Louisiana US · Lunch & handhelds

Crispy shrimp po’boy

Name: Crispy shrimp po’boy
Prep time: 28 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 1 h 2 min
Yield: 4 po’boys
Cuisine: Louisiana US
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined 31–40-count shrimp, tails removed; 1 cup whole buttermilk; 2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce, divided; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal; 2 tablespoons salt-free Creole seasoning, divided; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; Neutral oil, for deep-frying; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon Creole mustard; 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 4 pieces New Orleans-style French bread or light-crusted French rolls, 7 to 8 inches each; 2 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce, washed and dried; 2 ripe plum tomatoes, thinly sliced and blotted dry; 1/2 cup dill pickle chips, drained and blotted dry

Hot cornmeal-crusted shrimp on New Orleans-style French bread, fully dressed with lemon rémoulade, lettuce, tomato, and pickles.

About 1 hr 5 minTotal

About 45 minActive

$$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 4 po’boys

Equipment

Use a high-temperature instant-read thermometer between batches; do not leave it in the pot.
Simple clip-on pick
KitchenAid Fry Thermometer · KQ907
View at Amazon
For frequent frying and alarms
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm · TX-1100
View at ThermoWorks
Another workable path: Use a high-temperature instant-read thermometer between batches; do not leave it in the pot.
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How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We compared continuous readability, clip stability, temperature recovery help, cleaning guidance, and exact model identity. A current independent comparison informed the simple clip-on choice; manufacturer documentation established care and the alarm system's included parts. Kwilt has not calibrated or fried with these thermometers.
KitchenAid Fry Thermometer · KQ907: Its curved paddle and silicone-coated clip stay close to the pot, giving you a continuous oil reading without another screen or battery. Trade-off: It has no alarm, and KitchenAid says to hand wash rather than submerge it.
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm · TX-1100: High and low alarms make the oil drop between batches hard to miss, and the same system can monitor roasting, bread, and candy. Trade-off: It costs substantially more and brings a cabled probe, case, and controls that are unnecessary for an occasional batch of fish tacos.
Another workable path: If you already own a suitable high-temperature instant-read thermometer, check the oil before and between batches. Do not leave it in the pot unless its maker allows continuous high-temperature use.
Sources
Food Network tested comparison
KitchenAid thermometer care
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 po’boys

1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined 31–40-count shrimp, tails removed
1 cup whole buttermilk
2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons salt-free Creole seasoning, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Neutral oil, for deep-frying
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Creole mustard
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 pieces New Orleans-style French bread or light-crusted French rolls, 7 to 8 inches each
2 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce, washed and dried
2 ripe plum tomatoes, thinly sliced and blotted dry
1/2 cup dill pickle chips, drained and blotted dry

Instructions

Whisk buttermilk with 1 tablespoon hot sauce, 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, and half the salt. Add shrimp and refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes; do not marinate longer or the shrimp can turn soft.
Whisk mayonnaise, Creole mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining hot sauce into rémoulade. Keep chilled. In a wide bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, remaining Creole seasoning, baking powder, and remaining salt.
Pour frying oil to a depth of 2 inches in a Dutch oven and heat to . Lift shrimp from buttermilk, let excess drip away, coat thoroughly in the flour mixture, and shake off loose coating.
Fry shrimp in small batches, stirring once, until crisp, golden, opaque at the center, and 145°F, 2 to 3 minutes; maintain the oil between 340°F and 350°F. Drain on a wire rack, not paper towels.
Split bread through one side, leaving a hinge. Spread both cut faces with rémoulade, then immediately fill with dry lettuce, blotted tomato, pickles, and hot shrimp. Serve as soon as each po’boy is dressed.

New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans sandwich cooking

From the table

About this recipe

The po'boy is a New Orleans sandwich tradition built on local light crackly bread and fillings ranging from roast beef debris to fried seafood; fully dressed commonly means lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise-based dressing.

New Orleans po’boy bread has a light, crackly shell and airy interior; a dense baguette is a poor substitute. “Fully dressed” conventionally means lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise or a mayonnaise-based dressing. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Combine a home-reliable 350°F fry with the regionally specific bread, shrimp size, and fully dressed construction emphasized by Louisiana sources.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe