Shrimp Po Boy
on Jun 08, 2022, Updated Sep 17, 2024
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The classic New Orleans sandwich, stuffed with lightly fried shrimp and dressed with all the fixings. A shrimp po' boy is easy to make at home.
A fluffy but crusty roll stuffed full of fried shrimp and all the fixings is one of the best shrimp lovers’ meals around. The crunchy sweet shrimp, the creamy remoulade sauce, the fresh lettuce, and diced tomatoes…this sandwich is surprisingly easy to make, and when you can’t get to New Orleans, it will satisfy that po boy craving at home. Open wide!
And you can learn more about the best way to get to those crispy shrimp here. I like to serve this delicious sandwich with a simple mixed lettuce salad or celery salad. Pour a classic French 75 cocktail if you’re feeling fancy!
Table of Contents
Shrimp Po’ Boy: The classic New Orleans sandwich, stuffed with lightly fried shrimp and dressed with all the fixings.
What Is a Po’ Boy?
Po’ boys were invented in New Orleans in 1929, during a streetcar strike. Apparently, two brothers, Benny and Clovis Martin, streetcar workers themselves, set themselves up to feed their striking colleagues. They created sandwiches stuffed into half loaves of New Orleans bread, which is somewhat similar to Italian bread or a baguette. The story goes that one of the brothers would call out, “Here comes another poor boy,” each time someone approached for a sandwich. With Southern accents and all, it sounded more like, “Here comes another po’ boy,” and the name stuck.
What Kind of Shrimp to Use in a Shrimp Po’Boy
You want shrimp that are neither too large nor too small. Too small shrimp won’t give you that satisfying bite, but shrimp that are too large may cause the sandwich to fall apart and be harder to eat. You want shrimp that can fit into your mouth in one big bite! I like 25/30 shrimp, usually labeled “large,” for this sandwich, meaning that there are about 25 to 30 shrimp per pound.
Most shrimp you buy fresh at a seafood counter were previously frozen and defrosted, so don’t be concerned about purchasing good-quality frozen and thawing them for use in this recipe.
Kitchen Smarts
When you coat the shrimp in the milk-egg mixture and then the flour mixture, use one hand for the wet ingredients and another for the dry ones to keep everything from getting clumpy and sticky and messy.
Shrimp Po’Boy Ingredients
- Loaf of French or Italian bread – These are the traditional options, but choose whatever roll or bread you like your sandwiches on.
- Shrimp – Use large shrimp and remove the shells and veins before frying, or buy them already cleaned.
- All-purpose flour – The flour is blended with the cornmeal for the crisp shrimp coating.
- Cornmeal – Adds great texture and crunch to the shrimp breading.
- Paprika – Adds a little smoky spice and some ruddy color.
- Garlic powder
- Cayenne pepper – Adds a bit of spice to the breading.
- Egg – Helps the breading stick to the shrimp and firm up when it cooks.
- Milk – Loosens up the egg mixture so it can really coat the shrimp.
- Vegetable oil – Make sure to use an oil with a high smoke point for deep-frying. Peanut or canola oil or any neutral frying oil would work here.
- Toppings – Classic toppings for the po’ boy (or “dressings” for the po’ boy) are traditional Remoulade Sauce or mayonnaise, as well as shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes. But feel free to get playful with the toppings.
Frying Shrimp for Po’ Boys
Ideally, the temperature of the oil should be at 360 to 365 degrees to fry the shrimp so that they turn golden on the outside just as the inside is cooked but still tender. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, just wait until the oil is shimmering, then add one shrimp. If it starts to gently sizzle and turn golden brown after about 2 minutes, your oil is the perfect temperature.
Kitchen Smarts
You may need to allow the oil come to come back up to temperature in between batches of shrimp. Don’t add too many shrimp at once or they will lower the temperature of the oil, and the shrimp won’t get nicely browned and crunchy. Shrimp fry up very quickly, so cook them in a few batches!
The Best Bread for a Po’ Boy
In New Orleans, they make a French-style bread that is typically used for po’ boys (and also just served as is). It has much less fat and salt than other similar breads and no preservatives, so its shelf life is very short. You can use a baguette instead, or an Italian loaf.
Scoop out some of the fluffy bread from the middle before filling the sandwich if you wish; that’s a personal choice (but common in the po’boy world of New Orleans, and it helps keep the filling in place).
How to Dress a Po’ Boy
A dressed po’boy usually means that the sandwich includes mayo or remoulade sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes. (Other non-shrimp po’ boys have other condiments and companions sometimes used to top or “dress” the sandwich, but these toppings are very classic for a shrimp po’boy.) You can also use another sauce in place of the remoulade, even though they are less traditional: try Tartar Sauce, Horseradish Sauce, or Dill Sauce, if you like.
How to Make Shrimp Po’ Boys
- Prepare the breading: Mix together the flour, cornmeal, and seasonings. In another bowl, combine the egg and milk.
- Coat the shrimp: Dip each shrimp first in the egg and milk mixture, then the flour mixture, then place on a rack and chill.
- Fry the shrimp: Heat an inch of oil to 365 degrees F and cook the shrimp, one batch at a time, until nice and crispy and evenly browned.
- Assemble the sandwich: Get your toasted bread ready. Layer in the lettuce, tomatoes, and fried shrimp. Serve quickly before it gets soggy.
Variations
- The most essential element of the po’ boy is the fried shrimp, so you can be imaginative with the other ingredients. For example, try topping with a pickle-y cucumber salad or creamy coleslaw instead of the chopped lettuce.
- You could also switch out the remoulade sauce. Substitute some tartar sauce for a more European-style shrimp sandwich, or swap in this lemon dill sauce for a creamy option without any mayo.
What to Serve With Shrimp Po’ Boys
More Classic Sandwich Recipes
- Club Sandwich
- Sub (or Grinder) Sandwich
- Best Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich
- Sloppy Joes
- Chicken Salad with Grapes
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Shrimp Po’ Boy
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French or Italian bread
- 1 pound large shrimp (25/30 per pound)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (pus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
To Top the Po’ Boys:
- Remoulade Sauce (or mayonnaise; for serving)
- Shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Slice the bread in half horizontally and lengthwise, then slice the loaf into 2 to 4 sections, depending on how big you want each sandwich to be. Scoop out some of the fluffy bread from the middle if you wish; that’s a personal choice (but common in the po’ boy world of New Orleans).
- Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl. Mix the egg with the milk in another bowl and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet.
- A few at a time, dunk the shrimp in the milk mixture, turning them to coat. Using a slotted spoon or your hand, remove the shrimp, allow any excess liquid to drip back into the bowl, then dredge them in the flour mixture, making sure they are well coated. As the shrimp are breaded, place them, without touching, on the wire rack. When all of the shrimp are coated, place the baking sheet into the fridge and let the shrimp chill for 15 minutes.
- Line a large plate with paper towels. Pour the oil to a depth of 1 inch into a large, heavy deep skillet. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 365 F (see Note). In a few batches, add the shrimp, turning them with a slotted spoon as they cook. They should fry for about 2 to 3 minutes total, and become golden brown and crispy. Remove them with a slotted spoon to the paper towel lined plate. See if they need another light sprinkle of kosher salt. Continue frying until all of the shrimp are cooked and crispy.
- Spread some remoulade or mayo on the toasted bread. Add some shredded lettuce to the bottom piece, then pile on the warm shrimp and tomatoes. Top with a bit more sauce and a bit more lettuce if you like, and the top of the bread. Serve immediately.
