Puerto Rican Shrimp Recipes | Guisados, al Ajillo & Asopao
If you are looking for some fresh, simple, one-pot delicious shrimp recipes, look no further… any of these three Puerto Rican shrimp recipes are sure to enlighten your palate and wow your guests!
Jump to Recipe Jump to RecipeShrimp is a popular protein in Puerto Rico, and across Latin America. With Puerto Rico being an archipelago, seafood is diverse, prominent, and prepared with bold flavors ready to make your palate dance around. Three of the most prepared shrimp dishes by Puerto Ricans are camarones al ajillo (garlic shrimp), camarones criollos (stewed shrimp), and asopao de camarones (shrimp stew/soup).
For all three of these Puerto Rican shrimp recipes, you need frozen or fresh shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined. If the packet you have in the freezer is not peeled or deveined, you can certainly peel them prior to making the dish. Otherwise, you can get them ready to go!
Camarones al ajillo | Garlic shrimp
This fresh and zesty dish is perfect for a quick meal. It is all made in one pot within a few minutes. It is normally accompanied by white rice, crusty baguettes or tostones (fried green plantains), and a few avocado slices.
Garlic shrimp typically includes white wine in the recipe. Some of the best white wines to pair with shrimp are Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño or Pinot Grigio. You can also use sparkling wine or rose for a unique flavor profile. However, if you would rather skip the wine, you may opt for chicken/vegetable broth or water.
Camarones al Ajillo - Garlic Shrimp
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet
- wooden mortar and pestle* optional
- Lemon juicer optional
- Tongs and large spoon
Ingredients
- 1 lbs jumbo raw shrimp (peeled and deveined is best)
- 6-8 garlic cloves crushed
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup white wine or water*
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley*
Instructions
- If you have a mortar, crush the garlic until it’s mostly flat and separated. Otherwise, mince it.
- Mix the crushed fresh garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, add your shrimp as well as half of the garlic mixture. Set aside.
- Set a large skillet to medium-high heat.
- Once it’s hot, add the remaining half of your garlic mixture and sauté for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Add the wine or water and bring to a quick boil.
- Add the marinated shrimp and reduce stove to medium heat. Cook for no longer than 5 minutes, until the shrimp is pink and cooked.
- Served topped with freshly chopped parsley and an extra sprinkle of lemon juice.
- The best sides to serve this garlic shrimp with are white rice, crusty French bread, or tostones (fried green plantains).
- ¡Buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
Notes
Camarones guisados o a la criolla | Stewed Shrimp
This recipe is full of spice and has a bold flavor. Similar to creole shrimp, the level of spice can be easily customized to your liking. For a simple meal, it can be served over rice or with some bread. In Puerto Rico, it is also used as a filling for mofongo, or accompanied by arepas de coco. If you have not had Puerto Rican arepas yet, this is the perfect time to try them! Find the full recipe here.
Stewed shrimp calls for a red wine to enhance the sauce’s flavor. A nice Pinot Noir, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon goes perfectly with this recipe. If you do not want to use wine, you may use vegetable broth or water instead.
Camarones Guisados - Stewed Shrimp
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet
- Tongs
- Large spoon
Ingredients
- 1 lbs jumbo raw shrimp peeled and deveined is best
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 small sweet onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup red wine, vegetable broth or water*
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro or parsley*
- A few pitted olives optional
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet at medium-high heat.
- Once the skillet is hot enough, add the butter and olive oil. Spread it so it covers the bottom of the skillet.
- Add bell pepper and diced onions to the skillet, and cook for a minute or two, until they soften.
- Add minced garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir together.
- Add bay leaves, diced tomatoes, wine (or broth/water) and fresh lime juice. Stir together.
- Reduce heat to medium and cover. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the sauce has simmered, add the shrimp and coat it with sauce.
- Simmer the mixture uncovered for 3-5 minutes, or until the shrimp looks opaque and pink. Be sure not to cook the shrimp too long! Overcooked shrimp is rubbery and chewy.
- Once cooked, remove from the pan and serve hot.
- Stewed shrimp goes perfectly accompanied by some arepas de coco (coconut arepas), over rice, as a filling for mofongo, and some avocado slices.
- ¡Buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
Notes
Asopao de camarones | Puerto Rican Shrimp & Rice Stew
Asopao de camarones is a thick Puerto Rican shrimp and rice soup, similar to a shrimp gumbo. Pronounced “ah-so-pow,” it is a hearty meal made with shrimp tails, rice, and many of the staple flavors we normally find in Puerto Rican cuisine, such as sofrito. This delicious recipe is a cross between soup and stew. This is Puerto Rico’s national soup!
As far as equipment goes, you need a large pot (e.g. Dutch oven) or an Instant Pot (IP) depending on how you are making it. I am covering both the stovetop and IP recipe. You also need a wooden or any large spoon, a sharp knife, and a ladle.
To make the soup you need 1 lbs large raw shrimp, although I sometimes use cooked shrimp to make it even faster. Also, I normally use large shrimp or jumbo. You also need about ¾ cups of white rice. While many people use short grain rice, I prefer long grain (Jasmine) rice.
For your seasonings, you need 1 large onion diced, 1 green bell pepper, 4-6 garlic cloves minced, ½ cup home-made sofrito, 4 oz of tomato sauce or 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 shrimp or ham bouillon cube, 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth, 1 packet of sazon with culantro and achiote, 1 tsp oregano, ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, adobo seasoning to taste, and 1 -2 bay leaves. You need ¼ cup chopped cilantro and some lime wedges for your toppings.
Go to Asopao de Camarones for the full recipe. 😊
If you really love spice, you will love these recipes even more! I hope you enjoy these Puerto Rican food staples and share them with your family and friends. Feel free to share pictures of your results!
¡Buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
