Spicy Calabrian shrimp are flavorful and easy to make. The shrimp get cooked in a lemony, spicy Calabrian sauce making for the perfect appetizer or main dish. Serve the shrimp over pasta, with bread, or simply enjoy as is.
This is my new favorite way to make shrimp. And soon it will be yours too, if a buttery, spicy, decadent sauce sounds right up your alley!
The Calabrian shrimp cook up so quickly, but the flavorful sauce makes it feel like it took so much more effort than it actually did.
This is one of those dishes that I love for entertaining, because it's so gorgeous. A shrimp dish that is made to impress.
If you haven't had Calabrian chili paste before and love spicy foods, this recipe will make you a fan. I love mixing the chili paste into pastas, bowls of beans, or on top of seafood like this. It may be my all-time favorite condiment.
I fell in love with the chili paste years ago after I spotted Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay using it to spice up their dishes. And I can see why it's such a go-to condiment! It's the perfect amount of spice and brightness.
Ingredients
- Shrimp - Peeled and deveined, raw large shrimp. If using frozen, thaw before using.
- Butter - Salted butter for that spicy, buttery sauce.
- Olive oil - Olive oil adds an additional depth to the sauce.
- Calabrian chili paste - This is where the spice comes from. A little goes a long way, but in this recipe, the spice is mellowed out a bit in the buttery sauce.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic cloves! If you really love garlic, you can adjust the amount as needed.
- Lemon - You'll use fresh lemon juice from ½ a lemon for this recipe.
- Basil - I love adding chopped basil to the spicy Calabrian shrimp, but you can use parsley.
- Salt - This is optional. I usually leave out the salt, but you can add at the end to taste and customize to your own tastes.
How to make Calabrian shrimp
First, dry your shrimp on paper towels.
Next, in a skillet, melt your butter over a low or medium-low heat.
Once butter is melted, add the olive oil.
Add the minced garlic and Calabrian chili paste.
Stir together.
Add shrimp to the pan in a single layer.
Once shrimp starts to get opaque (about 3-4 minutes), flip, and then cook for another 1-2 minutes until cooked through. Add the juice from half a lemon, and stir together.
Serve as desired! Top with fresh herbs, like basil or parsley.
What is Calabrian chili paste?
Calabrian chili paste is a spicy, Italian condiment. It's made from Calabrian peppers that grow in the Calabria area of Italy. These spicy peppers are mixed in a sauce with oil to create this deliciously flavorful sauce.
I love to grab the jars of Bomba Sauce at Trader Joe's, but you can also find jars of Calabrian paste at Whole Foods or online at Amazon.
If you can't find Calabrian chili paste, check out these substitutes for Calabrian chili paste.
Can you use frozen shrimp?
You can, but I highly recommend thawing them before using in this recipe. If cooking straight from frozen, the liquid from the shrimp will dilute the sauce. The shrimp would also take a lot longer to cook, and the garlic may cook too quickly and burn by the time the shrimp is fully cooked.
Customization ideas
- If desired, use both the lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Instead of fresh basil leaves, use fresh parsley leaves (or cilantro for a different flavor).
- Instead of lemon juice, you could use lime juice.
- Add some diced tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce.
- For a little extra kick, add a little more Calabrian chili paste to the sauce or on top of the shrimp at the end.
How to serve
Calabrian shrimp are delicious served as is, as an appetizer or main dish with some delicious side dishes. You can also serve with some crusty bread to mop up that buttery, spicy sauce.
The shrimp and Calabrian sauce is perfect on top of some pasta. Simply cook the pasta, then drain, coat pasta in the spicy sauce, then serve with the shrimp on top.
Recipe tips
- Try not to overcook the shrimp. You want the shrimp to be juicy, not rubbery.
- Different stoves may cook differently, depending on your stove and whether you are using gas, electric, or induction. Watch shrimp carefully to make sure they are cooked properly.
- The butter, olive oil, and lemon juice mellow out the spice from the Calabrian chili paste. However, you can either increase the level of spice or decrease as desired.
More recipes using Calabrian chili paste
This recipe was adapted from The Bold Appetite.
Spicy Calabrian Shrimp
Ingredients
- 10 large shrimp raw, peeled and deveined
- 3 Tablespoons butter salted
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Calabrian chili paste
- ½ lemon
- 3 basil leaves large
- salt optional
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry on paper towels.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over a low or medium-low heat.
- While butter melts, peel and mince the garlic cloves. Chop the fresh basil leaves into strips.
- After butter has melted, add the olive oil to the skillet. Add the garlic cloves and Calabrian chili paste and stir to combine.
- Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook until just starting to turn opaque (about 3-4 minutes), then flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes until cooked through.
- Add juice from ½ a lemon and stir to combine.
- Plate the shrimp with the sauce and top with fresh basil leaves. Season with salt if needed.
Notes
- Try not to overcook the shrimp. You want the shrimp to be juicy, not rubbery.
- Different stoves may cook differently, depending on your stove and whether you are using gas, electric, or induction. Watch shrimp carefully to make sure it is cooked properly.
- The butter, olive oil, and lemon juice mellow out the spice from the Calabrian chili paste. However, you can either increase the level of spice or decrease as desired.
Nutrition
If nutrition info is shown, values are based on an online calculator and are estimates. Please verify using your own data.
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