Last semester, I tried out (and had a successful) cutting season. Boy, did I get tired of grilled chicken every night (shoutout to anyone who follows their macros to the T). This Camarones Enchilados recipe contains a good portion of carbs and protein (roughly 35g in a half pound of shrimp).

In addition, I was craving that homestyle, hot meal that fulfilled my hunger for Cuban food, much like the Mexican version Camarones al Mojo de Ajo. I realized then that my chef of a dad trained me well to make his food wherever I went.

This Camarones Enchilados recipe contains rice, black beans, and shrimp in a tomato sauce. Everyone has their own way of making rice and beans, so I’ll show you have to liven up your shrimp.

Camarones means “shrimp” and enchiladas means “in chili.” Not sure why, since there isn’t any chili in here, much like any Cuban dish. If your abuelo knows what was going down amidst the very serious domino tournament that named this recipe, LMK.

Camarones Enchilados

  • Prep Time:5 mins
  • Cook Time:25 mins
  • Total Time:30 mins
  • Servings:2
  • Medium

    Ingredients

  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 8oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 1/2 lb shrimp any kind
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Salt + pepper to taste
  • Garlic powder
  • Worcestershire sauce
chili, sauce, tomato, prawn, seafood, shrimp
Elizabeth Quintero

  • Step 1

    Chop up the onion and bell pepper as you like. I use half of each, but do as you wish.

  • Step 2

    In a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat, throw in 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons garlic. Fry until fragrant. Then sauté the onions and peppers until very loose.

  • Step 3

    Once softened up, pour in the can of tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, seasonings to your liking, and around 1/4 cup parsley (or however much you like). Stir until a slight boil.

  • Step 4

    Whether the shrimp were frozen or not, place them in an ice bath before you cook them. The ice cold to boiling hot temperature change will make your shrimp crisp to the bite rather than soggy.

    Dry off the shrimp a bit, and place in the pan on their sides. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the side facing down is bright pink and curled up.

  • Step 5

    Flip each shrimp. Tongs work best for this. When each shrimp is pink and the head is curled up to the tail, stir around and turn off the heat. Serve immediately.