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This Shrimp Fra Diavolo Recipe has incredible, intense flavor from a unique, tomato-based, Calabrian chili and garlic marinade and couldn’t be easier! Perfect on its own as a hot appetizer, combined with pasta or as an entrée in its own right, picante and seafood lovers will fall hard for this spicy tomato shrimp–guaranteed!
Welcome to your new favorite dish! Abundant with fiery flavor but not complexity, this Shrimp Fra Diavolo Recipe is the dish your hot antipasti platter has been missing!
This recipe is a more unique and unusual adaptation of the spicy seafood recipe. Like my shrimp arrabbiata, calamari ragu fra diavolo and scungilli fra diavolo recipes, this shrimp fra diavolo recipe is abundant with heat, tomato and garlic, but in a different way. And, unlike these recipes, this is not a fra diavolo sauce served with pasta, but rather presented as its own, independent, a la carte dish–just like my popular spicy garlic shrimp recipe.
What exactly is “Fra Diavolo”?
Literally meaning “brother devil”, fra diavolo is an Italian-American invention that customarily refers to seafood (almost always lobster) in a spicy tomato sauce, often served with linguine. It was likely invented in New York City in the mid-20th century, but its origins are blurry. And, as with many Italian-American dishes, there is no real agreement on what its ingredients or recipe are.
In general, though, a fra diavolo involves lobster being cooked in its shell in a rich, spicy tomato sauce with lots of garlic and oregano. It’s a very satisfying dish usually found in “red sauce” restaurants in the northeast US.
Here, I switched out the traditional lobster for shrimp and marinated it in an unusual marinade of savory and thick tomato paste, spicy and flavorful Calabrian chile paste and nutty garlic confit and garlic oil. The ingredients are few, but significant, and combine in the most incredible way. And, this recipe is so easy and quick to execute! Much more streamlined that a tomato sauce-based, shrimp fra diavolo recipe.
The result is a highly-seasoned seafood dish that any spicy food and seafood lover will swoon over! Add this recipe to your menu soon. Mangia bene!
Love shrimp? Check out these recipes: Shrimp Francese, Shrimp Oreganata with White Wine Lemon Butter, Shrimp Scampi Pasta and Crispy Italian-Style Fried Shrimp.
Main Ingredient Notes
When it comes to making shrimp fra diavolo, the ingredients are few and simple, but significant. We’ll need:
- Shrimp: A large to extra-large shrimp is best for this dish, but a medium-sized shrimp, such as a “31 to 36”, which means there are approximately 31 to 36 shrimp in one pound, works great as well. The shrimp must be 100% cleaned (i.e., deveined and peeled), but the tail can remain on.
- Garlic: Garlic shows up in two different forms in this recipe: umami-rich garlic confit, which is super-savory, sweet and smashable and its counterpart garlic oil, which fortifies the garlic essence of this dish. If you don’t have enough garlic oil, you can supplement with extra virgin olive oil.
- Calabrian Chile Paste: If you currently don’t have this item in your pantry, run out and buy some! Calabrian Chile Paste (a.k.a., peperoncino paste) is made from, you guessed it, Calabrian chili peppers (from the southern Italy region of Calabria, known for the heat in its dishes) and usually some vinegar, olive oil and salt. Different brands will taste slightly different, but they all add spicy heat, salt and a bit of smokiness to a dish–tons of flavor!
How to Make this Shrimp Fra Diavolo Recipe
- Prepare Garlic Confit and Garlic Oil if you do not have any on hand. Peel and devein shrimp if not already purchased cleaned.
- PRO-TIP: If starting with frozen shrimp, be sure to fully defrost them in the refrigerator before using. Do not defrost them in cold water as they will get water-logged.
- Place the garlic confit cloves, garlic oil, tomato paste, chili paste, salt and black pepper in a food processor and puree until all ingredients are well combined and smooth.
- Carefully fold the marinade into the shrimp and mix gently until the shrimp are well-coated. Cover and transfer the marinated shrimp and reserved marinade to the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.
- When ready to cook the shrimp, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot enough, carefully transfer some shrimp to the pan, keeping them in a single layer and not overcrowding the pan.
- Cook shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side, then transfer them to a plate. Continue until all shrimp are cooked. Transfer cooked shrimp to a serving dish. Garnish (optionally) with some chopped parsley and enjoy. That’s it!
More Spicy Recipes!
For a few other recipes that have a fair amount of piccante, check out:
- Italian Chili Oil (a.k.a., Olio Santo)
- Calamari Pasta Fra Diavolo
- Sausage-Stuffed Long Hot Peppers
- Spicy Sautéed Calamari (Not Fried!)
- Pasta Arrabbiata ~ Spicy Italian Tomato Sauce
- Scungilli Pasta Fra Diavolo
- Spicy Italian Marinated Mushrooms
- Pasta with ‘Nduja and Zucchini
Frequently Asked Questions
Frozen shrimp should be fully defrosted in the refrigerator before using. Do not defrost them in cold water as they will get water-logged.
Deveining shrimp means removing the digestive tract/intestine of the shrimp. It’s the brownish/black vein that runs along the back of the shrimp. While it won’t hurt to eat it, it’s a bit unpleasant to think about.
To devein shrimp, first peel the shrimp (leaving the tail), then place it on a cutting board or other flat surface. Then, make a shallow slit along the back of the shrimp, stopping at the last section before the tail, and lift or scrape out the vein. You can use a small paring knife to devein shrimp, or use this nifty shrimp deveiner. Alternatively, buy already peeled and deveined shrimp with the tail on (which is what I did here).
No, you cannot use already cooked shrimp in this recipe as the shrimp will become rubbery and tough if they are cooked again.
These two preparations are nearly the same. Both are tomato-based sauces that have a certain level of picante to them. But, in my opinion, arrabbiata tends to be more of a pasta-based sauce, whereas fra diavolo tends to be mostly paired with seafood. Also, arrabbiata sauce (at least the way that I prepare it) has multiple layers of heat from different types of chilis, predominantly vinegar-marinated hot peppers that contribute a unique briny and acidic punch. Fra diavolo is also mostly about the spicy sauce contributing flavor to the seafood.
Having said this, you can certainly use these terms interchangeably, for the most part.
SHRIMP FRA DIAVOLO RECIPE TOP TIPS
- Shrimp: A large to extra-large shrimp is best for this spicy tomato shrimp dish, but a medium-sized shrimp, such as a “31 to 36”, which means there are approximately 31 to 36 shrimp in one pound, works great as well. The shrimp must be 100% cleaned (i.e., deveined and peeled), but the tail can remain on.
- Use a large skillet! Don’t use a small pan as it will make you miserable. Give yourself enough space to sear the shrimp. Nonstick will make you happier as well.
- Work in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan when cooking the shrimp.
- Recipe Substitutions and Variations:
- Not a fan of shrimp? Use scallops! This spicy tomato marinade would also be excellent on chicken. (I’ve tried it many times!)
- Turn it into a pasta: Toss the Shrimp Fra Diavolo with some linguine, spaghetti or angel hair and add some pasta water to make it more sauce like. Easy peasy!
- Don’t have or can’t find any Calabrian chili paste? You can use other ethnic chili pastes like harissa, sambal oelek or gochujang, noting that each will contribute its own unique flavor. Crushed red chili flakes can be used in a pinch for heat, but then I suggest adding some white wine vinegar and olive oil.
- Serving Suggestions:
- This Shrimp Fra Diavolo recipe is a perfect appetizer for a special dinner! It doesn’t need much more other than some rustic, crusty bread. I love serving this dish on Christmas Eve as part of the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
- If you’d like to incorporate this spicy tomato shrimp into a main course, I suggest serving it over rice or tossed with some fettucine and accompanied by a veggie like sautéed broccoli rabe or roasted eggplant.
- I also enjoy this dish as part of a big entrée salad or simply over a light green salad.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat them in a sauté pan with a splash of water over medium low heat until heated through or just enjoy them chilled or at room temperature.
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried this Shrimp Fra Diavolo recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Shrimp Fra Diavolo Recipe (Spicy Tomato Shrimp)
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp Garlic Confit cloves, (See separate recipe on this website.)
- 6 Tbsp Garlic Oil, (See separate recipe on this website.)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 3-4 Tbsp Calabrian chili paste, (See Notes.)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (See Notes.)
- Optional garnish: chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Prepare Garlic Confit and Garlic Oil if you do not have any on hand. (See separate recipe on this website.) Defrost shrimp if frozen and peel and devein them if not already purchased cleaned.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Place the garlic confit cloves, garlic oil, tomato paste, chili paste, salt and black pepper in a food processor and puree until all ingredients are well combined and smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, you can mash the confit garlic cloves with a fork and use a whisk to mix the ingredients together. You will have about 1 cup marinade.6 Tbsp Garlic Confit cloves, 6 Tbsp Garlic Oil, ¼ cup tomato paste, 3-4 Tbsp Calabrian chili paste, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Then, place them in a large bowl.2 pounds raw shrimp
- Reserve about ¼-⅓ cup of the spicy tomato marinade and set aside. Then, carefully fold the marinade into the shrimp and mix gently until the shrimp are well-coated. Cover and transfer the marinated shrimp and reserved marinade to the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours or up to overnight.
- When ready to cook the shrimp, heat a large skillet (cast iron or nonstick preferred) over medium heat. To determine if the pan is hot enough, place a few drops of water in the pan. If they form small beads that move around and do not evaporate quickly, it is hot enough.
- Once the pan is hot enough, carefully transfer some shrimp to the pan, keeping them in a single layer and not overcrowding the pan. Cook them for 1 to 2 minutes per side, then transfer them to a plate. Continue until all shrimp are cooked.
- Transfer cooked shrimp to a serving dish. If desired, spoon the reserved marinade over the finished cooked shrimp for an extra pop of heat and flavor! (Or, you can use this extra marinade for another purpose–spicy mayo maybe???)
- Garnish (optionally) with some chopped parsley and enjoy. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- The prep time above assumes that you are starting with already cleaned shrimp and prepped garlic confit.
- Please see the Garlic Confit and Garlic Oil recipes. They both hold very well and can be made several days in advance.
- If you don’t have enough garlic oil, you can supplement with extra virgin olive oil.
- This recipe is pretty spicy. Feel free to dial it down a bit by reducing the amount of chili paste.
- If starting with frozen shrimp, be sure to fully defrost them in the refrigerator before using. Do not defrost them in cold water as they will get water-logged.
- I left the tail on the shrimp in this recipe, but you could just as easily leave them off.
- Regarding shrimp size, that is totally up to you! I used a large shrimp–U31-36, which means that there are roughly 31 to 36 shrimp per pound.
- Don’t have or can’t find any Calabrian chili paste? You can use other ethnic chili pastes like harissa, sambal oelek or gochujang, noting that each will contribute its own unique flavor. Crushed red pepper flakes can be used in a pinch for heat, but then I suggest adding some white wine vinegar and olive oil.
- I love making this dish in a cast-iron pan. The shrimp get a nice sear; then, you can serve the shrimp in the pan itself, if you would like.
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1st time doing the garlic confit, and it wasn’t tedious. If you have the confit already then this dish comes together very quickly! Can easily be a week night meal. I put it over thin spaghetti and it was delicious!!! The wife and I were so thrilled with this dish 🤌🤌
So happy that you and your wife you enjoyed the shrimp recipe! And, I agree–it’s a great ide to always have some garlic confit on hand. It can be used in so many different ways! Thanks so much for your comment. 🙂
Definitely bookmarked when I’m jonesing for my shrimp fix this summer – this will be a terrific spin on my usual shrimp recipe. As always, your posts are full of useful and interesting tips and information!
Thanks so much, Tony! I hope you love the recipe. It has loads of flavor and so easy!
This recipe is ALWAYS a hit with my guests when I make it. Unique, easy, delicous!