Camaron A La Diabla Recipe

Marinate shrimp

Rinse and pat shrimp dry with paper towels. In a bowl combine shrimp, 2 tablespoons lime juice, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat and let marinate at room temperature for 10–15 minutes while you prepare the salsa.

Toast chilies

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the guajillo and arbol chilies and toast 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Remove and set aside.

Soak chilies

Place toasted chilies in a heatproof bowl and pour 1 cup of hot chicken or vegetable broth over them. Let soak 10 minutes until softened.

Sear tomatoes & onion

In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and heat over medium-high. Add halved roma tomatoes and the quartered white onion (reserve the sliced yellow onion for the sauté step). Cook, turning occasionally, until blistered and charred in spots, about 6–8 minutes. Add 2 cloves garlic in the last 30 seconds, then remove from heat.

Blend sauce

Drain the softened chilies (reserve soaking liquid). In a blender, combine the toasted chilies, blistered tomatoes, charred onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar (optional). Add 1/4 cup of the reserved soaking liquid to help blend. Puree until smooth, adding more soaking liquid or hot broth by tablespoonfuls to reach a thick, pourable sauce (about 1/2 cup total liquid). Taste and adjust salt.

Cook sauce

Return the blended sauce to a clean skillet over medium heat. Simmer gently 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, to deepen flavor and reduce rawness. If sauce is too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons hot broth. Keep warm on low while you cook the shrimp.

Sauté onions

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced yellow onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent with some golden edges, about 6–8 minutes.

Cook shrimp

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the marinated shrimp to the skillet in a single layer (work in two batches if necessary to avoid crowding). Sauté shrimp 1.5–2 minutes per side until pink, opaque, and slightly curled. Do not overcook.

Combine with salsa

Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour the warm diabla salsa over the cooked shrimp and onions and toss gently to coat. Cook together 1–2 minutes to marry flavors. Stir in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional) for sheen and richer flavor.

Finish & serve

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or a squeeze of lime if desired. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve immediately with lime wedges. Suggested accompaniments: warm corn tortillas, white rice, or crusty bread to mop up sauce.