5-Ingredient Shrimp a la Diabla (Camarones a la Diabla)

This 5-Ingredient Shrimp a la Diabla recipe was inspired by the Mexican dish camarones a la diabla, which translates to “deviled shrimp,” and has some spice to it, as the name suggests. Serve this over rice or pasta, or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Just like our shrimp in coconut sauce ,this is one of those one pot meals you won't want to miss!

This Shrimp a la Diabla Recipe

What really makes Shrimp a la Diabla is the red chile sauce. The deep red color of the sauce is created by the chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce and tomato puree. It is a spicy dish, but my recipe can very easily be customized to your spice level preference.

When I need to make a quick and easy meal, I just lovemaking shrimp! It is one of the easiest things to prepare as a home cook. Shrimp is a quick and easy meal, which is why Shrimp a la Diabla is a great 30-minute meal.

This recipe comes from my book, The Complete 5-Ingredient Cookbook. In it, you’ll find my Shrimp a la Diabla recipe as well as 174 more easy recipes for busy people.

Where Does Shrimp a la Diabla Come From?

Camarones a la Diabla is a favorite Mexican dish, also known as shrimp diablo or Mexican deviled shrimp in English. I combine the English and Spanish to call it Shrimp a la Diabla. The dish features large shrimp cooked to juicy perfection in a pan, then smothered in a bright red chile pepper sauce that is spicy and full of flavor. 

Can It be Made Less Spicy?

Yes! Some palates may not enjoy the spice as much as others. For a milder version of the diabla sauce, substitute ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes for the chipotle pepper.

Ingredients to Make Camarones a la Diabla

Here are the ingredients you’ll need when making Shrimp a la Diabla with chipotle:

• Shrimp – use raw, large shrimp that are peeled, deveined, and with tails removed. Bring the shrimp to room temperature before cooking.

TIP: when buying shrimp at the seafood counter, you’ll see shrimp that are pink in color and some that are grey. The pink shrimp are already fully cooked and not what you want to use for this recipe.

• Salt
• Freshly ground back pepper
• Olive oil
• Garlic – use fresh garlic cloves.
• Tomato puree – canned tomato puree is perfect for this recipe and saves so much time over making your own from scratch.
• Water
• Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

How to Make Shrimp a la Diabla (Deviled Shrimp)

1. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
3. Transfer the garlic to a blender with the tomato puree, water, chipotle peppers, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into the saucepan, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and cook the shrimp until they turn pink, about 3-4 minutes. Add the shrimp to the sauce and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Cooking Tips

1. Thaw frozen shrimp in the fridge and let drain in a colander to remove excess water.
2. Pat the shrimp dry before seasoning.
3. Make sure you use raw, thawed shrimp—not cooked!
4. If you worry about the spice, you can puree the adobo peppers separately and add them a little at a time to the sauce until it’s just right for you.

Shortcuts

My Shrimp a la Diabla is one of those 5 ingredients or less recipes, but with all the flavor of longer-cooking versions. Traditionally, you might begin the recipe with dried chile peppers, sautéing them to bring out the flavor, then adding onions, garlic, tomatoes, and other ingredients. This method involves time to simmer the ingredients together, pureeing, straining, and simmering again.

Using chipotle chiles in adobo sauce is the key to our shortcut recipe. They add all the great chile heat and flavor without the time spent sautéing, simmering, pureeing, and straining.

Even though this is a shortcut recipe, it is not short on taste! I have a feeling you’ll be making this again and again.

What to Serve with Shrimp a la Diabla

Here are some delish sides to serve with the Mexican shrimp dish:

• Steamed rice – we usually use white rice, but brown rice would be a healthier option.
• Black beans – rice and black beans together make an excellent side dish with the shrimp.
• Fried plantains or deep-fried bananas– the sweetness of the plantain/bananas pair so nicely with the spicy shrimp.
• Sautéed yellow squash or zucchini – these are keto veggies options to go with the Shrimp a la Diabla.
• Fresh salad – a salad of tossed greens with a light vinaigrette dressing is a great side to go with shrimp.
• Pasta – this dish goes very nicely with some penne, rigatoni, fettuccine, or spaghetti.
• Bread – a delicious, fresh, crusty bread such as this no yeast bread is always nice to sop up the rich, spicy sauce.

How to Store Leftovers

Keep your leftover Shrimp a la Diabla in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can reheat shrimp safely in the microwave, oven, or in a skillet. But do be aware that reheating shrimp can cause it to turn chewy. You may also just enjoy the leftover deviled shrimp cold with or in a salad.

Other shrimp recipes to enjoy:

• Garlic shrimp spaghetti
• Garlic butter shrimp
• Creamy shrimp scampi
• Shrimp scampi pasta
• Texas caviar with shrimp
• Brazilian shrimp stew (ensopado de camarão)
• Shrimp gratin
• Garlic Parmesan Shrimp and asparagus
• Blackened Shrimp

 

 

 

 

 

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