Camarones Enchilados (Cuban Shrimp Creole)
In 1975, my mom bought a Cuban paperback cookbook. She had only been living in Miami for less than 5 years and didn’t even have a car! She had walked to a nearby pharmacy and picked up this little gem.
This cookbook had a BUNCH of Cuban recipes including Arroz Con Pollo, Camarones al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp Recipe), and Arroz Con Camarones (Yellow Rice with Shrimp). We’re talking vintage here. This book is now in SHREDS and I have the cookbook taped up in my kitchen. Here’s a photo of what it looks like today.
Every year for Easter Sunday, while other families make baked ham and deviled eggs, my Cuban family serves camarones enchilados. Mami makes this shrimp recipe every year with white rice. It has become an annual tradition!
What is Camarones Enchilados?
Camarones enchilados is loosely translated to spicy shrimp however this recipe is not very spicy despite its “spicy appearance”. We add a dash of hot sauce but it’s up to you how spicy you want it.
There are several variations of camarones enchilados and different names for them too – deviled shrimp, shrimp creole, camarones a la diabla.
Bottom line: This is my Cuban mom’s shrimp creole recipe and I know it will become your favorite shrimp recipe!
Recommended For This Recipe
Dutch Oven
I often use a 6-quart Dutch Oven when making soups and stews and even when cooking other recipes requiring long hours.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shrimp. The star ingredient of the dish! I recommend buying jumbo shrimp that is peeled and deveined without the tails on for easier eating. Shrimp typically shrinks as it cooks so the jumbo shrimp gives you more bang for your buck.
- Cuban Sofrito. The flavorful base used in many Cuban dishes. It typically consists of onions, garlic, green bell peppers, and tomatoes, sautéed in olive oil until softened and aromatic.
- Dry Cooking Wine: This adds acidity and complexity to the sauce. It helps to balance the sweetness of the tomato sauce and enhances the overall flavor profile of the dish.
- Vinegar: I use red wine vinegar to add a tangy acidity to the sauce, brightening up the flavors and providing balance to the dish. You can also use white wine vinegar if you prefer.
- Sliced Jarred Red Pimientos: Red pimientos are roasted red peppers that add a subtle sweetness and vibrant color to the dish.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This adds umami to the sauce, with its unique blend of savory and tangy flavors.
- Hot Sauce: Cuban food is typically not spicy so we don’t add a ton of hot sauce or red pepper flakes in our camarones enchilados. A teaspoon or two of hot sauce adds a kick of flavor and can be adjusted according to personal preference.
- Bay Leaf: This adds a subtle earthy flavor and aroma to the sauce.
- Fresh Parsley: This adds a burst of freshness and color to the dish. It provides a finishing touch, enhancing the overall presentation and adding a hint of herbaceous flavor.
5-Star Review
“Fellow cuban here… recipe tastes just like abuela’s. thank you for keeping our culture alive! 🔥”
—gigilu
Step By Step Instructions
- Sauté the sofrito. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and green peppers. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Make the tomato-based sauce. Stir in tomato sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, chopped red pimientos, bay leaf, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Cook the shrimp. Add shrimp and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 14-15 minutes until the shrimp has cooked. Remove from the heat. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. The original recipe states to cook the shrimp first before the sauce which I don’t agree with. The problem with this is that the shrimp will be overcooked with a rubbery, tough texture. Perfectly cooked shrimp should have a translucent appearance with a slight pink hue and curl into a loose “C” shape.
- Serving Suggestions. You can serve camarones enchilados with white rice, tostones, a simple salad, and/or crusty bread.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the sauce in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days. When ready to serve, simply reheat the sauce and add the shrimp for a quick and convenient meal.
- Save leftover sauce for a quick meal later. Allow the leftover sauce to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to use, gently reheat the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through. Once the sauce is heated, add fresh shrimp to the simmering sauce. Cook the shrimp until they turn pink and opaque. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Serving Suggestions
This shrimp creole recipe is best served with white rice along with tostones or sweet plantains. Any combination of these is chef’s kiss!
Storage Tips
After 2 hours, transfer the shrimp to an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze in a sealed freezer bag or freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Camarones Enchilados (Cuban Shrimp Creole)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup dry cooking wine, (or vino seco)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, (or white vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce, or more to taste
- 7 ounces whole red pimientos, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails off)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and green peppers. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Stir in tomato sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, chopped red pimientos, bay leaf, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Add shrimp and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 14-15 minutes until the shrimp has cooked. Remove from the heat. Serve and enjoy!
The recipe calls for a dry wine. Would that be white or red???
White
Thank you! That’s what I did the first time I made it. Making it again tonight and wanted to make sure!!!! Can’t wait for dinner!!!
Thank you Kathy! So happy you loved the recipe!
Made this last night…..it was absolutely amazing!!!!! Can’t wait for the leftover’s tonight!!
So happy you loved it, Kathy!
I give this recipe a 5 star rating. My husband and I both loved it. I paired it with cilantro lime rice, guacamole and tortilla chips. Umm good. Can’t wait to try more of your yummy recipes.
Such good pairings! So happy to hear, Doris! Thank you for your comment!
Hi Jamie, what’s considered a serving, a cup?
Yep!
I am a cubana born in Cuba 75 years ago and for me Camaron Enchilado is one of the best dish of my country. I make it just like your recipe except that I do not add the worstershier, which next time I will add. I am proud that our young cubana young lady is keeping the recipes of Cuba alive. I can tell that I am very proud of you.
Yolanda! Gracias! What a sweet comment and thank you for calling me “young”! Haha :)
Sounds fabulous.
We don’t care for pimentos; how about bottled red pepper? Chopped of course.
Delicious and relatively easy to make! – my whole family loved it. I doubled the garlic and hot sauce, it was still not too spicy for anyone. The sauce was fantastic with bread or rice, and the amount of liquid almost doubled after adding the shrimp, giving it a fantastic seafood flavor.
My mother was well-known for her Enchilado. My family and I not only enjoyed your recipe, but also brought back memories when we would enjoy her cooking. Thank you, this one is a keeper!
JB, thank you for sharing. So happy you enjoyed the recipe. This comment made my day!
Needs white rice to compliment the dish with tostones o maduros. Good recipe. An old Cuban dish
Yep! That’s why I mentioned that in the blog post. 😉
I make this recipe quite often, it’s fast , easy and full of flavor.. “Delicious”..
I make this recipe at once a week! It’s a quick and easy dinner recipe that comes together in a flash. So flavorful and delicious too!
fellow cuban here… recipe tastes just like abuela’s. thank you for keeping our culture alive! 🔥
You’re welcome!! :)
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope they will like it.
This recipe is AMAZING. I will eat this for the rest of my life! So good and easy-peasy.
This recipe was SO incredibly delicious! Thank you!
It’s odd the video has different instructions than the text description in the article. The video logically would be correct, no one wants shrimp cooked for 20 minutes
Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe! My family loved it!
Love this! Being cuban I can say this is very authentic. Goes perfectly with some fried plantains! Thank you.
Hi Jamie,
So glad you like our homeland food! You can substitute shrimps for lobster, scallops or even that cheap mixture of seafood they have in most supermarkets. Add maduros or chatinos (Cuban word for tostones ) and you are set. Get your mom to give a recipe for making conk fritters as an appetizer to this.
Elsa Gonzalez
The best way to make these are making the suave with the shrimp in advance so that the shrimp are embedded with the rich flavors? nonetheless, amazing recipe ??