Shrimp Mozambique: Spicy Portuguese Shrimp

Last Updated on May 26, 2026 by Carne Diem

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.

What is Shrimp Mozambique?

This popular Portuguese dish is a beautiful collision of European tradition and African flavors, born from Portugal's history with its former African colony nations like Mozambique and Angola. The secret behind its iconic taste? Peri peri chilies, bold spices, and lots of garlic.

For another classic Portuguese recipe, try our Portuguese Smothered Francesinha Sandwich Recipe.

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

While it sounds exotic, the main ingredients are incredibly accessible. It's all about building a vibrant, savory sauce using garlic, wine (or beer), butter, and a signature seasoning blend. The color of the sauce comes from a mix of saffron and paprika, giving it that distinct, irresistible hue.  Here is what you will need:

Shrimp: To make this spicy Portuguese shrimp you only need a pound of shrimp. Always use fresh shrimp if possible (jumbo shrimp or large shrimp work best). Make sure they are peeled shrimp and deveined, but you can leave the tails on!

Wine:  Use a dry white wine.  You can substitute a cold beer or chicken broth if desired.

Peri peri Sauce:  Peri peri sauce is traditional, but you can substitute your favorite hot sauce.

Seasonings: Paprika and saffron make up the main seasonings. If you can't find saffron you can substitute Goya Sazón.

Aromatics: Yellow or White onion and garlic cloves (or minced garlic).

Finish it off with a little olive oil, butter, lemon wedges or 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 large cast iron skillet, heavy bottomed skillet, or Dutch Oven 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

This isn't a meal meant for formal etiquette; it's the ultimate comfort food and one of the best finger foods when served tail-on!

Traditionally, you will see Portuguese shrimp Mozambique served in a few ways:

• The Classic: Piled high over a bed of steaming white rice or saffron rice, allowing the rice to drink up the sauce.
• The Pub Style: Served alongside a pile of crispy French fries for dipping.
• The Absolute Must: No matter what, you need a loaf of warm, crusty bread to mop up every single drop of that garlic-butter sauce left on your individual plates.

Pair it all with a crisp, chilled glass of vinho verde or another cold beer, pass around the extra hot sauce and lemon wedges, and dive into a true masterpiece of Portuguese cuisine.

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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