Cher, This Ain't That Sweet BBQ Sauce Shrimp!
If you're expecting sweet, sticky BBQ sauce from a bottle — stop right there, cher!
Real New Orleans Cajun BBQ Shrimp was invented at Pascal's Manale in New Orleans in the 1950's, and it never saw a bottle of BBQ sauce in its life.
It's big, juicy Gulf shrimp — heads on if you're doing it right — swimming in a sauce that is pure magic: Worcestershire sauce, amber beer like our Abita, garlic, rosemary, Cajun seasoning, black pepper, hot sauce, lemon, and then you kill the heat and swirl in cold butter, cube by cube, until it turns into that creamy, peppery, spicy, tangy, emulsified sauce that you HAVE to sop up with crusty French bread.
This is a 15-minute, one-pan, no-fuss wonder.
It's messy, it's buttery, it's perfect for when family drops by unexpected.
And yes — it's even better with wild-caught American Gulf shrimp, 16-20 count or bigger.
🛒 Shop this recipe: Nana's Cajun BBQ Shrimp Kit on Amazon has the cast iron skillet, low-salt seasoning, and Worcestershire below in one place.
Ingredients — What You Need
⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
⅓ cup amber beer — Abita Amber recommended
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon rosemary — fresh chopped or dried
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning — low-salt Cajun or Creole seasoning preferred
1 teaspoon black pepper — coarsely cracked is best
Several dashes hot sauce to taste — Crystal or Tabasco
2 lbs large shrimp — 16-20 count or bigger, peeled or unpeeled
1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds — plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
14 tablespoons unsalted butter — 1¾ sticks, cold, cut into cubes — yes, that's the magic
Salt to taste
4 scallions, thinly sliced — dark and light green parts only
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Crusty French bread — for serving, lots of it!
Instructions — How to Make It
Step 1: Build the sauce base. Add Worcestershire sauce, beer, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, Cajun seasoning, pepper, and hot sauce to a large sauté pan with a lid. Bring up to a boil.
Step 2: Cook the shrimp. Add the shrimp and lemon wheels, toss to coat, then cover and cook until shrimp are just cooked through, about 3-5 minutes depending on size. Don't overcook! They should be pink and just curled.
Step 3: Make it silky. Remove the lid and add the lemon juice, then turn OFF the heat and add the cubed cold butter. Stir continuously until the butter is fully melted and the sauce is emulsified — creamy and slightly thick, not broken or greasy. This is the key step.
Step 4: Season and serve. Taste for seasoning and add salt and more lemon juice to taste. Transfer to a serving dish — cast iron skillet or big shallow bowl is perfect — and sprinkle with scallions and parsley.
Serve immediately with lots of crusty bread for sopping up that sauce.
Nana's Tips — Don't Mess This Up, Cher!
Cold butter is non-negotiable. Don't use melted butter. Don't use soft butter. Cut 1¾ sticks cold, straight from the fridge, into cubes.
Turning the heat OFF before you add it is what makes the sauce creamy instead of oily. Stir, stir, stir.
Don't overcook your shrimp. 3-5 minutes max. As soon as they turn pink and C-shaped, you're done. O-shaped means overcooked and tough. If using head-on, unpeeled shrimp — traditional and gives the best flavor — add 1 minute.
Use low-salt Cajun seasoning. Worcestershire and butter are already salty. If your Cajun seasoning is salty, your sauce will be inedible. Look for salt-free or low-salt — Tony's low-salt or Slap Ya Mama low-salt works.
Wild Gulf shrimp matters. Try to find wild-caught American Gulf shrimp for best results. Farm-raised just don't have that sweet, briny flavor. 16-20 count is perfect — big enough to be meaty, not so big they take forever.
Abita Amber is Nana's choice. That toasty, caramel amber beer adds depth without bitterness. If avoiding alcohol, replace the beer with shrimp, chicken, or vegetable stock — or plain water in a pinch. The alcohol cooks off anyway.
Don't skip the bread. This is not a fork-and-knife dish. You need Leidenheimer French bread or any crusty French loaf. Toast it light and use it to sop. Some folks serve over grits or rice, but bread is traditional.
How to Serve
Classic New Orleans style: Straight from the skillet with French bread, a cold Abita Amber, and lots of napkins. Bibs optional but recommended.
Over: Creamy grits, white rice, or even pasta to catch the sauce.
As an appetizer: 4-6 shrimp per person in small bowls with bread.
As a main: ½ lb per person, more bread, side salad, and maybe corn maque choux [Nana's Recipe HERE].
Garnish: Extra lemon wedges, more hot sauce, extra scallions.
How to Store & Reheat
Store: Cool completely, then store shrimp and sauce together in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days. The sauce will solidify — that's the butter, normal.
Reheat: Gently! Add to a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or stock, cover, and warm 3-4 minutes until just heated through. Don't microwave on high — it'll separate and the shrimp will turn to rubber. Low and slow.
Freeze: Not recommended. Butter sauce breaks and shrimp get tough. If you must, freeze the sauce only, up to 1 month.
Make ahead: You can measure all sauce ingredients ahead, but cook fresh — it only takes 15 minutes.
Nutrition Information — Estimated Per Serving
Based on 4 servings, with butter and sauce, without bread. Estimated using USDA data.
Calories: ~545 kcal
Protein: 32g
Fat: 42g — Saturated Fat 24g
Cholesterol: 345mg
Carbohydrates: 6g — Fiber 1g, Sugar 3g
Sodium: ~1,150mg — varies greatly with Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire, and salt added
This is an indulgent, buttery dish — that butter is the star! Serve with extra veggies or smaller portions if watching fat/sodium.
This is not medical advice — just Nana's estimate. For precise tracking, use your preferred nutrition calculator with your exact brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called BBQ shrimp if there's no BBQ sauce? It's BBQ in the New Orleans sense — buttery, peppery, savory, not smoky-sweet. The name comes from the color and flavor of the sauce, not barbecue sauce. Invented at Pascal's Manale Restaurant in New Orleans.
Should I leave shells on or peel? Unpeeled, head-on shrimp are traditional and give the best flavor — the shells season the sauce. But peeled shrimp also work if that's what you prefer or if feeding kids. If peeled, reduce cook time by 30 seconds.
Can I make it without beer? Yes! If avoiding alcohol, replace beer with shrimp, chicken, or vegetable stock — or plain water in a pinch. You'll lose a little depth but it's still delicious.
Can I use frozen shrimp? Yes — thaw completely first, overnight in the fridge or quick-thaw in cold water. Pat very dry before adding, or the sauce will be watery.
Why did my sauce separate or look oily? The heat was too high when you added the butter. Always turn heat OFF completely, then stir cold cubed butter continuously until emulsified. If it breaks, add 1 tablespoon cold water and whisk vigorously off heat.
Is it spicy? It's peppery-spicy, not hot-spicy. The heat comes from black pepper, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce dashes. Control the heat by adjusting hot sauce and Cajun seasoning to taste.
What bread is best? Crusty French bread — Leidenheimer is the New Orleans classic.
You need something sturdy to sop. Don't use soft sandwich bread.
More Louisiana Recipes
From Nana's Kitchen
Butter, beer, and a skillet —
that's the whole secret.
No bottle, no shortcuts, just the same trick they've been doing at Pascal's Manale since the 1950's.
Tell Nana: heads on or peeled? And how many pieces of bread does it take you to finish that sauce?
🛒 Ready to cook? Shop Nana's Complete Cajun BBQ Shrimp Store on Amazon → [HERE]
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