Grilled Shrimp Po-Boy Sandwich Recipe

Every major city seems to claim a sandwich as its own: Chicago with Italian beef sandwiches, New York with pastrami on rye, Buffalo with beef on weck, Philadelphia with cheesesteaks. New Orleans, a city known for all kinds of deliciously spicy Cajun and Creole food, also claims fame for sandwiches created on its own city streets: First, the tall and briney muffuletta, and second, the shrimp-filled po'boy.

Po'boys were invented by Benjamin and Clovis Martin, two brothers who served free sandwiches to striking streetcar workers in the 1920s from their French café. Though originally made with leftover roast beef and gravy, the later (and now famous) iteration involved fried seafood such as shrimp, fish, or oysters. Frying likely gave the shrimp higher value and more flavor, but eventually became an iconic feature of the sandwich and a perfect pairing for Cajun remoulade. Though delicious, deep frying isn't exactly the cleanest (nor lightest) way to eat shrimp, so developer Michelle McGlinn crafted a grilled version using Cajun spices and tangy lime. All the flavors and textures of the original are still wrapped up in a soft, hoagie-shaped French roll, with an added spicy kick from creamy jalapeño slaw and garlicky Cajun remoulade. This easy version perfectly captures the flavors of New Orleans with just the help of a grill — no deep fryer needed.

To make the shrimp, first peel and devein about 16 large or 20 medium-sized shrimp. To marinate and grill the shrimp, you'll need garlic, olive oil, lime juice, honey, chili powder, and a Cajun seasoning like Tony Chachere's or Slap Ya Mama's. Check your seasoning ingredients for salt before adding any extra — the seasoning may already be salty enough. From there, grab mayonnaise, sugar, salt, pepper, cabbage, jalapeño, and cilantro for the spicy slaw, then grab hot mustard, sweet relish, lemon juice, hot sauce, and scallions for the remoulade. With all of the ingredients for the shrimp, slaw, and remoulade gathered, you'll just need a few tomatoes and four soft hoagie-shaped rolls for serving.

Combine the garlic, olive oil, lime juice, Cajun seasoning, chili powder, and honey in a large bowl.

Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Marinate for up to 30 minutes.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat. If using a grill pan, oil the grates.

Align the shrimp on skewers.

Add the skewers to the grill.

Cook until the shrimp are opaque, about 6 minutes, flipping once, then remove the shrimp and set them aside.

In the meantime, combine 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, juice from ½ a lime, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Add the cabbage, jalapeño, and cilantro and toss to coat.

In another small bowl, combine all remoulade ingredients until well mixed.

To assemble the sandwiches, first line a hoagie roll with tomato slices and coleslaw.

Remove the shrimp from skewers and add them to the hoagie.

Drizzle them with remoulade and serve.

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A po'boy is generally considered a hoagie, which means the bread used for po'boys is long, soft, and ovular. You can use any bread labelled as hoagie or sausage rolls, which are a little larger than hot dog buns but similar in shape. In a pinch, you can also use hot dog buns, though the smaller size may mean your po'boys hold a little less shrimp. The best bread to use, though, is technically New Orleans-style French bread, which is similar to a hoagie but a little more crusty with airy, soft insides.

Because po'boys originated in a French cafe, the bread used is considered French bread and is a cross between a soft hoagie roll and a crusty demi-baguette. In most grocery stores, what is labelled as French bread will be the size of a loaf, meant for slicing and using for deli sandwiches and melts. To find something closer to New Orleans French bread, look in the bakery section (or at a local bakery) for a soft bread similar in size to a hoagie but slightly wider, with a slightly crustier exterior and airy, fluffy inner crumb. If you can't find it, any soft hoagie-shaped bread will do.

Cajun and Creole food can often be traced back to its French roots, and the recipes represent an evolution of the cuisine blended with African and Indigenous culture. Remoulade is originally a French sauce similar to tartar, off-white in color and made with pickles, anchovies, and sometimes even horseradish. The sauce is tangy but salty, built with more umami than a typical tartar. New Orleans remoulade differs slightly, as it's usually made with ketchup, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce, leading to a more orange hue.

The remoulade in this recipe is a cross between French and Cajun remoulades, including both pickle relish and hot sauce for a tangy, slightly sweet, and mildly spicy sauce that pairs well with grilled Cajun shrimp and jalapeño slaw. You can make the sauce closer to Cajun remoulade by adding ketchup, or lean further into French influence by swapping the relish for cornichons and adding capers, tarragon, and chervil. You can also swap the hot mustard for Dijon, which will give more acidity (and less spice) to the sauce.

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