A po’boy is a classic sandwich from Louisiana which typically features fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato and a zesty remoulade on a roll. This is my lightened-up version, which features air-fried crispy shrimp, but all the same fixin’s. You’ll never believe this dish is lightened up, and it’s a total flavor explosion! Impress your family with these easy to make and delicious shrimp po’boys with remoulade.
What is a po’boy exactly? How did you lighten it up?
If you have never had one of these classic Louisiana staples, a po’boy is a delicious sandwich that features a fried protein (typically seafood, such as shrimp) on top of a delicious bun, with all the fixin’s: crisp iceberg lettuce, juicy ripe tomatoes, and a zesty remoulade on top. Believe it or not, this shrimp po’boys with remoulade recipe was not very difficult to lighten up, with the help of my trusty air fryer.
Fried food can be hard to mimic and make healthier or lightened-up, but with the right breading and cooking technique, you can replicate that crispy texture without the use of oil. The secret to this is the way the air fryer works: it circulates air around the food, to make the coating super crispy. If you don’t have an air fryer, a convection oven works similarly; I always recommend using a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack to mimic the air circulation offered by an air fryer.
These shrimp are coated in three steps to get an ultimate crispy coating: 1) a flour base, 2) a buttermilk bath, and 3) a cornflake crumb coating. Instead of buying a huge container of buttermilk for just one recipe, I create a mock buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk. Trust me, it works! It’s a great way to get the tang of buttermilk without having to buy it at the store.
Otherwise, the only part of this recipe that was really lightened up is the remoulade, which uses light mayo.
What do you serve with these sandwiches?
This recipe makes four sandwiches, so it’s perfect for a family. You can easily adapt this recipe to feed more or less people, as well.
These sandwiches are truly the star of your meal, so for sides, I advise keeping it simple: French fries, corn on the cob, or a side salad work great here. You can also opt for some delicious chips!
What you’ll need to make this recipe
I am a huge believer in using what you have! So for this recipe, don’t go crazy looking for specific ingredients. I’ll include the items I used if you want to use the same ones, though:
For the shrimp, you’ll need:
- jumbo shrimp (raw, deveined)
- flour
- milk
- Any milk will do. I used whole milk because that’s what I had, but almond milk or skim work great!
- vinegar
- Apple cider or white vinegar both work.
- cornflake crumbs
- cooking spray
- paprika
- cayenne pepper
- garlic powder
- ground mustard
- kosher salt
- black pepper
To make the sandwiches, you’ll also need:
- iceberg lettuce
- tomato
- long buns
- Potato buns are what I used, but you can use hot dog rolls.
- light mayo
- Dijon
- Worcestershire
- celery seed
- garlic
- lemon juice
- parsley
- plus, some of the other spices used for the shrimp
How to make these Shrimp Po’Boys with Remoulade
Breading and cooking the shrimp
The only true cooking involved in this recipe is air frying the shrimp, so let’s get started on that first!
Prepping your breading station is key here for an easy process: prepare three bowls, one for your flour and seasonings, one for the milk and vinegar, and one for the cornflake crumbs.
Note: the milk and the vinegar combine to make a quick, mock buttermilk.
Dip each shrimp into the flour mixture, followed by the milk, and finally in the cornflake crumbs. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, add a layer of shrimp, and then spray the tops with more cooking spray.
Tip: if your cornflake crumbs get clumpy from the wet shrimp, divide the cornflake crumbs into two bowls. After you bread half the shrimp, use the fresher cornflake crumbs in the second bowl.
Air fry the shrimp at 400F for 10 minutes; at the halfway mark, flip the shrimp carefully and spray them again. You might have to cook them in batches to prevent overcrowding.
Making the remoulade and assembling the sandwiches
To make the remoulade, combine the ingredients together in a bowl (that’s it!). To prep the sandwiches, spread a tablespoon of remoulade on each roll, and then top with the shredded lettuce, cooked shrimp, and the remainder of the remoulade. Top with tomatoes (if they fit!)
Top the sandwiches with any remaining parsley for garnish, or chives like I did here.

Shrimp Po'Boys with Remoulade
Ingredients
Sandwiches
- 4 long potato buns, can sub: hot dog buns
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ground mustard, dried mustard powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup milk, can use whole, skim, almond, cashew
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, can sub: white vinegar, white wine vinegar
- ⅔ cup cornflake crumbs
- 1 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1 tomato, sliced
- optional: chives for garnish
Remoulade
- ¼ cup light mayo
- 4 teaspoons Dijon
- 2 tsp horseradish
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp celery seed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon parsley, fresh, chopped
Instructions
The Shrimp
- Prepare 3 bowls for your dredging station.
- In the first bowl, combine the flour with the spices (paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, ground mustard powder, salt, and pepper).
- In the second bowl, combine the milk and the vinegar to create a buttermilk.
- In the third bowl add the cornflake crumbs.
- Dip each shrimp into the flour, toss to coat, then dip into the milk mixture, then coat in the cornflake crumbs.
- Spray the bottom of an air fryer with cooking spray and add a layer of shrimp, spray the tops with more cooking spray.
- Air fry at 400F for 10 minutes, flip them halfway and spray the tops again. You can also do this in a convection oven at 400F using the same method.
Remoulade and Assembly
- Combine ingredients for the remoulade.
- Add 1 tablespoon of remoulade on each roll.
- Add shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, and the shrimp. Top with remaining remoulade.
Weight Watchers
Notes
- 9 WW points (green plan)
- 8 WW points (blue and purple plans)
Nutrition
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Really wanted to make something new for dinner. This was DELISH!! My husband and I both devoured our po’boys and decided it must be added to the regular meal circuit.
Great for a summer dinner in the backyard! Delicious!
Fantastic summertime dinner. My husband was a bit skeptical (he told afterwards) but he loved it. Great recipe Steph! The sauce was perfect with the shrimp.
These were delicious and so easy to make
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delish and pretty easy to prep. Great recipe!
This is a winner! The remoulade is absolutely delicious and they shrimp turned out so crispy! Yum!
Ok. So from a New Orleanian who has been dying for a shrimp po’ boy, this puppy was the bomb!! The recipe for the remoulade is perfect. Only 4 stars cuz the shrimp need to be spicier. I’ll add Tony’s Creole seasoning next time. And I added dill pickles since every good po’ boy should have them. But even my 21 year old picky son who typically won’t eat any of my lightened up recipes, ate 2 of these and declared them pretty good. High praise. Lol!! Will definitely make again.
I made these tonight for the first time and gosh I’m sorry I waited so long. Delicious!
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. Going to try the baked oatmeals soon.
So easy and delicious! Air fryer shrimp is now my new favorite thing to make because it tastes even better than fried shrimp!
Another success. So easy and good. Highly recommend.
Hi,
Just wanted to say my husband and I made your recipe last night and just loved it. Thank you for
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