Portions: 4 servings Calories: 505kcal |
If you know anything about my. us as a family is that we (mostly my husband) are obsessed Gambas al ajillo (Spanish garlic shrimp), and we've tried it at hundreds of restaurants all over Spain. It's a 5-ingredient dish that is quick and hard to mess.
By - Revised . Original Sep 4 2025.
Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp Recipe].
Why we ❤️ it
- These Spanish-style garlic shrimp, made with just five ingredients, are hard to mess up.
- They come together quickly and the ingredients are easy to find and relatively inexpensive.
- You can serve them any time of year as an appetizer that your guests are sure to enjoy.
Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp Recipe]
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Utensils and tools
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, [1.8 deciliters]
- 2 head garlic, (about 16 cloves) peeled and thinly sliced
- 12 piri piri peppers, (dry African birdseye peppers) or ½ teaspoon of chili flakes
- 2½ pound peeled shrimp, uncooked, peeled [1.2 kilo]
- 2 teaspoons salt, (or more, to taste) divided
Preparation
1. Heat oil
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over very low heat.Add the garlic and piri piri peppers and cook until the garlic has started to soften (3-5 minutes).
2. Cook shrimp
Increase heat to medium high.Add the shrimp and a teaspoon of salt, and cook until the shrimp turn pink.Taste and add more salt to taste if needed.
3. Serve
- Remove from heat and serve right away.
Top tips
- Shrimp: For this recipe I prefer large shrimp, but any type will work fine.
- Amount of oil: If this seems like a lot of oil to you, I assure you it's actually quite a small amount compared to how this dish is traditionally served in Spain. I save the leftover oil to use in another fish or seafood dish. My husband loves to dip bread in it, so there's rarely much left over.
- Chili flakes: If you don't like spicy food, you can leave them out, but they add a nice touch to the dish.
- Hot plate: Spanish restaurants typically serve this dish in a pre-heated clay dish (like in the photo) and it comes sizzling to your table. You can serve it in the pan to keep it hot longer.
Serving suggestions
This dish is typically served as an appetizer or as a main course. You can serve it alongside some rustic bread if you want.
More shrimp recipes
If you love shrimp as much as I do, try some more of my shrimp recipes, and specially my Garlic butter shrimp recipe, and the Dominican version of this one, Camarones al ajillo.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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