Camarones a la Diabla, Diablo Shrimp or Deviled Shrimp are some of the names given to this spicy and flavorful Mexican shrimp recipe. This fiery Mexican dish features succulent shrimp simmered in a spicy and delicious tomato-chile sauce.
We love having Mexican food for dinner especially an authentic Mexican recipe like Chile Colorado or Shrimp Ceviche!
Camarones a la Diabla
I am a big fan of Mexican cuisine and although some authentic Mexican recipes require some effort and extra time to make, Diablo Shrimp is one of those easy recipes that can be on your table in about 30 minutes.
In Mexican restaurants Camarones a la Diabla or deviled shrimp is usually served with white rice and corn tortillas. At home, I often add a dollop of sour cream as a topping to cool off this fiery Mexican dish.
Why You Will Love this Recipe
- Flavorful: Mexican devil’s shrimp is packed with flavor and has a nice spicy kick.
- Healthy: This la diabla recipe is light, gluten-free, dairy-free, low in fat, low in carbs and loaded with protein.
- Quick: This Mexican spicy shrimp recipe cooks super quickly so you can have dinner on the table in very little time (about 30 minutes total time!).
What Is Camarones Ala Diabla
Camaron a la Diabla or Mexican deviled shrimp is a simple recipe made with plump, juicy and tender shrimp quickly sautéed in a skillet and tossed in a light and spicy sauce made with tomatoes and earthy dried chiles.
Although the beautifully bright red chile pepper sauce has a kick, it’s not super hot. If you want to make this dish extra spicy, you can add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
Diablo Shrimp Recipe Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you need to make this Mexican shrimp recipe. For specific details and quantities, please check the recipe card below.
- Shrimp: I used large shrimp but any size of shrimp works well.. Prawns can also be used. You can use fresh shrimp or thawed out frozen shrimp. For convenience, buy peeled and deveined shrimp.
- Dried Chiles: I use both dried guajillo and dried chile de arbol peppers. For extra heat, you can add chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. 1-2 is all you need.
- Produce: Tomatoes, onions, fresh garlic cloves, fresh cilantro, lime juice (or lemon juice).
- Other: Olive oil or any other mild oil such as vegetable oil. Butter, salted or unsalted. Salt and ground black pepper.
How to Make Spicy Shrimp Diablo
- Rehydrate the Chiles: Place the dried chiles and the tomato in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the chiles have softened.
- Season the Shrimp: Season the shrimp with lime juice, salt and pepper.
- Make the Sauce: Blend the tomatoes and chiles with some of the cooking water. If you want to make the sauce extra spicy, add the chipotle peppers and a bit of the adobo sauce.
- Sauté the Shrimp: In a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat, sauté the shrimp quickly until the shrimp starts to change color but it’s not fully cooked.
- Sauté Aromatics: Sauté the onions until translucent then add the garlic and cook until aromatic.
- Finish the Dish: Pour the chile sauce into the skillet and simmer. Stir in the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp is fully cooked. Season to taste and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and lime wedges.
How to Adjust the Spice Level
- Make it less spicy: To make the sauce less spicy, add only 1 or 2 chile de arbol and taste the sauce. If the sauce is still too spicy for your taste, add an extra tomato into the blender and blend with the rest of the sauce ingredients.
- Make it more spicy: For extra heat, add 1-3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. I like adding a bit of the adobo sauce as well.
How to Serve Mexican Deviled Shrimp
Camarones a la diabla is such a versatile dish. You can serve it by itself as an appetizer or as a main dish with rice and tortillas.
Over corn tortillas, it makes incredibly tasty spicy shrimp tacos and it can be used as filling for burritos or quesadillas.
Making Ahead, Storage and Reheating
Make It Ahead: You can make the sauce 3-4 days in advance (without adding the shrimp). Keep the sauce stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Reheating: The best way to reheat the shrimp is low and slow as shrimp can overcook quickly and turn rubbery. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. You can add a couple of tablespoons of broth or water, if needed. You can also reheat in the microwave at 50% power in small 30-seconds intervals.
Fiery Shrimp Diablo Recipe Tips
- Wear gloves when handling the dried chiles.
- Dried chiles de arbol is spicier than dried guajillo chiles. If you want a less spicier sauce, reduce the amount of chile de arbol you use in this recipe.
- The sauce by itself, without the shrimp can be made 3-4 days in advance. Keep the sauce stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Take A Look At These Other Easy Shrimp Recipes:
Camarones a la Diabla (Deviled Shrimp)
Ingredients
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3-4 dried chile de arbol, stemmed and seeded
- Water (about 1 1/2 -2 cups)
- 1-2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus about a tablespoon of the adobo sauce (optional)
- 1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on (large, 31/35)
- Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter (sub with olive oil if preferred)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (brown, yellow or white)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Optional
- Chopped cilantro or parsley (garnish)
- Lime or lemon wedges for serving
- Sour cream, for serving
- rice and corn tortillas for serving
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes and dried chiles in a saucepan, add enough water to cover the chiles and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the chiles have softened. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, season the shrimp with the lime or lemon juice, salt and ground black pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Transfer the tomatoes, chiles, about 1 cup of the cooking water and the chipotle pepper (if using) to a blender. Blend until smooth. If the sauce seems too thick, add additional cooking water. Taste. You can add a fresh tomato if the sauce is too spicy for your taste.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté for about a minute per side or until the shrimp starts to change color but it’s not fully cooked (it will look a bit translucent and not fully pink). Transfer the shrimp to a plate. Set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the skillet and when hot, add the onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until aromatic.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp is fully cooked. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and lime or lemon wedges (optional).
- Serve as an appetizer or over steamed rice or Mexican rice and sliced avocado, if desired.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
- For a less spicy dish, only use 1 Chile de arbol and omit the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. If the sauce is still too spicy for your taste, add an additional tomato(s) to tame the heat level.
- When handling dried chiles, it’s best to wear gloves.
- You can use raw, large shrimp (31/35 count) or extra large (26/30 count).
- You can use fresh or frozen shrimp thawed out.
- The sauce by itself, without the shrimp can be made 3-4 days in advance. Keep the sauce stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
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