Shrimp Po' Boys Recipe

These classic po' boys feature big, juicy shrimp which are double-dredged in a mixture of flour and cornmeal for extra crispiness.

By
Sasha Marx
Sasha Marx
Senior Culinary Editor
Sasha is a senior culinary editor at Serious Eats. He has over a decade of professional cooking experience, having worked his way up through a number of highly regarded and award-winning restaurant kitchens, followed by years spent in test kitchens for food publications.
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Updated Apr. 02, 2020
20190221-shrimp-poboys-vicky-wasik-25
Vicky Wasik

Why This Recipe Works

  • Double-dredging the shrimp in a flour-cornmeal mixture creates a crunchy, light coating.
  • Letting the dredged shrimp rest in the refrigerator before frying helps prevent the coating from sloughing off after frying.
  • A spicy rémoulade gives the sandwich plenty of kick.

Fried shrimp po' boys are classic New Orleans street food. These "dressed" sandwiches are spread with a zesty rémoulade sauce and filled with crunchy shredded lettuce, pickles, and sliced tomatoes, before being topped with crisp, golden shrimp. Not a fan of shrimp? Try making one of our classic, equally-delicious oyster or fish po' boys instead.

Recipe Details

Shrimp Po' Boys Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 20 mins
Active 30 mins
Chilling Time 15 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 4 servings

These classic po' boys feature big, juicy shrimp which are double-dredged in a mixture of flour and cornmeal for extra crispiness.

Ingredients

For the Rémoulade:

  • 3/4 cup (175ml) mayonnaise

  • 1/4 cup (45g) minced dill pickles

  • 2 tablespoons (10g) drained prepared horseradish

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) hot sauce

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Shrimp:

  • 2 cups (10 ounces; 280g) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces; 70g) cornmeal

  • 2 tablespoons (10g) homemade or store-bought Creole seasoning

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 1/2 pounds (675g) medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

  • 2 quarts (1900ml) vegetable oil, for frying

  • Kosher salt

For Serving:

  • 4 (10-inch) French or sub-style rolls, lightly toasted (see notes)

  • 1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded

  • 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

  • 3/4 cup dill pickle chips

Directions

  1. For the Rémoulade: In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, minced pickles, horseradish, hot sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and garlic until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

  2. For the Shrimp: In a medium bowl or shallow baking dish, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and Creole seasoning. In a second medium bowl or shallow baking dish, whisk together eggs and 1/3 cup flour mixture. The mixture should have the consistency of thick pancake batter. Adjust consistency with additional flour mixture if necessary. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.

  3. Working in batches, place shrimp in flour mixture and toss to evenly coat. Shake off excess flour, transfer shrimp to egg mixture, and turn to thoroughly coat. Allow excess batter to drip back into bowl and return shrimp to flour mixture. Press gently in flour mixture to help coating adhere. Transfer to prepared wire rack. Repeat dredging process with remaining shrimp. Refrigerate shrimp for 15 minutes.

  4. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat to 375°F (190°C). Carefully add half the shrimp to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally with a spider skimmer, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer cooked shrimp to second wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt to taste. Repeat with remaining shrimp.

  5. For Serving: Open rolls, and spread cut sides with rémoulade. Divide lettuce, tomatoes, pickle chips, and shrimp evenly among rolls. Serve immediately.

Special equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, Wire rack, Large Dutch oven, Instant-read thermometer

Notes

If you can find French-style po' boy rolls or Vietnamese baguettes used for banh mi sandwiches, use them. Otherwise, use regular sub or hoagie rolls. If the interior of the bread is very dense, scoop most of it out and discard it before building your po' boys.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Rémoulade can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Po' boys are best enjoyed right away.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1167 Calories
41g Fat
130g Carbs
69g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1167
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g 53%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 548mg 183%
Sodium 4292mg 187%
Total Carbohydrate 130g 47%
Dietary Fiber 8g 29%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 69g
Vitamin C 15mg 73%
Calcium 326mg 25%
Iron 11mg 60%
Potassium 1026mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)