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Camarones a la Diabla are juicy, large shrimp smothered in a bright red chile sauce that’s spicy, deeply flavorful, and so delicious. Also called diablo shrimp or Mexican deviled shrimp, the whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes.
Camarones a la diabla was one of the first Mexican seafood dishes that really won me over. Which is funny, because I didn’t grow up eating much seafood at all.
My parents are from a landlocked part of Mexico, and I grew up in Oklahoma City, which is also about as far from the ocean as you can get. Fresh seafood just wasn’t really on the table.
So Mexican seafood is something I came to as an adult, and I’ve had so much fun learning how it’s cooked by following folks like Rick Bayless and Pati Jinich. Shrimp was my starting point because it’s quick and pretty hard to mess up, and this was one of the first dishes that made me fall for it.
What makes camarones a la diabla so good is all in the sauce. It gets its color and flavor from guajillo and chile de árbol peppers blended with ripe Roma tomatoes. It’s spicy, yes, but not the kind of spicy that wrecks you, and it’s easy to dial up or down to your taste.
I like to serve it over Mexican rice with warm flour tortillas to catch every bit of that sauce.
How to Make Camarones a la Diabla
- Soak stemmed and seeded guajillo and árbol chiles in hot or boiling water for about 15 minutes. During this time, I like to cover the bowl or pot they’re soaking in with a lid or a large plate to help retain as much heat as possible.
- Puree softened chiles in a blender with Roma tomatoes, garlic, onions and salt.
- In a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, add some olive oil and cook shrimp for 1 minute per side, until they are light pink.
- Add in the pureed red chile sauce, lower heat to medium and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and hot.
- Remove from heat, taste, season with more salt if necessary and serve.
Tips for Making Camarones a la Diabla
- Spice level: If you’re afraid the sauce may be too spicy for your tastes, I recommend soaking all the peppers as instructed but only adding in 1 chile de arbol pepper into the blender. Puree the sauce until smooth and then taste. If it’s still too spicy, add in a Roma tomato and puree. Keep tasting and adjusting until it’s just right.
- Salt: Don’t forget to season the sauce generously with salt. If you’re not used to cooking with dried chiles, you may find their earthy taste a little bitter. The tomatoes should help with that, but you may also find that the sauce needs more salt. Add it in gradually and taste after each addition to make sure you don’t accidentally over-salt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Spicy, but not painful. Most of the heat comes from the chile de árbol, so you’re in control. Soak all the chiles like the recipe says, but only blend in one árbol to start, then taste and add more until it’s where you want it. The Roma tomatoes mellow things out too.
Fresh Roma tomatoes are what I use and I think they taste best here. If all you have is canned, about half a cup of crushed tomatoes works in a pinch.
Guajillo and chile de árbol are the traditional combo and what I’d stick with. If you want more depth, you can swap one or two of the guajillos for ancho or pasilla chiles. They’re milder and a little sweeter, so they round out the sauce without adding heat.
Large or jumbo shrimp are ideal since they stay juicy, but medium works fine. Fresh or frozen is fine too. Just thaw frozen shrimp fully and pat them dry before cooking so they sear instead of steam.
Camarones a la Diabla
Ingredients
- 8 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 árbol chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
- ½ medium white onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1.5 pounds large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tail-on
Instructions
- Add the chiles to a small pot and cover them with water until they're completely submerged. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then remove it from the heat, cover, and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles to a large blender. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and salt. Puree until completely smooth. Taste and season with more salt, if necessary. If the sauce is too spicy, add more tomatoes.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute per side, or until shrimp is light pink.
- Pour in the blended red chile sauce and mix together to coat the shrimp. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and hot.
- Remove the pan or skillet from the heat and serve alone as an appetizer or with Mexican Rice as a meal.
Video
Notes
- Spice level: Want it milder? Soak all the chiles but blend in just one chile de árbol to start, then taste and add more. If it’s still too hot, blend in an extra Roma tomato to mellow it out.
- Chile swap: No guajillos? Swap one or two for ancho or pasilla chiles. They’re milder and slightly sweet, so the sauce stays rich without extra heat.
- Shrimp tip: Frozen shrimp work great. Just thaw fully and pat dry before searing so they brown instead of steam.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This post was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated with more helpful information and recipe tips!
OMG..it’s rare I leave a review but this recipe is just to delicious not to scream it from the mountains..”Eat this please.” My daughter isn’t a fan of shrimp but I didn’t hear any complaints I definitely heard a lot of yums. La Familia Barboza gives 10👍. Camarones a la diabla is added to our recipe rotation.
I made this recipe for supper last night. I made it with chicken and it was delicioso!! I also added some chopped cilantro(we LOVE cilantro) it was one of the best dishes I’ve ever made! Thank you for your great recipes!
Excellent.. I get this Everytime I eat at an authentic Mexican restaurant. And this recipe duplicated the deliciousness in every way. Very easy to make also
I’m not a huge fan of shrimp. I find it’s mostly served in a boring way. But THIS! I’ve never had shrimps a la diabla but this look appetizing.
I’ve never eaten shrimp so fast. It was so delicious and the peppers and tomatoes complimented the taste of shrimp so well. I can’t wait to have this again, it will definitely be in my dinner rotations.
Delicious! Everyone loves it!
I made this. So easy! Love it!!!
Looks delicious!
Just made your Cameron’s a la diabla. It is my wife’s usual favorite taqueria dish, she was very impressed with your recipe! I’m gonna try to make your Baja fish tacos next!
I’ve been craving shrimp a la diabla for weeks. It’s superbowl Sunday what a perfect day to make them. They were a hit. That was the first thing that vanished. Thank you for the recipe. 🤤
Great recipe! Made it several times and it is a crowd pleaser! Thanks