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Buttery, spicy, and beautifully charred, Shrimp on the Barbie with a homemade Louisiana-style remoulade sauce is an easy and delicious appetizer for Summer-time grilling.
Skewer the shrimp, spritz it with lemon and baste with melted butter, sprinkle with a special seasoning mix, then throw it on a hot grill. Light and fresh, this Outback Steakhouse copycat recipe is a family favorite!
“Throw an extra shrimp on the barbie,” was the slogan made popular on Australia tourism commercials by Crocodile Dundee, and was the inspiration for the popular Outback Steakhouse appetizer that originated back in the 1980s. A true Aussie, of course, grills prawns on the barbie, or barbecue grill, instead of shrimp.
This easy shrimp appetizer recipe makes two servings, but is easily doubled or tripled to make a dinner-size serving instead.
Shrimp on the Barbie
Long ago, I promised myself I wouldn’t be posting recipes on this blog that required a long list of ingredients, but I’m making an exception today with this Shrimp on the Barbie copycat recipe.
Based on the popular Outback Steakhouse appetizer, the shrimp seasoning calls for a dash of this and a pinch of that — all pantry staples, thank goodness!
Don’t let the ingredient list scare you. I found that I already had everything needed without having to purchase any special items other than the shrimp!
As well, the Remoulade Sauce is a mayonnaise mixture seasoned with freshly grated onion, green bell pepper, and celery, all of which is usually found in my fridge. Plus, this sauce can be whipped up in less than five minutes.
Remoulade sauce
Remoulade Sauce is a cold French sauce with a mayonnaise or oil base. There isn’t a standard recipe, but in the US we’re more accustomed to a Louisiana-style sauce with Cajun seasonings. Remoulade sauce may be spicy or tangy like tartar sauce.
The remoulade sauce for Shrimp on the Barbie has a little bite from the horseradish and a little tang from white vinegar. Depending on how many shrimp you decide to prepare, you may have some remoulade sauce leftover.
That’s a good thing, though, because this sauce makes a delicious accompaniment for crab cakes, grilled fish, and even onion rings. Tightly cover any leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Here’s what you’ll need for the dipping sauce:
- mayonnaise — I use either a light mayo or the olive oil mayo blend.
- stone ground mustard — My favorite mustard for dipping sauces is Trader Joe’s Stone Ground Dijon Mustard.
- milk — any type
- prepared horseradish
- white distilled vinegar — You may substitute apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- celery — I slice leftover celery and keep it in the freezer which is perfect for this recipe since you only need a teaspoon!
- white onion — Vidalia onion, if you have those or use frozen diced onions
- green bell pepper — Frozen green bell peppers are fine, too.
- parsley — Use the flat leaf Italian parsley, not the curly variety.
- paprika — either regular or smoked paprika
- freshly ground black pepper
- red cayenne pepper
- kosher salt
How to devein shrimp
Most of the time, I purchase shrimp from the meat counter that has already been deveined. The shells are already split which make them really easy to peel, too.
For those times that deveined shrimp is not available, I follow this easy process:
- Use kitchen shears to snip the shell along the top (opposite side from the squiggly feet on the bottom) and stop when you get to the last section and tail.
- Slide the shell away from the shrimp, removing the feet, too. Discard the shells or save them to make shrimp stock. Also, if needed use a chef’s knife to cut off the heads and discard.
- Use the sharp, thin tip of a paring knife to score the shrimp along the back side to expose the black vein.
- Pull the vein out with the tip of the paring knife and discard.
How to make Shrimp on the Barbie
- Start with a hot grill, approximately 400 to 450 degrees. Since shrimp cooks so quickly, the hot grill ensures that you get a nice char immediately.
- Make a shrimp seasoning with kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, chili powder, a dash of sugar, and red cayenne pepper.
- Thread peeled and deveined shrimp on two metal skewers by sticking the skewer through the middle of each shrimp. Push the shrimp together on the skewer so that they are “spooning” each other.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice on both sides of the shrimp and generously brush with melted butter. Lightly sprinkle the shrimp seasoning mix on both sides. Be light with the seasoning to avoid them being too spicy, unless of course, you like ’em with a little burn!
- Place the skewers on the hot grill and cook for 3 minutes; flip the shrimp over and grill for an additional 2 to 3 minutes on the other side.
- Remove the skewers from the grill, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve with Remoulade Sauce. YUM – YUM!
Related recipes
- Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Southwest Shrimp & Succotash
- Citrus Grilled Shrimp Salad
- Smokey Shrimp & Grits
- Coconut Curry Shrimp
Let’s grill some shrimp!
I love cooking shrimp because they can be prepared so quickly. Just remember not to over cook it or they will become chewy, and let’s face it, who likes chewy shrimp?
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Shrimp on the Barbie
Ingredients
Remoulade Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 1 1/4 teaspoons prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon minced celery
- 1 teaspoon minced white onion
- 1 teaspoon minced green bell pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch salt
Shrimp seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 12 large shrimp thawed if frozen
- fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- minced fresh parsley
Instructions
Remoulade Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and remaining Remoulade Sauce ingredients until smooth. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.
Shrimp
- Preheat the grill to high heat (approximately 400 – 450 degrees).
- Make the shrimp seasoning by mixing together the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, chili powder, sugar, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
- Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the last segment of the shell and the tail intact. Thread the shrimp on two metal skewers by sticking the skewer through the middle of each shrimp. Push the shrimp together on the skewer so that they are "spooning" each other.
- Sprinkle both sides of the shrimp skewers with fresh lemon juice and brush with melted butter. Lightly sprinkle the shrimp seasoning mix all over the shrimp.
- Place the shrimp onto hot grill and cook for 3 minutes, or until some of the shrimp are browned and showing some light charring. Flip the shrimp over and grill for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned on the other side.
- Remove the skewers from the grill and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with the Remoulade Sauce for dipping.
