Name: Camarones al Ajillo (Puerto Rican Garlic Shrimp)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 pound raw large or jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined); 1 stick unsalted butter; 6 garlic cloves (minced); juice of half a lime; 2 tbsp fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley (chopped); 1/4 cup dry white wine; salt and pepper to taste

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Camarones al Ajillo (Puerto Rican Garlic Shrimp) are cooked in a delicious broth of butter, garlic, lime, white wine and cilantro or parsley. Serve as an appetizer, with pasta or on top of rice. Yummylicious!!

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If you’re a seafood and shrimp lover like I am, then you will love these Camarones al Ajillo (Puerto Rican Garlic Shrimp)!

These are delicious, succulent plump shrimp in a garlicky, butter, lime, cilantro and wine broth that are to die for!

You will find Camarones al Ajillo on the menu in many restaurants in Puerto Rico especially along the coast and the Metropolitan Area of San Juan.

This shrimp recipe is extremely similar to the notoriously famous shrimp scampi recipe but with some slight differences.

In Puerto Rico, we use slightly more garlic and cilantro instead of parsley. Although that’s not to say that sometimes, we do use parsley too! And sometimes neither!

Serve Camarones al Ajillo with:

These are great served as an appetizer served with crusty bread for dipping in the broth. YUM!
On the side or on top of white rice.
With garlic tostones (fried garlic plantains).
Puerto Rican Rice (Puerto Rican Yellow Rice with Corn)
Puerto Rican Rice and Beans (Arroz con Habichuelas).
Cilantro Lime Rice
Arroz Mamposteao (“Dirty Rice” with Beans)
On top of pasta or egg noodles.

Or whatever else you can think of I’m sure these will taste amazing with!

Ingredients for Camarones al Ajillo

1 pound RAW large or jumbo shrimp
1 stick unsalted butter
6 garlic cloves
juice of half a lime
2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley
1/4 white wine (dry)
salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Camarones al Ajillo

Peel and mince garlic cloves.
Peel and devein shrimp. Rinse and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

NOTE: It is important to use raw shrimp and not precooked shrimp. You want all the flavors of the butter, garlic, lime, cilantro and wine to soak into the shrimps.

Ingredients for the Camarones al Ajillo. — (oops! Sorry the cilantro is missing from this picture!)

In a cast iron skillet or pan, over medium heat, add the butter. Allow the butter to melt. DO NOT burn the butter.
Add the minced garlic, lime juice and wine. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes. (Watch not to allow garlic to burn)

(Taste broth and make sure it is not bitter. If so, lower heat and cook broth for a few more minutes allowing white wine to evaporate.)

Add shrimps and cook for 2-3 on one side, flip with a fork and cook for an additional 2 minutes on the other side. (Do not overcook or shrimp will be tough and rubbery)

Butter, garlic, wine and lemon sauteing in a cast iron skillet.

Jumbo shrimps added to the cast iron of garlic, butter, lemon and wine.

Shrimps will be pinkish/orange in color when fully cooked.

Add chopped cilantro or parsley and stir.
Taste for seasoning. Add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Shrimps are done.

Serve shrimps with any of the yummy options above!

For additional shrimp recipes, you will also love these:

Fried Avocado Stuffed with Shrimp

Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas

Tacos Gobernador (Cheesy Shrimp Tacos)

Salpicón de Mariscos (Seafood Medley)

Mexican Bruschetta Recipe (with Shrimp)

Ceviche Verde (Green Ceviche)

Pinchos de Camarones (Shrimp Skewers Wrapped in Rice Noodles and served with an Avocado Jalapeño Dip)

for a full list of yummy shrimp recipes, click here → shrimp recipes