What to Serve with New Orleans BBQ Shrimp (8 Easy Sides)

Love New Orleans BBQ shrimp but don’t know what to serve with it?

It’s pretty easy to just throw some shrimp on the grill and get a quick, delicious meal.

But you can make it even better by pairing it with these incredible sides!

Keep reading for 8 of the best side dishes you can serve alongside your New Orleans BBQ shrimp, so you can take your summertime cookouts to the next level.

What to Serve with New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

You’re going to need a delicious side dish to pair with your New Orleans BBQ shrimp. One of the most popular sides is potato salad, as it’s often served at NOLA style restaurants. However, if you’re looking for something more elegant, you should consider serving a vegetable side dish like a green salad.

Still looking for options?

Simply keep scrolling!

1. Potato salad

Imagine this: you’re sitting outside a restaurant in New Orleans, surrounded by the sound of jazz and laughter.

In front of you is a plate of BBQ shrimp, and beside it, a heaping pile of potato salad.

It’s a perfect night—you can feel it.

But what makes this particular side dish the missing piece to your meal?

First of all, potato salad is the perfect pairing to BBQ shrimp because potatoes are hearty enough to stand up to bold spices and sauces, but still soft enough to melt away in your mouth.

We love this side dish because it’s creamy with just a hint of tangy vinegar, which means your palate will be refreshed and ready for more after every bite.

Also, potato salad is endlessly versatile—you can add diced pickles and hard-boiled eggs for a chunky texture, or keep it smooth with extra mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip if that’s what you like).

It’s easy to make from scratch too!

Just boil some potatoes and combine them with mayonnaise once they’ve cooled—it’s as easy as that!

2. Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a great choice because it’s versatile enough to go with any side dish.

Plus, you can make it yourself!

Here’s how:

1. Chop a small head of cabbage and a carrot into 1-inch pieces.
2. Transfer to a large bowl and add 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds.
3. Toss to combine.
4. Cover and chill at least two hours before serving.
5. Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
6. Top with chopped fresh herbs if desired (we like dill).

The only thing to consider before choosing coleslaw for your next BBQ shrimp dinner is whether or not you want to make it from scratch or buy it pre-made from the store (though we recommend making it yourself!).

3. Fries

I’m sure you already know just how good fries taste with shrimp, but there are also some other benefits of this combo.

While New Orleans BBQ shrimp is a rich dish that packs on a lot of flavor and spices, the fries provide a nice crunchy balance that cools down the flavors of the shrimp.

If you want to make your own fries from scratch, we recommend going with sweet potatoes.

You’re going to want to maintain some of the natural sweetness in order to offset the spiciness of this particular BBQ meal, so sweet potatoes are the way to go.

1. Just cut them into strips, put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and spray them down with olive oil (don’t forget the salt and pepper!).
2. Then pop ’em into a 400-degree oven until they’re crispy on the outside and soft on the inside—usually around 45 minutes (you can check by pulling one out and poking it with a fork).

Some people prefer ketchup with their fries, but if you’re eating spicy shrimp, you might want to leave that condiment behind—the sweetness of ketchup will only serve to increase the heat of your food.

Instead, go for something like tangy mayo or even just plain mustard.

4. Cornbread

Who doesn’t like cornbread? Cornbread goes well with basically anything, but it’s especially good when it comes to pairing with BBQ shrimp.

It’s got that nice bite and spice, and the cornbread just soaks up all of those flavors, making them even better.

But don’t just take my word for it—try it yourself!

Making fresh cornbread from scratch is a lot easier than you’d think!

You just need:

• some flour
• sugar
• baking powder
• salt
• butter
• egg
• milk

Here’s how to do it:

1. Once you’ve got all your ingredients ready to go, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
2. Then in a separate bowl mix together the butter (melted), egg and milk.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until everything is combined.
4. Then pour the batter into a pan (use one that’s been greased or lined with parchment paper) and bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes until golden brown on top!

5. Baked beans

Baked beans are a great way to round out your meal, and you can make them from scratch.

The only thing to remember is that they take a few hours to cook, so plan ahead!

1. To make these baked beans, the first thing you’ll want to do is soak your navy beans overnight.
2. Then, drain them and put them in a pot with chicken broth. Stew until tender.
3. While those are cooking, make the sauce! Mix brown sugar, ketchup, molasses, mustard and Worcestershire sauce in another pot and stir on low heat until smooth.
4. When the beans are done cooking, add the sauce and continue simmering.
5. Every 20 minutes or so, check to see if some liquid has evaporated and add more broth if necessary.
6. You’ll know they’re done when they have a creamy texture with just enough sauce to coat them—about three hours after starting the sauce.

The one thing you really need to consider before choosing this side dish is whether or not your table is going to have enough room for all these parts!

You’ll have your shrimp on one platter, your beans on another, maybe some hush puppies in a basket… it can start to feel like a lot of stuff on your table when you add all this together!

You can get around that by serving everything buffet style, but then your guests might start mixing their shrimp and beans together on their plates!

6. Sauteed spinach or kale

There’s not much better than a bowl of tasty sautéed spinach or kale to serve as the perfect sidekick to your shrimp and barbecue sauce.

1. To make this side dish from scratch, first heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Next, add two cloves of minced garlic and two tablespoons of finely minced shallots.
3. Sauté for 5 minutes until the shallots become translucent.
4. Next, add 14 ounces of thawed frozen spinach (or 1 bunch if using fresh spinach) and cook for 10 minutes until spinach is wilted.

This side dish tastes great served hot or cold, but keep in mind that if you’re looking for a more filling meal, you may want to consider options with more meat or protein in them.

7. Sweet potato casserole

If you’re looking for the perfect side dish to go with New Orleans BBQ shrimp, look no further than sweet potato casserole.

The warm, creamy texture of the potatoes and the sweetness of the brown sugar make it a versatile addition to your plate.

It’s filling enough to satisfy, yet light enough that you won’t feel overly full after your meal.

To make this casserole from scratch, you’ll need:

• two pounds of sweet potatoes
• one and a half tablespoons of butter
• two tablespoons of honey
• three tablespoons of brown sugar
• cinnamon to taste
• nutmeg to taste

Directions:

1. First, peel and cut your sweet potatoes into chunks.
2. Boil them until they’re soft, then drain them and mash them with the butter.
3. Mix in the honey and brown sugar, as well as any spices you want, then put it in a casserole dish.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
5. When it’s done, top with chopped walnuts or pecans and enjoy!

One thing to consider before choosing this particular side: if you have a nut allergy or are feeding someone who does, this dish may not be for you!

8. Roasted Asparagus

Roasted asparagus is a quick, easy, and delicious side dish for any meal, especially for those that contain shrimp.

It’s packed with vitamins and minerals like potassium and vitamin B9, so it’ll leave you feeling light and ready to go back for seconds.

To make roasted asparagus from scratch, all you need is:

• some fresh asparagus stalks (between 1/4 and 1/2 pound for each person)
• vegetable oil or olive oil (around half a tablespoon per person)
• salt and pepper to taste
• an oven preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit

Directions:

1. First, wash the stalks thoroughly.
2. Then take a large roasting pan and spread the stalks out evenly on it.
3. Drizzle the oil over them evenly.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper over them to your liking.
5. Roast in the oven for around 10-15 minutes.

The result?

Crispy, golden-brown goodness your friends will be asking you about all night long.

What Wine Goes with New Orleans BBQ Shrimp?

While there’s no rule when it comes to pairing a specific wine with a certain dish, there are some that tend to pair well with seafood.

For example, a white wine like pinot grigio or riesling goes well with seafood because they tend to be light and fruity.

On the other hand, a red wine like cabernet sauvignon or merlot goes well with seafood because they tend to be full-bodied and strong.

If you’re looking for a dessert wine, a sweet wine like port or a sparkling wine like champagne are good options.