Ruth’s Chris Steak House Barbecue Shrimp

Barbecue shrimp is a New Orleans specialty, there is no barbecue sauce in there, and this isn’t done on a grill. A spicy compound butter infused with the flavors of New Orleans is the base for the shrimp to be cooked in. Be sure to serve this with bread so you can dip your bread into this tasty sauce.

homemade Ruth's Chris Barbecue Shrimp in a bowl


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Barbecue shrimp is a regional specialty in Louisiana. What makes it different is that there is no barbecue sauce in the recipe and it isn’t cooked on a grill. Instead, a spicy compound butter infused with the flavors of New Orleans forms the base for the shrimp to be cooked in.

You can recreate this famous appetizer from Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse at home. This is a wonderful dish and it isn’t difficult to make.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House is a legendary restaurant that grew from humble beginnings and now brings its signature sizzle to more than 150 locations around the world. Dining there is not cheap. It is one reason I so enjoy cooking my favorite restaurant recipes at home, especially when it comes to the really expensive ones!

This meal can make it from your kitchen to your table in under thirty minutes. Also, this copycat shrimp appetizer recipe can be turned into a main dish when served with buttered rice.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Butter
  • Black pepper
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Paprika
  • Salt
  • Whole dried rosemary leaves
  • Garlic
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Tabasco sauce
  • Water
  • Olive oil
  • Shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • Green onions
  • Dry white wine
  • Sourdough bread, for serving
Ruth Chris barbecue shrimp ingredients

How to Devein Shrimp

What looks like a thin black vein down the back of a shrimp is actually the shrimp’s digestive tract filled with grit. The grit is responsible for the dark color.

If you just hate deveining shrimp, it’s nice to know that the vein is not harmful if eaten. So to devein or not is more a matter of personal preference and aesthetics. Most people will devein their shrimp because they think a shrimp without its vein looks better.

To devein your shrimp you need a sharp paring knife. Make a slit along the back of the shrimp and use the tip of the blade to lift out the vein. There is also a special tool called a shrimp deveiner that you can use.

homemade barbecue shrimp in a skillet

How to Make Ruth’s Chris BBQ Shrimp

  1. Soften butter to room temperature.
  2. Place butter in a mixing bowl and add black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, garlic, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and water.
  3. Whip using an electric mixer on the high-speed setting for 3 minutes or until well blended. Refrigerate to about 40 degrees.
  4. Pour olive oil into a preheated large sauté pan. Add shrimp and sauté on one side for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Lower heat to medium. Turn the shrimp over and add chopped green onion. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
  6. Add white wine and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup.
  7. Add 1 cup barbecue butter.
  8. Turn heat down to low and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are just done.
  9. Serve immediately in a warm bowl.

Be sure to serve barbecue shrimp with some crusty bread that you can dip into the tasty sauce. You’ll want to sop up all of the sauce you can.

Please let me know how you like this copycat recipe. I always love hearing from my fan club!

a bowl of homemade Ruth's Chris barbecue shrimp

Looking for great shrimp recipes? Try these!

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homemade Ruth's Chris Barbecue Shrimp in a bowl

Ruth Chris Steak House Barbecue Shrimp

Barbecue shrimp makes a delicious appetizer or entree.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cajun
Keyword: Barbecue Shrimp, Ruth Chris Barbecue Shrimp
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 1184kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound butter
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon whole dried rosemary leaves (measured, then finely chopped)
  • ¼ cup garlic chopped
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
  • teaspoons water
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 pound shrimp (16-20 count), cleaned, peeled and deveined
  • ¼ cup green onions chopped
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 4 slices sourdough bread for serving

Instructions

Shrimp Barbecue Butter

  • Soften butter at room temperature of 70-80 degrees. Place butter in a mixing bowl and add black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, garlic, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and water. 
  • Whip the butter mixture on high-speed setting for 3 minutes or until well blended. Refrigerate to about 40 degrees. 

The Shrimp

  • The shrimp recipe will use 1 cup of the barbecue butter; reserve the extra for another use.
  • Pour olive oil into a preheated saute pan. Add the shrimp and saute on one side for 1-2 minutes. (Don’t crowd the shrimp; you might need 2 pans. A 12-inch pan will hold 1 pound of shrimp.) 
  • Lower heat to medium, turn the shrimp and add the chopped green onion. Cook for an extra 1 to 2 minutes. 
  • Add white wine and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup. Stir in 1 cup of the refrigerated barbecue butter, turn heat down to low and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are just done (white throughout but tender and moist – about 1 1/2 minutes). Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. 
  • Serve immediately in a warm bowl.

Nutrition

Calories: 1184kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 98g | Saturated Fat: 59g | Cholesterol: 529mg | Sodium: 2660mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2895IU | Vitamin C: 9.7mg | Calcium: 246mg | Iron: 5.2mg

This recipe is from the San Antonio Express-News.

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura

    I have not tried this version of BBQ shrimp, but Ruth Chris has the actual recipe on their website and it differs in the amount of ingredients used. Just an FYI in case you want to give theirs a try and see how it differs in taste.

    • Stephanie Manley

      Thank you for this. Can I just say, that in my experience restaurants will not post the actual recipe they use in the professional kitchen? They will post something similar, but not exactly the same. Years ago, Olive Garden used to post a recipe that had six egg yolks in it, Alfredo does not contain eggs. I’ll check out their recipe though! Thank you.

  2. Mholliday8986

    Was REALLY good and spot on flavor-wise. We ate at Ruth’s Chris’ on the fourth of July, so the flavor was very much still in my mind. BUT I thought my version of it wasn’t as creamy as the restaurant version. I even added 2 Tbs. of flour mixed with 1/4 c. of half and half. It helped a little but it still wasn’t the texture/thickness I was expecting. ALSO, I will add the onion before the shrimp next time and saute in the oil. I had several raw onion chunks.

    Also, they served it with garlic mashed potatoes… kind of a play on shrimp and grits as an entree. I used the tips on this site to help me make mine:

    http://www.savorsa.com/2011/11/best-mashed-potatoes-a-few-tips/

  3. Mke_02130

    Cooked this for a girls night in a few weeks ago, and have had it twice since. Even my kids love it. Have never heard of the restaurant, but if the rest ofthe food is as good as this, that’s probably a good thing!

    • Stephanie Manley

      This is an expensive and very good steak house. Cooking my favorite restaurant recipes at home, especially when it comes to the really expensive ones!

  4. Jekcontracts

    OMG…sounds just like it! Although, there are a couple of ingredients that I would not have guessed would be included. Will be trying this so soon! Thanks…

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