New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

Classic New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp swimming in a rich, spicy butter sauce made with beer, garlic, and Cajun seasonings. This dish isn't actually barbecued, but rather cooked in a flavorful sauce that's perfect for sopping up with crusty French bread.

6 servings

28 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
•2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
•2 tablespoons canola oil
•6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
•12 ounces light-bodied beer
•1 whole lemon juice
•8 ounces clam juice
•¼ cup hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
•¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
•2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
•2 whole dried bay leaves
•1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
•½ cup cold butter, cut into cubes
•1 whole crusty French baguette

Cooking Instructions

1.
Toss the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3 min
2.
Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, toss in the garlic, and sauté until golden, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan, and cook until they turn bright pink, about 1 minute more. Remove the shrimp from the pan with a slotted spoon, and set aside on a plate. Pour in the beer, lemon juice, clam juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, apple-cider vinegar, bay leaves, and peppercorns; bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, until the liquid is slightly thickened.
20 min
3.
Whisk the cubes of butter into the sauce, and once it's melted, add the shrimp to finish cooking, about 2 minutes more. Serve the shrimp and sauce in bowls with loads of crusty bread for dipping.
5 min

Ingredients

•2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

•2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

•2 tablespoons canola oil

•6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

•12 ounces light-bodied beer

•1 whole lemon juice

•8 ounces clam juice

•¼ cup hot sauce, preferably Tabasco

•¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

•2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar

•2 whole dried bay leaves

•1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

•½ cup cold butter, cut into cubes

•1 whole crusty French baguette

Cooking Instructions

Toss the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3 min

Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, toss in the garlic, and sauté until golden, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan, and cook until they turn bright pink, about 1 minute more. Remove the shrimp from the pan with a slotted spoon, and set aside on a plate. Pour in the beer, lemon juice, clam juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, apple-cider vinegar, bay leaves, and peppercorns; bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, until the liquid is slightly thickened.

20 min

Whisk the cubes of butter into the sauce, and once it's melted, add the shrimp to finish cooking, about 2 minutes more. Serve the shrimp and sauce in bowls with loads of crusty bread for dipping.

5 min