Citrus Chile Garlic Shrimp

It's January! Do you know what that means? It's citrus season! Time to bring on all the citrus recipes. I'm starting off with a quick meal that highlights oranges in the best way, citrus chile garlic shrimp. Inspired by gambas al ajillo, a Spanish garlic shrimp dish, I created a version that incorporates a few Asian ingredients and fresh orange juice for a fun twist. No, it's nothing like gambas al ajillo, but the sauce is so delicious, you'll be licking your fingers clean! Pair it with homemade lemon aioli dip for the perfect complement.

Recipe

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Citrus Chile Garlic Shrimp

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: seafood

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Lemon aioli dip

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 grated garlic
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• juice of ½ lemon
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• salt

Citrus chile garlic shrimp

• 2 tablespoons sherry
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sambal
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 lb shrimp peeled, deveined
• 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 1 small jalapeno sliced
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

• Make lemon aioli dip. Whisk together egg yolk, garlic, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Slowly add olive oil while whisking constantly. Add lemon juice and cayenne, whisking until smooth. Season with salt and set aside.
• Make seasoning sauce for shrimp. Combine sherry, soy sauce, ketchup, orange juice, sambal, honey, and orange zest in a medium bowl.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil pver medium heat and saute garlic and jalapeno slices for 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook just until it starts to turn pink. Add seasoning sauce, increase heat to high and simmer for 1 minute or until shrimp is fully cooked and coated in sauce. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
• Transfer citrus chile garlic shrimp to serving platter and serve with lemon aioli dip.

Watch how to make this:

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

I love preparing shrimp for a weeknight meal because it's quick. The last thing I want to do after a long day working is spend hours preparing dinner. Luckily, this citrus chile garlic shrimp comes together in minutes. You don't have to marinate the shrimp, just cook and serve.

The only component that may take a little bit of time is the homemade aioli. However, you can make the dip several days in advance.

To make the aioli, first, whisk together the egg yolk with garlic and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Then, very slowly add olive oil while whisking constantly. The trick to making aioli is to take your time with the olive oil. If you add the oil too quickly, the sauce will break.

Once the sauce becomes thick, add the lemon juice and season with cayenne and salt.

Set aside the lemon aioli while you prepare the shrimp. Make the seasoning spice, mixing together sherry wine, soy sauce, ketchup, orange juice, sambal, honey, and orange zest. If you rather have a mild version, you can omit the sambal.

I used peeled deveined shrimp but if you don't mind the mess, go ahead and use shrimp with the head and skin on. It actually tastes better if you use shrimp with the head still on because the head adds more flavor. I know, I know. I should be using shrimp with the skin on if I'm advising you to. But laziness got the best of me.

Heat oil in a large saute pan and saute thinly sliced garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook just until they start to turn pink. Add the seasoning sauce and let it simmer for about another minute or until the shrimp are fully cooked. You may have to adjust the time depending on how large your shrimp is.

Remove the citrus chile garlic shrimp from the heat and stir in cilantro. Transfer to a platter and don't forget to serve it with the lemon aioli dip.

Isn't it great when you make a quick dish and it still tastes like a million bucks? You can whip up this citrus chile garlic shrimp for a party and no one would know you didn't slave away in the kitchen. A wonderful fast meal for any occasion!

For more shrimp recipe inspiration check out this bbq shrimp and corn flautas recipe!