Shrimp Po’ Boys!! Crispy cajun seasoned fried shrimp (prawns) stuffed into rolls with crunchy lettuce, tomato, pickles and a generous slather of tangy remoulade sauce. This famous Louisiana classic is one heck of a sandwich!
PS Shrimp = prawns for us Aussies, but I’m sticking with the American name here because calling it a Prawn Po’ Boys just feels wrong! 🙂
Shrimp Po’ Boys (prawns)
I really want to tell you that Po’ Boys are the first thing I hunted down when I touched down in New Orleans, but fried chicken won out purely because it was closer to my hotel and impatience got the better of me!
But Po’ Boys came shortly thereafter, and boy oh boy, New Orleans sets the bar high for memorable sandwiches. I will never forget the first bite I had of the crusty bread stuffed to bursting with the crispy fried shrimp, crunchy lettuce and tangy sauce. Messy, generous and SO good!
Po’ Boys are having a bit of a moment here in Sydney and after recently paying a ridiculous amount for a disappointing one (soggy shrimp, overcooked, bland seasoning) I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and make my own. Yes the crispy shrimp has to be fried but it’s actually a lot less hassle than most fried foods – they get batch coated (rather than one by one), and they’re shallow fried rather than deep fried, it doesn’t splatter or spit.
I think it’s pretty darn close to the real thing – I’d love to know what New Orleans locals think! Have I done your famous Po’ Boys justice??
What are Po’ Boys?
I’m glad you asked! Po’ Boys are New Orleans’ famous overstuffed sandwiches made with crusty French bread and fillings ranging from slow cooked beef to crispy fried oysters and fish. Shrimp (prawns) is one of the most popular versions. The name is short for “poor boy”, said to date back to 1929 when two New Orleans brothers served sandwiches to streetcar workers, calling them “poor boys”. The name stuck, and so did the sandwiches.
Ironically, here in Sydney, there is nothing “poor” about the price tag of Po’ Boys – $30 up!!! You can make this entire recipe for 4 people for that amount.
Ingredients in Shrimp Po’ Boys
Here’s what you need to make Shrimp Po’ Boys. You’ll find everything at regular grocery stores, or there’s easy substitutions that won’t compromise the end result.
1. For the crispy cajun seasoned shrimp
The shrimp (prawns) are coated in a flour coating that is boldly spiced with cajun flavours. It makes the shrimp so tasty, they’re hard to resist snacking on!
Shrimp / prawns – Use frozen for convenience, thaw thoroughly and pat dry before use. We need medium ones so they are not too big to stuff into the sandwich, though prawns in bags labelled “large” are also fine. I wouldn’t use small because they cook through way too quickly, before the outside has time to get crunchy. Also, it’s just a pain handling a gazillion little prawns!
Fine cornmeal – Traditionally used for the shrimp coating, this is dried ground corn which gives the shrimp extra crunchy little gritty bits. Honestly though, you can’t taste it so just substitute with cornflour/cornstarch, I couldn’t even tell the difference. If you really want to be authentic, make sure to use fine ground cornmeal, not coarse (works, but more visible). I found mine at Harris Farms (Sydney).
Flour – Just plain flour / all-purpose flour.
Cajun spices – Pantry spices! How good is that! The cayenne gives the shrimp the faintest warmth, feel free to omit it if you prefer.
Egg – This is to make the coating stick on the prawns.
2. for the remoulade sauce
The sauce for Po’ Boys is typically mayonnaise or a tangy remoulade, a Louisiana-style sauce made with mayonnaise, mustard, pickles and spices that goes especially well with crispy fried seafood. I’m going with the latter – it really is tasty!
Mustard – Remoulade is traditionally made with Creole mustard, which is tangy, grainy and has a little spicy kick. Since it’s hard to find here in Sydney, I use Dijon OR yellow mustard mixed with wholegrain mustard instead. I’ve made this with both and honestly can’t pick a favourite! I like the warmer yellow colour you get from regular yellow mustard, but Dijon has a slightly more sophisticated flavour. Either works beautifully, especially with all the other flavours going on in the sauce!
Mayonnaise – Use whole egg mayonnaise or kewpie, which have a smoother flavour than regular mayonnaise which tend to be too sweet and/or too vinegary.
Horseradish cream – Adds a little sharp, peppery bite that gives the remoulade an extra kick without making it chilli-hot. Use prepared horseradish cream, not fresh horseradish, which is much stronger.
Pickle juice – Literally, from the jar of pickles for the pickles we use in the sandwich.
Hot sauce – Tabasco, or any other hot sauce you want. You can omit it, if you want to make this not spicy.
Garlic – Finely grated or crushed using a garlic press.
Paprika – Just sweet / regular paprika. Not smoky and not hot.
3. for the sandwich
You can either use rolls, or cut a long French stick into 22cm/9″ lengths.
Bread rolls – Use any white bread roll you want. We will be lightly toasting them to make the crust lightly crispy – not too crisp.
Tomatoes and lettuce – The vegetables that are typical in Shrimp Po’ Boys. Use iceberg or cos/romaine lettuce.
Pickles – finely sliced. I do it on the diagonal to make the slices larger.
How to make Shrimp Po’ Boys
Here’s how to make it. We do need to fry, but it’s not deep frying, it’s just shallow fried. Less oil, less mess!
Remoulade – Mix the ingredients in a bowl and set aside while you make everything else.
Warm rolls – Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan forced). Warp the rolls in foil (2 in each parcel), put them on a tray then turn the oven off. This will warm the rolls through and keep them warm without over-toasting while you cook the shrimp.
Whisk the egg in a bowl and put all the shrimp in, then mix to coat in the egg.
Cajun coating – Mix all the Cajun coating ingredients in a separate medium size bowl. Then lay some of the egg coated shrimp onto the flour mixture in one layer (however many you can).
Coat – Toss the bowl to coat the shrimp in the flour mixture. Or use a spoon.
Shake off excess – Grab a handful of shrimp and lightly enclose your fist around them to adhere the coating on well. Then shake around in your hand, using your fingers as a colander, to shake off excess flour.
Coat all shrimp – Place them on a plate, repeat with remaining shrimp. Coat them all in the flour and lay on the plate.
Fry 2 – 3 minutes – Heat 2 cm / 0.8″ oil in a heavy based skillet or pot to 180C/350F (if you drop a pinch of flour in, it should sizzle straight away). Then cook the shrimp in batches for 2 – 3 minutes until deep golden. There is no need to turn the shrimp, just place them in and leave them there for the full cook time. Don’t cook too long, we don’t want to overcook the shrimp! For medium / large shrimp, 2 minutes should be long enough, up to 3 minutes to get enough colour on the coating and make it crispy.
Drain – Scoop the prawns out with a slotted spoon or spider onto a tray lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Repeat and cook remaining shrimp.
Assembling the Po’ Boys
Split the rolls in half and spread with butter. Then spread the base with 1 tablespoon of remoulade.
Stuff as follows – Layer of sliced pickles, then tomato, shredded lettuce, pile on shrimp/prawns (as much as you can!), drizzle the shrimp with remoulade sauce. Close lid and devour!
I could eat a Po’ Boy anytime, but it seems especially fitting for weekends and parties. I like that you can coat all the shrimp / prawns in the Cajun seasoned flour and have it ready to fry, then it fries up in just 5 minutes. In the world of crispy fried things, these Po’ Boys are way down on the less-mess-less-effort-less-stress end compared to, say, handling large pieces of bone in chicken or the recipes where I really insist on double frying and things that need to be battered one-by-one just before dropping into the hot oil.
Frying makes anything tasty, but it does require commitment. So it’s nice to be sharing one that isn’t such a big deal. And you end up with one heck of a sandwich! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Shrimp Po’ Boys (prawns)
Ingredients
- 500g/ 1 lb large shrimp/prawns , peeled and deveined – either frozen and thawed (Note 1)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt , for sprinkling cooked shrimp/prawns
- 2 – 3 cups canola oil or other plain oil, for cooking
Cajun coating:
- 1/3 cup fine cornmeal , or cornflour/cornstarch (Note 2)
- 1/3 cup plain flour / all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt , + extra for sprinkling
- 1 tbsp paprika , sweet/regular
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper , optional (for barely-there spiciness)
Remoulade sauce:
- 2 1/2 tbsp Dijon or yellow mustard – Creole mustard if you've got it! (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (ie with the little mustard seeds in it), or more smooth mustard (Note 3)
- 1 1/4 cups whole-egg mayonnaise (Note 4)
- 2 tsp prepared horseradish (horseradish cream)
- 1 tsp pickle juice (ie juice from a jar of pickles) or white vinegar
- 1 tsp tabasco
- 1 large garlic clove , finely grated
- 2 tsp paprika , sweet/regular
Sandwich:
- 4 crusty white rolls , about 20cm / 8" long – or 2 French sticks cut
- 1/4 cup dill pickles , finely sliced on an angle
- 2 tomatos , halved and sliced
- 2 cups (packed) shredded cos lettuce (romaine) or iceberg
- Salted table butter , softened, for spreading on rolls
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
- Toss all shrimp in egg, then coat in Cajun coating. Fry 2 – 3 min. Spread warmed rolls with butter, then base with remoulade. Pile in this order: pickles, lettuce, tomato, shrimp, drizzle with remoulade. Enjoy!
FULL RECIPE:
- Remoulade – Mix the ingredients in a bowl and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the flavours meld.
- Lightly warm rolls (Note 5) – Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Wrap the bread in foil (2 rolls per parcel) and put them in the oven. Turn the oven off. This will warm them through and make them lightly crispy. You can leave them there for up to 45 minutes.
- Cajun coating – Mix the ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Pat dry – Pat the shrimp (prawns) dry with paper towels. This helps it stick better. (I just do this in the colander I thawed them in, just sort of moving them around!)
- Egg – Whisk the egg in a separate medium bowl. Put all the shrimp into the egg and mix to coat.
- Coat shrimp/prawns – Pick up a shrimp with your hand and let the excess egg drip off, then place into the Cajun flour bowl. Do as many shrimp as you can do so they are in a single layer on the flour mixture. Pick up the bowl and toss to coat the shrimp in the flour. Grab a few shrimp in your hand and lightly squeeze to adhere the coating well, shake off excess flour (using your fingers as a colander!), then put on a plate. Repeat with all remaining shrimp.
- Fry – Heat 2cm / 0.8" of oil in a heavy based skillet or large pot over medium high heat to 180°C/350°F. Fry half the shrimp for 2 – 3 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining shrimp. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Stuff – To assemble the sandwich, split a roll but don't cut all the way through. Spread the base with butter then 1 tablespoon of remoulade. Layer with pickles then tomato and shredded lettuce. Stuff with as many shrimp as you can, then drizzle with a generous amount of remoulade. Devour immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Jaffle
Jaffle’s first bushwalk!
A whole new playground for Mr Jaffle, he was in a tizzy of excitement, sniffing every single leaf, investigating every fallen log, jumping onto rocks for no apparent reason!
Occasionally he’d run ahead and disappear out of sight, but before I could call for him he’d come bolting back, and I swear I could almost hear him thinking “hurry up, hurry up!”
No bushwalking as we head into summer though. Too many snakes. Jaffle cannot be trusted! He thinks everything was put on this earth to be his personal toy.
These were awesome. Thank you Nagi for yet another fab recipe. Hubby said he could have eaten 10. Very glad youngest is a fussy eater = more prawns for us 😁
Okie-doaky, having been in and around New Orleans too many times to count, your recipe absolutely works! You gotta try the oysters, uffdah is they good! Oh and the soft shell crabs.
Yeah, fried chicken everywhere. Some of the very best is in the gas stations. Whoda thunk it!
Any food along route 10 or south of route 10 is to die for. I spent several months eating/working my way all over and never ate a bad meal. All good. All the time. And too bad for you as one of the best Po’ Boys is created right in the Armstrong Airport. Somebody shoulda told ya…I damn near missed a few flights stuffing my fat face.
Thank you for all you do for everyone and especially for sharing your recipes with the world.
Hi, Are the prawns raw or cooked? Cheers Carmen
And ticks Nagi although with the amount of cuddles I’m sure you will find one if it’s there. Please be careful.
Made this and it was so delicious! That sauce… yum! Will be making this again over summer for sure.
Grew up eating these my whole life in this area of the States and you did great. My only tip to really seal it up is pressing your bread in a hot skillet to lightly toast the outside and give it that traditional crispy, somewhat flaky and slightly chewy texture. Some places use a press after it’s assembled and you can do that too if you’re bougie enough to have a press but at home it can be done in a skillet for the same result. Great recipe and really cool to see you guys doing something rooted here so close to home. They are soooo good! Love always and forever a follower..Tommy
Wouldn’t using a press squish the shrimp?? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it like that!! – N x
Haha. Not pressed that hard. Just the weight of the press itself usually is enough. I don’t have one but as mentioned I get the same result in a hot skillet. You can do it also prior to building the sandwich as well.
It just helps get that signature texture they have in the area in and around NOLA.
Getting really good bread for it is the difficult part as it can be a major game changer in your po-boy. You definitely level up with a crispy somewhat flaky, slightly chewy bread and not one that’s more doughy. Although I enjoy cooking, I’m no professional so I hope I’m describing this correctly in a way that makes sense. The bread is definitely a key part in the whole meal.
Wow! Delicious “fun food”. The texture of the prawn coating was perfectly crisp and the flavours were layered. Made this for coeliacs but subbing in White Wings gf plain flour and using Gluten Free 4U gf hotdog buns. Thanks Nagi!
YAY!! Love hearing that Emma! And thank you for sharing the GF substitutions, so helpful for other readers! – N x
He is so beautiful. Yes Keep him away from the bush, as the snakes are already coming out. We do not take our dog(toy poodle) anywhere that may have snakes.
I heard they have started early this year! Scary – N x
Back in 2012 I remember visiting New Orleans (from Australia). Spent a morning at the New Orleans School of Cooking learning how to make Gumbo and Pralines. But went to Stanley’s on Jackson Square (twice) to eat their magnificent fried oyster po boys with Crystal hot sauce and washed down with an Abita Amber beer. Will defo give these a try Nagi – will the same recipe work with oysters?
Oh Cath, you’re making me want to go back to New Orleans!! And YES, this will work with oysters too! Just adjust the frying time depending on their size. Fried oyster Po’ Boys are SO good!! – N x
USA Foods in Melbourne sell the creole mustard, amongst their store full of…USA foods.
Good to know! Thanks Lee! 🙂
Whaaaatt!!! It was the first place I checked!!
I lived in New Orleans for over 14 years….I miss the food!!! Your recipe is amazing and very traditional….But as a quick shortcut…one of my favorite poboy stops made the fried shrimp just like you, but used mayo and pepperjack cheese instead of the involved remoulade sauce…just sayin’ if you are in a rush or cant find somethin’ itll do in a pinch!!!!
Hi Becky, any tip is always welcome, especially coming from someone who lived in New Orleans! Thanks so much for sharing!
Really!!! What an awesome tip, thank you Becky!! – N x
I have so much fun reading these wonderful recipes. Whether familiar or quite complicated, in my imagination I’ve successfully finished the dish and I’m getting raves from everyone as I read! Thank you Nagi and JB for the best! Quick question. Can the shrimp be air fried?
Thank you for your kind comment Martha! We haven’t tried air frying the shrimp, but I think it should work well. You’d probably need to cook them in batches to avoid overcrowding and keep them nice and crispy. Let us know if you give it a go!
Love anything Cajun or Creole! How about a really good Hurricane recipe like they make in New Orleans? I can get close, but they are not quite the same.
Hi Raelene, are you referring to the cocktail?
Yes ,Chef JB,. the cocktail. I just can’t seem to get it perfect.
Hello, Nagi and Jaffle! Thanks for giving me smiles today looking at Jaffle’s pictures! 🙂
You’re welcome! Thank you Marca!
He certainly keeps me entertained too!! Though I could do with a little less mischief some days. 😂 – N x
My son and I will have this soon (hubby and daughter are allergic 😔).
Nagi and JB, please keep doing what you do as your fans love you 🥰
Your recipes and instructions allow us home-chefs to twist family favs, try a new cuisine or tackle a challenging dish that can easily be purchased (e.g. Mille-Feuille). The best compliment to you both is the enjoyment on my family and friend’s faces when savouring your delicious recipes.
Oh, but of course, Jaffle updates are my first read🐾
Hi Nancy, thank you for your beautiful message! Knowing our recipes bring joy to your family and friends is exactly why we do what we do. Hope you and your son enjoy this one!
Thank you Nancy, that is such a nice message to receive 🙂 – N x
I love all the recipes. I may not try all of them but I do get ideas of how to create my own shortened versions or the way Nagi opens a pantry and mixes it up to find a lovely meal. I’m not picky about where in the world it comes from or if it’s a street food from some county. Thank you both Nagi and BJ for your lovely ideas. And of course dog stories.
Hi Joan, thank you so much for your lovely message! That’s exactly what we love to hear and if we are inspiring you to get creative in the kitchen, it’s a win for us!
Thank you Joan, for your lovely message! Appreciate it 🙂 – N x
Nobody wants to listen to your negative comments. If you don’t like it, don’t make it. If you must leave the site, happy trails! We all enjoy being here! Beautiful dogs, happy and talented Nagi and good food.
I think the Carmen comment you are referring to is just to be ignored as rage-bait nonsense. It makes zero sense nor applies to this website in any way. Let’s all just give a hearty wave as those who don’t appreciate these awesome delights leaves the island 😉 (I recently suggested Nagi hand out bibs to tour the website because I wind up drooling on my tablet every time I come here and can scarcely wait to try the recent recipes!).
Ha ha ha the bibs!! 😂 I think we should make them official RecipeTin merchandise! Thank you for the laughs! – N x
Hmm…. JB did warn me there was a bit of heated conversation happening in today’s thread…I haven’t gotten to it yet, focussing on answering questions! 🙂 – N xx
I love that you have created a recipe for this. Thank you Nagi!
You’re welcome Marisela! Thank you for the lovely message 🙂
Thanks Marisela! Hope you get a chance to try it! – N x
I love Shrimp Po’ Boys and usually use Snoop Dogg’s recipe (yes, really!) but yours looks really authentic and I’ll give it a go!
Jaffle’s such a big boy now! We’re bringing our new rescue GSD home on Sunday – 10 months since we lost our old boy and waiting to see what our old girl makes of having a companion again.🤞🏻
Nothing wrong with a bit of Snoop Dogg Annette!! 🙂 I hope you like Nagi’s version just as much!
Snoop Dogg!! I can’t believe he cooks, surely he has a chef 😂
Not only does he cook, but he’s written no fewer than THREE cookbooks and is honest when he uses his wife’s recipes!
He also keeps French bulldogs…
The Jaffman now a fully fledged bushie……not only snakes but ticks my son had a tick on his under carriage as a boy 😅
JAFFMAN THE BUSHIE!! 😂 Though I think he’s better suited to being a pampered house dog! And YES, ticks are another thing to worry about. Your poor son! OUCH for the removal….(hope you didn’t miss 😂) – N x