The words “honey garlic” are just plain enticing. Mouth-watering. Appetizing. When you connect those words to “shrimp,” well, that is a dish many of us would want to see on the table, and frequently.

And when you have a dish that you can make in under half an hour, including the rice, that’s just another reason to love this recipe. The honey-garlic marinade is easy to pull together with just a few ingredients. I suggest jumbo (or even extra jumbo) shrimp because I think they are worth the splurge, but if you want to save money or have smaller shrimp on hand, then use those. Just reduce the cooking time as needed so that you don’t overcook your shrimp; you want them just opaque all the way through.

Serve this with rice for sure, and maybe some sautéed broccoli, sautéed broccoli rabe, or sautéed spinach.

Honey Garlic Shrimp: A handful of ingredients turns a pound of shrimp into a terrific quick and easy weeknight dinner in under 30 minutes.

Ok, just because I couldn’t stop trying to remember the whole Bubba Gump shrimp quote, here it is:

“Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, and shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.”

Oh, Bubba, don’t forget about Honey Garlic Shrimp.

Ingredients

• Jumbo shrimp – You can use frozen, fresh, tail on, or tail off. Check out the notes below for more information.
• Honey – For a touch of sweetness.
• Soy sauce – For umami and just a hint saltiness. Try to use less-sodium soy sauce because the other option can be too salty.
• Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice, of course, for a pop of acidity and brightness.
• Garlic – The aromatic that makes this dish so irresistible.
• Red pepper flakes – For a bit of spice.
• Unsalted butter – The flavorful cooking fat.
• Rice – To serve; read tips to time out your cooking accordingly.
• Scallions – For serving.

Frozen Shrimp

There are all kinds of sizes and versions of shrimp available in the freezer aisle, and shrimp is one of the foods I have in the freezer at all times. Shrimp defrost quickly, they are of excellent quality, and with a couple of pounds of frozen shrimp at your disposal, you can entertain in style at a moment’s notice. 

Make sure to buy raw shrimp for this recipe, not cooked. And you can either buy peeled shrimp or peel them yourself when they’ve defrosted.

Tail On or Off?

Whether you leave the tails on or off is a personal decision. I go back and forth.

• I like leaving the tails on because it makes for a more dramatic presentation, and you can pick up the shrimp by the tail, which functions as a little handle. If you do this, make sure you have a little bowl on the table for people to toss their tails into. 
• Removing the tails means the dish is easier to eat with a fork, but either option is just right.

How To Cook Honey-Garlic Shrimp

1. Make the marinade: Combine the honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. 
2. Marinate the shrimp: Reserve half of the marinade in a measuring cup, add the shrimp to the remaining marinade, and let sit for 15 minutes.
3. Sauté the shrimp: In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat, strain the marinade from the shrimp, add the shrimp to the pan, and sauté for 2 minutes until the shrimp start to turn pink. Pour the reserved half of the marinade into the pan and continue cooking. 

5. Serve: Serve the shrimp and sauce over the hot rice, with the scallions sprinkled on top.

Marinating Honey-Garlic Shrimp

If you are marinating the shrimp for longer than 15 minutes, put them in the fridge. They can marinate for up to 4 hours if you want to get that part done ahead of time.

In this recipe, you will divide the marinade into two parts. Half is used for the quick marinating of the shrimp, then the shrimp are drained. After the shrimp are seared in the pan, the unused half of the marinade is added, and it becomes the sauce for the dish. 

Tips

• If you prefer to use olive oil instead of butter, that’s fine. Or use a tablespoon of each. Draining the shrimp allows them to sear up a bit, vs. just poaching in the cooking liquid.
• Serve this quick and easy shrimp recipe with rice, brown or white, your choice.
• If you are making brown rice, and time is of the essence, start the rice before getting the shrimp into the marinade since the rice will take about 40 minutes. If you have a few extra minutes, you can marinate the shrimp before getting the brown rice going, as the shrimp can hang out in the marinade for longer than 15 minutes, which will make it even more flavorful. 
• White rice only takes 20 minutes to make, so you can start that before or after you get the shrimp in the marinade, and it won’t affect your timing too much. Just make sure not to start cooking the shrimp until the rice is 5 minutes away from being done.

Storage

This will stay well in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1 week.

What to Serve with Honey Garlic Shrimp

Millet Salad with Greens

Chimichurri Garlic Bread

Sugar Snap Pea Salad

More Shrimp Recipes

• Spicy Lemon Shrimp Over Rice
• Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp with Smoked Paprika
• Creole Shrimp
• 15-Minute Hoisin Shrimp
• Garlicky Shrimp and Broccoli with Meyer Lemon