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Shrimp Diablo is a fast and fiery Mexican dish for those who love a spicy kick! Succulent shrimp are sauteed with red pepper flakes, jalapenos, garlic, onions, green bell peppers and simmered in a rustic tomato sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes for a bold and flavorful meal.
We love shrimp recipes at our house. You also have to try this Shrimp Fried Rice, Sticky Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp. or this Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Skillet.
Shrimp Diablo
Chili lovers, this spicy seafood dish is for you! Jumbo pieces of shrimp are cooked in a chunky tomato sauce infused with two sources of hot peppers. It’s a simple and quick meal that delivers some serious devilish heat. If you’re on the hunt for more bold shrimp recipes then try Sweet and Sour Shrimp, Easy Shrimp Creole, or Blackened Shrimp Fajitas to make dinner much more exciting.
One of the hallmarks of Mexican cuisine is the use of robust spices and chilis. This peppery seafood dish showcases fresh chopped jalapenos, dried chilies, smokey tequila, oregano, thyme, and tomato combination. The sizzling shrimp in the fiery diablo sauce and vegetables satisfies all of your hot cravings. Serve this dish as an appetizer with crunchy bread for dipping, Spanish rice or pasta for a tasty entree.
How do you make Shrimp Diablo?
- Season shrimp with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Saute garlic, jalapeno, onion, oregano, and thyme in olive oil in a large skillet until fragrant.
- Add shrimp, heat until cooked through then transfer to a plate.
- Saute bell peppers with the other vegetables and herbs.
- Add tequila, stock, tomatoes, and salt, simmer until slightly thickened.
- Add shrimp back into the pan to heat through.
- Garnish with parsley.
What kind of shrimp do you use?
The best type of shrimp to use is sweet white shrimp, however, any variety will work well such as pink or brown. Make sure that the shrimp are peeled and deveined, it’s cooks choice whether or not to keep the tails on. One important decision to make is the size of the shrimp. I often use extra jumbo size, which is purchased at 16/20 count. It’s a generous size that doesn’t overcook too quickly in the hot pan. The shrimp is tossed with dried crushed chili flakes before cooking. The capsicum coats the surface for maximum heat and flavor transfer once it hits the hot olive oil in the pan.
What goes into the diablo sauce?
This spicy diablo sauce uses tomatoes as a base similar to a marinara sauce. It starts off by sauteing the aromatics like garlic, onions, thyme, and oregano. Blooming dried spices in oil dissolve the fat-soluble flavor compounds for a stronger herbaceous taste. To bring the heat, fresh jalapeno’s and dried red peppers give a subtle upfront bite with a lingering sizzle. Simmering aged tequila, vegetable stock, and tomatoes create a rich and concentrated sauce to toss with the shrimp.
Looking for more spicy seafood recipes? Try these ones!
- Grilled Spicy Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos with Pineapple Avocado Salsa
- Grilled Spicy Lime Shrimp with Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce
- Brown Butter Spicy Garlic Shrimp
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Shrimp Diablo
Ingredients
- 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ¼ cup tequila or dry white wine
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in tomato juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Combine 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno, 1 cup diced yellow onion, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, and ¼ teaspoon dried thyme to the skillet. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until the onions are tender and the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
- Add the shrimp mixture to the pan in one layer. Turn the heat up to medium. Cook for 2 minutes without moving the shrimp.
- Flip the shrimp over and cook for 1 minute just until they are cooked through. Transfer them to a clean bowl.
- Add ½ cup diced green bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 1 minute.
- Add ¼ cup tequila or dry white wine, ½ cup vegetable stock, 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in tomato juice, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, allowing it to reduce until slightly thicken, and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the cooked shrimp back into the skillet. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until the shrimp is warmed through. Garnish with 1 teaspoon chopped parsley and serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Added small can of tomato sauce with basil, garlic, a couple dashes of cayenne and wine instead of tequila. Big hit
This was a nice change from chicken or steak!
Love this! Added a little extra tomato and juice plus vegetable stock. Also added spinach and some pasta water at the end. Served over linguine.
We love this recipe, have it often, would not change a thing!
Great recipe! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for your recipe
Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.
Very good dish. I substituted Mezcal for the tequila/wine. I have vegetable stock so I just used a bit of water, also my tomatoes were Mexican style stewed tomatoes so that probably had some additional spices. I will definitely be making this again. So quick and easy once you prep the ingredients.
For some reason, I love cooking your recipes. It looks delicious, for sure this Shrimp Diablo is going to be on my table tonight. Thank you, for this simple yet delicious looking recipe. !!
Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.
I love this recipe!! …sometimes I add a little creme at the end gives a nice creamy taste …
Added mushrooms and served this over garlic toast with fresh parmesan cheese on top of dish – awesome!
This is always a favorite. I came across is reciepe with Tequila. It should be excellent. Tonights the night along with garlic parmesan pasta as a side. Yum…
Very yummy! QUICK EASY & DELICIOUS!
Sounds wonderful! Couldn’t you use canned diced tomatoes rather than whole tomatoes? Sounds a lot less messy and would save some time also.
Goodness gracious these look delicious! I love how simple the recipe is and can tell from the ingredients that these Shrimp diablo is packed with flavour! Definitely on my list!
This sounds like jambalaya without the sausage. No need to pre-cook the shrimp. Simply drop them into the sauce at the end of cooking it. Might as well go the extra step and add andouille sausage too.
Serve over steamed rice. Mmm