Shrimp Po' Boy Street Tacos Recipe

Shrimp po' boy street tacos take the New Orleans po' boy sandwich's cornmeal-fried shrimp and dressing layout and translate it onto doubled 4-inch Mexican corn tortillas — fusion comfort food in a 4-bite package. The dish keeps the po' boy's defining elements (cornmeal-crusted fried shrimp, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, Louisiana remoulade) and swaps the French-style baguette for the Mexico City street-taco format.

A single batch yields 12 street tacos in 35 minutes total time, with 15 minutes of prep, 10 minutes of frying, and 10 minutes of assembly. The shrimp-to-tortilla ratio runs 1.25 lb shrimp to 24 small corn tortillas (12 doubled) at 4 shrimp per taco.

Order seafood-style tacos at Taco Pros — fresh fish-taco preparation.

What Are Shrimp Po' Boy Street Tacos

Shrimp po' boy street tacos are a Louisiana–Mexican fusion dish: cornmeal-fried shrimp dressed with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, and remoulade — served on doubled 4-inch corn tortillas instead of the traditional French-bread baguette. The defining attributes are cornmeal-crusted shrimp, classic po' boy "dressing" set, and 4-inch street-taco format.

The po' boy sandwich originated in New Orleans in 1929, named for the "poor boys" — striking streetcar conductors fed by the Martin Brothers restaurant during the strike. The taco-format adaptation reached US fusion menus around 2015, with Ortega listing a Shrimp Po' Boy Street Taco recipe by 2019.

The dish adapts the po' boy's "fully dressed" ratio (lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo) to a smaller portion. Each street taco delivers about 1/4 of a full po' boy by volume.

Authentic shrimp po' boy street tacos retain four traits: cornmeal-fried shrimp (not panko), classic dressing (lettuce + tomato + pickles), Louisiana remoulade, and a small handheld format.

Ingredients

The recipe uses 1.25 lb shrimp, cornmeal coating, Louisiana remoulade, and classic dressing. The list below covers exact quantities for 12 tacos.

For the cornmeal-fried shrimp

• 1.25 lb medium shrimp (31/40 count, peeled and deveined)

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• 1 tablespoon Louisiana hot sauce (Crystal or Tabasco)

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (medium grind)

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere's or homemade)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 cup vegetable oil (for shallow frying)

For the Louisiana remoulade

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons Creole mustard (or Dijon)

• 1 tablespoon ketchup

• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (Crystal or Tabasco)

• 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 garlic clove (microplaned)

• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

• 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

For the classic po' boy dressing

• 2 cups iceberg lettuce (finely shredded)

• 1 large tomato (sliced thin, then halved)

• 1/2 cup dill pickle slices (sandwich pickles)

For assembly (12 street tacos)

• 24 corn tortillas (4-inch street size)

• 4 lemons (cut in wedges)

• 2 green onions (sliced thin, optional)

The medium 31/40-count shrimp is the authentic po' boy size — smaller than fish-taco shrimp but larger than salad shrimp. The cornmeal coating distinguishes the dish from generic fried-shrimp tacos.

Equipment

The recipe needs 3 pieces of equipment, all standard.

• 1 large skillet (10-inch) for frying

• 2 mixing bowls (1 for buttermilk soak, 1 for cornmeal dredge)

• 1 small bowl for remoulade

A deep fryer at 350 °F substitutes for the skillet. Air fryer at 400 °F for 8 minutes works for a baked variant.

How to Make Shrimp Po' Boy Street Tacos

The method runs in 4 stages: build the remoulade, soak and bread the shrimp, fry, assemble. Total active time is 30 minutes.

Stage 1 — Build the Louisiana remoulade (5 minutes)

Whisk mayo, Creole mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, pickle relish, lemon juice, microplaned garlic, Cajun seasoning, parsley, and paprika in a small bowl until smooth. Refrigerate while shrimp cook — the flavors meld measurably during 15 minutes.

Stage 2 — Soak and bread the shrimp (8 minutes)

Whisk 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1 tablespoon hot sauce in a bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Soak 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Working one shrimp at a time, lift from buttermilk and press into the cornmeal mixture, coating both sides. Place breaded shrimp on a plate.

The buttermilk soak is structural — the acid tenderizes the shrimp surface and helps the cornmeal stick. Skipping the soak produces a coating that falls off during frying.

Stage 3 — Fry the shrimp (10 minutes)

Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a skillet to 350 °F. Fry shrimp in batches of 8 for 75 seconds per side until cornmeal turns deep golden. Drain on paper towels for 30 seconds per side.

The 75-second-per-side fry is the sweet spot for medium shrimp. Larger shrimp (21/25) need 90 seconds; smaller (41/50) need 60 seconds.

Stage 4 — Warm tortillas and assemble (7 minutes)

Warm 24 small tortillas in pairs on a comal for 15 seconds per side. Stack 2 tortillas. Spread 1 teaspoon remoulade on the tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup shredded lettuce, 2 tomato halves, 4 cornmeal-fried shrimp, and 3 pickle slices. Drizzle with another 1 teaspoon remoulade. Top with green onions if using. Serve with lemon wedges.

The classic po' boy "dressing" sequence is fixed: lettuce + tomato + pickles + mayo (remoulade). New Orleans po' boy shops call this "fully dressed."

How to Serve

Serve 3 street tacos per person with 1 lemon wedge, 1 tablespoon extra remoulade, 1 tablespoon extra pickles, and 2 lettuce-shred bunches per plate. Authentic Louisiana–Mexican service uses kraft paper instead of plates — the casual po' boy presentation translates well to the street-taco format.

Variations

Three documented variations alter the recipe meaningfully.

• Oyster po' boy street tacos — replaces shrimp with cornmeal-fried oysters. Cook time stays 90 seconds total per side; tradition uses the same dressing and remoulade.

• Crawfish po' boy street tacos — uses cornmeal-fried crawfish tails. Premium variant during crawfish season.

• Roast beef po' boy street tacos — non-fried variant with sliced roast beef and brown gravy ("debris"). Serves the dressing cold over hot beef and gravy.

A baked version replaces frying with air-frying at 400 °F for 8 minutes. Reduces calories by 30%; sacrifices 25% crispness.

Storage and Reheating

Cooked po' boy tacos do not store well — the cornmeal softens and the lettuce wilts within 30 minutes. Cook to order.

The components store separately: remoulade keeps 5 days refrigerated; breaded uncooked shrimp freezes 1 month; pickles and lettuce keep 5 days.

Reheat fried shrimp in a 400 °F oven for 4 minutes to restore crispness.

Nutrition (per 1 street taco)