Asopao de Camarones (Shrimp Stew)

This asopao de camarones (shrimp stew) is an extremely mouth watering Puerto Rican style stew made with soaked rice and shrimp. This Caribbean dish is packed with flavor and lots of spice. The key is cooking the rice until just perfect in a seafood and tomato based broth. The shrimp gets added into the asopado at the end. I serve my asopado (asopa’o) de camarones topped with fresh cilantro and a little bit of freshly squeezed lime juice over it for that fresh Island taste. If you enjoyed this asopao de camarones recipe, you will definitely love this Alcapurrias recipe and these Camarones Al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp) appetizer.

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Asopao de camarones is not hard at all to make. I even make a Dominican asopao de camarones sometimes for my husband. The Dominican version of this shrimp stew is a bit different because I add naranja agria, peas and carrots to it. In short, this Puerto Rican style shrimp stew is a very popular dish among the Caribbean. If you’ve never made it before, just keep following this easy recipe to learn how to make asopado de camarones from scratch!

These are all the ingredients you’ll need to get started on your asopao de camarones.

Soaking the rice should be done at least 1 hour prior to cooking. Make sure to use long grain rice like this one for this recipe.

Boil the seafood and tomato broth before adding the rice.

Add the shrimp to the asopado de camarones after the rice is completely cooked through.

Cook the shrimp completely before serving.

Making The Perfect Puerto Rican Shrimp Stew

• Shrimp – Use large shrimp for this recipe. They should be peeled, deveined and the tail should be removed. I buy shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined to make this process easier.
• Rice – Use long grain rice for this recipe. Soak the rice for at least 1 hour before making this asopado de camarones recipe.
• Seafood Broth – The seafood broth is a must to achieve an authentic seafood flavor. Substitute for vegetable or chicken broth if you can’t find any. You can also make a homemade seafood broth using the shrimp tails if you’ve got extra time on your hands.
• Tomato Paste – Use a good quality tomato paste for this shrimp stew recipe.
• Sofrito – As always, you do not want to forget the sofrito for this authentic Puerto Rican shrimp stew. Homemade is wonderful, but store bought works as well.
• Lime Juice – I simply cannot eat a seafood dish without freshly squeezed lime juice. Emphasis on the freshly squeezed because that’s always best.
• Onion, Bell Pepper, Garlic Cloves, Fresh Cilantro – Of course, you will want to add some flavor to your Caribbean shrimp stew recipe. The perfect combination for this dish is finely chopped red bell pepper, onion, garlic cloves and fresh cilantro.
• Cumin – Ground cumin works best for this dish.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – I love a little spice in my asopao de camarones. The crushed red pepper flakes provides just the right amount of heat without overdoing it.
• Oregano – Just a little bit of oregano goes a long way.
• Sazon – Use homemade Sazon for this recipe if you have it. Otherwise, store bought works just as well. Make sure to purchase Sazon with achiote and culantro. The Sazon is going to add color to your shrimp stew.

How To Make Asopao de Camarones

1. First, start by soaking the rice in a bowl with 2 inches of water above the rice for at least 1 hour. Drain the water from the rice before cooking.
2. Peel, devein and remove the tails from the shrimp. Skip this step if you purchased shrimp that’s already been peeled and deveined. Discard the tails unless you’re going to use them for a seafood broth later on.
3. Season the shrimp with lime juice, salt, black pepper and granulated garlic. Set aside for now.
4. Chop and dice the onion, red bell pepper and mince the garlic cloves. Chop the cilantro as well and set aside.
5. In a large pot over medium high heat, add olive oil.
6. Once the olive oil is hot, add the red bell peppers and onion. Saute until the onions are translucent in color.
7. Add the minced garlic cloves and saute for just 30 seconds so it does not burn.
8. Immediately add the tomato paste and seafood broth. Stir quickly to combine.
9. Add the Sazon, cumin, oregano, sofrito and crushed red pepper flakes. Give everything a quick stir and bring to a boil.
10. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the drained rice and chopped cilantro. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until the rice is completely cooked through. Stir occasionally so you don’t burn the bottom.
11. At this point, I recommend tasting the broth for salt and add more if necessary.
12. Once the rice is cooked through, add the shrimp and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and opaque in color.
13. Finally, top with more fresh cilantro if desired, serve and enjoy!

What Size Shrimp Should I Use?

For this recipe, large shrimp works well. You can also use medium shrimp if you’d like. Another option is to use jumbo shrimp if you prefer, but this recipe is most commonly made with medium to large shrimp.

How To Peel and Devein Shrimp or Prawns

1. First, start peeling off the exterior shell of the shrimp or prawns from the head.
2. Insert a small pairing knife about a 1/4 of an inch into the shrimp’s back.
3. You’ll be able to see a long vein at this point and remove it completely using the knife or your fingers.

Storing Suggestions

Store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Do not store hot food, wait until the asopao de camarones has reached room temperature before storing. Shrimp stew also freezes very well. Store in an air tight container and freeze for up to 90 days. You can reheat in the microwave or on the stove top. Make sure to add some water to the stew when reheating as it will thicken up quite a bit.

Tips & Variations

• If the shrimp stew is too thick for your liking, add water 1/4 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Keep in mind that this dish does thicken up quite a bit as it cools down.
• The crushed red pepper flakes give this recipe quite a little kick. If you don’t like spice, simply omit it. You may also substitute it for your hot sauce of choice.
• Use long grain rice for this recipe like this arroz Carolina brand.
• I used large shrimp like this one for this recipe. I recommend using medium to large for best results. Remember that as shrimp cooks, it does get smaller.
• Use seafood broth like this one for this recipe. Alternatively, you can substitute it for chicken or vegetable broth but your dish won’t have that authentic seafood flavor.
• This recipe moves quickly so try to prepare all the ingredients ahead of time.