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.
Absolutely delicious! Even my very picky eater best friend was enchanted with this recipe. The remoulade really makes the sandwich! Thanks for sharing
It sure does. Thanks for the feed back Melissa
My family loved this!! I did not make the sauce but the shrimp were delish!
Way to go, Angela! Give this sauce a try next time and you’ll love this po boy here even more. 😉
Even though it has quite a few ingredients, this recipe came together quickly…and tasted DELICIOUS! The light spices in the shrimp crust made such a yummy breading, and the remoulade was fantastic—cool, flavorful, and a great complement to the sandwich without overpowering it. We all ate TOO MUCH tonight. Thank you!
Now you got me the hankering for this po boy. 🙂 Thank you for letting me know, Allison. I appreciate it.
Can you use this recipe for a catfish po boy?
Yes, you sure can. Enjoy!
Believe it or not I’ve only had shrimp po-boys in Alaska, they must be somewhat authentic because after I made your po-boys I thought about how almost identical yours are to the ones I ate back home thanks so much for this, pregnant with my second and definitely indulging guilt free on these made them twice already 🙂
Awww, thank you so much, Taryn! Glad you enjoyed it. And congrats on your second pregnancy!
I found this your recipe on Pinterest and made it last week…my whole family LOVED them and my 9 year old asked me to make them for his next birthday dinner! Thank you so much for this recipe, it is a new family favorite.
Question-how do you think it would taste with fish (tilapia?) instead of shrimp? Just trying to think of something not quite so pricey…my 3 kids eat like horses and the they want it weekly!
Thanks again!!!!
Oh WoW! So happy to hear this – my 9 year son would rather have it with fish , he doesn’t like shrimp . It works with Tilapia too! Thanks for taking the time to share this me Julia. Wishing your son all the best on his birthday.
I just saw your reply! Thank you again, we are making these tonight again! I still haven’t tried it with tilapia but everyone loves it with shrimp
Happy holidays to you!
Can you share your recipe for blackening the shrimp instead of frying? Thanks!
Here it is https://www.africanbites.com/blackened-shrimp-pasta/
Love how helpful this recipe was! Looks amazing and tastes even better!
Aww , thank you so much Sarah!! Glad it was helpful
Making this as we speak!!! Something never done but so simple and looks delish!
Thanks for giving it a try! I know you going to love it even more after it’s all done .
Bon Apetit!!!
Made these up this morning and they are lovely!
Light and refreshing.
Used dried cranberries and mace instead and made the glace with the orange juice from the orange used for the zest. Going to make up another pan up latter this afternoon and place in refrigerator to bake off in the morning to take to my quilting group.
Hi Becky! Thanks for the feedback . Glad you enjoyed it . I’ll assume this was meant for the hot cross buns recipe right?
Is the relish sweet or pickled?
It’s sweet relish.
ok thank you!
This looks so good. Saving this recipe!
Awesome! Do let me know how it works out for you.
Hello Imma. I enjoy Shrimp Po Boys as well. I will definitely give this recipe a try!
Hey Whitney! Isn’t it a taste bud sensation? Do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks!
What do you do with the large egg?
You add it to the buttermilk .
Is the buttermilk powder or liquid form ?
It’s liquid form.
I have powder form 🙁
I’ll attempt to make the recipe with what I have. Can not wait to try this!
You’ve got me salivating over here GURRRRL Looks really delicious!!! Definitely making it for father’s day. Thanks for sharing!!!
My Pleasure! Do let me know how it works out for you girl.
whoppps!!!!