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The Lowdown on My Shrimp Po Boy
This authentic Shrimp Po Boy recipe has the same flavors as the Po Boy’s you will find on the streets of New Orleans.
I have spent so much time in New Orleans now that I claim it as my home away from home. And, when I get NOLA sick, I make this Shrimp Po Boy to keep myself sane.
It’s got crispy cajun-fried shrimp on a French baguette with all the classic fixin’s, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles that’s drizzled with a Creole remoulade sauce making it the real deal boos.
Get into it, Boo!
– Jocelyn
Shrimp Po Boy Ingredients
For the Remoulade Sauce:
- Mayonnaise: The base of the sauce. If you want something lighter, Greek yogurt works, but it wonโt have the same richness or taste.
- Dill pickle relish: If you donโt have relish, finely chop some dill pickles.
- Lemon juice: Bottled works in a pinch, but fresh is best.
- Hot sauce: Adds heatโuse whatever brand you like or skip it if youโre not into spice.
- Capers: These give the sauce a little briny kick. If you donโt have them, you can leave them out.
- Paprika: Smoked or regular both work, but smoked paprika gives the sauce more oomph.
- Creole or Dijon mustard: Creole mustard has a bit more spice, but Dijon works fine too.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds umami and a little sweetness.
- Garlic: Fresh is best, but garlic powder works if thatโs what you have. Use 1/2 teaspoon per clove.
For the Fried Shrimp:
- Shrimp: Medium-sized, peeled, deveined, and tail-off makes them easier to eat in a sandwich.
- Kosher salt: Seasons the shrimp before frying. Regular salt works too, but use a little less.
- Paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper: The spice blend that gives the shrimp flavor. If you want less heat, cut back on the cayenne.
- Flour and cornmeal: The combo gives the shrimp a crispy, slightly crunchy texture.
- Buttermilk: Helps the breading stick and keeps the shrimp tender. If you donโt have it, mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of regular milk and let sit undisturbed for 10 mins. Homemade buttermilk!
- Hot sauce: Goes into the buttermilk for extra flavor.
For the Poโ Boy Assembly:
- French bread: Something soft on the inside with a little crunch on the outside works best. A good baguette or hoagie roll also does the trick.
- Dill pickles: Classic for that extra tang.
- Shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes: Keep it simpleโcrisp iceberg and ripe tomatoes work best.
How to make Classic shrimp po boys
What to serve with fried shrimp po boys
- Classic Sides: Serve these fried poboys up with traditional sides like hush puppies, Southern potato salad and fried okra.
- Chill Drinks: Make a big ole pitcher of lemonade or sweet tea to serve along with these.
- Game Day Party: Get your poboys on a platter and serve along with lemon pepper wings, Southern chili, and salted caramel chocolate chip cookies.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Gluten-Free: Swap out the flour in the shrimp batter for gluten-free and replace the bread with your fave gluten-free option.
- Add Blackened Flavor: Coat the shrimp in this delish homemade blackened seasoning and sear for some serious spicy kick.
- Use Garlic Bread: Instead of regular French bread, use homemade garlic bread for your bread base.
- Add Fried Green Tomatoes: Replace the tomato slices with fried green tomatoes.
Tips for making the best homemade shrimp po boy
- Get the Right Shrimp: You want plump shrimp you can eat in one bite. If your shrimp are too big, they make your sandwich difficult to eat. Look for size 16/20 shrimp (basically this means there are 16-20 shrimp per pound). Buy shrimp that are peeled and deveined with the tails off.
- Oil Temp is Important: Heat the oil to 350ยฐF to ensure the shrimp fry quickly and come out super crispy and not soggy from absorbing oil.
- Make the Remoulade Ahead: I would make this a few hours or even a day ahead so those flavors can really come together and pop.
- Let the Batter Rest: Let the shrimp rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before frying. This helps the coating to stick to the shrimp better. You donโt want all of your delicious, crispy coating falling off the shrimp as you fry them.
How to store & reheat shrimp po boys
It’s best to store all of the components separately. Add the shrimp to an airtight container after it cools and pop in the fridge. Keep the fresh veggies and remoulade in separate containers in the fridge. Finally, add your bread to a ziptop bag and keep at room temp.
The shrimp should last up to 2 days. The bread should stay fresh about 1-2 days, and the remoulade lasts the longest staying all good for about 5 days.
When you want to reheat the shrimp, I prefer using an air fryer at 350ยฐF for 4-5 minutes or oven at 375ยฐF for 8-10 minutes flipping halfway to keep the crunch popping. Just don’t microwave boos.
More New Orleans inspired recipes
Shrimp Po’ Boy Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Remoulade Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp dill pickle relish
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp hot sauce
- 2 tsp capers roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Creole mustard or Dijon
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 garlic cloves minced
For the Fried Shrimp
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 lbs raw medium shrimp (about 45), peeled, deveined and tail off
- Canola or Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 tbsp hot sauce
For the Po'Boy Assembly
- 4 French loaves 8 inches long, split horizontally
- dill pickles for garnish
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Sliced tomatoes
Instructions
For the Remoulade Sauce
- Mix everything together and chill in the refrigerator until you are finished frying the shrimp
For the Fried Shrimp
- Mix the salt, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper together then divide the spice mixture in half
- Season the shrimp with half of the spice mixture
- Mix the flour, cornmeal and the rest of the spice mixture together in a bowl
- In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk and hot sauce together
- Dip seasoned shrimp in the buttermilk, then coat with flour mixture shaking off any excess. If you like a thicker coating you can repeat this step. Chill the shrimp in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Pour the oil into a deep, wide pot to the depth of about 2 inches. Heat the oil to 350ยฐ Fahrenheit
- Working in batches, fry shrimp until golden brown about 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
To Assemble Po'Boy
- Build your sandwich with on the French bread with mayonnaise or Remoulade, dress your sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and pickles then pile on the shrimp.
Made this tonight fir Fat Tuesday. I cut the recipe in half, but we actually ended up with enough for four sandwiches. (I found 6″ deli rolls which worked perfectly.)
I did change the shrimp to the 31-40 count (per pound) which were the perfect size.
Hubby loved this and said he’ll have to come home to grab lunch tomorrow!
This recipe is sooooo good!!! I decided to try it, because of the rave reviews and boy am I glad I did!!! My boyfriend loved it and heโs a tough critic!!
Jocelyn! Thank you for this delicious recipe! The greatest poโboys we ever had were from a deli we never got the name of, and your recipe has filled the gap those delicious sandwiches left. Thank you for making two people in the UK very happy!
OMG!!!! This recipe is out of this world!!! It’s just a smigdet on the salty side……but, that can easily be adjusted,,,,,We love this Po’ Boy!!! My first attempt and I also made it with almond milk and added a splash of lemon juice….. 10+++!!!!! TY!!!!
Oh my!! We love this shrimp recipe! Sometimes we dont even eat it as a po boy. Just fry up the shrimp and have it with slaw, hushpuppies, and oven fries. Thank you for sharing!! Definitely on repeat.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, this recipe! Directions were easy to follow and edit. I didn’t have cornmeal so I substituted it with panko, and I used arugula instead of lettuce. AMAZING! BEST Po’ Boy I ever ate! I’ll be trying a lot more of Grandbaby Cakes recipes. Thank you!
Love it
” All of your fixinโs should be waiting for the shrimp to arrive.”
That’s gotta be my fav line from this recipe! I love your description on pulling together a perfect po’ boy.
Perfection!
Great, I loved it and shared with my neighbor and he loved it. This will be my go to recipe in the future.