 minutes. 

    Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with bread to soak up the sauce.

    Shrimp does not reheat well, so we do not recommend saving leftovers for more than 1 day.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
357 Calories
25g Fat
9g Carbs
25g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 357
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 15g 74%
Cholesterol 275mg 92%
Sodium 2016mg 88%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 5mg 25%
Calcium 134mg 10%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 454mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.