If you’ve ever been to Spain and tried gambas pil pil you will definitely appreciate this super quick delicious spicy garlic shrimp recipe for dinner! Especially if you liked what you ate in Spain.
Imagine me sharing this recipe, talking you into trying it for 30 minutes and in the end, finding out you actually had the “famous” gambas pil pil dish in a restaurant in Spain and hated every bite of it. Very much possible. But, I’ll imagine otherwise.
And also, I’m sure you’ll love THIS spicy garlic shrimp recipe, because it’s AMAZING. And so so easy. So grab whatever shrimp you’ve got – big, small, frozen, just caught with your bare hands and feet…all types will work for this easy version of the gambas pil pil dish.
Why You’ll Love This Spicy Garlic Shrimp
I don’t know, I think most of us love easy, healthy, quick and delicious meals that we can make with few ingredients. I know, I’m a pretty predictable human being.
But let me be a bit more obvious while I’m writing the infomercial for this spicy garlic shrimp recipe, it’s:
- ready in about 10 minutes
- made with only seven ingredients
- full of protein
- super flavorful
- easy to make
- done in one pan
Plus it goes really well with salad, bread, potatoes, whatever you have.
Spicy Garlic Shrimp Ingredients
Now that we’re brainwashed into wanting to make this delicious spicy garlic shrimp, get ready and grab these ingredients:
- shrimp – as mentioned, any type is fine, it will need to be defrosted if all you have is frozen though.
- herbs – I love using fresh herbs in dishes and this one is no exception, so make sure to have dill or basil, or if you’re like me and can’t make up your mind – both
- garlic – can’t make garlic shrimp without garlic, be brave and use the real deal (not garlic salt or garlic powder – although use whatever you have, nobody will judge)
- chilies, jalapenos, something spicy – I used chili powder, but originally this dish calls for fresh chilies, so if you’ve got that – thinly chop some and use them in the recipe
- olive oil and some salt – the original gambas pil pil dish calls for a lot of olive oil, but honestly, I can’t. I just can’t bring myself to use so much oil in cooking, I pushed my limits though and there’s a good amount of olive oil in this recipe as well.
How To Make The Spicy Garlic Shrimp
Making the spicy garlic shrimp is SO incredibly easy! Like definitely in the top 10 of easy dinner recipes! Here’s what you need to do:
Heat some olive oil to medium-high heat and add in the raw shrimp.
Quickly stir in the garlic and the chili powder (or fresh thinly chopped chili peppers)
Add a pinch of salt and stir occasionally for 4-5 minutes
In the last 1-2 minutes add in some thinly chopped basil and/or dill and turn the heat off.
Congrats, you just made a flavorful delicious shrimp recipe for dinner.
How To Serve
The best way to eat this spicy garlic shrimp is with some freshly baked crusty bread and salad. You just cannot beat that combination.
You can also serve the shrimp with some potatoes or mashed potatoes, as I’ll show you in the upcoming recipe.
More Easy Shrimp Recipes
I hope you enjoyed this super easy spicy garlic shrimp recipe for dinner or whenever you decide you’re in the mood for it! If you’ve got more shrimp you want to use up, here are some great recipes to try:
- 5-Ingredient Garlic Shrimp In Tomato Sauce
- Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-Fry
- Easy Garlic Salmon and Shrimp Risotto

Spicy Garlic Shrimp Recipe (Gambas Pil Pil)
If you've ever had gambas pil pil in Spain you will definitely appreciate this delicious spicy garlic shrimp recipe for dinner! Ready in about 10 minutes!
Ingredients
- 10oz/280g shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp chili powder*
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp thinly chopped basil
- 1 1/2 tbsp thinly chopped dill
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat olive oil to medium-high heat and add in the raw shrimp (needs to be defrosted first).
- Quickly stir in the garlic and the chili powder (or fresh thinly chopped chili peppers)
- Add a pinch of salt and stir occasionally for 4-5 minutes
- In the last 1-2 minutes add in some thinly chopped basil and/or dill and turn the heat off.
- Congrats, you just made a flavorful delicious shrimp recipe for dinner
Notes
*or 1 red chili pepper, thinly chopped
Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 361Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 295mgSodium 1433mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 33g