Gambas al Ajillo (Sizzling Spanish Garlic Shrimp)

An Andalusian tapa of plump shrimp bathed in garlic-chili olive oil, served sizzling in a terracotta cazuela with crusty bread — this is gambas al ajillo the way the bars of Seville and Cádiz pour it out, fast, fragrant and impossible to stop eating.

It’s one of the 20 recipes inside our Spanish Cookbook, and we’re sharing it in full so you can taste the standard before you buy the book. Ten minutes of prep, eight minutes in the pan, and dinner arrives still bubbling.

Why this recipe works

The trick is starting the oil cold: garlic, guindilla and olive oil come up to temperature together over medium-low heat, so the garlic infuses slowly to pale gold instead of scorching. The pimentón goes in off the heat, where residual warmth blooms it sweet and smoky rather than bitter.

Ingredients

Shrimp & garlic oil

• 300 g peeled raw shrimp, deveined, tails on
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 dried guindilla chili, crumbled
• 120 ml Spanish extra virgin olive oil

Finishing

• 1 tsp sweet pimentón de la Vera
• 1 tbsp dry fino sherry
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Flaky sea salt, to taste

Optional garnish

• Toasted rustic country bread, for dipping

Serves 2 · Prep 10 min · Cook 8 min · 385 kcal per serving

Instructions

1. Prepare the shrimp. Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels and season lightly with flaky salt. Allow them to sit at room temperature for five minutes while you prepare the garlic.
2. Infuse the oil. Pour the olive oil into a cold terracotta cazuela or heavy skillet, add the sliced garlic and crumbled guindilla, then set over medium-low heat. Let the garlic slowly sizzle until pale golden and fragrant, about three minutes.
3. Cook the shrimp. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp in a single layer, stirring to coat in the aromatic oil. Cook for ninety seconds per side until just pink, opaque and curled.
4. Finish and serve. Pull the pan off the heat, stir in the pimentón and fino sherry, then scatter with parsley. Serve immediately while still sizzling with bread alongside to soak up the garlic oil.

Chef’s tip

Add the pimentón off the heat — direct flame scorches it bitter. The residual warmth blooms the paprika into a sweet, smoky finish.

Get the full Spanish Cookbook

Loved this one? It’s a single recipe from a 20-strong collection of Spanish classics built the same way — clear ingredients, exact timings, no guesswork. Grab the full Spanish Cookbook below.