Sizzling Chili Shrimp-Gambas al Pil Pil

Sizzling Chili Shrimp or Gambas al Pil Pil (also known as Gambas al Ajillo) is a glorious dish that you will find in almost any restaurant in Spain, especially in Andalusia. The dish is usually served with crusty bread, like a French baguette.

The recipe is straightforward and takes no time to make. It is excellent as an appetizer or just a quick meal if you prefer. Serve it right next to your favorite wine, and you are in for a real treat.

Gambas Al Pil Pil

Today I am going to take you on a journey to Spain.

We cannot always travel when we want, but we can always take a trip somewhere through food.  

In Spain, this recipe is cooked in a small clay pot, or a cazuela, as they call it, directly on the fire. Sizzling Chili Shrimp is a super quick recipe that you can make while your guests sit at the table, as the perfect starter when entertaining. 

You can adjust the amount of chili you use to suit your taste and the type of paprika, which could be either hot or mild. I like, for example, the smoked Spanish paprika, but it is just a matter of preference.

This recipe is delicious. The combination of flavors works well, and the best way to savor this is by dipping crusty bread in the flavorful olive oil.

How to make this sizzling chili shrimp or gambas al ajillo:

Heat some olive oil in a pan and add a few chopped garlic cloves to saute for 30 seconds. Sprinkle crushed red chili flakes over the garlic and oil, and cook them for 10 seconds only to develop the flavors and the heat. 

Add the raw, cleaned, deveined, with no shells jumbo shrimp.

Then, add the sweet paprika and a pinch of salt over the shrimp. The shrimp cooks for only  2-3 minutes, but you have to stir all the time until the shrimp turns pink and starts to curl.

And this is it! So simple that it doesn’t really need a recipe, right? You can serve it directly from the cooking dish, but you can transfer it to a lovely ceramic plate while still sizzling. 

Toothpicks and chunks or slices of crusty bread to mop up the aromatic olive oil are perfect for serving. If you are truly adventurous, you can try this recipe for homemade bread.

AMAZING!

Suggestions for other Spanish recipes:

SPANISH MIGAS CON CHORIZO-GARLIC PAN FRIED BREAD&CHORIZO SAUSAGE

SPANISH ORANGE-ALMOND FLAN RECIPE- A MAGIC GLUTEN FREE DESSERT

SPANISH POTATO SALAD (ENSALADILLA RUSA)- A SPANISH FAVORITE

SPANISH ORANGE AND FENNEL SALAD

POLVORONES CON LIMON- TRADITIONAL SPANISH CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Continue to Content

Yield: 4 servings

Sizzling Chili Shrimp- Gambas al Pil Pil

Print

Sizzling Chili Shrimp- Gambas al Pil Pil (also known as Gambas al Ajillo) is a glorious dish that you will find in almost any restaurant in Spain. The dish is usually served as an appetizer, with crusty bread for dipping in the sauce. The recipe is straightforward and takes no time to make.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 16 oz/500 g raw jumbo shrimp, cleaned with no shells
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 6 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet Spanish Paprika
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Heat up the olive oil in a pan on medium heat.
2. Add the chopped garlic and saute for 30 seconds making sure to stir all the time (garlic burns really fast)
3. Throw the crushed red chili peppers in the oil and cook for 10 seconds.
4. Add the shrimp, sweet Spanish paprika and a pinch of salt in your pan.
5. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp turns pink and starts to curl.
6. Remove and serve while sizzling in the same pan or transfer to a ceramic plate.
7. Serve with toothpicks and chunks or slices of crusty bread to dip in the aromatic olive oil.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Extra Virgin Olive Oil, from Spain
• 
  HOT + SWEET SMOKED Spanish Paprika 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 375Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 264mgSodium: 1218mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 30g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Facebook