New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp is bold, buttery, and made for bread-sopping. This version skips the shells but keeps all the deep, savory flavor thanks to garlic, Worcestershire, lemon, beer, and plenty of butter—no shortcuts here. It feeds a crowd and is special enough for an intimate dinner party. If you’ve been looking for a version that’s rich and full of flavor without the mess, this is it.
Off the chain! So close I can’t tell the difference. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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One of our favorite restaurants is Gumbeaux Cajun Cafe in Douglasville, Georgia. You have to get there early to get a table without waiting two hours, but once you’re seated, the food fest begins.
Our favorite dish is the French Quarter Shrimp, the description of which reads, “Large shell-on gulf shrimp are broiled in our very own special garlic, pepper, butter and herb sauce.”
They bring the plate with plenty of sliced crusty bread, which you use to sop up that garlic, pepper, butter and herb sauce, and of course, that’s the best part. I could skip the shrimp and go straight to that sauce.
Recipes abound for barbecue shrimp, although the basic ingredients are usually the same: butter, garlic, and herbs. Lots of butter and lots of garlic. I played around with several different recipes until I came up with a version that we think is most like the one from Gumbeaux.
The key is to use lots of fresh garlic. This is not a dish in which you want to use chopped garlic from a jar. It just won’t have the same punch. Do the work and reap the reward.
Testing New Orleans barbecue shrimp
- It turns out that you can actually use too much garlic. I tried adding a whole cup of minced garlic to this recipe, which rendered it inedible. I settled on 1/4 cup, which is Goldilocks-perfect.
- We have tested this recipe using shrimp with shells on (which is typically how it’s served in New Orleans), but I really, really hate having to shell shrimp while I’m eating dinner. My method is less messy and still delicious.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
This is a bit of a labor-intensive recipe in that there’s a pretty good bit of chopping. But please don’t skip using fresh garlic and herbs. You need that flavor in this barbecue shrimp recipe.
Shrimp: We use frozen shrimp because, unless you’re picking up fresh shrimp at a coastal shrimp market, frozen shrimp will be fresher. Any shrimp that’s in your grocery store and is thawed has been previously frozen. It’s super important to get the jumbo shrimp or extra-large shrimp since we are baking them in the oven. If your shrimp is too small, then they will overcook and shrivel up.
Beer: I like Lagunitas Amber for this recipe, but can’t always find it. If not, then I’ll substitute Abita Amber.
Butter: Listen, I know it’s hard to drop six sticks of butter into anything. But trust me. Just do it.
How to make New Orleans barbecue shrimp
- Saute vegetables.
- Add beer and Worcestershire.
- Cover the shrimp with sauce.
- Bake 8-10 minutes.
Serving suggestions
It’s absolutely imperative that you have some good crusty bread when you serve New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp. The sauce is so garlicky and buttery, and it just calls out for bread to soak it up.
We usually have the shrimp and a light green salad, and A LOT of bread.
And dessert. You must have dessert. May I suggest a Southern Peach Cobbler or my Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake?
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Barbecue Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. shrimp
- 6 sticks unsalted butter
- ¼ cup minced garlic
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 ounces amber beer
- ½ tablespoon Tabasco sauce
- ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Melt 1 stick butter in a large skillet.
- Saute garlic, onion, rosemary, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper for about 3 minutes, until onion is softened.
- Add remaining butter, beer, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and lemon juice and whisk until well blended. Stir in bay leaves.
- Allow sauce to cool completely and pour over shrimp. Marinate for at least 4 hours.
- Allow dish to come to room temperature before cooking. Place in a 400 oven for about 10 minutes or until shrimp is pink and sauce is hot.
- Serve in a bowl with sauce and lots of crusty bread.
So going to try this! I love their shrimp. But have moved 9hours away. Thank you for sharing!
Off the chain! So close I can’t tell the difference. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Off the chain! So close I can’t tell the difference. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks for this! I live in Marietta and make regular trips to Gumbeaux JUST TO EAT THIS MEAL!!! That and the bananas fosters dessert are the only things I have ever eaten there, but it’s only because they are THAT great! 🙂
Amber, we so love Gumbeaux! And, of course, their French Quarter Shrimp is way better than mine, but this will definitely satisfy your craving when you can’t make it over there. But next time you go, if you are a chocolate lover, try their chocolate bread pudding for dessert…it is so good!
Thanks for this! I live in Marietta and make regular trips to Gumbeaux JUST TO EAT THIS MEAL!!! That and the bananas fosters dessert are the only things I have ever eaten there, but it’s only because they are THAT great! 🙂