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Arroz con Camarones Tico

Name: Arroz con Camarones Tico
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 cups white rice (400 g); 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved (450 g); 1/2 white onion, diced; 1/2 red bell pepper, diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tomatoes, diced; 2 tablespoons lizano-style sauce; 3 cups shrimp stock (simmer the shells in water for 15 minutes) or water; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons chopped culantro; Salt and black pepper, to taste

A traditional Costa Rican dish — Arroz con Camarones Tico is the coastal cousin of arroz con pollo, where plump shrimp and a rich shrimp stock carry the flavor.

⏱ 15 minPrep time

🔥 35 minCook time

🍽 6Servings

🏷 Costa Rican KitchenCategory

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A traditional Costa Rican dish — Arroz con Camarones Tico is the coastal cousin of arroz con pollo, where plump shrimp and a rich shrimp stock carry the flavor. Rice is toasted with a sofrito of onion, sweet pepper, garlic, and tomato, then simmered and finished with pink shrimp and culantro. It is festive enough for a celebration and simple enough for a weeknight.

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Step by stepInstructions

Simmer the reserved shrimp shells in three cups of water for fifteen minutes, then strain and keep the stock warm.
Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, sauté them in the oil for two minutes until just pink, and remove them from the pan.
In the same pot, sauté the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and tomato for about five minutes, until soft.
Add the rice and stir for two minutes to toast, then stir in the lizano-style sauce and pour in the shrimp stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for eighteen to twenty minutes.
Fold in the cooked shrimp and culantro, cover, and rest off the heat for five minutes before fluffing and serving.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Cooking the shells into a quick stock is the single biggest flavor upgrade — never skip it. Do not overcook the shrimp; they finish in the residual heat of the rice.

Recipe details

Prep15 min

Cook35 min

Servings6

CategoryCosta Rican Kitchen

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Arroz con Camarones Tico

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Arroz con Camarones Tico

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