Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwich
Crispy, crunchy shrimp piled mile-high on a buttered, toasted French roll makes a soul-satisfying shrimp po’ boy sandwich. Stuff that with crunchy cabbage, fresh tomatoes, and a lip-smacking homemade remoulade sauce for a crazy delicious lunch!
Shrimp po’ boys are quintessential sandwiches in New Orleans cuisine – hands down. I ate my favorite sandwich shamelessly when I went to the French Quarters during my pregnancy. I long for those days, but it ain’t happening now.
This shrimp po’ boy recipe made with battered shrimp, toasted garlic French roll, refreshing lettuce, and tomatoes is irresistible. The creamy remoulade sauce tops all the goodness inside. I tell you, it doesn’t get better than this!
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Content… What Is an Authentic Po’ Boy? |
What Is an Authentic Po’ Boy?
Po’boy is a popular sandwich from Louisiana. Traditionally served on a French baguette with a crisp crust and soft and light center. Traditional stuffings include roast beef and fried seafood such as shrimp, crab, oyster, and fish.
How to Make Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwich
The Shrimp
- Preheat a deep-fryer to 375℉ (190℃) or a large saucepan filled about halfway with vegetable oil for frying.
- Mix the cornmeal, flour, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. (Photo 1)
- Combine buttermilk and eggs and set next to your breading mix. (Photo 2)
- Dip the peeled and deveined shrimp in the buttermilk mixture and lightly roll in the flour mixture. (Photos 3-4)
- Fry the breaded shrimp in the hot oil a few at a time until golden brown and crispy. It takes 3-4 minutes or more, depending on the size. These giant shrimp took about 6 minutes. (Photo 5)
- Drain – Remove from the fryer with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel to ensure crispness. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. (Photo 6)
The Sandwich
- Remoulade – Combine lemon juice, mayonnaise, garlic, relish, green onions, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper in a serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap to let the flavors mellow. Store in the refrigerator for about an hour before assembling the sandwiches.
- Toast – Slice the French bread rolls in half lengthwise, and toast them in the oven until lightly browned.
- Garlic Butter – While the bread is toasting, combine crushed garlic and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about a minute or until the butter melts.
- Assemble – Slather it on the toasted bread. Layer the fried shrimp, sliced cabbage or shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and drizzle with remoulade sauce. Sliced dill pickles or jalapenos also make tasty toppings. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Traditional filling options include roast beef, ham, crawfish, fried catfish, alligator, fried chicken, and sausage are all good. Even duck and rabbit are fairly common.
- Smoked oysters are another taste of the ocean to ramp up your po’ boy sandwiches.
- Blackened shrimp delivers a flavor variation to the Cajun fried shrimp.
- Pan-seared salmon levels up your sandwich into a fancy salmon po’boy. This one is sure to be a new crowd-favorite in no time.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
The key to successfully making ahead and storing leftover sandwich ingredients is to store them separately to keep them fresh.
- Bread. Wrap it in foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Toast fresh and slather with garlic butter or remoulade sauce when ready to satisfy your craving.
- Shrimp. Refrigerate or freeze them in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for 2-3 months. Reheat in the oven or air fryer right before assembly.
- Remoulade sauce. This delicious sauce should stay fresh in a glass jar for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
What Shrimp Po’ Boys Love Being With
Though the shrimp po’boy sandwich is already a complete meal, they’re even better with traditional sides. Southern potato salad, hush puppies (or Cajun fries), and a hearty helping of fried okra are incredible.
More Easy Southern Bites To Try
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
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This post was first published in April 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwich
Ingredients
The Sandwich
- 1½ pounds (680g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup (30g) cornmeal
- ¾ cup (95g) flour
- 2 teaspoons (6g) garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons (6g) onion powder
- ½-1 teaspoon (1-2g) cayenne pepper
- ¾-1 teaspoon (4-6) salt
- 1 teaspoon (2g) white or black pepper
- ¾ cup (184ml) buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 4 hoagie buns or French rolls
- 2 clove garlic, crushed
- 2-3 tablespoons (28-42g) butter
- 2 cups sliced cabbage or shredded lettuce
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Remoulade Sauce
- ½ lemon
- 1 cup (232g) mayonnaise
- 1½ teaspoon (9g) minced garlic
- 1-2 teaspoons (5-10g) Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon (5g) hot sauce (adjust to taste)
- 2 tablespoons (10g) relish
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon (5g) Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon (2g) Creole seasoning , optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a deep-fryer to 375℉ (190℃) and pour vegetable oil in halfway full. Or heat the oil in a large saucepan.
- Mix cornmeal, flour, garlic and onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Mix buttermilk and eggs. Set aside.
- Dip shrimp in the buttermilk mixture, then lightly roll in the flour mixture.
- Then, fry the shrimp in the fryer or saucepan a few at a time until slightly golden and crispy, 3-4 minutes, depending on the size. These big guys took about 6 minutes.
- Remove from the fryer with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate with a paper towel to ensure crispness. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
- Make the remoulade in a serving bowl by combining the freshly squeezed lemon juice, mayonnaise, garlic, relish, green onions, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Toast bread lightly in the oven.
- While the bread is toasting, combine the crushed garlic and butter. Then melt it in a microwave-safe bowl for about 1 minute in the microwave.
- Remove and spread it on the toasted bread.
- Assemble the sandwich by adding the shrimp, sliced cabbage or shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and drizzle with remoulade sauce.
Tips & Notes:
- Don’t overload the pan when frying the shrimp – a lot of shrimp all at once can crowd the pan and lower the temperature drastically. That lets the oil absorb into the food. So frying in batches is better.
- Once you remove the shrimp from the fryer, place them on a metal cooling rack above a sheet pan. A cooling rack allows fried foods to drain so they stay crisp.
- For the leftovers, store the ingredients separately so they’ll stay fresh.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Okay, this recipe is on point! The delicate balance of the seasoning for the shrimp breading is game changing. Then the sauce? Absolutely my new addiction. Add all of those flavors to crispy shrimp and top with tomatoes and cabbage and serve in a garlic, buttery roll? Stop it! I’m in love
hahaha, So Glad you love it, Loni! Thank you for the feedback!
Wow! Absolutely delicious! Breading on the shrimp was perfect as was the remoulade sauce. Will definitely make again.
Thank you for trying them out, Stephanie. I’m so happy that you like them.
I made this tonight we all thought it was great. My husband and Son thought that it needed Cajun seasoning in the flour mixture. Forgot the lettuce but had onions and they went great on the sandwich
Yum! Thanks so much, Elizabeth! 🙂
If I could give this recipe 10 stars, I would!!! The shrimp was delicious and the sauce was WOW!!!!! I’ll make that sauce for fish in the future too, not just for the po’ boys. Thank you for a fabulous and flavorful recipe.
Wow thank you so much, Annette! Glad to know that you loved this! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this out this weekend, it’s one of my favorites every time I go to NOLA! I’m curious if this can be air-fried, or would I have to change the batter up at all? I just got an air-fryer so I’m on a kick with it, trying out everything!
Hi Rose! No need to change the batter, just spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil, put the shrimp in and spritz the shrimp with oil. Let me know how it goes. Enjoy! 🙂
Can this recipe be baked?
Hi Stacy! I haven’t tried baking this but if you wanted to bake the shrimp instead of frying, you may want to keep an eye out for the temp and baking time. Please share how it turns out 🙂 Enjoy!
I made these for dinner tonight and my family LOVED them! My husband actually said he was going to the store tomorrow to buy more shrimp! Quick and easy recipe that the embryos family enjoyed!
That is great to know, Lori! 🙂 Thank you!
This recipe is the best!! I made it for a family reunions and it was a favorite. My husband begs me to make these all the time. I almost lost the recipe and freaked out. Found it here today and thought I’d tell you how much we love these!
Aww… so sweet of you to let me know. You are too kind.
I loved this recipe! The shrimp batter was PERFECT!!!!!!!! I highly suggest using large, x-large or Jumbo shrimp. The roumalade sauce was good as well. I added a little more mustard than the recipe called for and also some of my favorite crab boil seasoning. I will be sure making this one again!!!! Don’t forget to make that roumalade first!
Agree. The remoulade is a MUST. Thanks for the feedback.
I’ve tried a few different shrimp po’boy recipes and this recipe hands down was the best one I’ve had. So good!
YAY! Thanks so much.
Recipe was full of flavor! Will definitely make again!
Yay! Thanks so much.
This is my fave go to recipe! The remoulade is AMAZING!!! Thank you! My only modification is I add creole spice to the flour mixture! Wow a great punch! 🙂
Thanks Angela
I love this recipe! I have made it several times, usually for Fourth of July celebrations. Now I’m going to try in my air fryer. I’ll let you know if that works well.
Awesome!Can’t wait to hear how it works out.
I made this last year for Mardi Gras & they were such a hit! I want to make them again this year, too. Have you or anyone else made the shrimp in an air fryer? Wondering if I can just add all the same ingredients or if I should leave some out. Thoughts?
Do you use Yellow corn meal?
Yes. Either works just fine.
Hi I have made these poboys for a couple of yearsnow and they are delicious. How ever I never noticed that it was pepper relish that you use. Can you please tell me what kind of pepper reish you use? I’ve been using regular dill or sweet relish.
Thank you, Barbara
I used sweet pepper relish. However, any relish works just as much.
Can I make the shrimp a day before I need it and toast up in the oven or will it be too rubbery?
Hi, Theresa. I suggest you make it on the day of serving.
Delicious! I combined another recipe which consist of making a batter instead of using buttermilk and corn meal. It came out delicious, thank you for sharing.
You’re very welcome!