Spanish Garlic Shrimp Recipe for Gambas al Ajillo
This classic Spanish garlic shrimp recipe for gambas al ajillo makes one of the most popular Spanish tapas dishes on the menu at tapas bars in Spain and around the world, and it’s one of our favourites. Sweet plump garlic prawns are just cooked in a fragrant, gently-spiced, garlicky virgin olive oil that’s just calling for you to mop it up with crusty bread.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time5 minutes mins
Total Time10 minutes mins
Course: Starter, Tapas
Cuisine: Spanish
Servings: 2
Calories: 467kcal
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves peeled, smashed in a mortar and pestle
- 2 tsp ground smoky paprika
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 400 g shrimp prawns, raw, medium-sized, peeled and deveined
- ½ lemon juice only
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley or fresh celery leaf, roughly chopped
To a small pan over medium heat, pour in the extra virgin olive oil and heat until hot, taking care not to let it smoke.
Add the smashed whole garlic cloves, ground paprika and chilli flakes, and fry for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant and golden.
Add the tomato paste, sugar, sea salt, and the shrimps, and fry until the shrimps are pink, and remove from the heat as soon as the shrimps are cooked, not a second longer, as they’ll over-cook.
Add the juice and parsley, stir-through, transfer to a dish, and serve immediately with crusty bread, and a selection of tapas.
Calories: 467kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 322mg | Sodium: 1487mg | Potassium: 782mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1748IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 3mg