Shrimp Veracruz

Camarones a la veracruzana — Shrimp Veracruz — captures the story of Veracruz on one plate: Mexican tomatoes and chilies meeting Spanish olives and capers in the port city where the two cuisines first collided, with plump raisins adding a whisper of sweetness.

It is also one of the fastest “impressive” dinners I know: under 30 minutes from counter to table, with the shrimp cooked separately so they stay snappy while the sauce simmers to briny-sweet perfection.

Serve it over fluffy white rice, squeeze lime over everything, and you have a weeknight dinner that tastes like a coastal vacation.

Shrimp Veracruz Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 10 minutes · Total: 30 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~232 per serving

Ingredients

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup sliced green onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, with juice
• ¼ cup pitted green olives, sliced
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Cooked white rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp about 4 minutes, turning once, until pink and opaque. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
2. In the same skillet over medium heat, cook the green onions, garlic and jalapeño about 5 minutes, until soft.
3. Add the tomatoes with their juice, olives, capers, raisins, oregano, salt and pepper. Boil, then simmer about 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
4. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice, return the shrimp and toss to coat.
5. Serve over rice, with extra cilantro on top.

Recipe Notes

• A splash of white wine after sautéing the aromatics deepens the sauce — let it reduce before the tomatoes go in.
• Fresh oregano at the end instead of dried adds brightness.
• Crumbled queso fresco or cotija on top brings creamy saltiness.
• Warm tortillas alongside are never a bad idea.