Gambas al Ajillo
Sizzling shrimp in garlic olive oil
Ingredients
- 500 g Shrimp
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 80 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 30 ml Fino sherry (optional)
- 2 tbsp Parsley (optional)
Method
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Pat dry and season with salt.
- Slice the garlic thin lengthwise. Chop the parsley.
- Warm the olive oil with garlic and chilli flakes over medium until the garlic just turns pale gold.
- Crank the heat to high. Slide in the shrimp and toss until pink and curled, 90 seconds.
- Splash in the fino sherry and let it flame off briefly. (optional)
- Off heat, shower with parsley and serve in the pan with bread for the oil.
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About Gambas al Ajillo
Gambas al ajillo is one of Spain's definitive tapas, the sizzling garlic shrimp that arrives at the table still bubbling in a small earthenware cazuela, a staple of bars from Madrid to Andalusia. It is elemental cooking: shrimp poached fast in a generous pool of extra-virgin olive oil heavily infused with sliced garlic and dried chili, with almost nothing else. The oil is not a cooking medium to be discarded but the whole point, a garlicky, chili-warmed sauce meant to be mopped up.
It tastes bright and pungent, the sweet shrimp against nutty gold garlic and a low, even heat from red pepper flakes, with a splash of fino sherry adding a dry, slightly saline lift as it cooks off. The technique this version gets right is the two-temperature approach: warming the garlic gently in the oil first so it turns pale gold and sweet rather than bitter, then cranking the heat to sear the shrimp in about ninety seconds so they stay plump and just-cooked. At twelve minutes it is nearly instant, and it is best served exactly as intended, in the hot pan with crusty bread for scooping up every drop of the oil, alongside a cold glass of the same sherry.
Gambas al Ajillo: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Gambas al Ajillo?
A serving has about 282 calories — 25.8g protein, 2.5g carbs, 19.3g fat, 0.7g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 25.8g of protein, roughly 37% of its calories.
Is Gambas al Ajillo gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Gambas al Ajillo has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Do I need every ingredient to make Gambas al Ajillo?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out fino sherry, parsley — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Gambas al Ajillo make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.