If you’re a fan of garlic and seafood, then this Spanish garlic shrimp is a must-try dish. This is by far one of the best shrimp recipes I’ve tried! It’s packed with tons of garlicky spiced flavor and is incredibly easy to make. Serve it at your next dinner party, whip it up for a crowd-pleasing family dinner or cook to impress for an at-home date night.
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Why You’ll Love Spanish Garlic Shrimp
I based this Spanish garlic shrimp on a gambas al ajillo recipe, a delicious and popular Spanish tapas recipe that always satisfies my seafood cravings. We’ll make this dish with fresh shrimp sautéed in garlic-infused olive oil, which gives it a rich and savory flavor that’s both bold and delicate at the same time.
For this Spanish garlic shrimp recipe, you get tons of garlicky spiced flavor, whether you cook the shrimp with shell on or off. Cooking with the shell makes the shrimp juicier and more seafood-forward, but it loses the seasoning. Likewise, the shrimp peeled will be more seasoning-forward. I’m using my Cowboy Campfire Seasoning here, so I’m definitely in for the seasoning-forward option. The sherry wine and chili flakes add a subtle acidity and heat that balances out the flavors and makes the dish even more enjoyable. The best part: this recipe only takes 30 minutes to make!
Looking for more of my favorite shrimp dishes? Check out Shrimp Tostadas, Smoked Shrimp, Garlic Butter Shrimp and Dirty Shrimp Tacos.
Spanish Garlic Shrimp Ingredients
Here’s your ingredient list for this Spanish garlic shrimp recipe:
- Plenty of crusty bread for serving
- Whole shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Lots of garlic!
- Olive oil
- Cowboy Campfire Seasoning
- Sherry cooking wine
- Sweet paprika
- Red pepper flakes
- Lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- Chopped parsley
Do I Need to Pat Shrimp Dry?
You’ll often see recipes call for patting shrimp dry with a paper towel before you cook them. The reason behind that step: too much moisture on your shrimp causes them to steam rather than brown, which creates a rubbery texture. It also takes longer to cook, and no one wants that when the intoxicating aroma of garlic is making you extra hungry! Also, if the shrimp are too wet, the seasoning won’t stick. And I promise you’re going to want all the Cowboy Campfire flavor on these Spanish shrimp!
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How to Make Spanish Garlic Shrimp
First up, preheat a medium-high heat fire (around 350 degrees F) for direct cooking. Then, place a cast iron skillet over the fire about 1 minute before cooking.
Next, add your 3 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Once it shimmers, add 3 tablespoons minced garlic and red chili flakes.
Let those brown for 90 seconds.
Once you’ve browned the garlic and red pepper flakes, add all 1.5 pounds of your shrimp to the skillet. Just make sure to not overcrowd the pan!
Season with 1.5 teaspoons sweet paprika and 2 tablespoons Cowboy Campfire, then cook for about 90 seconds on the first side.
Flip the shrimp over, then deglaze the skillet with the 2 tablespoons sherry wine and the juice from one medium lemon. Stir a little and continue to cook the shrimp for another 1-2 minutes until they’re fully cooked.
When the shrimp are done, pull the whole skillet off the fire to cool. Garnish the skillet with chopped parsley and a loaf of crusty bread. Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Spanish Garlic Shrimp
These Spanish garlic shrimp are so freakin’ delicious with lemon wedges on the side and a simple green salad, a cucumber salad or blistered shishito peppers. If you don’t want crusty bread, go with rice, couscous or pasta instead. You could also go full tapas and serve with some small plates you’d find at Spanish restaurants, like patatas bravas or pan con tomate.
Leftovers and Reheating
If you wind up with some leftovers, let the shrimp cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. Make sure to include any leftover sauce or juices, as this help to keep the shrimp moist and flavorful. Keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat the shrimp, place them in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat and cook for a few minutes until warmed through. You can also add a splash of white wine or chicken broth to the skillet to help keep the shrimp moist and flavorful.
More Seafood
FAQs
For these Spanish garlic shrimp, where the shrimp is the star of the show, you want to go big on your shrimp size. For that reason, I’d pick a larger shrimp like jumbo, which gets you 21-25 shrimp per pound.
These little guys cook insanely fast, so stay ready. When they’re done cooking, the shrimp will curl into a loose “C” shape and turn pink and opaque. If they curl into a tight “O” shape, they’re overcooked.
You can use a dry white wine instead. If you want this Spanish garlic shrimp to be alcohol-free, use a little chicken broth or vegetable broth with a bit of extra lemon juice. That will get you a similar deglazing effect without the wine.Prep the Fire
Spanish Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Whole Shrimp peeled & de-veined
- 3 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Cowboy Campfire Rub
- 2 tbsp Sherry Cooking Wine
- 1.5 tsp Sweet Paprika
- 1.5 tsp Red Chili Flakes
- 1 medium Lemon juiced
- Kosher Salt to taste
- Chopped Parsley for garnish
- Toasted Bread for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a medium high heat fire (around 350F) for direct cooking. Add a cast iron skillet to the fire about 1 minute before cooking.
- First, add your olive oil to melt in the skillet. Next, add the minced garlic and red chili flakes and let it brown for 90 seconds.
- Once browned, add all of your shrimp to the skillet (make sure to not overcrowd the pan), season with paprika & Cowboy Campfire then cook for about 90 seconds on the first side.
- Flip the shrimp over and then deglaze the skillet with the sherry wine and the lemon juice. Stir and little and continue to cook the shrimp for another 1-2 minutes until fully done.
- When the shrimp are done, pull the whole skillet off the fire to cool.
- Garnish the skillet with chopped parsley and crusted bread. Serve and enjoy!
I’m a lit confused about the paprika, the recipe calls for SWEET but in the cooking instructions it says SMOKY ????? which one ? maybe it doesn’t matter ?
Sorry, that was a mistake. Its been fixed!
Made it for dinner using semi-peeled and deveined shrimp and added 3 Tbs butter to the pan before returning shrimp to pan. Thanks for the recipe.
I didn’t cook this over a fire and I fudged it a little for just one person but it was delicious! I think I added way more red pepper flakes. I thought it said smoked paprika in the recipe but down in the bottom it says sweet paprika? I did use the smoked. They are different in flavors IMO. Not sure which I was supposed to use now…But Thank you for this little gem!