New Orleans Shrimp Po’Boy Sandwich Recipe
Published February 24, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious classic Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich Recipe is loaded with zesty golden-brown shrimp on French bread with Cajun Remoulade. You will be blown away by the fantastic flavors of this classic sandwich.
Shrimp is one of my favorite things to eat. It’s delicious, easy to prepare, and cooks quickly. If you feel the same, try my Shrimp Scampi Recipe or Shrimp and Grits.
Po’Boy Sandwich
The po’boy sandwich originated in 1929 in the Martin brother’s French market restaurant. The term po’boy was used to displace an older name for large sandwiches known as loaf and loaves during the 1929 streetcar strike. It is essentially a long hero-style sandwich loaded up with lettuce, tomato, pickles, protein, and sauce, which is usually mayonnaise.
Traditionally a po’ boy can have shrimp, oysters, clams, or roast beef. I prefer the shrimp Po’ Boy to all of them because I feel it’s the most flavorful. The marinade and batter I used in this recipe can also be applied to oysters or clams.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Shrimp – You will need fresh or frozen and thawed peeled and deveined 16/20 or 26/30 shrimp.
- Bread – Classic New Orleans-style French bread is used. Feel free to use my recipe or pick it up near the deli at most grocery stores.
- Egg – A few eggs go into the batter for the shrimp.
- Milk – I prefer to use buttermilk. However, regular whole milk can be used.
- Seasoning – My Cajun seasoning recipe works excellently, or you can use your favorite homemade or store-bought version.
- Mustard – Stone ground or Creole mustard works fantastic in the marinade for the shrimp.
- Sauce – Traditionally, mayonnaise is used, but I used Cajun Remoulade for more complementing flavors.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is needed for the batter.
- Cornmeal – Plain cornmeal is used in the batter.
How to Make a Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich
Peel, devein and rinse the shrimp.
In a large bowl, whisk together the Cajun seasoning, mustard, hot sauce, buttermilk, and eggs until combined.
Add in the shrimp and mix well until coated. Let marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the lettuce, tomato, and dill pickles.
Pour some oil into a large frying pan and heat to 350°.
Add the flour, cornmeal, Cajun seasoning, and salt to a casserole-size pan and whisk until combined. Taste it to make sure it’s seasoned enough.
Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and add a handful to the pan with the flour-cornmeal mixture. Toss very well to make sure it is coated on all sides.
Set aside on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and repeat the process until all the shrimp have been coated in the batter.
Add half the shrimp to the hot oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and the shrimp are cooked through. Do not overcook.
Set the shrimp on a sheet tray with a rack to drain excess oil. Repeat the process with the remaining half of the battered shrimp.
Spread some butter on each half of the sliced French bread.
Toast the bread butter side down on a flat top or in a pan over low to medium heat until brown and toasted.
Place some lettuce down on the bottom toasted slices of bread.
Next, evenly spread the tomatoes and pickles.
Place on as many shrimps as you can.
Spread a generous helping of the mayonnaise or remoulade on the top slice of bread and then add it to the top of the sandwich.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten as soon as it is taken out of the frying oil.
How to Store: Cover the shrimp separately from the other ingredients and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cover and freeze the shrimp once they are cooked for up to 3 months. Go directly from the freezer to the oven and evenly spread them out on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until hot, crispy, and cooked through.
How to Reheat: Place the desired amount of pre-fried shrimp evenly spread on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 375° for 4-6 minutes or until hot and crispy. Serve as a sandwich with the other recommended ingredients.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Any size of shrimp can be used in this recipe.
- You can also use your favorite Cajun or blackened seasoning.
- When making the marinade, feel free to taste it before adding the eggs to ensure it is flavorful enough to season up the shrimp.
- I like to use peanut or vegetable oil for frying.
More Shrimp Recipes
Video
New Orleans Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds peeled and deveined 16/20 or 26/30 shrimp
- 4 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons stound ground or creole mustard
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups cornmeal
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter
- 4 6-8 inch loaves of French bread
- shredded iceberg lettuce
- sliced tomatoes
- sliced dill pickles
- ½ recipe for Cajun remoulade
- hot sauce to taste
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, mustard, hot sauce, buttermilk, and eggs until combined.
- Add in the shrimp and mix well until coated. Let marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Pour some oil into a large frying pan and heat to 350°.
- Add the flour, cornmeal, remaining 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, and salt to taste to a casserole-size pan and whisk until combined. Taste it to make sure it’s seasoned enough.
- Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and add a handful to the pan with the flour-cornmeal mixture.
- Toss very well to make sure it is coated on all sides.
- Set aside on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and repeat the process until all the shrimp have been coated in the batter.
- Add half the shrimp to the hot oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and the shrimp are cooked through. Do not overcook.
- Set the shrimp on a sheet tray with a rack to drain any excess oil. Repeat the process with the remaining half of the battered shrimp.
- Spread some butter on each half of the sliced French bread.
- Toast the bread butter on a flat top or in a pan over low to medium heat until brown and toasted.
- Place some lettuce down on the bottom toasted slices of bread.
- Next, evenly spread the tomatoes and pickles.
- Place on as many shrimps as you can.
- Spread a generous helping of the mayonnaise or remoulade on the top slice of bread and then add it to the top of the sandwich.
Excellent recipe! I’ve made shrimp all sorts of ways, but I was intimidated with homemade hand-breaded shrimp. Thanks for the recipe and learning a new technique 🙂
my pleasure!
Hi there! This looks amazing to make for my husband’s birthday lunch – we’re huge NOLA (that’s our daughters name) fans and would love to treat him to this. Only problem is I’m shrimp adverse. The whole de-turding process is not in me unfortunately. I’m wondering if I substituted for ready-to-go already cooked shrimp if it would be overcooked by the time the breading is done? I’d love to give this a shot but afraid I’ll ruin the shrimp…thoughts? Wish I were more brave. Thank you!!
They will not work.
Just wanted to update this to say I made this for my husband’s birthday and it was a HUGE hit! I’m now making it for Father’s Day (as he requested)! I’m sure this will become a staple request in our home. Thank you VERY much, from my husband too! 🙂
My pleasure!
Use prefry shrimp that should work
Buy raw tail off deveined shrimp
Absolutely the best shrimp Poboy you’ll ever eat! 💯
So gather the ingredients, get Chef Billy’s video ready to follow, and begin. You will definitely enjoy this delicious way to eat this sandwich 🥪 😋
many thanks!
I made this recipe for 8 people with broccoli Cole slaw and potatoes as a side dish. Everyone loved it.
The word for the evening was…YUMMY!! I left the shrimp and Chef Billy’s remoulade mayo in the frig for two days to marinate and it was super delicious.
Thanks
Judy
My husband said this is the BEST shrimp poboy he’s ever had!
Excellent!!! Followed your recipe except 1 subscription- used dried parsley since I didn’t have fresh. This is Scrumptious. I will definitely make it again.
Is it possible to make the shrimp in the air fryer not changing anything else?
Not sure, I don’t own an air fryer.
I recently had the pleasure of trying a classic Po’ Boy sandwich, and I must say, it was an absolute delight.
thanks!
This was my first time making a Po Boy, so I have nothing to compare it with, but my husband said this was the BEST one he ever had. That deserves a lot of respect. He didn’t want to try the dill pickles, but I had them and I enjoyed it. I didn’t have French bread, so I used sausage rolls and it was still a dinner winner! 🥇 Thank you for this awesome recipe.😁
amazing!
This is so good . I will make this all the time. I love it.
love it!
Fantastic NOLA sammich!
so good!!
We had this for the second day in a row! Great for a crowd, and everyone raved about how good they were! I was so busy cooking, by the time I got around to eating they were wiped out! Save yourself one is my advice!
Fantastic!
We had company for dinner and I prepared these shrimp. People raved over them! Great recipe! Definitely a hit! Thank you so much chef Parisi!
Awesome!
Always wanted to make a great shrimp Po’Boy, and this recipe was it!
Awesome flavor! Will never make any other way!
This was a big hit!
Perfection! I usually follow recipes exactly the first time, then add my own twist later. I will not change one thing in this recipe.
Thank you for this excellent recipe! We had these tonight and they were perfect. I felt like I had been transported right back to New Orleans. So delicious!
Delicious! Very crispy and flavorful! Will make again!