tequila shrimp

chipotleMexican cremashellfish

Tequila, Mexican Cream and Chipotle Shrimp

Tequila, Mexican Cream and Chipotle Shrimp

Camarones al tequila

Recipe Yield

3 to 4 servings

Cooking time

11 minutes

Rate this recipe

4.34 from 6 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 clove garlic finely minced
  • 1/4 cup Tequila Reposado
  • 1/4 cup Mexican cream Latin style cream, crème fraiche or heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle chiles in adobo sauce or to taste
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce optional, seeded and minced
  • 10 chives sliced

To Prepare

  • Peel and devein the shrimp. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • In a large and heavy sauté pan set over medium-high heat, let the butter melt. Once it starts to sizzle, add the garlic; stir and cook for 10 to 15 seconds, until it becomes fragrant.
  • Incorporate the shrimp, making sure that the pan is not overcrowded, and let them brown on one side and then the other, for about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Don’t let them overcook; they should be browned on the outside but barely cooked through.
  • Add the tequila, and slightly tilt the pan over the flame to ignite it. Let it cook until the flames disappear. Stir in the cream and the chipotle sauce (and the seeded minced chile if using).
  • Serve immediately, with the chives sprinkled on top.

Comments

36comments inTequila, Mexican Cream and Chipotle Shrimp

  1. Susan

    Sep 01

    I made tonight (1 Sep 2023) for my husband and myself. I have tried making this dish with a different recipe and it was not good. We both agreed this was tasty!! I didn’t even use the full tbsp of chipotle and it had some heat. Thank you so much for this recipe as I will be making it again!! 😊👍😋🌻

    1. Pati Jinich

      Sep 04

      So glad you guys enjoyed this recipe Susan, yay!

  2. Dee Savwoir

    Aug 09

    I watch you all the time on PBS in New Orleans!!! I just love you and your family!!! I have 3 Grown sons as well!!!

    I wish, I could come to your home for a week and just eat EVERYTHING you cook!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣💖💖💖💖

    I will continue watching and hoping!!!

    1. Pati Jinich

      Sep 04

      This is very sweet of you, thanks so much Dee 🙂

  3. Frances Trevino

    Jul 24

    Can’t wait to try this. If I put it over grits, it could be a version of Mexican Shrimp and Grits. Might need to try that.

    1. Pati Jinich

      Oct 05

      Such a great idea Frances, thanks for sharing!

  4. Joanna

    Jan 25

    Looking forward to making these for my wife. She doesn’t like shrimp, but she is willing to try it if I follow your recipe. We love your recipes. You never disappoint!

    1. Pati Jinich

      Jan 31

      Yay! Let me know her thoughts… 🙂

  5. Meg McAlister

    Jul 30

    Hola, Pati! We live near the Gulf of Mexico and love the traditional Southern dish of shrimp and grits. I made this recipe last night and served it on top of stoneground yellow corn grits and it was delicious! The yellow grits taste like creamy corn tortillas. Coronavirus quarantine has led me to cook some unusual things, often with help from your recipes! Thank you!

    1. Pati Jinich

      Jul 31

      Wow, that sounds like a great dish Meg, thank you for sharing!

  6. Jeff B

    May 05

    I know Cinco de Mayo is not a big deal in Mexico, but it is in the US. I made this along with Mexican rice and Midori margaritas for dinner. Very quick, very delicious, just spicy enough. The only change I made was garnishing with scallions instead of chives because that’s all I had. I used heavy cream–probably the tang of crema would be an improvement, but again didn’t have or have the 24 hours to make my own. Will definitely make again and highly recommend to anyone.

    1. Pati Jinich

      May 11

      Thanks so much Jeff for the feedback, in these difficult times particularly we have to be creative and make do with what we have on hand, great job!

    2. Anonymous

      Jul 24

      Next time add a little yogurt if you have it. Will give you that tang you were missing.

  7. Molly

    Jan 18

    Can I use a different alcohol like rum?

    1. Pati Jinich

      Jan 19

      Give it a try, Molly!

      1. Joanna

        Jan 25

        I’m thinking of using mezcal. I don’t have tequila and too lazy to run to the liquor store!

        1. Pati Jinich

          Jan 31

          Completely different flavors Joanna, but go for it, why not? Let me know how you like the results 😉

          1. Toni McCormick

            Jul 24

            I bet the smokey Mezcal flavor will compliment the chipotle just fine! Plan on making this dish for Friday night seafood–shrimp are particularly huge now in New Orleans from the gulf. My fishmonger lets me pick them out individually from the big tub they’re in.

            Reply Icon
  8. JamieO

    Apr 11

    Pati, I think this is my favorite of your recipes. I have a tip…this is AMAZING made with Argentine red shrimp. Have to cut back a bit on cooking time, but the sweeter flavor of the shrimp takes this dish to a level I didn’t think was possible. Very good with homemade corn tortillas.

    1. Pati Jinich

      Apr 13

      Oh thank you for the suggestion, Jamie!

  9. Kim

    Feb 02

    I thought it was fantastic. I will make it again.

    1. Pati

      Feb 03

      Super!

  10. RC Walker

    Aug 05

    I lost this episode that I recorded.
    Where is the tequila drink recipe the bartender made with the Velvet Filarmo?
    Thanks
    Clay

    1. Pati

      Aug 06

      Oh I’m so sorry about that RC. Here’s the recipe: http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/recipe/derek-browns-satin-sheets-cocktail/

  11. Ruth

    Feb 25

    Hi Pati. Looking forward to making several of your very interesting recipes from your TV series. Specifically I will try the avocado cream first. When I shopped for the Mexican crema I found both sour cream and table cream as Mexican crema. I think I know the difference each will make but would you tell me which one you use when you say Mexican crema? There are more recipes that use Mexican crema and I think knowing which one you use could be important to know.

    Thanks Pati

    1. Pati

      Feb 26

      Oh I hope you enjoy the recipes, Ruth! The bottle should say Mexican crema on it…but if you can’t find it, you can substitute creme fraiche or heavy cream. Here’s some more info: http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/mexican_style_cream/

  12. Sophie

    Aug 03

    This recipe was a smashing success!! In my house, we usually love a cilantro lime shrimp I make but this blew everyone away…I even made them camping in Canada this summer and all of my relatives were incredibly impressed. Would go great with a poblano potato salad, rice, ANYTHING! I’d eat these for breakfast!

    1. Pati

      Aug 04

      You made them while camping…awesome! So glad your family loves them.

  13. Be Ornelas

    Jul 19

    Can I serve this over Linguini or Angel Hair pasta?

    1. Pati

      Jul 20

      It’s wonderful over any pasta!

  14. Adriana Ramos

    May 02

    Can I skip the tequila?

    1. Pati

      May 05

      Of course!

  15. Danielle@wenthere8this.com

    Mar 13

    This sounds absolutely amazing! I’m so glad I stumbled upon this recipe. So simple also. Thanks for the great recipe.

    1. Pati

      Mar 13

      Yay! Hope you enjoy it Danielle.

  16. Simone

    Mar 06

    What do you eat them with rice? Pasta? I would love to hear your suggestions. I can’t wait to try it.

    1. Pati

      Mar 09

      Simone you can try rice or warm corn tortillas.

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