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Spanish · Mediterranean

Gambas al ajillo

Non-vegetarian

Classic Spanish tapa of prawns sizzled in plenty of olive oil with sliced garlic and dried chilli, served bubbling with bread for dipping.

Gambas al ajillo is a Spanish starter from Spain, ready in about 16 minutes and made with prawns / shrimp, olive oil and garlic. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Close-up of flavorful shrimp garnished with garlic, lemon, and dill.
Photo: Vilnis Husko / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
6 min
Total
16 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
299

Ingredients

4 tapas portions

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pat the prawns (opens in a new tab) dry and sprinkle with the salt.

    • 2 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Warm the oil with the garlic (opens in a new tab) and chilli in a small earthenware dish or frying pan over medium-low heat until the garlic is fragrant and just turning golden.

  3. Step 3

    Turn up the heat, add the prawns (opens in a new tab) and cook, turning once, until pink and just opaque.

    • 3 min
    • medium-high heat

    Food safety: Cook prawns until opaque throughout.

  4. Step 4

    Scatter with parsley (opens in a new tab) and serve sizzling, with bread to soak up the oil.

    About this dish

    Origin
    Spain · Well documentedMore food from Spain
    Dish
    Dinner · Snack · Appetizers & starters · Finger food
    Cooking method
    Sautéed
    Taste
    garlicky, spicy (chilli heat), savoury
    Diet
    Pescatarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
    All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · DASH-style · Calorie-conscious
    Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, Paleo-style, No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pan
    Cook more with
    Prawns / shrimp · Garlic · Dried whole chillies · Parsley
    Techniques
    Sautéing

    Allergens

    • Contains: Crustaceansfrom prawns / shrimp
    • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom crusty bread / baguette
    • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom crusty bread / baguette
    • May contain: Sesamefrom crusty bread / baguette

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    299 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 132 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 27%
    • Carbohydrate 3%
    • Fat 69%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy299 kcal226 kcal
    Protein20.7 g15.6 g
    Carbohydrate2.6 g2 g
    Net carbohydrate——
    Sugars——
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre——
    Fat23.4 g17.7 g
    Saturated fat3.3 g2.5 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol161 mg122 mg
    Sodium413 mg312 mg
    Salt equivalent1 g0.8 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    323 mg
    Calcium
    78 mg
    Iron
    1 mg
    Magnesium
    39 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    —
    Vitamin C
    —
    Vitamin D
    —
    Vitamin B12
    —
    Folate (DFE)
    —

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: crusty bread / baguette.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter — keep the heat gentle at first.

    Common mistakes

    • Overcooking the prawns until rubbery; they need only 2–3 minutes.

    Storage

    • Best eaten immediately.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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