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This New Orleans-style grilled shrimp recipe may be called “BBQ shrimp”, but there’s no barbecue sauce in sight. Instead, the infamous Creole dish is loaded with bold and savory flavors, zesty citrus notes, and the perfect amount of spice. And the whole dish goes from grill to plate in under 15 minutes.
If there’s one dish that instantly transports me straight to New Orleans, it’s BBQ shrimp. But let’s be clear: I’m not talking about slathering shrimp in barbecue sauce and throwing them on the grill.
Oh, no. This is all about that buttery, garlicky, just-the-right-amount-of-spice sauce with a squeeze of lemon, a little beer, and a fat loaf of crusty French bread to soak up every last drop.
What is New Orleans BBQ Shrimp?
New Orleans BBQ shrimp is a popular recipe that captures the heart of Creole cooking. The dish is all about combining big flavors with simple techniques.
Jumbo shrimp are cooked right in their shells for maximum flavor, swimming in a rich sauce made with tons of butter, garlic, lemon, Creole seasoning, beer, and just the right kick of spice from cayenne pepper and hot sauce. Served with a crusty French baguette for dipping, the low-country shrimp dish somehow strikes a balance between being incredibly light and flavorful and richly indulgent, all at the same time.
If you love shrimp, and you’re not afraid of butter and spice, then you’ll love this New Orleans-inspired recipe!
Ingredients
- Shrimp: You’ll need extra large or jumbo-sized raw shrimp in the shell. Not only is the shrimp with shells and tails classic for this Creole preparation, but the shells also help the shrimp to not cook as quickly on the grill. The shrimp that I used were labeled U/15 (less than 15 shrimp per pound).
- Butter: The true magic of this dish is the butter… and you’ll need a lot of it! You can use salted or unsalted, but don’t substitute with margarine. You want real butter for this grilled shrimp recipe.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is best.
- Creole Seasoning: Not all are created equal. Some are salty, some aren’t, so adjust as you go. I personally use and recommend the Wide Open Foods brand of Creole Blackening Seasoning.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Beer: I like using a lighter, citrusy beer to compliment the zesty lemon flavors and not overpower the delicate shrimp. However, an amber ale is more traditional.
- Lemon: I used two whole lemons. One for the freshly squeezed juice and another to cut into wedges and grill first before adding to the pan with the shrimp.
- Hot Sauce, Black Pepper, Dried Thyme, Paprika, Oregano, and Cayenne Pepper: Adjust the heat to your liking.
- French Baguette: For mopping up that pool of buttery goodness. We like to cut our bread in half and grill it while the shrimp are cooking.
Making Grilled BBQ Shrimp
While this dish is typically prepared in a skillet in the oven or on the stovetop, you can also make it on the grill for an extra element of flavor. By grilling the shrimp and lemon wedges before adding them to the rich, flavorful sauce, you pick up notes of wood-fired flavor that you can only get from the grill.
And that’s what makes our recipe different. And extra delicious!
How to Make the Best New Orleans BBQ Shrimp on the Grill
Step 1: Fire up the grill. Build a solid bed of coals in the bottom of your charcoal grill, focusing the heat in the center. Start the grill, and place a grill-safe pan directly on the grill grates to preheat.
*NOTE – We used our Weber kettle charcoal grill for this recipe, but it can easily be made on a gas grill or pellet grill as well. For a pellet grill, set the grill temp to about 375-400°F.
Step 2: Make the BBQ shrimp sauce. While the grill is heating up, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, mix together Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hot sauce, minced garlic, Creole seasoning and all the other spices.
Step 3: Grill the shrimp and sauce separately. Place the shrimp directly on the grill grates, and grill on the first side for about 2-3 minutes, depending on the temperature of your grill. The goal is to grill the shrimp just long enough for them to pick up flavor, not to cook them through.
Immediately after adding the shrimp to the grill, pour the sauce mixture into the heated pan. Allow the garlic to cook and soften in the sauce for about 2 minutes. Then pour in the beer, and add about half stick of cubed butter. Mix everything together briefly.
Step 4: Add the grilled shrimp to the skillet with the sauce. Transfer the grilled shrimp into the skillet with the aromatic sauce. Let the shrimp continue to cook as the sauce thickens and the flavors meld together.
Step 5: Grill lemon wedges and add to the skillet with the shrimp. Immediately after adding the shrimp to the sauce, move the pan to the side of the grill for a more indirect heat-style of cooking. Then place the cut lemon wedges directly on the grill grates. Grill the lemon for 1-2 minutes, or until nicely charred. Then add to the pan with the shrimp and sauce.
Now is also the time to add the remaining butter chunks to the sauce, stirring everything together for the butter to melt.
Step 6: Grill sliced French bread for serving. While the sauce simmers and the shrimp finish cooking, place sliced French bread down on the hot grill grates. Grill to your desired doneness. I prefer to grill the bread dry, without any butter or oil, since it will be used to soak up a very buttery and rich sauce.
Step 7: Serve the grilled New Orleans-style shrimp. When the shrimp are cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, carefully remove the pan from the grill. Allow the dish to cool a bit. Then sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley for garnish, and serve with the grilled bread for dipping.
Recipe Tips
- Have all your ingredients ready to go – This shrimp recipe cooks up super quick on the grill, so it’s important to have all of your ingredients measured out, sliced, and ready to go before you start grilling the shrimp. That way the shrimp don’t overcook.
- Add the butter in stages – Start with about half for cooking the garlic and the shrimp, and add the rest at the end for that lush, velvety sauce.
- Season wisely – Taste your Creole seasoning before dumping it in – some brands have way more salt than others, so adjust accordingly.
- Mind the heat – You want medium-high for the initial grilling, then move the pan off the direct heat side for the shrimp to cook gently in the sauce so they don’t get tough.
- Adjust the spice level – This recipe is perfect as written for our tastebuds, but if you prefer more or less spice, adjust the amounts of hot sauce and cayenne pepper accordingly.
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Grilled New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp
Equipment
- 12" grill-safe pan like a cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs extra large or jumbo fresh shrimp, unpeeled
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tablespoon hot sauce, like a Louisiana style hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, *see notes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup beer, like an Amber ale
- 1½ sticks cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 loaf French bread, cut in half lengthwise, for serving
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the grill to a medium-high heat with a two-zone system (one hotter area and one not as hot). Place a grill-safe pan directly on the grill grates to preheat.
- While the grill is heating up, add minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, Creole seasoning, paprika, oregano, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and juice of a lemon to a medium bowl. Mix together well and set aside.
- Place the shrimp directly on the grill grates, and grill on the first side for about 2-3 minutes, depending on the temperature of your grill. The goal is to grill the shrimp just long enough for them to pick up flavor, not to cook them through.
- Immediately after adding the shrimp to the grill, pour the prepared sauce mixture into the heated pan. Allow the garlic to cook and soften in the sauce for about 2 minutes. Then pour in the beer, and add about half of the cubed butter. Mix everything together briefly.
- Transfer the grilled shrimp into the skillet with the aromatic sauce. Let the shrimp continue to cook as the sauce thickens and the flavors meld together.
- Immediately after adding the shrimp to the sauce, move the pan to the cooler zone on the grill. Then place the cut lemon wedges directly on the grill grates. Grill the lemon for 1-2 minutes, or until nicely charred. Then add to the pan with the shrimp and sauce.
- Add the remaining butter chunks to the sauce, stirring everything together for the butter to melt.
- While the sauce simmers and the shrimp finish cooking, place sliced French bread down on the hot grill grates. Grill to your desired doneness. *I prefer to grill the bread dry, without any butter or oil, since it will be used to soak up a very buttery and rich sauce.
- When the shrimp are cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, carefully remove the pan from the grill. Allow the dish to cool a bit. *Total cook time for me was about 8 minutes from the time I put the shrimp on the grill grates to the time I took the pan off the grill. Times may vary based on your grill temperature.
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley for garnish, and serve the New Orleans BBQ shrimp with the grilled bread for dipping.
Notes
- For the Shrimp: You’ll need extra large or jumbo-sized raw shrimp in the shell. Not only is the shrimp with shells and tails classic for this Creole preparation, but the shells also help the shrimp to not cook as quickly on the grill. The shrimp that I used were labeled U/15 (less than 15 shrimp per pound).
- Creole Seasoning: Not all are created equal. Some are salty, some aren’t, so adjust as you go. I personally use and recommend the Wide Open Foods brand of Creole Blackening Seasoning.
- Different Types of Grills: We used our Weber kettle charcoal grill for this recipe, but it can easily be made on a gas grill or pellet grill as well. For a pellet grill, set the grill temp to about 375-400°F.
