Fried Shrimp Po-Boy
'Dressed' means everything's on it. Always order dressed.
Why this dish belongs to New Orleans
The po-boy is the lunchtime sandwich of New Orleans, dating to a 1929 streetcar workers' strike when brothers Bennie and Clovis Martin opened a shop selling cheap sandwiches to the striking 'poor boys' — hence po-boy. The defining feature is the bread: French bread baked in New Orleans (with a thinner, more brittle crust than typical baguette) — Leidenheimer's bakery has dominated the po-boy bread market since 1896. The proper bread shatters when you bite it. Fillings vary widely: roast beef with debris (drippings/gravy), fried shrimp, fried oyster, fried catfish, hot sausage, soft shell crab in season. The dressed assemblage is mayo + shredded lettuce + tomato + pickles, with hot sauce or remoulade on the side. The po-boy is closer to a Vietnamese banh mi (which itself originated in NOLA's Vietnamese community after the war) than to a typical American hoagie. Parkway Bakery & Tavern, Domilise's, and Mahony's are the canonical po-boy shops. This recipe is the fried shrimp version — most photographed, easiest to make at home.
Method · 12 steps
- 1
Soak the shrimp in buttermilk and Crystal hot sauce for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours refrigerated). The buttermilk tenderizes and the hot sauce adds depth.
- 2
In a shallow dish, whisk flour, cornmeal, Creole seasoning, salt, pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder.
- 3
Heat 3 inches of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven to 360°F.
- 4
Make the remoulade if using: stir together mayo, Creole mustard, horseradish, paprika, and lemon juice. Refrigerate.
- 5
Drain shrimp from buttermilk (don't rinse). Working in batches, dredge each shrimp in the flour-cornmeal mixture, pressing to coat. Shake off excess.
- 6
Fry shrimp in 360°F oil for 2–3 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Don't crowd; do 8–10 shrimp at a time.
- 7
Drain on a wire rack lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt while hot.
- 8
Heat the French bread in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to refresh the crust.
- 9
Split each loaf horizontally without cutting all the way through (hinge open).
- 10
Spread mayo (and remoulade if using) on the bottom half. Layer shredded lettuce, tomato slices, pickle chips.
- 11
Pile in the fried shrimp — about 1/3 lb per sandwich. Squeeze a few dashes of Crystal hot sauce.
- 12
Close the sandwich. Cut diagonally if you want to be fancy. Eat over a plate; messy is correct.
Chef's notes
- →Fresh French bread is essential. NOLA-style French bread (Leidenheimer's, Reising's, Binder's) is hard to find outside Louisiana — sub a fresh-baked baguette or ciabatta. Avoid Italian sub rolls; they're too soft.
- →Fry the shrimp at 360°F. Lower temp gives soggy breading. Higher temp burns the outside before the shrimp cook through.
- →Don't double-fry. Single fry at the right temp. Double-fried shrimp get tough.
- →'Dressed' is the standard order — mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles. Saying 'undressed' is technically allowed but raises eyebrows. 'Half dressed' (no lettuce or tomato) is also a thing.
- →Crystal hot sauce is the local NOLA hot sauce. Tabasco works. Don't use Sriracha here; it's wrong cuisine.
Storage
Po-boys must be eaten immediately. Fried shrimp loses crispness within 15 minutes of plating. The bread goes stale within an hour of opening.
Frequently asked
- Why is the bread so important for a po-boy?
- NOLA French bread is unique — a thinner crust that shatters when bitten, a softer interior than a baguette, and a particular dough that's hard to replicate elsewhere. The bread is what makes a po-boy distinct from a hoagie or sub. Outside NOLA, fresh-baked baguette or ciabatta are the closest substitutes.
- What's 'debris' in a roast beef po-boy?
- The drippings and small meat bits left in the roasting pan after slicing the beef. Debris po-boys (Mother's Restaurant invented this) are dressed in the gravy and the loose meat — extra messy, extra rich. Different sandwich than the standard sliced roast beef.
- Can I bake instead of fry?
- Baked breaded shrimp at 425°F for 8 minutes is okay — texture is 70% of fried. You won't get the crispy shatter of properly fried shrimp. Air-fryer at 400°F for 6 minutes is closer.
- What size French bread loaf should I use?
- 10-inch loaf per sandwich, hinged open (cut horizontally but not all the way through). NOLA po-boys are foot-long; 10-inch is the home-cook version. Don't use a Subway-style sub roll — too soft, wrong crust.
- What goes with a po-boy?
- Cajun-style fries (with seasoning), zapp's chips (NOLA local potato chip brand), or a side of red beans. Don't pair with anything heavy or saucy; the po-boy is the meal. Beer is the canonical drink — Abita Amber if you can find it.
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