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This shrimple recipe is only 5 ingredients and 10 minutes to the tastiest authentic Spanish tapas dish; gambas pil pil. Plump and pink shrimp (or prawns) swim in sizzling hot chilli and garlic-infused olive oil. Crusty bread (for dipping) is a must.
Yes! I want quick shrimp, but make it Asian. Honey garlic shrimp is another mouthwatering 10-minute shrimp recipe, this one is classically aromatic with salty soy, fiery ginger and sliced green onions.
As regular readers know, I’m a language nerd. I have a few under my belt and I used to teach English (as a foreign language), so I get geekishly excited when I discover new language peculiarities. For example, in Spain, dogs do not say woof woof, chicks do not go cheep cheep, and roosters do not cock-a-doodle-doo. Respectively, they guau guau, pío pío, kokoríco!
So, I was beside myself with delight when I discovered that pil pil refers to the deliciously tempting bubbling sound of boiling hot liquid. In this case, the bubbling garlic and chilli spiked oil that bathes succulent shrimp in the Spanish tapas dish gambas al pil pil. Or to translate: shrimp blip blip. How brilliant is that??
Gambas pil pil
So, now we’ve translated the Spanish to English, let’s take a closer look. Shrimp blip blip, or chilli garlic shrimp, is honestly the easiest of the tapas recipes to prepare at home.
The 5-ingredient recipe is just adding sliced red chilli and garlic to oil and heating in the oven, then adding peeled, uncooked shrimp and a sprinkle of paprika until the shrimp cook to pink. Shrimple, right?
Wait. This sounds very familiar…
Yes, gambas al ajillo is another a shrimpy and oily tapa. So, what’s the difference? Well, that is debatable. Some would argue, none. Because they are both shrimp cooked in a cazuela (terracotta dish) and in lava-hot oil infused with garlic and chilli.
Others would say gambas al ajillo (literally garlic shrimp) is more garlic-forward while gambas pil pil is more chilli-heavy.
And some might say that as few folk outside of Spanish speaking Spain can pronounce al ajillo correctly, they made it easy on worldwide menu readers and renamed it pil pil.
Whatever your viewpoint, we can all agree it tastes divine.
Important recipe tips and notes
- Good quality This is an affiliate link.olive oil is essential, you’ll be mopping it up with torn, crusty bread.
- Don’t be tempted to leave the shrimp an extra minute. They take next to no time to doneness (4-5 mins max.!)
- Using jumbo shrimp or previously frozen shrimp is fine, but timing will vary so watch for when they turn pink.
What goes with it
Your priority here is bread. There will be a lot of slick, smoky, lip-smacking oil to soak up. Classic crusty white, like they offer in Spain or France, is the perfect pairing.
Then tapas. Spanish tapas are typically small and ideal for sharing. My rule of thumb is 2-3 dishes per person. Plus bread. Plus olives. I love this eating format as you can sample so many dishes and experience a variety.
For a two-person party and to go with these gambas pil pil, I would suggest:
- Albondígas (pork and beef meatballs in tomato sauce)
- Ensaladilla rusa (Spanish Russian potato salad with tuna mayo and eggs)
- Chorizo in red wine
- Pimientos de Padrón (charred and salt-sprinkled green poblano peppers)
- Calamares alla Romana (battered squid rings)
This nifty little garlic shrimp recipe is also a super quick starter to throw together if you need to fancify a meal in a pinch!
Storage and leftovers
Leftover chilli garlic shrimp (if there is any!) can be repurposed in so many delicious ways: top a vegetable stir fry, add to creamy pasta, or make a quick garlic mayo sauce and fill a sandwich.
Whatever you opt for, gambas pil pil will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Cover it tightly to prevent the contents of your fridge being infused!
More sides to try
- Spanish Ensaladilla Rusa
- Fragrant Saffron Rice
- Spanish Spinach and Chickpeas
- Spanish Butter Beans in Romesco Sauce
Gambas Pil Pil (Spanish Chilli Garlic Shrimp)
Ingredients
- 1 red chilli
- 2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 4 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 250g / 8 oz large shrimp (prawns)
- 1 tsp This is an affiliate link.smoked paprika
- Salt to taste
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Pour the olive oil into a small oven proof dish or a small frying pan. The oil should cover the bottom of the pan. Then add the sliced red chilli and sliced garlic and heat it in the oven for 5 minutes. (If using a small earthenware ramekin the oil will be deeper and it will take longer to heat in the oven.)
- Take it out of the oven, the oil and the chilli slices should be sizzling. Carefully add the shrimp in a single layer, season with salt and smoked paprika and put it back in the oven for 4-5 minutes longer or until the shrimp turn pink.
- Take it out of the oven and squeeze a wedge of lemon over the shrimp. Serve with sliced baguette.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
