Honey Garlic Shrimp

When it comes to quick and tasty shrimp dishes, honey garlic shrimp certainly deserves a space at the top of the lineup. It’s a wonderful option for 30-minute dinners the whole family will love, and it uses many ingredients you probably have in your kitchen already. Like all other juicy shrimp recipes, you can change the base to suit your preferences or whatever ingredients you have. We like to serve this over rice, but noodles, zoodles or even orzo pasta works here.

For this garlic honey shrimp, you’ll use peeled and deveined shrimp. Bonus points for any recipe where you don’t have to clean shrimp yourself! So, really, all you need is a saute pan and a handful of ingredients, and you’ll have dinner ready before you know it.

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Honey Garlic Shrimp Ingredients

• Shrimp: The right type of shrimp for this honey garlic shrimp recipe is uncooked, jumbo-sized shrimp that is already peeled and deveined. We recommend using fresh shrimp if possible, but frozen will definitely work as well. Just thaw it in the fridge before using it.
• Honey: Honey is a great sweetener to use because it provides a sticky component that helps the sauce stick to the shrimp.
• Soy sauce: Soy sauce is a key ingredient in this recipe, providing the salty, umami flavor and acting as the base of the sauce. For a gluten-free version of this dish, simply substitute tamari for soy sauce.
• Aromatics: Garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper flakes work with the soy sauce to make a potent, delicious sauce with just a touch of heat. Using minced ginger and garlic instead of powdered versions yields a fresh flavor here.
• Canola oil: Sauteing shrimp in canola oil instead of olive oil will keep the flavor neutral, though any high-heat cooking oil will do.
• Green onions: Green onions are a bright garnish for the cooked shrimp, and you won’t want to miss out on them! I like to use both the green and white parts of the scallion.
• Rice: Serve this dish with a bowl of hot, cooked, fluffy rice. Any kind you prefer works here.

Directions

Step 1: Marinate the shrimp

In a small bowl, combine the honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Mix well, then transfer 1/4 cup of the sauce to a shallow dish. Add the shrimp, and turn to coat. Let them marinate for 15 minutes. Set the remaining unused sauce aside.

Step 2: Cook the shrimp

Remove the shrimp from the marinade, and discard the marinade. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and when it’s hot, add the shrimp. Cook and stir until the shrimp almost turn pink, two to three minutes.

Add the reserved honey sauce, and continue to cook until the shrimp have fully turned pink, one to two more minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with green onions, and, if desired, serve with rice.

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Recipe Variations

• Add leafy greens: Honey garlic shrimp is already delicious, but added vegetables such as bok choy, sauteed spinach or broccoli really round out the dish. You can parcook the bok choy or broccoli before adding it in Step 2. Spinach can be added fresh and wilted directly with the shrimp.
• Season with herbs: I love to add fresh herbs to seafood dishes at the end of cooking. Torn fresh basil or cilantro would be a bright addition. Chopped chives or chrysanthemum greens, which are popular in Asian cooking, would also be a fun garnish.
• Make it crunchy: Chopped walnuts would give honey garlic shrimp added texture and a lovely nutty flavor.
• Make it spicy: For more heat, add sliced fresh chiles to saute with the shrimp or dried hot chiles that you can toast whole and also cook with the shrimp (just don’t take a bite out of those!).

How to Store Honey Garlic Shrimp

You probably won’t have many leftovers, but if you do, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat leftovers quickly on the stovetop.

Honey Garlic Shrimp Tips

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How do you devein shrimp?

If you buy shrimp that isn’t already deveined, you can easily do it yourself. If it isn’t peeled, peel the shrimp, then use a small paring knife to cut a shallow slit down the spine of the shrimp. Use the tip of the knife to remove the black vein from the shrimp, and carefully remove the entire vein.

Do you need to soak shrimp before cooking?

You do not need to soak shrimp before cooking. You can quickly clean it under running water and then proceed with cooking.

What can you serve with honey garlic shrimp?

This dish is great over a bowl of hot white rice, lo mein noodles or gluten-free rice noodles. If you choose rice, here are our favorite ways to make white rice taste better. It’ll make all the difference when you want to make restaurant-quality shrimp dishes.