A New Orleans classic, barbecued shrimp never actually touches a grill. It is, in my opinion, one of the best shrimp dishes around. Soft garlic-flavored shrimp swim in a pool of spicy butter and Worcestershire sauce, begging to be soaked up by chunks of crusty French bread. The tradition Creole recipe calls for using unshelled head-on shrimp to add extra flavor to the dish. This recipe calls for shrimp with the heads and shells removed, which doesn’t have any discernible effect on flavor that I can tell. Heads aside, shells can be left on, depending on how messy you want to get. No matter how delicious the shrimps are, they could be considered an impediment to getting your bread into the incredible buttery sauce.

Creole Barbequed Shrimp

This is one of those dishes that nobody sees coming. The butter sauce is so rich and flavorful, it's a dish worthy of serving to dinner guests that will have them raving about for weeks. Cooking the shrimp with the head and shells on is a fun way for diners to get down and dirty, while removing the shells will make for a cleaner eating experience. What isn't optional, however, is having warmed French bread readily available for sopping up the sauce.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Brunch, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, American Deep South, New Orleans, North American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Large skillet

Ingredients

16 jumbo Shrimp, peeled and just tail left on
2 sticks Butter, cold and cut into small pieces (16 tbsp)
½ cup Olive or vegetable oil
2 tsp Each: cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika
½ tsp Red pepper flakes, salt, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried oregano
6 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce, (Tabasco or Crystal)
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup Chili sauce
1 tbsp Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
5 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
½ cup Beer, room temperature
1-2 loaf Crusty French bread

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prepare – Rinse and drain shrimp. Add all dried spices to a bowl along with the shrimp. Toss to combine and set aside.
Cook – Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Quickly add shrimp in dry spices. Cook about 30 seconds per side, flipping once, until they start to turn pink. Transfer shrimp to a large plate. Don't overcook, they will finish cooking later.
Add chili sauce, beer, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice to skillet. Cook 7-8 minutes, stirring, until thickened. Remove skillet from heat.
Whisk in butter a few pieces at a time. When butter pieces are incorporated, stir in spiced shrimp. Return skillet to medium heat and cook until shrimp are cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer shrimp and sauce to bowls, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot with chunks of crusty French bread.