Shrimp and Potatoes Pil Pil
Updated June 25, 2026
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Ready In
- 35 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
Fine sea salt
1¼ pounds baby potatoes, cut into 1½-inch chunks
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 or 2 fresh chiles, such as Fresno, red jalapeno, serrano or long red chile, thinly sliced (adjust depending on heat preference)
Ground black pepper
1 pound large peeled, deveined shrimp
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
Bread, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
73 grams carbs; 190 milligrams cholesterol; 627 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 22 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 891 milligrams sodium; 37 grams protein; 7 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until they are just fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. (A knife should slide in and out with no resistance, but the potato should still hold its shape). Drain well and set aside.
- Step 2
In a large skillet or frying pan, combine the olive oil, garlic and chile, then turn the heat to low and cook gently for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and softened but not browned. Make sure the heat isn’t too high or the garlic will burn.
- Step 3
Increase the heat to medium. Add the drained potatoes to the skillet along with ¾ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the potatoes are fully tender and have soaked up the spiced oil.
- Step 4
Make space in the pan for the shrimp (or push the potatoes to one side). Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until just opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 5
Add the knob of butter and toss everything together for 30 to 60 seconds, until the butter melts into a glossy sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately with bread on the side if you like.
Private Notes
Comments
The recipe would definitely benefit from a touch of acid, like a squeeze of lemon. at serving time.
Diced strips of orange peel, Spanish vermouth and some green olives, along with smoked paprika allowed this to really shine! I pressure cooked the shells in a bit of water for five minutes, which I reduced before adding the shrimp. The technique and ingredients here are great, but our household was trying to capture some of the complexity of our favorite Barcelona restaurant experiences!
This simple recipe SLAPS! Incredibly delicious with just the right amount of heat (I used a Fresno pepper and 6 huge garlic cloves). The spiced oil really did absorb into the potatoes, flavoring them deeply. Love the touch of butter to richly finish the sauce. Shrimp & Potatoes Pil Pil is now a house favorite!
I took the suggestion to add strips of orange peel and green olives, plus a little white wine. I also seasoned the prawns with smoked paprika. Very good and will make again.
Outstanding! Made exactly as written, except the bag of baby potatoes I bought was 2 pounds. I used them all and wished I had an extra 1/2 pound of shrimp so I would have leftovers.
Who knew potatoes would go so well with shrimp! Next time I'll use two jalapenos because one never knows how the heat goes . . .