Camarones a la Diabla con Frijoles y Arroz (Devilled Prawn Plate)
Fiery red prawns in a smoky chilli sauce, served the Mexican way with red rice, refried beans and cooling avocado.
Made with Refried beans (frijoles refritos) and Mexican red rice (arroz rojo) and Salsa a la diabla. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time30 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £4.08 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Warm your ready made arroz rojo (see the base recipe) in a covered pan with a splash of water over a low heat until steaming hot all the way through. Do the same with your ready made refried beans (see the base recipe), stirring. Keep both warm.
5 min - 2
Pat the prawns dry with kitchen paper and season with a pinch of salt.
- 3
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add the prawns and cook for 1 minute on each side, until just turning pink.
2 min 30 s - 4
Pour in your ready made salsa a la diabla (see the base recipe) and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the prawns, until they are pink, curled and opaque all the way through and the sauce is hot and slightly thickened.
3 min - 5
Divide the rice and beans between four plates. Spoon the prawns and plenty of sauce alongside.
- 6
Top with avocado, radish and coriander and serve with lime wedges. Eat at once.
Tips
- Add the prawns to the sauce only for the last few minutes. Cooked longer than 4 minutes in total, they go tough.
- Spoon the sauce on the plate so the rice and beans soak up some of the heat, and serve extra on the side for brave eaters.
- Cut large prawns lengthways down the back and remove the dark vein before cooking if you want a cleaner finish.
- To cool a dish that is too hot, serve extra avocado, a spoonful of soured cream or a squeeze of lime.
Storing and freezing
Eat fresh. Leftover prawns in sauce keep in the fridge for 1 day. Cool within 1 hour, and reheat only once, until steaming hot all the way through. Rice and beans keep for 2 and 4 days respectively.
Questions
How hot is camarones a la diabla?
Diabla means devilled, so it is meant to be properly hot. The heat comes from the chillies in the sauce, so the plate is hot unless your batch of sauce was made mild. Rice, beans and avocado temper it.
Can I use frozen prawns?
Yes. Defrost them overnight in the fridge, drain well and pat completely dry. Wet prawns steam instead of searing and water down the sauce.
Is it gluten free and dairy free?
Yes, when the sauce, rice and beans are made as in their base recipes. Prawns, garlic, avocado, lime and herbs contain no gluten, dairy, egg or nuts. Always check shop-bought prawns for coatings.
More made with refried beans (frijoles refritos)
Tlacoyos de Frijol con Camarones (Bean-Stuffed Masa Cakes with Prawns)
GFEFNFFrijoles Puercos (Chorizo, Bacon and Cheese Bean Dip)
GFEFNFPambazos de Papa y Frijol (Guajillo Dipped Potato and Bean Sandwiches)
NFVBurritos Mojados (Smothered Bean and Cheese Burritos)
VEFNFDouble check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.