Name: Honey Garlic Shrimp- A Quick and Easy Shrimp Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb shrimp (16-20 count); 2 Tbs butter or oil for cooking the shrimp; 4 cups cooked sticky rice, or rice of choice; 1 bunch green onions, chopped; 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup honey; 1/2 Tbs dried parsely; 1 tsp tapioca starch; 1 tsp chili garlic paste, to taste

By: Merritt Allen

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Are you ever in the mood for something super tasty, easy to make, and fast to cook? This recipe for sweet and sticky honey garlic shrimp is the perfect dinner for that. Coming to together in just 30 minutes, this recipe if great for a weeknight, or a cozy weekend in. The shrimp cooks so quickly on the stove, before being topped with a homemade honey sauce that combines, soy sauce, honey, and parsley.

The garlic is my favorite part, as its pan fried until golden crispy, creating little garlic chips that add so much texture and flavor to your meal. This shrimp recipe is a healthy way to bring bright flavor to your dinner table. I am always looking for ways to reinvent a simple dinner and this honey garlic shrimp dish is sweet, sticky, sweet, and a little salty. I hope you give this delicious recipe a try!

You will love having this recipe in your back pocket for a quick weeknight recipe, or something super tasty for the weekend!

bowl of honey garlic shrimp topped with green onion

Notes and Tips for Honey Garlic Shrimp:

This dish comes together very quickly so having all your ingredients prepared is a must! The individual aspects all come together in a total of about 30 minutes.
Honey adds so much flavor to this dish. If you do not have honey on hand, sub in maple syrup. Maple syrup has a similar consistency and will also add a lot of flavor.
You can turn this dish into honey garlic fried rice. Once the onions and garlic are fried, the shrimp is cooked, and the sauce is made, add some rice to skillet with a little butter and sesame oil. Fry the rice until starting to crisp. about 4 minutes. Add the sauce and shrimp and toss until coated. Toss in the fried garlic and onions and enjoy!
If you want your sauce to be extra thick and sticky, add your soy sauce and honey to a pan that is a little hotter than medium, and allow it to simmer a few extra minutes. When you see the sauce bubbling, turn the heat down and continue to stir until your sauce reaches desired thickness.

What Do You Eat Honey Garlic Shrimp With?

My favorite pairing will always be a bowl of white sticky rice. The rice is like a blank canvas that takes on the flavor of the honey, soy sauce, fried garlic, and green onions so well.
Another pairing that you can eat with honey garlic shrimp is a thin rice noodle. Rice noodles are different than rice since they completely change the texture of a dish. The noodles are saute super well in the sauce and create a delicious dish that you will not want to put down.
If you want a different option than a rice based pairing, try it with soba, udon, or even ramen noodles. A wheat based noodles is different in flavor and texture, most noticeably its chewier texture once it is cooked.
You can also try this honey garlic shrimp with Fried Rice. Pork and Vegetable Gyoza, or Green Cabbage Slaw Salad. Let me know what you pair your honey garlic shrimp with in the comments below!
If you love shrimp, you can also check out my Miso Shrimp Noodles! Another great shrimp recipe that uses a green onion pesto and noodles paired with shrimp for something delicious!

How Do Keep Cooked Shrimp Moist?

Shrimp cooks incredibly fast, and it is definitely easy to overcook. There are a few tips and tricks that keep your shrimp cooking simple and easy. The times and tips are for medium sized shrimp.
The first step to cooking good shrimp is to make sure you have fully defrosted shrimp. If you are buying your shrimp fresh, then you can disregard this tip. Many people buy bags of peeled and deveined shrimp from the frozen section, which I highly recommend. Frozen, peeled, and de-veined shrimp is such an easy way to prepare for this meal. Make sure to pull your shrimp out the day before to defrost it. If you try to cook your shrimp while it is still frozen, it will be tough and a little chewy.
When ready to cook your shrimp, use a nonstick pan, or a well seasoned cast iron skillet or wok. Heat your skillet with 2 Tbs of oil or butter until it is just starting to give off wispy smoke. Add the shrimp in a single layer. As soon as you see pink around the edges of the shrimp flip them, about 1 minute. Cook an additional minute until all the shrimp are pink. Remove from the heat immediately onto a plate and let rest, minimum 8 minutes. The shrimp will continue to cook, and when added to hot sauce, they will reheat and be perfectly juicy.

How Do I Defrost Shrimp Quickly?

Shrimp will defrost if you pull it from the freezer and let it sit in the fridge over night. If you need the shrimp to defrost faster, fill a bowl of cold water and place your frozen shrimp in the water. The shrimp will de-clump quickly and will begin to defrost in as little as an hour depending on the size of the shrimp.
You can also place frozen shrimp directly into boiling water to pre-cook them. This method is very fast as it requires no preparation time, and cooks your shrimp in about 2 minutes. After 1-2 minutes in boiling water, strain and set aside to add to a skillet with your honey garlic sauce.

Ingredients for Honey Garlic Shrimp:

Recipe: Serves 3-4

1 lb shrimp (16-20 count) You can use large or small shrimp with the tail on or removed. I preferred detailed and deveined shrimp.
2 Tbs butter or oil of choice for cooking the shrimp
4 cups cooked sticky rice Short grain rice tastes best with this dish.
1 bunch green onions Both green and whites chopped.
10 garlic cloves finely chopped. Minced garlic will cook faster but will lose the texture of the garlic.
1/4 cup soy sauce You can use tamari or coconut aminos.
1/4 cup honey
1/2 Tbs dried parsely Optional. You can also use basil or cilantro.
1 tsp tapioca starch This helps thicken the honey garlic sauce. You can also use flour or cornstarch.
1 tsp chili garlic paste to taste. This adds a little spice and is so good!

How To Make Honey Garlic Shrimp

Prepare The Ingredients:

Defrost the shrimp, see notes above for defrost and cooking recommendations.
Cut your green onions, on a bias, set aside.
Cut the garlic cloves into small pieces. You can use a mandolin for this step, or a knife to shave the garlic as thinly as possible.

2. Fry the Garlic and Onions:

To a medium saucepan, 2 Tbs butter and 1 tsp olive oil and allow to heat over medium heat.
When the butter is bubbling, add the garlic and the onions.
Add a pinch of salt, and mix the garlic and onion until they are well coated in oil.
Allow the garlic and onions to fry, stirring often to avoid burning. The garlic will start to turn golden brown, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from the heat as soon as the garlic is dark brown.
Let drain and cool on a paper towel.

3. Prepare the Honey Sauce:

To a skillet add all the ingredients for the sauce over medium heat.
Mix until well combined and the sauce begins to bubble.
Turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 4 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and set aside.

4. Cook the Shrimp:

Bring a skillet to medium high heat with 2 Tbs of butter or olive oil.
Add your defrosted shrimp and let cook until it turns pink, about 1 minutes.
Flip the shrimp and cook an additional minute. The shrimp should be pink all the way through.
Assemble your honey garlic shrimp bowls by adding your shrimp to a fresh bowl of rice, topping with the fried garlic, onions, and plenty of honey soy sauce.

Honey Garlic Shrimp - A Quick and Easy Shrimp Recipe