Camarones al Ajillo (Quick Classic Recipe)
These saucy Camarones al Ajillo are finger-licking good; drenched in a paprika forward garlic butter sauce and finished with lots of fresh lemon juice. This quick classic recipe is spectacular served as an appetizer with crusty bread or over a bed of rice paired with mango salsa.
Ever since my husband and I discovered this super simple recipe for garlic butter shrimp, we’ve been making it every week.
It’s a quick recipe that comes together in just 15 minutes and has us literally licking our fingers and dragging pieces of bread across the pan every time.
The simple combo of butter, spices like paprika, loads of fresh garlic, and lemon juice is an unbeatable recipe for success when paired with the juicy shrimp.
They’re great for serving with white rice, over a bowl of Mofongo, or as an easy taco filling with some mango salsa or a drizzle of Chimichurri.
Grocery List
Step by Step Instructions
Like your shrimp spicy? Feel free to add in some red chili flakes with the garlic if you’d like to add some heat!
All About the Spices
The combination of shrimp, butter, lemon, and spices is a fool proof combo that makes this dish pretty impossible to mess up, but it’s taken to another level with the addition of paprika.
The smokey, slightly sweet pepper based spice compliments these flavors perfectly.
If you’ve got a favorite combo of spices (like sazon or adobo) that you know works great with seafood, feel free to use that and watch the flavors come to life!
Frozen Shrimp? Plan Ahead!
I like grabbing a couple pounds of fresh shrimp from my local seafood shop, but when I’m in a pinch a bag of frozen shrimp from the grocery store does the trick.
If you plan on using frozen shrimp for your camarones al ajillo, make sure to thaw according to the package directions and pat dry before adding to the pan with the garlic butter.
More Tasty Shrimp Recipes
Buen provecho,
Camarones al Ajillo (Quick Classic Recipe)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Entree, Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Spanish, Latin, Puerto Rican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These saucy Camarones al Ajillo are finger-licking good; drenched in a paprika forward garlic butter sauce and finished with lots of fresh lemon juice. This quick classic recipe is spectacular served as an appetizer with crusty bread or over a bed of rice paired with mango salsa.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup butter
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lbs shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/3 cup lemon juice + 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
- Sauté oil, butter, and garlic. In a pan melt the butter with the oil over medium heat before adding the minced garlic. Sauté for a couple minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels before adding to the pan with the oil and garlic.
- Season with spices. Season with all of the listed spices and mix to coat the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp is pink, opaque, and fully cooked.
- Finish with lemon and fresh parsley. Turn the heat off before adding the lemon juice and zest and mixing it in. Finish everything with a generous sprinkle of minced parsley and enjoy!
