Shrimp Diablo
I'm so excited to share my version of shrimp diablo with you! I loved eating this in Los Angeles at Mexican restaurants. I actually worked at a Mexican restaurant for a while back in college and it was one of my favorite dishes. I haven't found an equivalent in New Mexico so this has been a treat to cook.
It took a couple times but I finally got it down. The first time I made this I thought a little too highly of myself around chipotle pepper tolerance. To cut the heat I added in extra lemon, honey and ketchup. The result was actually tasty, it was spicy and sweet at the same time. My husband didn't love the sweetness so I remade it with a normal amount of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
When using peppers or heat, remember that it's easier to add spice than to take it away.
Don't miss the video of the recipe!
- 1 lb raw shrimp (thawed, deveined, without tail)
- 1 container compari tomatoes
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- red pepper flakes (optional)
- chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 cup cilantro (loosely packed)
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
Thaw your shrimp according to the directions. For quick thawing, put in a colander and run cold water over it.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
Cut your compari tomatoes in half and place on a baking sheet. Quarter your onion and place on the sheet with the 4 garlic cloves.
Drizzle oil over veggies and mix together with your hands to make sure everything is coated.
Season with salt & pepper and a bit of red pepper flakes and thyme (optional).
Bake for 30 minutes until vegetables are nice and blistered.
When the veggies are done, add them into a blender. Pour in a bit of olive oil (about 2-3 Mississippi counts), juice of half a lemon, a little less than 1 tbsp of brown sugar and 1 cup of loosely packed cilantro with most thick stems removed.
Add 1 tablespoon of chipotle in adobo sauce and blend everything together. Taste test heat and add more adobo or anything as needed.
Remember, it easier to add heat than take away so start with a little then add to it if you are concerned about heat.Get a large sauce pan and heat with oil. Add the sauce and heat through.
Lay the raw shrimp around evenly and cover, cook for 3 minutes on medium heat.
Flip the shrimp and let cook for another 3-4 minutes. Check the sauce to make sure it doesn't burn or stick to the pan, lower to medium low if needed.
Serve with Spanish rice and warmed tortillas.