Po' Boy
intro
Iconic New Orleans sandwich piled high with crispy fried shrimp, tangy remoulade, and fresh veggies on soft French bread, a beloved Southern comfort staple.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix tangy remoulade
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 120ml mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Creole mustard, 3 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles, 1 tablespoon Louisiana hot sauce, and 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning until completely smooth. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld while you prepare the remaining components.
Set up breading station
Arrange three shallow dishes in a line on your counter. In the first dish, combine 120 grams all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, stir to mix evenly. Pour 180ml buttermilk into the second dish. In the third dish, mix 60 grams fine yellow cornmeal with the remaining 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning. Pat 450 grams of peeled, deveined, tail-off large shrimp completely dry with paper towels to help breading adhere.
Heat frying oil
Pour 1 liter of neutral vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or deep fryer. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches a steady 175°C (350°F) on a clip-on candy thermometer, which takes approximately 8-10 minutes. Adjust the stovetop heat as needed to maintain this consistent temperature through the frying process.
Fry crispy shrimp
Working in 3 equal small batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, dredge shrimp first in the seasoned flour, shaking off all excess coating, then dip fully in buttermilk to coat, then press firmly into the seasoned cornmeal to create an even crust. Carefully lower breaded shrimp into the hot oil and fry for 2.5-3 minutes per batch, until deep golden brown and crisp, with an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F). Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked shrimp to a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain, and sprinkle lightly with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt immediately after removing from oil.
Prep sandwich base
Split the 60cm (24 inch) soft French loaf lengthwise, leaving a 2cm (1 inch) hinge along one edge to hold fillings in place. Spread the entire batch of chilled remoulade generously across both cut sides of the bread. Layer 150 grams of shredded iceberg lettuce, 6mm (1/4 inch) thick tomato slices, and 8 dill pickle slices evenly along the bottom half of the loaf.
Assemble and serve
Pile all of the hot, crispy fried shrimp in an even layer over the vegetable toppings. Press the top half of the loaf down gently to compact the sandwich slightly so fillings do not fall out when eaten. Cut the assembled loaf into 4 equal 15cm (6 inch) sections, and serve immediately while the shrimp remains hot and crisp.
Tips
2.Never overcrowd the frying pot with too many shrimp at once; this drops the oil temperature rapidly, leading to soggy, grease-soaked shrimp instead of light, crispy crusts.
3.Use traditional soft New Orleans-style French bread with a thin, crisp crust for the most authentic texture; hard, dense artisanal baguettes will be too tough to bite through easily and will squeeze fillings out when you take a bite.
OMG y’all, this shrimp po’ boy was an absolute hit at our Sunday family dinner! The shrimp came out so crispy even after I piled on the pickles and remoulade, and my 10 year old asked for seconds before he even finished his first sandwich. 10/10, will be adding this to our weekly rotation for sure! So good.
Grew up eating po’ boys in New Orleans, so I’m super picky about how they turn out. This recipe was really solid! The only tweak I made was adding a little extra cayenne to the shrimp breading for more heat, and I used French bread from my local bakery instead of the grocery store kind. Only reason it’s not 5 stars is I wish the remoulade had a touch more horseradish for my taste, but overall super close to the real deal.
Game changer for weekday lunches! I prepped a big batch of the crispy shrimp on Sunday, kept the remoulade and shredded lettuce separate, and assembled the sandwiches quick when it was time to eat. Even my husband who swears he “doesn’t like seafood” ate two of these for dinner last night. Quick question though — can I use the same breading for catfish if I want to swap it up sometimes?
Made these for our neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and they were gone in 15 minutes flat! I set up a little build-your-own station with extra pickles, hot sauce, sliced tomato, and coleslaw on the side, and people kept coming back to ask for the recipe. Didn’t change a single thing from the written recipe, the crispy shrimp coating is chef’s kiss. Will be making these all summer long for cookouts.
First time ever frying shrimp at home and this recipe was actually super doable even for a total beginner like me! The only mess up I had was my oil was a little too hot at first so the first couple shrimp got a little dark on the outside before they were cooked through, but once I turned the heat down they turned out great. Way cheaper than ordering po’ boys from the sandwich shop by my campus!
My kids loved it! I was worried the crispy coating would be too spicy for my 7 and 9 year old, so I cut the Old Bay in half and it was perfect for them. We served ours with sweet potato fries on the side and it made the easiest Friday night family dinner. My only question is — has anyone tried making these in an air fryer instead of deep frying to cut down on oil?