Camarones a la Diabla (Shrimp in Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Updated January 20, 2026
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
- Ready In
- 25 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, cut into ¾-inch-thick wedges
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1½ pounds peeled and deveined shrimp (large or extra-large)
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
2 chiles de árbol (or other small dried red chiles), stemmed
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 to 4 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo (from a 7-ounce can), depending on heat preference
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Cilantro leaves and tender stems, for serving
Rice pilaf, roasted vegetables or warm tortillas (or a combination), for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat 2 tablespoons oil and the butter in a large stainless steel skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent and the onion edges turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the shrimp curl, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp and onion to a large bowl and set aside.
- Step 2
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium. When the oil shimmers, add paprika and árbol chiles and cook, stirring occasionally, until the paprika darkens, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add orange juice, chipotle chiles and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer, then cook until the flavors meld, 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Transfer mixture to a blender with 1¼ cups water and blend on high until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the skillet over medium, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the reserved shrimp and onion into the sauce to warm through; turn off the heat.
- Step 4
Serve shrimp garnished with cilantro, with your choice of rice pilaf, roasted vegetables and warm tortillas alongside, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ As someone whose wife orders Camarones a la Diabla every single time we see it on a menu, the stakes were high for my first attempt at making it at home. This recipe is an absolute triumph. The balance of the heat from the chiles with the sweetness of the tomato sauce and OJ is spot on—it has that deep, authentic complexity without being one-note. I followed the recipe as written, and the result was better than most restaurant versions we've had. My wife declared it a total keeper. If you’re worried about the heat, don’t be; it’s a 'good' kind of spicy that builds rather than burns. Served it over a bed of simple white rice to soak up every drop of that sauce. Five stars, and this will definitely be going into our regular rotation.
This was good, especially considering how easy it was. The orange juice gives it a nice tang but may make it too sweet for some, so consider cutting back the OJ by a quarter. If you use the La Costeña brand diced chipotles in adobo, you can skip the blender step.
Didn't have shrimp so substituted chicken...oh my, over some good yellow rice it was superb, reminded me of hot summery southern climes on a frigid Pennsylvania day!
Not only was this dish superb, but the extra sauce was lovely with sliced napa cabbage and roasted poblano peppers for lunch later in the week. I opted to split paprika between sweet and smoked per another reader's comment; as for oj, I started with half but ended up using the full cup.
THIS WAS AMAZING!! I would reduce the OJ a bit though.
When do we use the butter?
On step 1, along with the oil!