Fried Shrimp Po' Boy with Remoulade
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Crisp cornmeal shrimp, cold lettuce and a spicy remoulade, all piled onto warm, buttered French bread. Fry them at the last minute, build it fast, and tuck a napkin into your collar.
The short version
Soak shrimp in buttermilk and hot sauce, dredge in seasoned flour and cornmeal, and fry at 350°F for about 2 minutes. Pile them on warmed French bread with remoulade, shredded lettuce and tomato. Keep the oil temperature steady and eat right away.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Soak the shrimp in buttermilk and hot sauce. Thirty minutes in the fridge seasons them through, and the buttermilk gives the dredge something to grab. Plain wet shrimp let the coating slide off.
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Dredge in flour and cornmeal, then rest 5 minutes. Flour binds, cornmeal crunches. The short rest lets the coating hydrate and stick, so it stays put in the oil.
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Stir up a Creole remoulade. Mayo with mustard, horseradish, pickles, scallion and paprika brings tang and heat. Plain mayo goes flat against fried food.
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Warm and butter the bread. A few minutes in the oven turns the crust crackly and the crumb soft, and a swipe of butter keeps the sauce from soaking in.
What you need
the usual suspects
- Mayonnaise½ cup
- Creole or whole-grain mustard1 tablespoon
- Chopped dill pickles2 tablespoons
- Scallion1 large
- Louisiana-style hot sauce1 teaspoon
- Large shrimp1½ pounds
- Buttermilk1 cup
- Fine yellow cornmeal¾ cup
Remoulade
Shrimp
Sandwiches
read it twice. buy it once.
Steps
nobody opens the oven door. looking at you, Dad.
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Soak the shrimp
Stir the buttermilk, hot sauce and 1 teaspoon of the salt together in a bowl. Add the shrimp, toss, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, and no longer than 1 hour.
About 30 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Stir up the remoulade
Mix all the remoulade ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and add more hot sauce or lemon. Refrigerate while you fry so the flavors come together.
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Mix the dredge
In a wide dish, whisk the flour, cornmeal, remaining teaspoon of salt, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne and black pepper. Lift the shrimp out of the buttermilk a few at a time, let the extra drip off, and press into the dredge until coated. Set them on a rack or a plate for 5 minutes.
Shake off the extra dredge. Thick coatings come off in the oil.
About 5 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Warm the bread
Heat the oven to 300°F. Split the bread lengthwise, leaving one side attached, and spread the cut sides with the butter. Warm the loaves in the oven for 5 minutes, then keep them there.
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Heat the oil
Pour the oil into a heavy Dutch oven so it is about 2 inches deep. Heat it over medium-high heat to 350°F on a thermometer and set a rack over a sheet pan next to the stove.
Use a thermometer. Under 325°F the shrimp turn greasy, and over 375°F the coating burns before the shrimp cook.
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Fry in batches
Fry about a third of the shrimp at a time, giving them room, for 1½ to 2 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and crisp. Lift them out with a spider or slotted spoon and set on the rack. Let the oil come back to 350°F before the next batch, and salt each batch lightly.
About 2 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Build and serve
Spread remoulade on both cut sides of the warm bread. Layer lettuce, tomato and pickles on the bottom, pile on the hot shrimp, close, press gently and cut in half. Serve with extra remoulade and hot sauce.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- Real French bread is crisp outside and cottony inside. A soft hoagie roll or a baguette cut in 6-inch pieces works too.
- The remoulade keeps for 5 days in the fridge, so make it a day ahead and the flavor deepens.
- In New Orleans, ordering a po' boy dressed gets you lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo, which is what this recipe builds.
- You can fry the shrimp up to 30 minutes ahead and hold them on the rack in a 250°F oven.
- Storage. Fried shrimp don't store well. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 1 day and reheat on a rack at 400°F for 5 to 7 minutes. Remoulade keeps 5 days.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
What is a po' boy?
A New Orleans sandwich of fried seafood or roast beef on soft French bread, usually "dressed" with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayonnaise or remoulade.
What kind of bread is best for a po boy?
French bread with a thin, crackly crust and a soft center. Look for loaves labeled French bread at the bakery counter. A baguette is the closest backup.
What temperature should I fry shrimp at?
350°F. Fry large shrimp for 1½ to 2 minutes, until golden. They keep cooking as they sit, so don't wait for dark brown.
Can I bake or air-fry the shrimp?
You can, at 425°F on a hot oiled sheet for 8 to 10 minutes or in an air fryer at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes. Spray the coated shrimp with oil, and expect a lighter crunch than frying.
How do I keep the breading on?
Let extra buttermilk drip off, press the dredge on, and rest the shrimp for 5 minutes before frying. Don't crowd the pot or move them around.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes. Thaw them in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes and pat them very dry before the buttermilk soak.
From the table
Made it? Tell me how it went, and who went back for seconds when they thought nobody was looking.
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Published October 29, 2026.