Creamy Barbecue Shrimp Recipe

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The Creamy Barbecue Shrimp recipe is life-changing! These shrimp are creamy, savory, and a little spicy. Perfect for any occasion!

This Big Easy favorite recipe is shrimp smothered in a creamy, buttery, and rich sauce. I kicked up the traditional NOLA barbecue shrimp by adding heavy cream to the rich buttery sauce.

Another quick meal if you like shrimp is this Shrimp Pad Thai.

On a side note… is it barbecue? barbeque? bar-b-q? or BBQ? ๐Ÿ˜ฒ And, WHY are there so many variations of the same word? (The English language drives me nuts!! …American English, well, and then there’s Southern English… ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

Creamy Barbecue Shrimp recipe

What is New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp?

Well, it’s not barbecue in the traditional way. And, it’s also not cooked on a grill. Perplexed? I was too.

New Orleans style barbecue shrimp aren’t cooked on the grill and they don’t have bbq sauce on them. Instead, they’re cooked on the stovetop in butter and seasonings. Originally, the spices turned the sauce a deep redish color and resembled barbecue sauce so that’s how it got the name Barbecue Shrimp.

You’ll find barbecue shrimp on a lot of restaurant menus in New Orleans. I’ve never had barbecue shrimp in a restaurant that was made with shelled shrimp. They all have been in-shell but they would be so much easier to eat shelled. As well, some restaurants serve them with the head on and some with the head off.

Furthermore, it can be an appetizer and an entree. Regardless of how you serve it, offer ample crusty French bread to soak up the wonderful buttery.

Barbecue Shrimp in a white bowl.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • First, shrimp cooks fast.
  • You can alter the recipe easily for a few or a crowd.
  • This recipe is great as an appetizer or entrรฉe.
  • Finally, Barbecue Shrimp can be elegant or down-home simple.
Shrimp in sauce

Barbecue Shrimp Ingredietns

The full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.

Creamy Barbecue Shrimp recipe

Creamy Barbecue Shrimp

Traditional BBQ Shrimp doesn’t have heavy cream. It’s totally delish and basically the only difference for ‘creamy bbq shrimp’ is the addition of cream. Prepare it both ways and see which style you prefer.

Oftentimes, I serve this as an appetizer. However, it’s great over pasta or grits as an entrรฉe. We love New Orlean’s food including New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp Pasta, Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwich, Shrimp Crawfish and Scallop Jambalaya, and Shrimp Pasta in Spicy New Orleans Tomato Sauce.

YouTube video

I updated this post from an earlier version dated April 24, 2013. I made new photos and simplified the recipe instructions.

Creamy Barbecue Shrimp recipe

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Creamy Barbecue Shrimp recipe

Creamy Barbeque Shrimp

Creamy Barbecue Shrimp recipe is life-changing! These shrimp are creamy, savory, and a little spicy. Perfect for any occasion!
Author: Paula
5 from 33 votes
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Save To Your Recipe Box
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place shrimp in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Add olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and hot sauce; toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Place butter over shrimp. Smash garlic cloves and add to the pan. Add 6 to 8 juiced lemon halves to the pan. Heat broiler to high.
  • Place rack 6 inches from heat. Broil shrimp for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally for even cooking. Remove the pan from the oven.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the dish and place it in a shallow bowl. Carefully strain drippings into a 2-quart saucepan. (discard lemon rinds and garlic) Heat sauce on medium heat. Add cream and whisk. When the sauce is hot, pour over the shrimp.
  • Serve with crusty French bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 500mg | Sodium: 3632mg | Potassium: 524mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 848IU | Vitamin C: 73mg | Calcium: 325mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.

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24 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Love, love shrimp, Paula! Pinned as I am always looking for new ways to prepare them ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you for sharing at our ALL MY BLOGGY FRIENDS party !

  2. Pingback: Best Of The Weekend {Fabulous Features - Week 1} - A Little Claireification
5 from 33 votes (31 ratings without comment)

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