Gambas Al Ajillo (à la Dan) – Garlic & Chilli Prawns/Shrimp)
Last night’s dinner was a follow-on from Madrid. When telling Dan all about my trip, I realised that I hadn’t eaten Gambas Al Ajillo (Garlic & Chilli Prawns/Shrimp) once on the whole trip, so to rectify it we decided to make it at home, and Dan offered to cook it. Other than his burgers (and anything you can make with eggs) it’s the one dish that he makes really well and really likes to cook.
So Dan got on with making the prawns while I made a salad to go with them. To start with he chopped the chillis into small pieces, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves and crushed the other 3. Warming the oil on a medium heat on the hob, he added the chopped chillis, the chopped and crushed garlic cloves and sautéed for a while until they started to colour. Once the garlic and chillis have softened slightly add the paprika and let the whole thing cook on a slow heat for about 5 mins, to infuse the oil with all the flavours and allow the garlic to thicken the sauce slightly.
When we were ready to finish off the dish, he turned the heat up on the oil until it was sizzling and added the raw prawns. Seasoning well with salt and pepper and stirring the prawns (shrimp) into the hot oil until they changed from grey to pink (about a min). As soon as they were pink, we quickly took the prawns off so as not to overcook them – they will continue to cook in the hot oil as you serve them so maybe even under-cook them a tiny bit! At this point we squeezed the lemon juice over the top and served them with the chopped parsley sprinkled all over the top.
They were perfectly cooked, still juicy and the sauce was very spicy (use less chilli if you’re not a big fan of the heat) and I almost felt like I was back in Spain (well, not really). They’re definitely best served with some bread to mop up the juices with. They also go fantastically with my Butternut Squash Bravas (Patatas Bravas minus the potatoes)!
This recipe served two of us as a main course or it would serve four as a starter or as part of a tapas meal!
Gambas Al Ajillo (Garlic & Chilli Prawns/Shrimp)
Ingredients
- 300 g king prawns (jumbo shrimp) (raw)
- 6 cloves garlic (3 sliced/3 chopped)
- 2 medium red chillis
- 120 ml olive oil (1/2 cup)
- 2 tsps paprika
- 1/2 lemon (juiced)
- small bunch fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil on a medium heat in a frying pan.
- Chop up the chillis and slice and crush the garlic.
- Add the chilli and garlic to the oil and cook for a minute or two until they soften.
- Add the paprika and cook on a slow heat for about 5 mins.
- Turn up the heat so that the oil is sizzling and add the raw prawns (shrimp).
- Cook for 1-2 minutes until they have just changed from grey to pink.
- Season well with salt and pepper, squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle over the parsley.
- Serve immediately. Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a tapas or starter.
Allergy & Dietary Information for Gambas Al Ajillo
This Gambas Al Ajillo recipe is Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free & Dairy-Free. It’s also suitable for Paleo, SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet), Primal, Whole30, Low Carb & Pescatarian Diets.
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This recipe looks absolutely delicious! The perfect light dinner or lunch!
OMG this looks mouth watering…Thanks for sharing the recipe
These look so delicious and easy to make. Unfortunately I’m the only one that eats prawns in our house. So I’ll have to find an excuse to make them just for me.
This looks like such a great recipe, my husband would love it.
This looks absolutely amazing! I love prawns. Will definitely have to give this one a try. Yumm!!!
Mmmmmmmmmm! This is my kind of dish! Unfortunately the BF doesn’t like chilli, but I don’t care – more for me! 😛 x
This is the easiest recipe I came across in a long time. I guess i can substitute prawns with chicken as well, as i don’t like prawn much. I will serv e it with rice or quinoa or may be Cous Cous
It would work just as well with chicken or any fish!
This is one of my favourite dishes to eat aboard (and at home) too! Those butternut squash bravas sound a nice change too.
Thanks for sharing!
Leigh at Fashion Du Jour LDN x
I love adding sauteed shrimp to dishes! It’s perfect and so yummy!
I’ve tried one this dish. It is amazing. Thank you for the recipe I’ll make it soon. Thank you for sharing the recipe 😀
Wow ! Your blog is awesome. It waters in my mouth now. haha.
This looks amazing, I love shrimp! I can’t eat chilli so I would have to try the recipe without it 🙂
Sincerely,
Thivy Michelle
Looks like a great recipe. Photos make it look delicious. Have to give it a try.
This looks absolutely delicious, my daughters would love it. Kaz
Ohhhhh this recipe looks so good!! I love shrimp, but my boyfriend doesn’t care for it, so we don’t eat it all. I hope to make it for myself sometime soon though, because I haven’t had it in such a long while!
This looks amazing, I do love Spanish food.
Oh my gosh this looks so good and I love how easy it seems to be to make. I love shrimp but my husband isn’t really a fan so I’ll just need to make it a night when he isn’t home!
It looks delicious and I like the idea of adding butter nut squash batas bravas as an accompaniment. It sounds delicious x
My hubby and I are on a low carb diet, this dish is perfect, tasty food, no need for rice or pasta to go with it.
Great to be able to make a dish like this at home. A delicious meal for two, perfection.
What a wonderful meal! I’ve been looking for ways to add more seafood into our diet and I also love that it can be spiced up or down. Perfect for weeknights .. it’s my kind of dinner!
Yum, this sounds delicious. Have pinned it so that I can use it at a later date! 🙂
gambas al ajillo are fantastic, rivaled only by the ones at Madrid’s famous Casa del Abuelo (where you get to see them prepare the shrimp right in front of you and your plate always comes out sizzling).
OOOH I’ve never been there – will have to put it on my list for next time!
I’m allergic to sea food but my friend loves Shrimp. I’ll share your recipe with her and she is going to love it!
I love gambas! Especially if it’s spicy. This sounds like a lovely recipe and it looks so fresh as well. I would love to serve this especially this season.
I’m not a big seafood buff, but these shrimp might just make me change my mind. They look delicious.
Though I am a vegetarian but this seafood stuff seems to be delicious for seafood lovers. I’ll ask my friends who love seafood to try out this recipe.
Perfect timing. Just received prawns from a friend freshly harvested from their farm. I will try this recipe 🙂 Jojo Vito |
Oooh wish I had a friend like that!
These look fantastic and scrumptious! My family would love these! I will for sure have to try this recipe and soon! YUM
This looks so yummy! I’m not really one for king prawns, but I would so try them for this! Saving.
Garlic and chilli prawns are one of my favourite dishes (although not much chilli, I am a bit of a wimp!) x
Unfortunately I’m allergic to seafood, but normally I love garlicky/spicy dishes. That’s a nice photo, too! =)
I love a great prawn dish but must admit as my husband doesn’t eat seafood rarely cook them. I may have to make this though as it looks amazing!
I’m not a fan of prawn – but my husband like them. So I should show him this dish. xx
Wow this looks so yummy! I do this recipe with a type of fish called “Basa” in my country, it is so great for a Sunday Lunch with family!
This is one of my favorite dishes – and I want mine spicy, with a lot of chili flakes. I’ll definitely try your recipe at home. It will be perfect for night caps with colleagues after a long day at work. ❥
My dad looooooves prawns! so this will be an awesome recipe just for him to try. will send to my mum
I am a big fan of shrimp and this looks like it’s super easy to make. Definitely something I can do on a work day!
Fast prep and cook time is my kind of dish. I also really love prawns and chilli. Whenever I try this, I will let you know how it turned out.
Ok, I definitely need to try to make this! Such a fan for shrimp 🙂
Oh wow, this looks incredible! Prawns are my favorite, I need to try it ASAP :-).
Yum, I love shrimp dishes! This looks and sounds so delicious!!
I took one look at at that shrimp and I was in love. They’re so big and juicy. Ah my heart. Sad they’re expensive where I am. Beautifully don by the way.
This looks absolutely amazing! I’m not much of a shrimp person, but I’m trying to expand my palette. This definitely helps!
I love adding garlic to all my meals, but this is definitely something i’ll have to try. Love me some seafood in the mix.
I’m not a huge fan of prawns but my daughter would absolutely love this. Otherwise, this looks super yummy. I might try to make a batch with tofu for my son and I and a batch with prawns for her lol. Great recipe, it’s so simple but looks fantastic.
This dish looks so fresh, healthy and delicious! I’ve been craving shrimp lately, so I can’t wait to make this over the weekend.
I am a seafood guy who love prawns and shrimps a lot. I will surely try it this weekend.
It is such a shame that I am allergic to prawns as it looks delicious
I am not a huge seafood fan, but this sounds tasty! I wonder if I could make it with chicken!
Looks very deliious! i love spicy… Do you know Ceviche? Its pretty similar…
Ceviche is raw fish cured in lemon/lime juice isn’t it? These prawns are friend in oil!
It doesnt matter, anything from the sea is good. with lemon juice, garlic, salt, silantro, chilly…I know, it just looks the same..
You won me at Garlic and Chilli! as soon as I saw the picture I was ready for a plate of my own! this looks sooo delicious, especially on a salad on a nice warm afternoon – might just try it! Thanks
What a delicious sounding recipe! I love recreating recipes from my travels too. 🙂
This looks delish! I seriously want to make this now!
wow this was a yummy recipe. and all the ingredients are easily available in my kitchen. i am definitely giving this one a try, love for seafood yummm. thanks for sharing great post great pics, i like garlic flavoured rice ,bread and now prawns . eager to dig my teeth into them
this looks like a mediterranean-friendly recipe :-). Maybe I’d try to avid garlic… do you think with some variation this can be as tasty?
My mouth was literally watering looking at these photos! YUM!
Including the chili peppers is always a great way if you like spicy shrimp. Pairing with a salad is always easy.
Stunning shots! And it sounds absolutely amazing too.
Oh wow this looks so yummy I will definitely give it a go, thanks for sharing.
Emma, I simply love the recipes and they look so tasty and is a food map of your adventure! Simply Devine like you! 😍