Saltear pescetariana

Garlic Shrimp

Name: Garlic Shrimp
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Spain
Ingredients: 500g peeled shrimp or prawns; 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 3 dried red chilies; 200ml extra virgin olive oil; flaky sea salt; chopped fresh parsley

📍 Spain

⏱️Prep: 5 min

🔥Cook: 10 min

⏰Total: 15 min

🍽️4 servings

● Difficulty: Easy

Gambas al ajillo is the quintessential Spanish bar tapa: prawns sizzling in a clay pot of very hot olive oil with sliced garlic and dried chilli. The oil must be almost smoking before the prawns go in so they cook in seconds and the garlic turns golden without burning. Serve immediately in the pot, with bread to mop up the spiced oil.

🛒 Ingredients

4 servings

500g peeled shrimp or prawns
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 dried red chilies
200ml extra virgin olive oil
flaky sea salt
chopped fresh parsley

👨‍🍳 Step-by-step instructions

Heat the olive oil in a clay cazuela or skillet over medium heat.
Add the sliced garlic and dried chilies. Let the garlic cook gently until golden, taking care not to burn it.
Once the garlic is golden, increase the heat to high and add the shrimp.
Sauté for 2 minutes (just enough time to cook through—no longer).
Sprinkle with flaky salt and chopped parsley. Serve sizzling directly in the cazuela.

💡 Chef's tip

Shrimp cook in less than 2 minutes. Overcooking makes them rubbery. The oil should be very hot when adding the shrimp.

📝 Our take

Garlic prawns are the simplest Spanish tapa and the hardest to get wrong. The olive oil must be very hot before the prawns go in, the garlic must not burn, and in under two minutes it is done. Dunking bread in the sauce is non-negotiable.