Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)

Gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) is a popular Spanish dish found principally in the south and center of Spain. The primary ingredients consist of shrimp, garlic and olive oil but there are many variations. It's often served in Spain's tapas bars as an appetizer. However, this dish is so popular that it's occasionally offered as an entrée.
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp
- 4–6 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
- 2–3 oz dry sherry (you may substitute cognac instead)
- ¼ cup virgin olive oil
- 3 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
Steps
- Warm olive oil in a heavy sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add garlic. Sauté about 1 minute or until it begins to brown. Do not burn.
- Raise heat to high. Add shrimp, lemon juice, sherry or cognac and paprika. Stir well.
- Sauté, stirring briskly, until shrimp turn pink and curl (about 3 minutes).
- Remove from heat. Transfer shrimp with oil and sauce to a warm plate, or serve from pan.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.
Notes from the original
- The shrimp can be peeled first, before cooking them if you prefer.
- If you like larger shrimp, you may purchase shrimp with fewer count to a pound. However, 25 to a pound are about the right size for this tapa.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-08-26, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Gambas al ajillo.jpg by Javier Lastras from España/Spain, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.






