Shrimp Diablo or Camarones a la Diabla: Fancy, Fiery & Easy!
- February 2024
- By Vivi Abeja
- Recipe from Mexico
-
- (8)
Shrimp diablo or camarones a la diabla will probably be on the table when Vivi Abeja, one of our favorite Mexican cooks, wants to serve a meal that’s a little extra to honor a special occasion. Unlike most of her delicioso and truly magical Mexican recipes, which she learned to make from her Abuelita or one of her aunts in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, Vivi did not grow up eating this dish with its signature fiery tomato-chile sauce.
“I taught myself how to make this recipe. One thing I love to do is treat myself to fancy dinners and replicate the meals in my home. It’s very empowering and fulfilling. I shared this meal with my sister and she could not stop talking about it!” reports Vivi.
”This recipe feels so fancy to me. I loved mariscos and going to a mariscos restaurant was always something I did for special occasions. Seafood restaurants can be a little on the pricier side, so this is a treat.”
What ingredients did she play with to make this shrimp dish truly her own when she came home from that shi-shi restaurant? Vivi smiles. She pumped up the flavor and doubled down on los chiles. “Instead of adding only one or two spices, I love adding a combination of chiles with the sweetness of a tomato. It gives it a spicy, smoky sweet flavor that I love,” she says.
Chile fan? You will be happy to see that Vivi uses three kinds of dried red ones in this dish. In order of heat, they are: ancho, guajillo and de árbol. After lightly frying them in oil, she blends the chiles with sautéed tomatoes, onions, garlic and (here’s the fourth in this spicy dish) chipotles in adobo sauce. All this chile love explains where the fuego factor comes from in this delicioso shrimp diablo, which one of her sisters has been telling everyone about ever since Vivi first made it for her recently.
Now that she has mastered this ”fancy” dish, how often does she plan to make it? “After hearing all the rave reviews from my sister, it’s definitely being added into the rotation. It’s very simple to make and something I can easily make in a weeknight for a nice pick-me-up,” says Vivi.
Fancy-tasting and easy? Shrimp diablo is going into rotation here at Familia Kitchen too. Plus, Vivi recommends making this seafood dish for Lent Fridays and for your friends and family who don’t eat meat. And for your family and friends who like their comida bien hot. Vivi’s shrimp diablo is🔥 fuego.
To check out more of Vivi’s family-famous Mexican recipes, check out some of the traditional dishes she learned to make from her grandmother, who is from Michoacán, including these Familia Kitchen community faves: gorditas with beans and cheese, red enchiladas with queso fresco and onion, and flautas de papa. All are abuela approved!
Ready to Make Vivi’s Shrimp Diablo? They’re Fuego!
MoreLike This
Got a question or suggestion?
Please rate this recipe and leave any tips, substitutions, or Qs you have!