Spanish Garlic Shrimp Recipe (Gambas Al Ajillo)

This easy garlic shrimp recipe (gambas al ajillo) is a classic Spanish tapas. Delicious shrimp cooked in olive oil with a lot of garlic, it can’t get any better! 

Shrimp is a great choice when it comes to seafood. Some of our favorite recipes to make with succulent shrimp are Greek shrimp salad, shrimp marinara linguine and baked shrimp in chermoula sauce. Today we are eating off the Mediterranean table with this Spanish garlic shrimp called gambas al ajillo!

Spanish style garlic shrimp recipe

When traveling in Spain last summer, we came across many different types of seafood. From chipirones and calamari to this delicious garlic shrimp, we came to the conclusion that the Spanish sure know their seafood and have the best methods of cooking it thanks to the Mediterranean style of cooking. 

Spanish garlic shrimp, known as gambas al ajillo is one of the many tapas recipes we are going to cover in near future. It’s a simple dish made of succulent shrimp cooked in extra virgin olive oil and a generous amount of garlic. The best part is when you dunk a little bit of bread into the remaining olive oil and garlic! 

The ingredients 

To make this garlicky spicy shrimp, you need a few ingredients, therefore make sure they’re of a good quality. 

Shrimp

I love using large or jumbo shrimp for this recipe like I do for Meidterranean style shrimp since it’s more meaty and luscious. Of course you can use smaller or larger shrimp if you like, however, the cooking time would change depending on the size of the shrimp. For this recipe, you need peeled and deveined shrimp. 

When it comes to buying shrimp, I suggest you buy frozen ones unless you’re living on the coast where you know you can get fresh shrimp from a fishmonger or a fish market. The shrimp you see in the fish section of a supermarket laying on ice, those are actually frozen shrimp that’s been thawed and has been sitting there for a while. It’s best to get frozen shrimp and thaw it at your own convenience. 

Olive oil 

Like all the other Mediterranean recipes, our oil of choice is of course a high quality extra virgin olive oil. This spanish garlic shrimp usually calls for about ½ cup olive oil but I did a few tests and managed to reduce the amount of oil to ¼ cup the same way that I reduced the amount of oil in Spanish tortilla recipe (tortilla espanola). 

Garlic 

If there is one thing that makes this shrimp recipe outstanding, it would be the generous amount of garlic that’s used to make this dish. Don’t be shy with it and make sure you’re using good quality garlic. Ditch the packaged minced or mashed garlic and slice the garlic for maximum flavor.

 

Spices 

The spices used for this recipe are pretty simple, all you need is salt and red pepper flakes. 

Final touches

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some chopped parsley gives such brightness to this spanish garlic shrimp and make it even more delicious! 

How to make garlic shrimp Spanish style 

Step 1: prepare the oil and garlic

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat until it’s hot but not smoking. Add the red pepper flakes to the oil followed by sliced garlic. Saute until the garlic is fragrant. 

Step 2: cook the shrimp

Toss the shrimp with salt and add it to the garlic. Sear for a few minutes so it’s fully cooked and no longer pink. 

Step 3: serve garlic shrimp

Drizzle the shrimp with some lemon juice and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately. 

Serve gambas al ajillo as a tapa

As you know by now, the Spanish have this great tapas culture that I love. It’s basically a selection of small plates that come together on a table to be shared with others. You can serve this gambas al ajillo with some blistered peppers, Spanish tortilla and aioli as a simple tapas spread. For those of you who don’t consume alcohol, pair these with some non alcoholic sangria for a full Spanish tapas experience! 

Notes and tips

 

• Don’t overcook the shrimp: Shrimp doesn’t need much time to cook. It’s ready to serve when it’s no longer pink and is opaque. 

• Leftovers: This dish is best served fresh, however, you can store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. 

• Be prepared: Have all the ingredients on hand before you start cooking since shrimp cooks quickly. Start cooking this dish a few minutes before you’re ready to eat. 

• Dunk the bread: That garlicky spicy olive oil in the pan is gold! Dunk your bread in to enjoy all the flavors!