If you like shrimp scampi, this is the upgrade. More tang, more heat, citrus-forward garlic butter inspired by camarones al ajillo. Sous vide at 131°F cooks the shrimp gently all the way through without toughening them. You get tender meat with just enough bite.

The jicama adds crunch and a touch of sweetness—not traditional, but it works. Start to finish, this takes about 45 minutes. Serve it as an appetizer with bread for dipping, or make it a main course over rice, pasta, or tucked into warm tortillas.

Chef Griffin

Sous Vide Shrimp al Ajillo • Garlic Butter Shrimp with Jicama

Tender sous vide shrimp in a citrusy garlic butter sauce with jicama and lime. This Latin-inspired dish takes 45 minutes and delivers restaurant-quality results every time.

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Course: Main Course

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

For the shrimp

1 pound large shrimp peeled with tails intact and deveined
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 serrano or jalapeño chile thinly sliced
Pinch of paprika
½ jicama peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Juice of 1 lime about 2 tablespoons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Method

Prepare and Cook the Shrimp

Preheat your sous vide water bath to 55°C (131°F).
Place the shrimp in a gallon-size freezer-safe ziplock bag, arranging them in a single layer with as little overlap as possible to ensure even cooking.
Seal the bag using the water displacement method: Lower the bag slowly into a container of water, allowing the water pressure to push out the air. Seal the bag just before it’s fully submerged.
When the water reaches 55°C (131°F), lower the bagged shrimp into the water bath, making sure the bag is fully submerged.
Cook for 15 minutes. When done, the shrimp will have curled slightly and turned evenly pink. If they are still gray in spots, return the bag to the water bath and cook for 5 minutes longer.
Remove the bag from the water bath. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate. Pour the accumulated cooking liquid into a small bowl and set aside—you’ll use this in the final step.

Make the Garlic Butter Sauce

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic turns light golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the chile, paprika, jicama, and shrimp (the shrimp do not need to fit in a single layer at this point).
Sauté, tossing or stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until both sides of the shrimp turn just slightly darker pink, about 2 minutes total. Be sure not to overcook them at this step!
Add the butter, the reserved cooking liquid from the shrimp, and the lime juice to the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir until the butter has melted.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve

Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the cilantro.
Serve immediately over rice, pasta, or with warm tortillas.

Notes

Sous Vide Temperature:

55°C (131°F) gives you tender, succulent shrimp with a slight bite
This temperature cooks the shrimp through without toughening them

Sous Vide Time:

15-20 minutes is the ideal range
Check at 15 minutes—shrimp should be pink and curled
If still gray in spots, add 5 more minutes

About Jicama:

Jicama is a crisp, slightly sweet root vegetable common in Latin American cooking
It stays crunchy when cooked briefly
Substitute: water chestnuts or daikon radish if you can’t find jicama

Finishing in the Pan:

The sauté step adds flavor and creates the garlic butter sauce
Keep it brief (2 minutes) to avoid overcooking the already-cooked shrimp
The shrimp should just turn slightly darker pink

Chile Heat Level:

Serrano: Medium-hot
Jalapeño: Milder
For less heat, remove seeds before slicing

Do-Ahead Strategy

The cooked shrimp can be chilled in the bag in an ice water bath for 10 minutes and then refrigerated in the bag for up to 3 days.

To serve: Sauté the still-cold shrimp in the garlicky sauce as instructed, adding an extra minute to ensure they warm through completely.

This makes it perfect for dinner parties or meal prep—do the sous vide step ahead of time, then finish the dish in 5 minutes when you’re ready to eat.

Why Sous Vide for Shrimp?

Traditional methods cook shrimp over high heat, which makes timing critical. Thirty seconds too long and you have rubbery shrimp. Sous vide removes that stress entirely.

At 131°F (55°C), the shrimp cook gently and evenly throughout. The precise temperature control means:

No risk of overcooking
Consistent results every time
Tender, never rubbery texture
You can walk away and not worry

The quick sauté at the end builds flavor without compromising texture. You get perfectly cooked shrimp with a deeply flavorful sauce—every single time.

As an appetizer:

Serve in small bowls with crusty bread for dipping in the garlicky sauce
Spoon over crostini
Serve with toothpicks as a cocktail party appetizer

As a main course:

Toss with linguine or angel hair pasta
Serve over white rice or cilantro-lime rice
Wrap in warm flour tortillas with avocado and cabbage
Serve over creamy polenta
Pair with a simple green salad

Wine pairing: A crisp white wine works best—try Albariño, Verdejo, or a dry Riesling. The acidity cuts through the butter while complementing the citrus and garlic.

Variations

Spicier version:

Use 2 chiles instead of 1
Add a pinch of cayenne pepper
Use hot paprika instead of sweet

Richer version:

Double the butter
Add a splash of heavy cream to the sauce
Finish with grated Parmesan

Extra vegetables:

Add cherry tomatoes (halved) with the jicama
Stir in baby spinach at the end
Add diced bell peppers for color

Without jicama:

Just skip it—the dish is still excellent
Or use diced zucchini for a softer texture

Sous Vide Shrimp al Ajillo • Garlic Butter Shrimp with Jicama