Camarones a la diabla (Deviled Shrimp) is a flavorful dish and extremely easy to make. This juicy shrimp recipe is ideal for a formal dinner or an appetizer at your next Mexican party. The best part is that you only need 30 minutes to prepare this fantastic dish any day of the week.
Deviled Shrimp Recipe | Camarones a la Diabla Recipe
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This shrimp recipe is famous in beach towns all over Mexico. You can find it on the east and west coast, with modifications like the kinds of chiles used to make the recipe. You will find recipes made with dried chiles like guajillo peppers or chiles de arbol peppers. For this recipe, we will use chipotle peppers to give the shrimp a smoky flavor with a little kick.
The recipe is easy to make, and it takes very little time when you have all your ingredients ready. It is a great recipe when you have a craving for shrimp and a little spiciness. With a few ingredients and a little time, you, too, will have a filling and satisfying meal, and who doesn’t love that?
Frequently asked questions about Mexican Deviled Shrimp (Camarones a la Diabla)
Before I share my soup recipe, here are a few questions I've been asked about this Deviled Shrimp recipe.
Where do Deviled Shrimp come from?
It is hard to say where this recipe originated. Some people think it came from Golf states in Mexico, and some disagree and believe that the recipe originated on the Mexican west coast. The truth is that most Mexican beach towns rely on seafood for their gastronomy, and we love eating seafood spicy like Chipotle shrimp tacos or Shrimp cocktails with habanero sauce, to name a few.
What is a la Diabla?
A la diabla(deviled) is a popular Mexican term for preparing a dish with red chile sauce, sometimes spicy. Depending on the region and personal taste, you can find a variety of dried chiles like chiles guajillo, chipotle peppers, Morita, or even chile the Arbol. If you want to learn more about some of the many Mexican chiles, check out The beginners guide to Mexican dried peppers.
Should frozen shrimp be thawed before cooking?
Yes, it is best to prepare this recipe with thawed shrimp if you are lucky to live in a place where you can get fresh shrimp even better. However, if you only have frozen shrimp to make this camarones a la diabla, place the unopened bag of shrimp in a large bowl of cold water for about 20 to 30 minutes until fully thawed.
How to make camarones a la diabla recipe
Ingredients:
- Shrimp raw, cleaned, and deveined
- Lime juice
- Salt and pepper to season
- Olive oil
- White onion finely diced
- Chipotle peppers in adobo canned version, about 1.5 oz.
- Medium size tomatoes roasted
- Garlic clove
- Thyme
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Directions for Camarones a la Diabla:
To make things easier for you, I will break down the directions for this camarones a la diabla recipe into sections.
Prepare the Shrimp:
- Mix the shrimp with the lemon juice in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let it rest for 15 minutes to marinate. (Please check the ingredients list below)
Make the Adobo Sauce:
- Combine roasted tomatoes, garlic, chipotle peppers, and its adobo in a blender, and process until smooth. Set aside.
Cook the Shrimp First:
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add only the diced onion and shrimp. Slightly cook the shrimp, and stir quickly to avoid overcooking. This step is only to precook the shrimp and will take about 4 minutes. After precooking, set aside.
Combine the Adobe Sauce and Shrimp:
- Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the sauce and fry, constantly stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Simmer for about 10 minutes; if using white wine, add now and the thyme. Season with salt.
- Add the shrimp and cook for 2 more minutes. Serve your camarones a la diabla over white rice, corn tortillas avocado, and sprinkle with fresh cilantro if desired. Do not overcook the shrimp, or it will taste like rubber. (Smile)
How to store your Camarones a la diabla
You can also store your leftovers of deviled shrimp for 2-3 days in your refrigerator. It is recommended to keep them in a glass, airtight container to avoid staining. To reheat, place them in a pan over medium heat, stirring frequently.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
More Mexican style shrimp recipes:
If you enjoyed this recipe for Deviled Shrimp, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
Shrimp Mexican Style or Ranchero
Shrimp Cocktail with Habanero Sauce / Coctel de Camarones
Receta en Español Caldo de Camarones.
For more recipes, follow Us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. in español Visit Us at Mexico en mi cocina.
Did you like the recipe? Please let me know in the comments section, do you have questions or share the link with your friends. I hope you have an incredible time cooking!
Provecho!
Mely Martínez
📖 Recipe
Deviled Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Lb. Shrimp raw, cleaned and deveined (16 Large Shrimps)
- 1 Tablespoon of lime juice
- Salt and pepper to season
- 2 Tablespoon of olive oil
- ⅓ cup white onion finely diced
- 2 Chipotle peppers in adobo canned version, about 1.5 oz.
- 2 medium size tomatoes roasted about 10 oz.
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme or
Instructions
Prepare the Shrimp
- Mix the shrimp with the lemon juice in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let it rest for 15 minutes to marinate. (Please check the ingredients list below)
Make the Adobo sauce:
- Combine roasted tomatoes, garlic, chipotle peppers, and its adobo in a blender, and process until smooth. Set aside.
Cook the Shrimp:
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add only the diced onion and shrimp. Slightly cook the shrimp, and stir quickly to avoid overcooking. This step is only to precook the shrimp and will take about 4 minutes. After precooking, set aside.
Cook the Adobe Sauce and Shrimp:
- Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the sauce and fry, constantly stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Simmer for about 10 minutes; if using white wine, add now and the thyme. Season with salt.
- Add the shrimp and cook for 2 more minutes. Serve over white rice, corn tortillas avocado, and sprinkle with fresh cilantro if desired. Do not overcook the shrimp, or it will taste like rubber.
MARY
I made this as directed. The only thing I changed is I used cauliflower rice instead of white rice. I simmered the cauliflower in the remainder of the can of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce. Was spicy (yum!) but an excellent side in my opinion. Really enjoyed the dish! Thank you!
Keith
Hi Mely,
This recipe is delicious. Next time, I'd like to make it a little spicier. What would be a good chile that would combine well with the chipotle in adobo to bump up the picoso-ness?
Thanks!
Mely Martínez
Hello Keith,
Arbol peppers are spicier.
CJB
Hola, I look forward to trying this recipe as it uses chipotles that are very easy to find. Some of the more exotic chiles are difficult to acquire in central Indiana.
Por cierto, comí este plato en Veracruz puerto hace muuuuchos años en un mercado allá, y me trajeron los camarones enteros, cabezas y todo! It was delicious. Saludos desde Indiana!
Mely Martínez
Saludos hasta Indiana!
Alexzandre Constantine
For the most part I’d give it a 9/10 only because I cooked the shrimp with the lime, salt and pepper marinade to blend the flavoring in with the onion. I also used Jimador Tequila for extra flavoring instead of wine. I did appreciate the simple recipe because it was more fun than a chore which I love! It was one of the best experiences once we sat down to eat with white corn tortillas and tasted every ingredient. This recipe was for 4, I adapted it to feed 6 along with 3lbs of shrimp and added 5 chipotles instead of 2, and used an entire lime (approx 6tbsp) and a few other changes. This was my first time making this and we made a family project out of it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!
Mely Martínez
Hello Alexzandre,
Thank you for trying the recipe, and for sharing all the adaptations. Happy cooking!
Lissete
Loved it! My family loved it. It was delicious. I used 2lbs of shrimp and used x3 the amount of ingredients for that extra sauce.
Lina
This was so delicious. Made it almost exactly as written and my family and I just loved it. Have to admit that I cheated and used a can of fire-roasted tomatoes! And I did add the white wine too. Thank you!
Mariana Alarcon
Can this be made with octopus for pulpo a la diabla?
Mely Martínez
Hello Mariana,
Yes, you can use pulpo.
LA Hu3ra SGV 13
Loved this receipe. I followed it exactly but what would you suggest to make the sauce spicier? Arbol peppers? If so, how many?
Mely Martínez
Hello LA,
Yes, you can add more chipotles or cook some árbol peppers to make it spicer.
Mike Wilson
Try 3-5 arbol chiles. If you are a real chile-head, then 5-8. You should de-stem and remove the seeds, then soak them in 1 cup of very hot, but not boiling water until rehydrated.
Mely Martínez
Hello Mike,
Thank you for answering to LA Hu3ra.
Dee
Hi, your ingredients list specified lime juice but the directions specify lemon juice. Which one is a typo, and can either be used? Thanks, DM
mmartinez
Hello Dee,
That is a typo, thanks for catching it! It should be lime juice, but lemon juice can be used if you don't find lime.
Happy cooking!
Laura C
For Lent I made this recipe and followed as closely as possible. I used 2 tbls of La Costeña diced chipotle peppers (very convenient and comes in a jar). I also added diced fried potatoes "para que rinda"... as a filler. Paired it with your white rice recipe to which I added frozen peas and carrots. I saved the white wine for myself. Needless to say, plates and pans were cleaned with corn tortillas... para chuparse los dedos. Thank you for taking me home with these familiar flavors.
mmartinez
Hello Laura,
Smart move to add potatoes. Just like my mom, "para que rinda". I will do the same with the wine. (wink)
Don Baker
The link to how to roast tomatoes is broken.
mmartinez
Thank you for letting me know. I just added it again.
Sue S
I liked the idea behind the sauce but was probably the hottest thing I have ever made. How can I cool it down to make it gringo style. I liked favor of the adobo sauce. Thanks for sharing.
mmartinez
Hello Sue,
You are right this Deviled Shrimp Recipe is a little spicy, hence the name deviled. But, if you like the flavor of the adobo, you can add cooked tomatoes to reduce the heat or make the version with cream like in the Chicken Chipotle.
Ashley Walker
My sister in law make it but she put cream cheese in it can you do that
mmartinez
Hello Ashley,
Sure, you can add cream cheese or cream.
Mike
Hi, I’m not sure if I’m just missing it on the page, but how do you roast the tomatoes? Is it something simple? Thanks!
mmartinez
Hello Mike,
You can see pictures following this link for Roasted tomato and jalapeño salsa.
Roasted Red Jalapeño Salsa
Maria
Hello! I have a question! For the roasted tomatoes part, is it only roasted tomatoes or does it apply also to the garlic and chipotle plus the adobo?
mmartinez
Hello Maria,
You can roast the onion and the garlic if you want to, but I usually only roast the tomatoes for this recipe. Happy cooking!
Bimmer
Sorry, I just found your blog. I love, love, love to cook from scratch, and my wife who is from Corpus Cristi, Tx, and myself, living most my life in Seattle, adore good Mexican food. I am seeking to recreate a wonderful and just slightly spicy red sauce, so as not to overpower the fish, shrimp, scallops and clams in the shell for this dish. I think your recipe here gives me a good foundation, but instead of the heavy duskiness of the Chipotle, I'm opting to use simple dried Guajillo chiles, lemon and lime juice for flavor and brightness, along with your fresh garlic, olive oil, roasted tomatoes, cumin and Mexican oregano. ALWAYS garnish with fresh cilantro! I think I also like your idea of reducing with a bit of a good red wine. Gracias, Mely!
mmartinez
Hello Bimmer,
You can certainly use Guajillo, when cooked that way some people call it in adobo. I love a dish my mom makes using guajillo and ancho peppers and then thickness the sauce with a little bit of Corn masa.
Provecho and happy cooking!
Anonymous
What can I add to this to make it spicier?
mmartinez
Hello,
You can add more Chipotle peppers or use cooked arbol peppers instead of the chipotles.
Happy cooking!
Unknown
Does it have to be chipotle in adobe sauce or can it just be chipotle sauce?
mmartinez
Hello,
You can use the sauce or if you find dried peppers, cook them first, them add the to the dish.
Anonymous
Can you cook the shrimp with the shells still on?
mmartinez
Hello,
Yes, you can cook the shrimp in the sauce and everyone will remove the shells when they are eating it. The same way they are serve in some soups. Just make sure to have a plate for the discarded shells.
Regards,
Mely
mmartinez
Hello,
Yes, you can cook the shrimp in the sauce and everyone will remove the shells when they are eating it. The same way they are serve in some soups. Just make sure to have a plate for the discarded shells.
Regards,
Mely
Diana Schindler
I love that I found your Web page. My husband's from acapulco and I'm trying to cook more mexican dishes! I learned your salsas from here and salsa verde con puerco. He loved it. Thanks mely!
mmartinez
Hello Diana,
Thank you for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment. I'm so glad to know your husband is enjoying your cooking! 😉
Happy cooking!
Angie Chavero
The recipe was good the only mistake was that I to marinate the shrimp with lemon instead of limes, it still was delicious. Thanks
Angie Chavero
The recipe was good the only mistake was that her instructions said to marinate the shrimp with lemon instead of the lime, it still came out delicious.
Mely
Hello Zerrin,
Yes, you can use small shrimps. I used the large ones because they were the best looking at the market, you know fresh looking.
Happy Cooking!
Mely
zerrin
This is so amazing Mely! I don't cook shrimps very often, I just add it to pasta sometimes. I love this spicy recipe of shrimps!Is there a special reason why you use large shrimps? Are small ones ok too?
Candace
Oh, Mely! This recipe was amazing!
NORMA RUIZ
Mely que delicia de receta, seguro en casita nos encantan muchísimas gracias por tan rica receta, besitos linda semana.
Karen
Looks delicious, Mely... and yes, I've eaten rubber shrimp before! Haha!
Mely
Hahahaha! yes, we have to watch those shrimps before they become rubber.
Mely
Byte64
Qué delicia Mely, los camarones picositos me encantan.
Un abrazo
Tlaz
Rosita Vargas
Realmente exquisito me encantan los camarnes,abrazos y abrazos.
Chris
Totally impressive dish! I like the smoky spiciness that it brings.
Swathi Iyer
Delicious shrimp Mely, spicy good.
Nora
Mely! me parezco a mi Nikki... babeando literal jajajaja qué ricos camarones!