Camarones El Ricas (Red ChileâMarinated Grilled Shrimp) — Photo:
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Active Time:

50 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Yield:

6 servings

Plump shrimp are coated in a smoky, punchy marinade infused with dried chiles and musky annatto seeds before being grilled and finished in a buttery sauce in this grilled shrimp marinade recipe from 2021 F&W Best New Chef Fermín Núñez, chef and owner of Suerte and Este in Austin.

“Before I opened Este, I traveled to Monterrey, Mexico, to visit a friend, and he told me I should go to a place called El Ricas,“ says Núñez. When the grilled shrimp hit the table, I knew I had to make a version of them at Este. After a few recipe tests, I was able to mimic the flavor of the garlic-and-chile marinade. I named it Camarones El Ricas as a nod to the place that served the best grilled shrimp I’ve ever had in my life.”

Núñez prefers peel-on shrimp for this recipe, as the shells help protect the shrimp from over-cooking in the high heat of the grill and enhance their taste. Use a grill basket to make it quick and easy to flip all the shrimp at once.

Frequently asked questions

How long to grill shrimp?

Shrimp grill quickly in under 5 minutes.

How do you butterfly shrimp?

Butterflying shrimp increases the surface area, allowing for better charring and better flavor absorption, as the piquant marinade has more space to to settle into. To butterfly shrimp, use a paring knife to cut through the shell, making a 1/4- to 1/2-inch slit from the top of the shrimp (the depth of the slit will depend on the size of the shrimp), near the head, moving along the outer curve down toward the tail. Remove the vein and lightly press to open up the shrimp until it lays flat.

How do I use a grill basket?

Grill baskets are handy for grilling items that can easily slip through grill grates or grilling delicate items like these butterflied shrimp. Simply place the items you’d like to grill in the basket and close it. The basket is designed to keep your ingredients secure and give you more control while cooking.

What do I serve with grilled shrimp?

This grilled shrimp recipe is coated in a punchy marinade with strong earthy flavors from the chilies. Serve it with Fermín’s homemade corn tortillas to make tacos, sliced avocados, or Mexican rice.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

The grilled shrimp marinade is nice and punchy, with a strong earthy flavor from the annatto and chiles that pairs well with the sweetness of the shrimp. Although this is a thicker marinade and requires some additional effort to blend, it does eventually come together, smooth out, and emulsify, so be patient and scrape the sides of the blender as needed.

Puya chiles are a spicy chile with a background of fruity flavor. You can find puya chiles, as well as guajillo chiles and chiles de árbol at most Mexican grocery stores or at online shops like spicetrekkers.com.

Cooking techniques

Grilling the shrimp in a grill basket works well by charring the shells while keeping the interior shrimp meat tender and moist. For his recipe, Fermín recommends this stainless steel fish grill basket from Made In Cookware, but you can use any grill basket you have at home.

Suggested pairing

With a fruity kick from puya chiles in the marinade, a citrusy Gramona La Cuvée Cava dry sparkling wine pairs great with the sweet and spicy shrimp.

Make ahead

The grilled shrimp marinade can be stored for up to 3 days in a refrigerator or for up to 1 month in a freezer.

Ingredients

Marinade

6 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 puya chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded
2/3 cup olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced red onion, divided, plus more for garnish
4 medium garlic cloves
2 tablespoons annatto seeds
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Grilled shrimp

2 pounds raw head-on, tail-on unpeeled jumbo shrimp (preferably U12), butterflied
1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Lime wedges, for serving
Fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, for garnish

Directions

Make the marinade

Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a boil over high. Remove from heat; add guajillo chiles, puya chiles, and chiles de árbol. Set aside to let soak, pressing with a heatproof plate if needed to keep chiles submerged, until chiles are softened, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium. Add 1/2 cup sliced onion; cook, stirring often, until onion is golden and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl, reserving fried onions and onion-infused oil.

Make the grilled shrimp

Place butterflied shrimp in a large bowl; add 1/2 cup marinade. Toss to coat, and massage marinade all over shrimp. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes. (Reserve remaining marinade in refrigerator.)
Meanwhile, open bottom vent of a charcoal grill completely. Light charcoal chimney starter filled with briquettes. When briquettes are covered with gray ash, pour them onto bottom grill grate. Adjust vents as needed to maintain an internal temperature of 450°F to 500°F.
Arrange shrimp in a large grill basket. (Depending on basket size, you may need to use two baskets or work in batches.) Place grill basket on grates over hot coals with shrimp facing shell side down. Grill, uncovered, until flesh starts to turn opaque and shells are charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip basket; grill until shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from grill.
Whisk together melted butter, lime juice, salt, and 1/4 cup reserved marinade in a large bowl. Stir in shrimp. (Reserve remaining marinade for another use.) Serve shrimp on a large platter with lime wedges; garnish with cilantro and sliced red onion.