BBQ Shrimp (New Orleans Style)

Don’t be fooled by the name: New Orleans BBQ shrimp has nothing to do with a grill or barbecue sauce. It’s shrimp baked in a rich, peppery, garlic-butter sauce, and that sauce is the whole point.

The signature is a serious amount of butter loosened with white wine, then loaded with black pepper (don’t be shy with it), garlic, Worcestershire, lemon, bay, and a hit of hot sauce. It cooks down into a bold, spicy, buttery bath the shrimp practically swim in.

Marinating the shrimp in the sauce first, ideally overnight, lets all that flavor soak in before baking. Basting every 10 minutes as they bake keeps them coated and juicy.

Serve it the only proper way: piled into deep bowls with plenty of the sauce and a loaf of crusty French bread for mopping. Roll up your sleeves; this one’s gloriously messy.

Chef Tips

• Be generous with the black pepper; that bold peppery bite is what defines New Orleans BBQ shrimp.
• Marinate the shrimp in the sauce, overnight if you can, so they soak up the flavor before baking.
• Baste every 10 minutes so the shrimp stay coated and don’t dry out.
• Use head-on, shell-on shrimp if you can find them for the richest, most authentic sauce.

Variations

• Serve over rice or grits along with the bread.
• Add a pinch of cayenne or Creole seasoning for more heat.
• Finish with chopped parsley and an extra squeeze of lemon.