This Fried Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwich Recipe originates from Louisiana and is served on a French bread baguette with lettuce and tomatoes. No need to venture out to Nola or to Popeyes for this Cajun and Creole treat!
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This post was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated.
What is a Po’ Boy? What’s on the Sandwich?
A po boy isa traditional sandwich from Louisiana. I have always enjoyed them while visiting New Orleans. It usually includes fried seafood like shrimp, crawfish, or crab. I have also seen it with roast beef. It’s served on French bread along with tomatoes, lettuce, and remoulade sauce.
You can pan/deep fry these or for a healthy option, you can throw the shrimp in the air fryer!
Why Do They Call it a Po’ Boy?
Some theories say it comes from a 1929 strike in Louisiana against a street car company. The street car company fed their colleagues free sandwiches, referred to as poor boys, spoken a “po” taking into account the dialect.
What Type of Shrimp to Use
Shrimp can be found at the grocery store in a few different ways. There is raw, pre-cooked, raw and frozen, deveined, tails on, tails off, etc.
I never use pre-cooked shrimp. There is an obvious difference in taste due to the lack of quality. The shrimp is cooked and then frozen and you have to cook it/warm it up again. This usually overcooks the shrimp. Raw shrimp only takes minutes to make, just buy it raw.
Always look for deveined, that’s my preference. The black vein that runs along the back of the shrimp is the digestive intestinal tract. Is this shrimp poop, yes.
You can buy it with the vein and remove it using a sharp paring knife to make a slit along the back and lift out the vein with the tip of the knife.
I like to buy large shrimp, that’s my preference. If you want to bite into the sandwich and grab an entire shrimp, go for medium-sized.
What Type of Bread to Use
Thefried goodness is usually served on French bread or a baguette. Thebread is usually toasted and crunchy. Trust me. Prepared correctly, the sandwich is everything and more!
Why Buttermilk
The key to tasty shrimp lies in the marinade. I always marinate my shrimp in advance. Because the shrimp in this recipe isfried, you will want to marinate the shrimp in buttermilk or whatever you prefer to use as a brine, in addition to your seasoning.
The buttermilk will then adhere to the fish fry that is used to create crunchy shrimp.
How to Substitute Buttermilk
You can use a beaten egg instead. Skip the marinating steps.
Remoulade Sauce
What is remoulade sauce? The sauce is mayo-based. Let me stop here. If you are one of those people who hate mayo, I encourage you to try it anyway! It has garlic, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and a few other things that you will see below. The sauce pairs perfectly with seafood.
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Print Pin
5 from 32 votes
Fried Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwich Recipe
This Fried Shrimp Po' Boy Sandwich Recipe originates from Louisiana and is served on a French bread baguette with lettuce and tomatoes. No need to venture out to Nola or to Popeyes for this Cajun and Creole treat!
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine Cajun, Creole, Southern
Keyword fried po boy, po boy recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes minutes
marinate 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 30 minutes minutes
Servings 4
Calories 437kcal
Author Brandi Crawford
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp, deveined
- 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning I used Tony Chachere
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup Louisiana Fish Fry Coating
- cooking oil spray (if air frying) I use olive oil
- canola or vegetable oil (if pan frying) You will need enough oil to fill 2 inches of height in your frying pan.
- 4 French bread hoagie rolls I used 2 loaves, cut each in half
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 8 tomato slices
Remoulade Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo I used reduced-fat
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 lemon juice of
- 1 tsp Worcestershire
- 1/2 tsp Creole Seasoning I used Tony Chachere
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 green onion chopped
Instructions
Remoulade Sauce
Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate prior to serving while the shrimp cooks.
Shrimp and Breading
Marinate the shrimp in the Creole seasoning and buttermilk for 30 minutes. I like to use a sealable plastic bag to do this.
Add the fish fry to a bowl. Remove the shrimp from the bags and dip each into the fish fry. Add the shrimp to the air fryer basket.
Pan Fry
Heat a frying pan with 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees. Use a thermometer to test the heat.
Fry the shrimp on both sides for 3-4 minutes until crisp.
Remove the shrimp from the pan and drain the excess grease using paper towels.
Air Fryer
Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Add the shrimp to the air fryer basket.
Spritz the shrimp with cooking oil.
Cook the shrimp for 5 minutes on 400 degrees. Open the basket and flip the shrimp to the other side. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until crisp.
Assemble the Po Boy
Spread the remoulade sauce on the French bread. Add the sliced tomato and lettuce, and then the shrimp.
Video
Notes
To substitute buttermilk, you can use a beaten egg instead. Skip the marinating steps.
If substituting the fish fry, you can make your own fish fry using 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. You will also need 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour. Combine the cornmeal and flour mix to create your breading.
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Nutrition (displayed with net carbs)
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 12g
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Nutrition DataMacros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
