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Shrimp Po Boy is the ultimate sandwich for seafood lovers! Tender shrimp drizzled in a creamy, spicy sauce and topped with crunchy cabbage on a soft roll, it is the perfect balance of flavor, texture, and color.
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The first time I visited New Orleans I ordered a Shrimp Po Boy for my first meal. We had been walking around the French Quarter for hours and decided to pop into a popular local restaurant. I knew I had to have one as soon as I saw Po Boy on the menu. The ingredients are so simple, but together, it makes the best sandwich ever.
Create the best sandwich with a spicy, buttery shrimp that cooks up in just 20 minutes, then combined with a creamy cajun sauce. It is no wonder that shrimp sandwiches are so popular because they are super easy to make! You can serve them as an appetizer or main course, but either way, you’ll want to keep this recipe around for when you need a quick meal.
Ingredients in this Shrimp Po Boy
These sandwiches are so easy to put together and taste scrumptious!
- Butter: Start with 4 tablespoons, but add more if needed.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves, minced.
- Shrimp: Medium to large, uncooked, peeled and deveined.
- Creole seasoning: Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning is my favorite!
- Hoagie rolls or French bread: Bratwurst buns work great too. This recipe makes four big sandwiches.
- Shredded cabbage: You can use shredded lettuce if you prefer.
- Toppings: Sweet pickles, dill pickle chips, tomato slices, and Dijon mustard – all optional toppings, see more topping ideas below.
Preparing a Shrimp Po Boy
There are three ways you can season and prepare shrimp for this sandwich recipe. For any of these, start with fresh or frozen shrimp that have been peeled and deveined for convenience. After preparing the shrimp, cook the shrimp using one of these methods!
- Sautéed Shrimp – For this recipe, we just sautéed up some shrimp using butter, garlic, and a spicy kick of Creole seasoning. If you don’t have creole seasoning in your kitchen try our favorite Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning.
- Breaded Shrimp – If you like breaded and deep-fried shrimp, you can bread it in cornmeal and a flour mixture and cook in batches on medium-high heat, frying in hot vegetable oil until the shrimp is golden brown and dry on paper towels. Season with Cajun or Creole spices for bold flavor.
- Grilled Shrimp – You could also grill your shrimp. Try seasoning your shrimp with a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, a little dash of hot sauce, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, Cajun seasoning, onion powder, or spicy brown mustard. Grill the shrimp over medium-high heat on the grill until cooked through.
Where Did the Name Po Boy Come From?
This Southern favorite sandwich originated in Louisiana in the late 1920s. Streetcar workers who were on strike against a streetcar company were given free fried shrimp sandwiches by a local restaurant. The restaurant employees nicknamed the strikers “poor boys,” and so the name “shrimp po’boy” caught on. Traditionally, this shrimp po boy recipe is a classic sub sandwich served on a soft baguette roll with meat, usually fried seafood (oysters, shrimp, catfish, etc.). On occasion, you’ll find it served with roast beef or chicken.
Po Boy Bread
French bread, specifically a soft and crusty French bread loaf, is the best choice for making authentic and delicious Po’ Boys. The texture and flavor of French bread perfectly complement the crispy shrimp and zesty toppings, creating a savory, mouthwatering sandwich. The bread’s light and airy interior provides a nice contrast to the crunchy shrimp, while its crusty exterior helps hold the fillings in place. A crusty hoagie roll or Bratwurst bun will work great too.
Traditional Toppings
Traditional Po’ Boy toppings are an essential part of the sandwich’s flavor and texture profile. These toppings can be combined in various ways to create a personalized and delicious Po’ Boy that suits individual tastes.
- Shredded Lettuce or cabbage – Provides a refreshing and crunchy element to balance the richness of the shrimp.
- Sliced Tomatoes – Adds juiciness and a hint of sweetness to the Poboy.
- Pickles – Tangy and crunchy with a contrast to the savory flavors.
- Mayonnaise – Provides creaminess and enhances the overall taste.
- Hot sauce – Adds a spicy kick for those who enjoy a bit of heat.
- Sliced onions – Add a zesty and slightly pungent taste to the sandwich.
- Coleslaw – A creamy and refreshing topping that adds texture and a delicious crunch.
- Jalapeño peppers – For those who enjoy extra heat, jalapeño peppers can be added for a spicy kick.
“Absolutely delicious and easy. Just made it and added Old Bay instead of Creole seasoning. Will definitely make again. Simple ingredients to make a good meal. Thanks.”
-Sue
Shrimp Po Boy
Video
Ingredients
For the Creamy Cajun Sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise Best Foods or Hellmann’s
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- 3 Tablespoons horseradish sauce
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ to 1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning depending on how spicy you like it
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
For the shrimp:
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound shrimp medium to large, uncooked, peeled and deveined
- Creole seasoning to taste
- 4 French-style hoagie rolls or French bread (Bratwurst buns or work great too)
- shredded cabbage or lettuce
Instructions
- Combine sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet to medium heat, add butter and garlic. When the butter is hot and melted, add shrimp. Sprinkle Creole seasoning over the shrimp. It can be a little spicy so only sprinkle it to your personal taste. When the shrimp is pink all the way through, remove it from heat. Do not overcook.
- Split the rolls open and divide the shrimp evenly between each roll. Top with the creamy Cajun sauce and shredded cabbage, to taste.
Notes
- If you like breaded and deep-fried shrimp, you can bread it in cornmeal and a flour mixture and cook in batches on medium-high heat, frying in hot vegetable oil until the shrimp is golden brown and dry on paper towels.
- You could also be seasoning your shrimp with a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, a little dash of hot sauce, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, Cajun seasoning, onion powder, or spicy brown mustard.
- Replace shrimp with fried catfish (or any other kind of white fish), oysters, soft-shell crab, lobster, or other types of seafood if desired.
Nutrition Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Our favorite is Tony Chahere’s Creole Seasoning. You can find it in any regular grocery store and it’s the best!
You may see the term remoulade sauce when it comes to making a po boy. Basically, it’s a spicy sauce, made with mayo and savory herbs and condiments. You’ll love the sauce in this recipe, and you can use it for much more than just po boy sandwiches.
Other Favorite Recipes from New Orleans
As you can see from these Shrimp Po Boys, we are big fans of the delicious flavors in the deep South; so make sure to try some of our yummy copycat recipes from our visits there:
Absolutely delicious! The sauce is the BEST.
Mmm, just did a flour/cornmeal dredge. whole wheat hoagie roll, creole sauce, fried shrimps, lettuce tomato. most tasty. if you can’t be in “Nawlins” for Fat Tuesday this brings some pretty close memories.
Thanks
J
Easy recipe. The sauce was a big hit!
I’ve made this on my Blackstone griddle and everyone loved it, in fact the sauce was such a hit that a few people were using it for a chip dip. The only thing I did different was to butter the rolls and toast them on the griddle before filling them. In fact am doing po-boys on the Blackstone again today. YUM!
Great recipe but Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise is 1,000 times far superior than Hellmans. Creamier and far better flavour.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kewpie-Qp-Mayonnaise-450g/dp/B00G6AGBLA/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1A5W1LYTT5DND&keywords=kewpie+mayonnaise&qid=1675769713&rdc=1&sprefix=kewpie%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-3
Thanks for sharing. John M (in the UK)
I haven’t heard of that kind, I will have to try it!
Absolutely delicious and easy. Just made it and added Old Bay instead of Creole seasoning. Will definitely make again. Simple ingredients to make a good meal. Thanks.
This sounds great. Thanks for the idea and recipe.
Also, if you want to do this New Orleans style, definitely not cabbage…iceberg lettuce.
Recipe sounds delish & I will try it out. It seems like a healthier alternative from the typical fried shrimp po’boy recipe. My only disagreement is using Tony Chahere’s seasoning. In my opinion it is way, way too salty. I’m from New Orleans & I will never use that seasoning. I suggest: Google Emeril’s creole seasoning recipe, or buy another store bought brand that’s not overly salty.
I recently saw a Chef from NOLA (Kevin Belton) make these on TV, and he used Iceberg Lettuce NOT Cabbage, & he also added sliced tomatoes & thinly sliced Red Onion (separated into rings). He used used sub buns, which were crunchy on top. I don’t however, remember whether he used a special kind of sauce, or plain Mayo? Just sayin’……
Delicious. The whole family loved it. Question: can I freeze the extras? The recipe made too much for us. Thanks
I haven’t tried freezing the leftovers. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Is it horseradish sauce or plain horseradish?
Horseradish sauce!
These are delicious! The creamy cajun sauce is so good on everything!
Really good on fries, too!
My husband could never turn down a delicious shrimp po boy! We both love this quick easy recipe!
Your recipe lists cabbage as an ingredient; however, your video shows you shredding iceberg lettuce. I would prefer lettuce.
Yummy! I love visiting the south and eating ALL the delicious foods. So glad I can have this authentic tasting meal at home… without the travel. IT’s SO good.
You say cabbage, but that sure looks like iceberg lettuce in the video!
I love the creamy Cajun sauce! Such a delicious po boy!
This was everything a gourmet sandwich should be, and then some! Easily, a new favorite recipe in my home!
This looks so yummy! I am not usually a fan of horseradish sauce at least by itself. I’m thinking the sauce would be missing some of its flavor without it. Well, of course it would! But do you think it would be okay to cut back on it just a bit?
Yes, if it’s not a taste you love, limit in the sauce or leave it out completely. You will still get a delicious Cajun flavor from the seasonings.