Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Sizzling Spanish garlic prawns cooked fast in olive oil with chilli and parsley. A classic tapa, best served bubbling hot with bread for the oil.
Gambas al ajillo is the kind of tapa that proves how little you need to make people happy: plump prawns sizzling in garlicky olive oil with a quiet hit of chilli. It comes together in minutes and reaches the table still bubbling, so have crusty bread ready to soak up the golden oil.
Jump to recipe
Prep 10 min
Cook 5 min
Total 15 min
Easy
Scale:
- 12 Raw King Prawns
- 3 Garlic Clove
- 100 ml Olive Oil
- 3 Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped Parsley
Nutrition (per serving)
320
kcal
9g
Protein
2g
Carbs
31g
Fat
Estimated per serving. How we calculate this.
Preparation
- Peel the prawns, leaving the tails on, and lift out the dark tract with a cocktail stick (or cook them in their shells if using a frying pan). Season with a little sea salt.
- Put the garlic, olive oil and chillies into a flameproof terracotta dish or frying pan over high heat. As the garlic starts to turn golden, add the prawns and cook for 1 to 2 minutes a side until just pink. Scatter over the parsley and a little cracked black pepper, and serve straight away. A terracotta dish can go to the table as it is, but handle it carefully as it stays very hot.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Be generous with the olive oil; it turns into a garlicky sauce that is half the point of the dish.
- Add the prawns only once the garlic smells fragrant and is just turning golden, and never let the garlic scorch.
- Give the prawns only a brief cook, just until pink, so they stay juicy.
- Bring it to the table in the hot pan with plenty of bread for the oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Raw king or large prawns are ideal. Fresh is best, but good frozen raw prawns, fully thawed and patted dry, do the job well.
Cook it gently over medium heat and add the prawns the moment it turns pale gold. Burnt garlic will make the whole dish bitter.
Of course. Use less dried chilli or leave it out altogether. Traditionally this carries a gentle warmth rather than real heat.
Crusty bread for the garlic oil is essential. Put it out as part of a tapas spread or as a quick, impressive starter.
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