Shrimp Mozambique: Spicy Portuguese Shrimp

Last Updated on January 8, 2024 by Carne Diem

Protein: Seafood

Origin: Portuguese, European

Method: Stovetop

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Originating from the era of Portuguese exploration this spicy sautéed shrimp recipe is a mixture of Spanish, Portuguese, and African flavors. The shrimp is cooked with onion, garlic, spices, peri peri pepper sauce and wine white for the perfect spicy shrimp recipe.

A lot of my recipes originate from trying foods during travelling and trying to recreate memorial meals. Others, however, are inspired from meals that I see posted by others great chefs, whether they be world renowned chefs, or home chefs cooking meals for their family. This is one of those dishes. This dish is based and inspired by a popular Portuguese dish that was posted by a fantastic home chef in one of my Facebook groups. Since she posted it about a year ago, it has become a favorite among those of us in the group. Shrimp Mozambique is a fairly easy dish to prepare and is packed full of great flavors.

Making the Portuguese Shrimp Mozambique

This recipe comes together with only a handful of ingredients and can be on your table in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients for Shrimp Mozambique

To make this spicy Portuguese shrimp you only need a pound of shrimp, dry white wine, paprika, onion, garlic, peri peri sauce, a little olive oil, butter, and a pinch of saffron. Finish it off with a little lemon juice and fresh parsley.

Cooking the Shrimp Mozambique

Add a pinch of saffron to about ½ cup of the white wine. Let set while you begin the rest of the dish. This helps to infuse the wine with the subtle saffron flavor, enabling the flavors to spread evenly throughout the dish.

Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Next, add the diced onion and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until softened

Add in the garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes then stir in the salt and paprika.

Next, add in the shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes in the spices and oil then add in the wine with the saffron and the additional butter.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Flip the shrimp over and stir in the peri peri sauce. Cook until the shrimp is cooked through and the wine has mostly evaporated. The final dish is fairly mild in spice level so if you want more heat you can increase the amount of peri peri accordingly.

Peri Peri (or piri piri) peppers are an African bird's eye chile popular across the African continent. This fantastic pepper was discovered by Portuguese explorers in (you guessed it) Mozambique Africa and brought back to Portugal.

To finish the dish, stir in the lemon juice just before serving and remove from the heat. Garnish with parsley.

Serving the Spicy Portuguese Shrimp Mozambique

Serve warm over rice and with the remaining white wine. For some slightly different flavor profiles, try serving it with Nigerian Party Rice: Wood Fired Jollof Rice, or Caribbean Rice and Beans.

In the mood for more shrimp? Check out our recipes for Spicy, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp: Bottle Rocket Shrimp, Caribbean Fire Shrimp, or our New Orleans style Barbecued BBQ Shrimp. Even better, wow your friends with our Roasted Chicken and Shrimp Curry Stuffed Coconuts or Pina Colada Shrimp Skewers.

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