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!
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.