Gambas Pil Pil: A Spanish Shrimp Dish You’ll Want to Make Again & Again

Gambas Pil Pil is a delicious tapas dish that we absolutely fell in love with in Málaga, Spain. This classic Spanish tapas dish is quick and easy to make but delivers big flavor with just a few ingredients: shrimp sautéed in olive oil with garlic, chili pepper, smoked paprika, and a touch of fresh parsley. It’s served sizzling with crusty bread for soaking up every drop of the rich, spicy sauce.

Floyd recreated this dish when we returned home, and it tasted exactly like what we enjoyed in Spain. Of course, he made it his own by pre-seasoning the shrimp before cooking and adding a touch of butter to the sauce for extra richness (because everything is better with butter), and he finished it with a squeeze of fresh lemon. The result? A restaurant-worthy tapas dish you can make in minutes.

This dish is a perfect appetizer for a dinner party, but it also makes a delicious light dinner with a fresh salad. And trust us—you’ll want extra bread on the table to mop up every last drop of the sauce.

This recipe reminded us so much of one of our New Orleans favorites—BBQ Shrimp—in all the best ways. The biggest surprise of this dish was the addition of paprika and how well the chili and garlic infuse so much flavor into the sauce.

A few tips from Floyd:

• Can’t get fresh shrimp? Look for frozen Gulf shrimp—he found some at our local Vermont grocery store.
• Buy shell-on shrimp for the best flavor.

If you’re craving a taste of Spain or just want something quick and full of flavor, Gambas Pil Pil is always a win. It’s a little spicy, a little buttery, and all-around comforting.

👉 Get the full recipe here: Gambas Pil Pil

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