Puerto Rican Shrimp Recipes

CAMARONES AL AJILLO (GARLIC SHRIMP)

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bell pepper and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the shrimp and cook until opaque, about 2 minutes on each side. Stir in the tomato sauce, parsley, and red pepper flakes, and cook until tomato sauce is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

ASOPAO DE CAMARONES | SHRIMP AND RICE STEW

Steps:

• Warm oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat and add onions and peppers. Cook for 3 minutes, or until vegetables soften.
• Add in sofrito, shrimp tails, garlic, salt, cilantro, and thyme. Saute for another 3-4 minutes. Add in water and simmer water for about 10-15 minutes.
• Turn off heat to allow shrimp broth to cool.
• Once the shrimp broth has cooled slightly, drain the pot in a colander over a VERY LARGE bowl or another pot to RESERVE THE SHRIMP BROTH.
• In the same pot warm oil and we'll build the sofrito sauce by adding in chopped onions, chopped peppers, garlic and sofrito.
• Allow this to cook for about a minute or until fragrant (stirring frequently to keep it from burning). Next, add in salt, pepper, oregano, sazon, and a pinch of cumin.
• After twenty seconds, add in the tomato sauce and about a quarter cup of the raw shrimp and set the rest of the shrimp to the side until the end. Allow the sofrito sauce to infuse with the shrimp for about thirty seconds before gently adding in the shrimp broth.
• Higher heat and bring shrimp broth to a boil; add in rice. Lower heat to medium or until the shrimp broth is at a steady and gentle simmer.
• Allow the rice to cook, stirring it occasionally.
• Once rice is tender and cooked through, add in the remaining raw shrimp and chopped cilantro. Cook an additional five minutes, or until shrimp is pink and cooked through.
• Taste for seasoning.

CAMARONES GUISADOS (STEWED SHRIMP)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a small caldero or large frying pan over medium heat.
• Sauté the onion and green pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. *You can also use 2 heaping tablespoons of SOFRITO [click for recipe]
• Add the tomatoes along with their liquid, olives, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, bay leaf and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Crush the tomatoes with the back of a spoon and bring the sauce to a simmer. Allow to cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the shrimp and sauté for 2-4 minutes, just until opaque. Do not overcook!
• Garnish with additional chopped cilantro before serving. Serve over rice or with bread for sopping up the sauce.

PUERTO RICAN SHRIMP TACOS

Steps:

• Pat the shrimp dry, dice into pieces and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with the Sazon spice packet and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss to combine and set to the side while you continue to prep.
• In a medium deep skillet heat some olive oil. Once hot, add onion, salt, pepper and sauté until tender, about 5 min. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Drain tomatoes and add to the skillet and season with a little more salt and pepper. Cook on medium-low for about 10 minutes. After 10 mins of cooking add the diced shrimp and stir to combine. Remove from heat after 5 minutes. Shrimp cook very fast, be careful not to overcook it.
• Prep your toppings. Slice cabbage, and avocados if using.
• Warm the tortillas. You can wrap them in a damp paper towel and heat in the microwave for a few seconds or place in a hot, dry skillet until tortillas start to brown.
• Assemble the tacos, I like to put the lettuce, cabbage, etc. on the bottom and shrimp on the top.
• serve with extra limes on the side.
• Add all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender (or place in a deep bowl and use an emulsion blender) and mix until smooth. If it's a little too thick add a little more lime juice or olive oil until it reaches a pourable consistency.

CAMARONES GUISADOS | CAMARONES ENCHILADOS | LATIN SHRIMP STEW

Steps:

• Warm oil over medium high heat.
• Saute bell peppers and onions until softened, about 5-6 minutes.
• Stir in garlic, cilantro, and oregano for 30 seconds.
• Pour in seafood broth. Bring to a gentle boil. Add in tomato paste and mix to blend.
• Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 5-7 minutes.
• Fold in potatoes and taste for seasonings. Allow potatoes to heat through and serve.

PUERTO RICAN SHRIMP AND RICE

Steps:

• Combine seasonings in medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss to coat.
• Heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp; cook 5 min. or until shrimp turn pink and are browned on both sides, stirring frequently. Remove shrimp from skillet; keep warm. Add onions and rice to skillet; cook 5 min. or until onions are crisp-tender. Stir in broth and water; bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 min. or until rice is tender.
• Add tomatoes with their liquid, the peppers, ham and shrimp; stir. Cover. Cook 5 to 10 min. or until heated through.

MOFONGO WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• In a frying pan, over medium heat, heat oil and cook plantains for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Be sure not to overcook or plantain will be too hard. Remove plantains from pan and remove excess oil by dabbing with paper towels. In a small frying pan , cook garlic cloves and bouillon until golden brown.
• **For this part, usually a pestle and mortar are used, but I didn't have a set available so I improvised.** In a large bowl, smash plantains with fork.
• Add garlic powder, salt, and garlic cloves. Line a small round bowl or container with plastic wrap.
• Press plantains into bowl until completely compacted. Remove the pressed plantains from the bowl and put on plate.
• In a frying pan, over medium heat, cook shrimp, lime juice, butter, garlic powder, and parsley. Cook for 2 minutes. Add shrimp to the plate around the plantains.

PUERTO RICAN SHRIMP

Steps:

• Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels, place in large bowl.
• Add to food processor garlic, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, tomato paste and Sazon.
• Pulse until all vegetables are chopped into small pieces.Pour marinade ingredients over shrimp and mix thoroughly.Let shrimp marinate in fridge at least 30 minutes or overnight.
• Preheat broiler in oven.Line cookie sheet or roasting pan with aluminum foil and place racks in sheet/pan.
• Place shrimp on racks and broil under heat about 6 inches under burner 3 min then turnover and broil 3 minutes more or until just cooked through (shrimp will appear opaque). Don't overcook, they will become rubbery and not as juicy.Serve with Puerto Rican Rice.

ENSALADA DE CAMARONES (PUERTO RICAN SHRIMP SALAD)

Steps:

• Peel and cut potatoes in cubes.
• In a large kettle, cover potatoes with water, add the salt and bring the potatoes to a boil.
• Cook until potatoes are tender; drain and cool.
• Chop shrimp and pimentos into small pieces.
• In a large salad bowl, combine cooled potatoes, shrimp, pimentos, crushed pineapple, peas, mayonnaise, and salt (to taste).
• Garnish with olives in the form of a clock (with one at each hour and one in the middle).
• Chill before serving.