Camarones Al Mojo de Ajo are Mexican Garlic Shrimp and they are delish! This has been one of my favorite dishes since I was a child and my Mom would make it as a special treat. It was a special treat because we are from a town in the middle of the country away from the sea. Anyways, if you love shrimp and garlic this is most definitely the dish for you. The one down side is that this recipe contains a lot of fat and therefor adds more calories. My Mom would use butter and it will give the shrimp a succulent flavor, but I don’t really want those extra calories so instead I use olive oil which has less calories than butter. It is your choice how you decide to cook it with butter or olive oil, either way you will be very satisfied.
The other changes I made was adding the fresh finely chopped cilantro to the shrimp to add another burst of flavor. Also the typical or traditional way to serve the shrimp is with white rice. Most times I cook this dish that is how I serve it but on this particular day I was really craving chilled spaghetti noodles instead of rice. If you are interested in serving it this way just boil the noodles , drain them then toss them with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt then allow to cool before serving. Or another way to serve these shrimp is on their own as an appetizer.
Your Ingredients:
1 Lb. or 500 grams raw shrimp
3-4 Tbs. Olive oil (butter)
1 whole head garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. pepper flakes (or more)
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of black pepper
2 limes, 1 juiced and 2nd cut into wedges and served on finished dish OR juice both for an extra lemony taste
Handful fresh chopped cilantro
1. Peel the shrimp but leave the tails intact, then de-vein all of the shrimp and rinse them under running water. Using paper towels pat dry the shrimp and set aside. Peel and mince the garlic head and juice one lime and reserve the other.
2. In a large pan heat 1 Tbs. of the olive oil over medium heat and add the minced garlic frying for 5 minutes. Be very careful not to burn the garlic, if it browns and burns it will have a very bitter taste. You can avoid this by stirring frequently and if you feel more comfortable turning the heat down. Scoop the garlic onto a plate and set aside.
3. In the same pan add the remaining 2-3 Tbs. of Olive oil sprinkle in the pepper flakes and fry for 3 minute. Then add the shrimp and sprinkle the salt and black pepper over the shrimp, stir the ingredients to well combine. Fry the shrimp until they are firm and pink. Once the shrimp is cooked add the lime juice and garlic back to the pan and give the ingredients a good stir. Fry for another 3 minutes then turn heat off.
The shrimp should be well coated in the oil and there should be a bit extra oil floating on the bottom, so if needed add a little more oil. Once the shrimp are ready to serve mix the fresh chopped cilantro and second juiced lime into the pan and stir to well combine with the shrimp. Serve with steamed white rice or a simple olive oil coated pasta. (If choosing not to juice both limes, served the second on on top of the shrimp.)
Did I mention that this meal is also a great Summer time dinner?, well it is because there is minimal cooking and it’s ready in no time. So we can all have more outdoor time instead of kitchen time, hope you enjoy it. Oh one last thing, please excuse the horrible photos I have a new flash gun I have been trying to learn to use. I absolutely hated it so I don’t think you’ll be seeing more “flash” photos.
Have a great weekend everyone!
MM I love the simplicity of this dish, this is definitely one to add to my weeknight rotation. I love all of the ingredients used! Especially that there is a WHOLE head of garlic in there.
Simple ingredients, yet makes for an absolute tasty and delightful dish!
Bon appetit!
CCR
=:~)
There's nothing like a spicy shrimp dish with lots of oil and garlic. Give me that and a nice cold beer, and I'm a happy man.
Perfect dish…saved:) I love shrimp this way, and with pasta, happy!
Oh what a delicious looking dish! I love shrimps and I keep some in a freezer at home. This is perfect timing!
With a shrimp recipe like that, I'm having a great weekend!
Yum! This sounds very flavorful. Will definitely try it!
This is one of the best ways to eat – er, cook – shrimp.
Holy smokes this looks tasty! Wow and your photos are beautiful! I love shrimp, especially Mexican style!
Beautiful, I love the whole head of minced garlic and the lime juice, just a fantastic dish:-)
Hi Nancy
what a gorgeous shrimp dish!
When you have time please stop by my blog, I have some awards for you if you would like them!
Dennis
Garlic, shrimp, cilantro – that sounds like a childhood dream made in heaven!
My mouth is watering! Looks wonderful! I'll have to give it a try!
Thank you all for your sweet comments :)
@ Chef Deni,Yay more awards! Thanks I'll stop by.
Oh My! I was first introduced to this years ago in Zihuatanejo. A new Mexican restaurant has opened here in Grand Rapids, MI and I ordered Al Mojo de Ajo. It was authentic and fantastic! Thanks for posting this recipe. I love to cook and I will see if my skills are up to your mom's and the folks in Zihua. Thanks for sharing this.
John Westman
Hi John,
Great to hear you'll be trying it out. You'll see how easy and delicious it is :)
Are you kidding about the photo’s. They look like they were taken by a professional. Two thumbs up. I havent tried this recipe, but I intend to make this for dinner this weekend. I cant wait to taste it. There is nothing as flavorful as Roasted Garlic, Oh, I intend to roast my head of garlic (cut in half and sprinkled with EVOO a little S & Pepper to taste. Wrap in tin foil, roast in oven 350 o for one hour) when cooking the shrimp, use the roasted garlic in place of the raw garlic (your supposed to saute) I am going to serve my Garlic Shrimp over El dante Angel Hair Pasta with a final sprinkle of fresh grated Parmesan Cheese. Yummy Yummy
Thank you Lucy, you’re much too kind. Your plan sounds delicious! I love roasted garlic and know your plan will taste scrumptious. Enjoy.
Getting ready to fix this for dinner – but the recipe doesn’t tell me what to do with the second lime??
Hi Sandi,
You can serve the second lime, cut into wedges, or if you want a more lemony taste add it to the pan too. Enjoy!
Camarones al mojo de ajo is one of my favorite dishes. The recipe I came up with is very similar to this one. I do like to serve it a bit differently though. I cook a cup of Jasmine rice in chicken broth, so that it is done before the shrimp. When the shrimp are done, I use a spoon with holes to scoop them out, leaving as much garlic and oil in the still warm skillet as I can. I put the rice in the skillet, stir it around thoroughly with a spatula, so that it absorbs all the tasty stuff left in the skillet. Then, I spread the shrimp across the top of the rice, and let my guests have at it. All have been quite pleased.
I forgot to say that I do two pounds of shrimp, to go with the one cup (dry) Jasmine rice.
Great recipe!
Just wanted to point out that oil and butter have the same calories. ~120 calories per Tablespoon, either one, so using oil doesn’t reduce the calorie content.