Barbecue Shrimp Salad

When I peruse through old cookbooks from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, I find a lot of “barbecue” recipes that don’t actually use a grill or smoker.

A lot of people used to barbecue things in the oven. It’s fallen out of favor over the years (or people just call it something else) but I think this method should make a comeback.

Some of the best barbecue chicken leg quarters I’ve ever had were cooked in the oven (an old Lady Bird Johnson recipe). Barbecue doesn’t have to mean you cook things outside—I think it just means, at least in these old instances, you have to cook something with a tomato-based sauce in the oven.

This barbecue shrimp recipe comes from a Taste of Georgia cookbook. I’ve never been to Georgia much less had any food from the state, but I found this cookbook in an antique store and it has served me well for the last few recipes I’ve made from it.

The sauce that this shrimp is cooked in is SO good. It’s salty, savory and pairs perfectly with the shrimp. Normally, I don’t like serving shrimp with the shell on, but it’s absolutely crucial to cook this shrimp in the shell so all of those great flavors can meld together.

You can serve this shrimp on its own, with rice or grits, or on a salad like I did.

Try out this oven barbecue method and you’ll never go back to the grill…or at least, you won’t be grilling outside in the winter.

Enjoy!