Spanish Garlic Shrimp
Spanish garlic shrimp is an easy-to-make seafood appetizer and a crowd-pleaser. With a quick prep and cooking time it makes a great last-minute appetizer for any occasion!
Ingredients
- 14 ounces shrimp (peeled and deveined, 400 grams, see note 1)
- ½ teaspoon salt (see note 2)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- ½ cup olive oil (see note 3)
- 8-10 garlic cloves (peeled, see note 4)
- ½-¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes (see note 5)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped, optional)
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper kitchen towel and season it well with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pot or skillet/frying pan. Slice all the garlic and add it to the oil, followed by red pepper flakes. Cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes or until the garlic slices turn golden brown, stirring from time to time. Add seasoned shrimp. Cook until the shrimp is ready, about 1-4 minutes (see note 6).
- Transfer preferably into a wide-bottom plate/bowl and serve with fresh baguette or artisan bread (see note 7).
Notes
- You will need 14 ounces (400 grams) of peeled and deveined shrimp. I used frozen shrimp that I thawed prior to cooking. Fresh is great if you have such option. It does not matter what size it is, but I recommend either small or medium. If you buy whole shrimp, you will need to buy more - at least 1 pound (450 grams), perhaps 1 and ¼ pound (560 grams).
- I don’t recommend using less salt as the shrimp will taste bland. In fact, slightly more is better. I used regular table salt.
- Make sure to use extra virgin olive oil for this recipe and don’t substitute with other oils. Don’t discard the oil. It has a ton of flavor and it’s perfect for dipping the baguette in. You can increase the quantity of oil to 1 cup and serve it as a bread dipping oil. It’s so good!
- I usually use a whole head of small to medium garlic. It has usually about 8-12 cloves, some larger, some smaller. You need to use quite a lot of garlic cloves to infuse the oil and shrimp.
- You can use more flakes if you like your foods on the spicier side. It’s mostly the oil that will be spicy.
- Cooking time will depend on the size of the shrimp as well as the heat you are cooking it on. In general, count with about 1 minute for tiny shrimp, 2-3 for medium and 3-4 for large shrimp. Be careful not to overcook it.
- Cut the French baguette into thin slices so that your guests can grab it easily and dip it in the oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 143 kcal (7%), Carbohydrates: 2 g (1%), Protein: 14 g (28%), Fat: 9 g (14%), Saturated Fat: 1 g (6%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g, Trans Fat: 0.003 g, Cholesterol: 107 mg (36%), Sodium: 277 mg (12%), Potassium: 200 mg (6%), Fiber: 0.2 g (1%), Sugar: 0.1 g, Vitamin A: 107 IU (2%), Vitamin C: 2 mg (2%), Calcium: 52 mg (5%), Iron: 1 mg (6%)
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