New Orleans didn't invent the sandwich. They just perfected it.
The po'boy has been a Louisiana staple since the 1920s and the formula hasn't changed much because it doesn't need to. Fresh French bread — the kind with a crispy crust and a soft, pillowy interior that only Louisiana humidity seems to produce — dressed with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and mayo. Then whatever protein you're working with piled on top. Simple. Honest. Impossible to argue with.
The classic dressed po'boy is great. Full stop. But a great sauce makes it something you think about the next day.
Sneaky sauce is our remoulade — built on mayo, Dijon, capers, smoked paprika, lemon, and a hit of Worcestershire. It has everything the classic mayo does plus depth, acidity, and a little mystery that keeps you going back for another bite. If you're a sauce person, this is the move. If you're a purist, the dressed classic is right there waiting for you. Either way the shrimp is the star and Lucky Cajun Black Label makes sure of that.
The Shrimp
Three ways to go here — fried, blackened, or grilled. Fried is the classic and what this recipe is built around. The egg and milk batter with seasoned flour gives you that golden, crispy coating that holds up against the sauce and the bread without going soggy. Blackened or grilled work beautifully too if you want something lighter — same seasoning, different method.
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 French loaf, freshly baked
- Mayo or remoulade for spreading
- Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, fresh and sliced
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup flour, seasoned with Lucky Cajun Black Label
- Hot sauce
- Oil for frying, heated to 375°F
Instructions
1. Prepare the Shrimp Dry off 1 pound of shrimp thoroughly — moisture is the enemy of a crispy crust. Season with Lucky Cajun Black Label.
2. Prepare the Batter Whisk together 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of milk. Let the seasoned shrimp sit for 1 minute before dipping.
3. Dredge the Shrimp Dip shrimp in the egg mixture, let the excess drip off, then dredge in seasoned flour shaking off any excess.
4. Fry Heat oil to 375°F. Fry shrimp in 2-3 batches — don't overcrowd or the temperature drops and you lose the crisp. Cook 1 to 1.5 minutes until golden. Pull them early — they keep cooking in the residual heat.
5. Assemble Spread a generous layer of mayo or sneaky sauce on the French loaf. Layer lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. Pile on the crispy shrimp and hit it with a few splashes of hot sauce.
6. Serve French fries or fried green tomatoes alongside. That's the play.
Sneaky Sauce — Remoulade
This is the move if you're a sauce person. Bright, tangy, smoky, and just complex enough to make people ask what's in it.
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups mayo
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
- 3 tablespoons sweet relish
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
- 4 tablespoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Lucky Cajun Black Label
Instructions: Finely chop the garlic, capers, and parsley. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Use as your spread, your dipping sauce, or both.
Variations
Blackened or Grilled Shrimp — swap the fried shrimp for blackened or grilled. Same dressed setup, lighter result. Lucky Cajun Black Label works across all three preparations.
Other Proteins — the classic po'boy works with catfish, oysters, roast beef, andouille, boudin, roast pork, or grilled eggplant. Same bread, same dress, same sneaky sauce.
Shrimp Basket — skip the bread entirely and serve the fried shrimp with sneaky sauce as a dipping sauce alongside fries. Same recipe, different format.
Lucky Cajun Black Label is the seasoning behind this recipe — fresh-ground, no fillers, Born On Date on every pouch. Shop Black Label.
