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Drunken Shrimp with Tequila (Camarones Borrachos)

Drunken Shrimp with Tequila (Camarones Borrachos)

In camarones borrachos, or “drunken shrimp,” tequila is subtle base for layering classic Mexican flavors—lime and cilantro, cutting through rich, garlicky butter.

By Courtney HillApril 1, 2022

  • Makes
    4 to 6 servings
  • Cook Time
    35 minutes
  • Rating

These camarones borrachos—or “drunken shrimp,” translated from the Spanish—are food writer and recipe developer Paola Briseño-González’s version of a dish served up by Sergio Peñuelas at 106 Seafood Underground, a casual outdoor eatery located, literally, in the backyard of a residence in Inglewood, California. Peñuelas uses head-on shelled shrimp, which are amazingly flavorful but difficult to source. For this recipe, you can peel and devein the shrimp so they’re easy to eat or you can leave the shells on, as they contain loads of shrimp flavor and do an excellent job of trapping the garlicky, spicy sauce. Use a tequila that’s labeled as “blanco,” “plata,” “white” or “silver”—it should be clear and lack color—rather than a variety that’s rested (reposado) or aged (añejo). If you like, serve with rice on the side, as Peñuelas does, and with lots of napkins if you’ve kept the shells on the shrimp.

Tip

Don’t forget to reduce the heat to medium before adding the shrimp to the skillet. Gentle cooking helps ensure that the shrimp cook up plump and tender.

Ingredients
  • 2

    pounds extra-large (21/25 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined (if desired; see headnote)

  • 2

    teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • ½

    cup tequila (see headnote)

  • 3

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3

    tablespoons salted butter, cut into 3 pieces

  • 6

    medium garlic cloves, minced

  • 2-3

    teaspoons red pepper flakes

  • ¼

    cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

  • ½

    cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

  • ½

    small red onion, thinly sliced

Step 1

In a large bowl, stir together the shrimp, lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt; set aside. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the tequila and 1 cup water.

Step 2

In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat the oil and butter until the butter foams. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the tequila-water mixture, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced to about ⅔ cup and turns red, 6 to 9 minutes.

Step 3

Reduce to medium, add the shrimp and cook, stirring and turning occasionally, until pink and opaque throughout, about 3 minutes for shelled shrimp or about 5 minutes for shell-on shrimp.

Step 4

Off heat, stir in the cilantro, then taste and season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and garnish with the cucumber and onion. Serve with lime wedges.

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