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Shrimp a la Diabla Recipe
5 from 18 votes

Shrimp a la Diabla Recipe

Shrimp a la Diabla is prepared with spicy tomato sauce made from roasted Roma tomatoes, guajillo chiles, and chipotle, served alongside lime and cilantro-infused rice. The shrimp are cooked briefly in oil to maintain tenderness, then coated in the smoky, slightly spicy a la diabla sauce. This combination offers vibrant heat balanced with fresh citrus notes.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 234 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Lime Rice:
  • 1 cup medium-grain rice
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • lime juice from 1
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro fresh, minced
A La Diabla Sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil (vegetable oil, avocado oil or grapeseed oil)
  • 6 Roma tomato
  • 1/2 yellow onion peeled and stem cut off, or white onion
  • 3 garlic peeled and smashed, cloves
  • 2 guajillo chile dried
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 chipotle in adobo plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce from the can (If you’re adverse to spice just add the chile, no sauce)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
For Assembly:
  • 1 avocado sliced, for serving
  • cilantro for serving, additional quantity
  • 2 teaspoons neutral flavored oil such as vegetable or canola or peanut oil
  • 1 pound Shrimp deveined and peeled (tails still on)
  • lime for serving

Instructions

To Make the Lime Rice:
    Cup of Yum
  1. I make rice in a rice cooker because that’s what I grew up doing. Cook the rice, per the instructions of your machine, until fluffy.
  2. Add juice from 1 lime to the rice, along with 2 tablespoons of minced cilantro. Set aside until you’re ready to serve.
To Make the A La Diabla Sauce:
  1. In a big saucepan or Dutch oven, set over high heat, add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the roma tomatoes and sear on first side for about 3 to 5 minutes, flip, using tongs, and sear on the opposite side for an additional 2 minutes. You may need to do this in batches. Remove the tomatoes and set them aside in a bowl or on a cutting board.
  2. Next, add the onion, garlic cloves and guajillo chiles, searing and toasting them for about 2 to 3 minutes. Take a peek at the onion and if it needs more time, leave it for an additional minute or two. Remove the onion and garlic cloves and set them aside. Add the tomatoes back to the pot with the chiles and add 2 cups of water. Cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes. This will soften the tomatoes quite a bit and soften the chiles too.
  3. To a blender, add the garlic cloves, seared onion and the chipotle in adobo and sauce. You may need to blend this sauce in batches, depending on how big your blender is (I had to do in batches). Add the tomatoes and the broth and the chiles to the blender. Pulse until smooth, making sure to allow a bit of steam out of the blender.
  4. Pour it back to the pot and add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, over medium-low heat and cover the pot. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Just until the flavors can marry all together. Give it a taste and add salt to taste. I added an additional teaspoon or two.
  5. This recipe makes a big batch of sauce. See below for other ideas to eat it with. It stays good in the fridge for up to a week and a half, if kept in an airtight container. It freezes well too so definitely think about doing that!
To Make Shrimp a La Diabla:
  1. Shrimp cook very quickly and overcooked shrimp are SAD! So make sure you get everything ready before hand. Set the table. Get your drinks ready. Slice up your avocado and cilantro.
  2. In a medium skillet, set over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of neutral flavored oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook for about 30 to 40 seconds per side. You’ll know they’re cooked because they’ll turn from translucent to opaque and pink. If you need to, using your tongs, turn the shrimp onto their deveined side. I sometimes do this to make sure they’re cooked.
  3. Turn off the heat and pour in a few ladles of a la diabla sauce into the skillet. Toss them around in the sauce and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Store leftover a la diabla sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
  • The sauce can be used as a flavorful addition to other dishes like roasted vegetables or flank steak tacos.
  • Cook shrimp only 30-40 seconds per side to keep them tender and avoid rubbery texture.
  • Adjust spiciness by using fewer chiles and omitting chipotle adobo sauce if desired.

Nutrition Information

Serving 4g Calories 234kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 8.8g (3%) Protein 31.1g (62%) Fat 24.8g (38%) Saturated Fat 8.2g (41%) Cholesterol 105mg (35%) Sodium 147mg (6%) Potassium 144mg (3%) Fiber 1.8g (7%) Sugar 5g (10%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 234

% Daily Value*

Serving 4g
Calories 234kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 8.8g 3%
Protein 31.1g 62%
Fat 24.8g 38%
Saturated Fat 8.2g 41%
Cholesterol 105mg 35%
Sodium 147mg 6%
Potassium 144mg 3%
Fiber 1.8g 7%
Sugar 5g 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.