Mexican garlic shrimp, “camarones al mojo de ajo”, is a popular dish of succulent shrimp sautéed in garlic butter, seasoned with lime, so easy to make!
Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Mexican Garlic Shrimp)
We're cooking up an amazing shrimp recipe in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends! I think you are going to LOVE this one.
It is Mexican Garlic Shrimp, also known as "Camarones al Mojo de Ajo" in Spanish. It is a popular seafood dish in Mexican cuisine of succulent shrimp sautéed in a mixture of garlic-infused butter and oil, and seasoned with lime juice and fresh herbs.
Peeled and deveined shrimp are sautéed in a hot pan with plenty of minced garlic and a mixture of butter and olive oil until they turn pink and are cooked through. Lime juice is added to the pan to deglaze it and to create a tangy sauce.
Camarones al Mojo de Ajo is a simple yet flavorful dish that highlights the natural sweetness and succulence of shrimp while adding a punch of garlic and citrus.
It is a popular dish in coastal areas of Mexico and is often served as a main course or appetizer along with rice, tortillas, or crusty bread to soak up the flavorful sauce.
Let's talk about how to make Mexican garlic shrimp (camarones al mojo de ajo), shall we? You'll have it done in 20 minutes or less!
Mexican Garlic Shrimp (Camarones al Mojo de Ajo) Ingredients
- Olive Oil.
- Onion. Shallot is good for this, too.
- Jalapenos or Serranos. Chili peppers are not traditional for this dish, but I love the addition for the flavor and spice factor.
- Garlic. Lots of gorgeous garlic. The recipe calls for 6 cloves, but include as much as you'd like.
- Butter.
- Shrimp. The fresher the better, but frozen shrimp is great, too.
- Seasonings. I use a bit of smoked paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper. You can realistically use your favorite spices.
- Dry White Wine.
- Lime. For the juice and a bit of zest.
- For Serving. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, red pepper flakes
How to Make Mexican Garlic Shrimp (Camarones al Mojo de Ajo) - the Recipe Method
Onion, Chilies, and Garlic. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onion and peppers. Cook for 5 minutes to soften.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Butter. Add the butter and melt.
Shrimp. Season the shrimp with paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan with the white wine and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
Lime. Stir in fresh lime juice and lime zest
Garnish and Serve. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro and red pepper flakes. Serve!
Boom! Done! Your Mexican garlic shrimp is ready to serve. Easy enough to make, isn't it? We love this as a simple appetizer, and it's always a crowd pleaser!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- High-quality ingredients ensure the best taste. Fresh shrimp, garlic, butter, and lime juice are the key ingredients that give this dish its amazing flavor.
- Shrimp cook quickly, watch them carefully while sautéing to make sure they do not overcook, which can make them tough and rubbery.
- Use a large skillet or pan so that the shrimp cook evenly without overcrowding.
- To ensure that the garlic flavor is infused throughout the dish, cook the minced garlic in the butter-olive oil mixture for a few minutes before adding the shrimp.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. You may need to add more salt or lime juice to balance the flavors to your preference.
Serving Camarones al Mojo de Ajo
This dish is popularly served with rice, tortillas, or crusty bread to soak up the flavorful butter and garlic sauce.
You can also toss it with noodles for a pasta version.
Storage
Mexican Garlic Shrimp (Camarones al Mojo de Ajo) will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Simply warm it up gently in a pan to enjoy again.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this Mexican-style garlic shrimp recipe, aka "camarones al mojo de ajo". Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Mexican Garlic Shrimp Recipe (Camarones al Mojo de Ajo)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion sliced
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers sliced – use serranos for spicier – peppers are not traditional, but I love the addition
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons butter or more as desired
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined (I keep the tails on for ease of eating)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- Juice from 1 small lime + 1 teaspoon lime zest
- For Serving. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and peppers. Cook for 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the butter and melt.
- Season the shrimp with paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper. Add to the pan with the white wine and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
- Stir in lime juice and lime zest
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro and red pepper flakes. Serve!
Nutrition Information
Laurie says
I just made a version of this and it was amazing!!
I reduced the olive oil to less than 1 TBS. Diced 1/4 white onion, added 3 TBS minced garlic and 4 cloves of roasted garlic. Added a diced plum tomato and 1tsp diced red and green jalapeños. About a 1/4 c while wine and 1/4 c chicken broth. A few shakes of cumin and a touch of salt.
I reduced the mix to 1/2 and then poured the mix into a measuring cup. I then reduced the butter to .5 TBS and seared the shrimp (seasoned w paprika, cumin, salt & pepper) then readied the sauce mixture to the pan. Squeezed a whole lime on it just before plating. Garnished it with fresh cilantro Served it with white rice and black beans and corn on the cob.
It was excellent!!!
Thank you for giving me a guideline to work with. The flavor profile was spot on!
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Glad you enjoyed it, Laurie!
Nydia says
Yummy. very simple recipe. Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Nydia!
Garry Taylor says
Just pulled this one up for a second go 'round. We both love it. Went with Serranos. Might go with 3 this time.
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding, Garry! I know, it's so good, right? We love this dish.
Janice says
Delicious. Used 2 Onions, 2 jalapenos, 1 Serrano, smoke paprika and probably 4-5 tablespoons of butter. Served over rice. Can't wait to make again. Thank you for a great recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Nice!! Glad you enjoyed it, Janice! Thanks!
Judy P says
Made this, but realized I didn't have very many shrimp left after the other night, so I did about half of the recipe and added some fresh mushrooms. Will send the photo in the email.
Mike Hultquist says
I think mushrooms would be a very nice addition, actually! Great, Judy!
MK Malone says
Made this last night and sooooo good! I used smoked paprika but that was the only thing different. Much better than any restaurant version we've had. Thanks Mike!
Mike Hultquist says
Yay!! Very happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing this! I need to make another batch soon.
Ed Moder says
Another 5-star meal. WOW! On Good Friday we had this. Where is the penance to not eat meat? We had this with white rice and it was spectacular. We need to spice it up a bit though. We had seeds with the jalapenos and some red pepper flakes, but not enough. We had habaneros, but no serranos. But we didn't use them. Our bad!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Ed! Wow, no habaneros? You have become a true chilihead, sir!
Judy P says
The only problem I have with leaving the tails on is that the shrimp I buy at Walmart are fully cooked and under those tails is still a lot of the "black stuff" and we know what that 'black stuff" is!!! Maybe I need to try the raw shrimp and see if it is any better.
Mike Hultquist says
I hear you, Judy. I definitely prefer raw shrimp here, but you can definitely do it with frozen/cooked, and remove the tails for sure.
Darlene in Nova Scotia says
Omgosh these look delicious! Easy peasy too. Bet these would be delicious in a Quesadilla, just add homemade spicy taco seasoning.
I'm enjoying your recipes. Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
I love that idea, Darlene! Nice! Glad you're enjoying the recipes!
Joseph Shell says
what size shrimp did you use?
Mike Hultquist says
Joseph, I use medium-large shrimp. It really works with any size. I like 25 count or so.
Ramya says
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use vegan butter and mushrooms i never had mexican garlic shrimp before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Ramya.