These juicy prawns with garlic & chilli also known as Gambas Pil Pil are a classic Spanish tapas dish. They are also dairy & gluten free!
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You will almost be guaranteed to find Gambas Pil Pil on any Spanish tapas bars menu! This simple classic is one of my favourite tapas dishes.
Plump, juicy prawns are cooked in hot oil with fresh garlic and chilli, along with some smoked paprika, then garnished with fresh, chopped parsley. Don’t forget the chunk of crusty bread (gluten free if needed!) to mop up all the delicious juices!
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❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe..
- This simple dish is ready in just 10 minutes!
- Free from gluten, dairy, egg and nuts!
- Rich, smoky flavours with a spice level that can be adjusted to suit your taste preference!
🥘 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Prawns- I have used jumbo raw king prawns that have already been peeled & prepared. If you are using pre-cooked prawns you don’t need to cook them first. Just add them to the chilli, garlic and oil mixture to warm through, ensuring they reach an internal temperature of 120˚F. ( The easiest way to check this is with a meat thermometer). You can also use frozen prawns, just make sure they are fully defrosted before cooking.
- Chilli - I love fresh red chilli and this is what I have used, however you can also use dried chilli flakes instead. If so, I would recommend using around 1 teaspoon for this recipe.
- Paprika Powder - Sweet, hot or smoked, the choice is yours!
- Parsley - Fresh is best for this recipe, I wouldn’t recommend using dried parsley as the flavour is totally different. Why not make some Baba Ganoush using the leftover fresh parsley?
- Olive Oil - Use a good quality olive oil. Just use standard olive oil and not extra virgin, as that is better when used in cold dishes.
- Garlic - I love lots of garlic. It’s one of my favourite ingredients ever and so good for you!
✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋
✏️ How To Make Gambas Pil Pil
For the full printable recipe, along with ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post ⬇️
First, prep all of the ingredients so you are ready to throw them all in the pan. This is a dish that is cooked quickly!
Finely chop the parsley and red chilli, then chop the garlic into thin slices. I prefer to slice it rather than chop into little chunks as garlic cooks really quickly and I find it can sometimes burn at a high heat if chopped small.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the raw prawns once hot.
Cook for a couple of minutes before turning them over onto the other side.
Add the garlic, red chilli and paprika and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The prawns are cooked when they turn pink and have reached an internal temperature of 120˚F.
Remove the prawns from the heat and stir in the fresh chopped parsley, then pour the mixture into a serving dish and serve immediately. Don’t forget to pour all the lovely sauce in too!!
💡 Tips & Tricks
- Use jumbo king prawns for some extra juiciness.
- Remove the seeds from the red chilli or adjust the amount of chilli used if you are not keen on spice!
🔪 Equipment
To cook this recipe you will need a large, non stick frying pan. This is especially important as you do not want to ingredients to stick to and burn in the pan.
You will also need a chopping board, sharp knife and wooden spoon or spatula to stir the mixture.
🥡 How To Store
I would really recommend serving & eating these garlic prawns fresh, immediately after cooking as this is when they will taste their best, however you can store as follows.
In The Fridge
If you have leftovers they will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for around 2 days. Re-heat on a medium heat for a few minutes until piping hot throughout. You may need to add a dash more oil if the sauce is looking a little dry.
- Note: Only re-heat this dish if you have used raw, fresh prawns. Do not re-heat the prawns more than once or re-heated pre-cooked prawns.
In The Freezer
Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and re-heat as above.
- Note: This dish is only suitable for freezing if you have used fresh, raw prawns. Do not re-freeze prawns that have already been frozen.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
The best bit about this dish is mopping up the smoky, delicious oil with lots of bread! If you are following a gluten free diet, this gluten free tiger loaf by Warburton's is so good!
Serve this Gambas Pil PIl recipe alongside some Patatas Bravas, Serrano Ham, Fried Aubergine With Honey, Ham Croquettes & Olives for a tapas feast!
💬 Recipe FAQ
Gambas means Prawn in Spanish and pil pil is a sauce originating from the Basque Country consisting of garlic, oil and chilli, so putting it all together it basically means prawns with garlic, oil and chilli!
Love this recipe? It would be great if you could leave a 5 ⭐ rating and comment below! Thanks x
⚡ More Gluten Free & Dairy Free Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Gambas Pil Pil (Garlic & Chilli Prawns)
Ingredients
- 165 g raw jumbo king prawns
- 60 ml olive oil (4 tbsp)
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 red chilli finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 handful fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, non stick frying pan on a medium-high heat.
- Finely chop the parsley and red chilli, then chop the garlic into thin slices.
- Add the raw prawns and cook for a couple of minutes before turning them over onto the other side.
- Add the garlic, red chilli and paprika and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- The prawns are cooked when they turn pink and have reached an internal temperature of 120˚F.
- Remove the prawns from the heat and stir in the fresh chopped parsley, then pour the mixture into a serving dish and serve immediately. Don’t forget to pour all the lovely sauce in too!!
Notes
- Use jumbo king prawns for some extra juiciness.
- Remove the seeds from the red chilli or adjust the amount of chilli used if you are not keen on spice!
- I prefer to slice it rather than chop into little chunks as garlic cooks really quickly and I find it can sometimes burn at a high heat if chopped small.
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