This One-Pan Spanish Garlic Rice with Shrimp, known in Spain as Arroz al Ajillo con Gambas, is truly one heck of a stunning dish. It´s packed with Spanish flavors, easy to make and comes together in about 30 minutes.
This is the perfect dish for a busy weeknight dinner or a relaxed weekend lunch, next to a bottle of Spanish wine. Either way, it promises to be one of the best-tasting rice dishes ever.
To make this dish I used Spanish round rice, which is very similar to medium grain rice or arborio rice. But you can use any rice you like, though the rice to liquid ratios might be different. So check the package instructions on the rice you are using.
TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: You want to cook the garlic and shrimp on a medium heat. That way the garlic does not burn and get bitter. Once you add the rice and broth, you raise the heat so the broth can really incorporate into the rice. I used homemade broth, but you can also use water with salt.
Key Ingredients & Cookware I used in this Recipe:
MY NONSTICK FRYING PAN
EXTRA VIRGIN SPANISH OLIVE OIL
SWEET SMOKED SPANISH PAPRIKA
SPANISH SEA SALT
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Watch the Video Below on How to Make this One-Pan Spanish Garlic Rice with Shrimp
One-Pan Spanish Garlic Rice with Shrimp | Arroz al Ajillo con Gambas
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 60 ml
- 1 head garlic
- 3 dried small cayenne peppers
- 12 raw jumbo shrimp peeled & deveined
- 1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 1.15 grams
- 1 cup uncooked round rice 200 grams
- 3 cups vegetable broth 710 ml
- 1/3 cup frozen peas 45 grams
- handful finely chopped parsley
- sea salt & black pepper
Instructions
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Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
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Grab 1 head of garlic, remove the skins from the cloves and thinly slice each one
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Finely chop 3 small dried cayenne peppers
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After heating the olive oil for 3 minutes, add in the sliced garlic & chopped cayenne pepper, mix with the olive oil and let the garlic poach in the olive oil
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Meanwhile, pat dry 12 raw jumbo shrimp (peeled & deveined) with paper towels and then season with sea salt & black pepper on one side
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After cooking the garlic for 3 minutes and they are lightly sauteed, add in the shrimp, making sure they are all in a single layer, after 1 minute flip to cook the other side, after a total of 2 minutes (1 minute per side), remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside covered with foil paper
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Add 1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika into the pan with the garlic and mix together, then add in 1 cup uncooked round rice and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together, then add in 3 cups vegetable broth and give it a mix so everything is evenly mixed, turn up the heat to a medium-high heat
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After 10 minutes and much of the broth has been absorbed by the rice but there is still some broth left, add in 1/3 cup frozen peas, give it one final mix and lower the fire to a low-medium heat
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After 3 to 4 minutes and there is virtually no broth left, add the shrimp back into the pan, remove the pan from the heat, place a lid on top and let it sit for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove the lid and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Get the Sweet Smoked Spanish Paprika I used to make this recipe
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14 . Dec . 2022Cheryl Levesque
09 . Mar . 2022My family absolutely loved this dish. My grandson said he would have eaten the whole pan if we had let him.. I didn’t have the peppers so I substituted with red pepper flakes and got it a little hot but we make again and reduce the amount of red pepper flakes. i used 11/2 teasponns and probably should have only used about half of that
Spain on a Fork
So happy to hear that! Much love 🙂
11 . Mar . 2022Meg
23 . Feb . 2022I love this recipe!!! One of my favorites! I make it all the time!
Spain on a Fork
So happy to hear that!! Much love 🙂
23 . Feb . 2022JO
I saved this mainly on how to cook raw shrimp with rice.
Didn’t have all the ingredients so I didn’t worry about that (subbed what I liked– i.e. ginger instead of dried cayenne peppers, green beans, cabbage, mushrooms, and chickpeas, lemon juice, and water instead of veggie broth and green peas.) and am following the technique and every step.
One thing though– I’m putting a glass pot lid over the pan of shrimp instead of wrapping in foil: it’s faster. Won’t be Spanish but I’m sure it will be delicious! Drooling already.
12 . Jul . 2021Spain on a Fork
Sounds great! Much love 🙂
13 . Jul . 2021Marjanne
18 . Jun . 2021It was easy to make and the garlic and the 3 small dried cayenne peppers made it taste so delicious.
Thanks for sharing!
Spain on a Fork
So happy to hear that! Thanks for the comment 🙂 much love
18 . Jun . 2021