Camarones Vallarta Recipe
Tequila garlic shrimp, served with our house grilled potatoes and rice. Your choice of soup or salad.
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Ingredients
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Camarones and Sauce
House Grilled Potatoes
Rice
Garnish and Serving
Method
Camarones and Sauce
- 1
Prep shrimp
Pat shrimp very dry with paper towels. Season all over with 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Let sit for 5–10 minutes at room temperature while you heat the pan and prepare other components.
- 2
Cook garlic and flambé with tequila
In a large heavy skillet (cast-iron preferred) heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the minced garlic and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add the tequila carefully (tilt pan away from face) and raise heat to medium-high. Ignite with a long match or let alcohol reduce for 30–45 seconds if you prefer not to flambé; cook until the tequila aroma is mostly gone and reduction is slightly syrupy, about 1 minute.
- 3
Sear shrimp and finish sauce
Add the seasoned shrimp in a single layer and cook without moving for 1–1.5 minutes to get a sear. Flip shrimp and add 2 tablespoons butter, smoked paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Spoon the sauce over shrimp and cook another 1–1.5 minutes until shrimp are opaque and just cooked through (total cook time 2–3 minutes depending on size). Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt if needed. Remove from heat and keep warm.
House Grilled Potatoes
- 4
- 5
Season and grill
Toss the drained potatoes with 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill the potatoes in a single layer, cut side down if halved, for 3–5 minutes per side until golden and charred in spots. Alternatively, finish in a 425°F (220°C) oven on a baking sheet for 10–12 minutes, turning once, until crisp.
- 6
Finish
Transfer grilled potatoes to a serving plate and keep warm. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
Rice
- 7
Cook rice
Rinse 1 cup rice under cold water until water runs mostly clear. In a small saucepan bring 2 cups water, 1/2 tablespoon butter, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add the rice, stir once, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes.
- 8
Fluff and finish
Fluff rice with a fork and stir in 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro if using. Keep covered and warm until plating.
Garnish and Serving
- 9
- 10
Garnish
Sprinkle extra chopped cilantro over the shrimp and potatoes. Serve with lime wedges and optional hot sauce on the side. Offer soup or salad as the diner’s choice to accompany the dish.