10/25/2026
🦐🔥 When Friday rolls around in New Orleans, somebody is always firing up a skillet of BBQ Shrimp. Do not let the name fool you, there is no grill and no barbecue sauce in sight. This is a Creole classic born at Pascal's Manale in the 1950s, built on butter, Worcestershire, garlic, and a mountain of cracked black pepper. The shrimp swim in that glossy sauce until they turn sweet and pink, and the whole point is a loaf of crusty French bread for sopping up every last drop. 🍋🥖
Serves 4 . about 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 lb large shell-on shrimp (head-on if you can find them)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Creole seasoning
1 Tbsp coarsely cracked black pepper
Juice of 2 lemons, plus extra lemon slices
Crusty French bread, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Rinse the shrimp and pat them dry. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine the olive oil, Worcestershire, garlic, Creole seasoning, black pepper, and lemon juice, and drop in a few lemon slices.
2. Let it simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until fragrant and slightly reduced.
3. Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, just until they turn pink and opaque throughout (145°F).
4. Lower the heat and swirl in the cold butter a few cubes at a time, letting each melt before adding more, until the sauce is thick and glossy.
5. Serve right away in shallow bowls with plenty of French bread for sopping up the sauce.
There is no wrong way to eat this, but a stack of napkins helps. How does your family do BBQ shrimp, heads on or peeled and easy?
