Perfect for busy weeknights, Honey Garlic Shrimp combines tender jumbo shrimp with a sweet and savory honey garlic butter sauce for an easy skillet dinner ready in 15 minutes.
My five-ingredient honey garlic butter shrimp is a quick, one-skillet dinner with no marinating required. The shrimp have a sweet and savory garlic butter sauce that goes well with rice, noodles, or vegetables. Other easy seafood favorites include my Shrimp in Coconut Sauce, Creamy Shrimp Scampi, and Blackened Shrimp.
Quick Look: Honey Garlic Shrimp
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 4
- 🍯 Flavor Profile: Sweet, savory, buttery, and garlicky
- 🍤 Texture: Tender shrimp with a glossy, slightly thickened sauce
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy
- 🍽️ Best For: Quick weeknight dinners and appetizers
- 🍳 Cooking Method: Stovetop skillet
- 🧄 Key Ingredients: Jumbo shrimp, butter, garlic, honey, and soy sauce
- Why This Recipe Works: Preparing the sauce separately keeps the honey and garlic from overcooking while the shrimp cook in two batches. This helps the shrimp cook evenly and stay tender. My Air Fryer Shrimp uses a different cooking method for another easy shrimp dinner.
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Jump to:
- Quick Look: Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Chef's Notes from Valentina
- Ingredients
- Substitutions And Additions
- How to Make Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Expert Tips for Honey Garlic Shrimp
- FAQ About Homemade Honey Garlic Shrimp
- What to Serve with Honey Garlic Shrimp
- More Shrimp Favorites
- Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp Skillet Recipe
- Storage and Reheating
Ingredients
- Jumbo shrimp – 1 ½ pounds, thawed, peeled, and deveined. Choose raw jumbo shrimp for their tender, meaty texture. Keep the tails on for appetizers or remove them for dinner.
- Unsalted butter – 4 tablespoons. Butter adds richness and helps give the sauce a smooth finish. Salted butter also works, but adjust the saltiness since soy sauce is already salty.
- Honey – 4 tablespoons. Its natural sweetness balances the savory ingredients and helps the sauce thicken slightly.
- Soy sauce – 3 tablespoons. Use soy sauce to balance the honey's sweetness and give the shrimp a savory, slightly salty taste. For gluten-free honey garlic shrimp, choose certified gluten-free soy sauce or gluten-free tamari.
- Garlic – 4 cloves, minced. Fresh garlic brings a slightly sharp, savory flavor that mellows as it cooks. Shallots are another option, although they give the sauce a different taste.
How to Make Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Melt the butter: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and let it melt. PIC. 1
- Make the sauce: Add the minced garlic, soy sauce, and honey. Swirl the skillet occasionally and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl.
- Cook the shrimp: Add half of the shrimp to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and curl into a C-shape. Transfer to a plate. PIC. 2–3
- Cook the second batch: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Cook the remaining shrimp until cooked through. Return the first batch to the skillet and pour in the honey garlic sauce. Stir until all the shrimp are coated.
- Garnish and serve: Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the shrimp, if desired. Sprinkle with 1–2 tablespoons of chopped green onions, 1–2 teaspoons of sesame seeds, or both. Serve immediately.
FAQ About Homemade Honey Garlic Shrimp
Yes! Frozen raw shrimp work well for this recipe. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or in a sealed bag submerged in cold water. Pat them completely dry before cooking so they sear instead of steaming.
You can also use precooked shrimp, but add them at the end with the sauce and heat gently until warmed through. Avoid cooking them for the full time, or they may become rubbery.
Shrimp turn pink on the outside and opaque in the center when cooked. They should curl into a loose C-shape rather than a tight circle.
No. Marinating isn't necessary for this recipe because the shrimp get their flavor from the honey garlic butter sauce. You can cook them right away without any marinating time.
Reduce the honey slightly if you prefer a less sweet sauce. You can also finish the shrimp with a squeeze of lime to balance the sweetness.
What to Serve with Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Rice: Steamed jasmine rice, white rice, or sticky rice pairs well with the sweet and savory sauce. Cauliflower rice is another option.
- Pasta and Noodles: Serve the shrimp over spaghetti, egg noodles, or zucchini noodles. Keep the pasta lightly seasoned so the honey garlic butter sauce remains the main flavor.
- Vegetables: Steamed broccoli, asparagus, or green beans add color and a tender-crisp contrast. Roasted vegetables also work well.
- Salads: A crisp green salad or my Vegan Raw Salad balances the buttery sauce with fresh vegetables.
- Bread: Serve crusty bread or soft dinner rolls to soak up the extra sauce.
- Grits and Polenta: Spoon the shrimp over creamy grits or soft polenta for a hearty main dish.
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Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp Skillet Recipe
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves – minced
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce – use gluten-free soy sauce if needed
- 1 ½ pounds jumbo shrimp – thawed, peeled, and deveined, with tails on or off
Instructions
- Melt the butter: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and let it melt.
- Make the sauce: Add the minced garlic, soy sauce, and honey. Swirl the skillet occasionally and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl.
- Cook the shrimp: Add half of the shrimp to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and curl into a C-shape. Transfer to a plate.
- Cook the second batch: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Cook the remaining shrimp until cooked through. Return the first batch to the skillet and pour in the honey garlic sauce. Stir until all the shrimp are coated.
- Garnish and serve: Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the shrimp, if desired. Sprinkle with 1–2 tablespoons of chopped green onions, 1–2 teaspoons of sesame seeds, or both. Serve immediately.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftover shrimp with the honey garlic sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezer: Freeze the cooked shrimp and sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheating: Place the shrimp and sauce in a skillet over low heat. Stir gently and heat until the leftovers reach 165°F. Avoid heating longer than necessary because shrimp can become rubbery.Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
The shrimp were juicy, and the honey garlic sauce tasted delicious.
Fabulous! I love these ingredients! I don’t need fast recipes, but I’m certainly not against them!
Thank you! This honey garlic butter shrimp makes a quick appetizer or main dish for many occasions. It is one of our favorite recipes on Pinterest.
Not too many ingredients but the taste is flavorful!
This was delicious! i am not good cook ,but shirmp is came well.
Hi Nancy! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed our garlic butter shrimp recipe. It is truly delicious and so easy to prepare.
This was spectacular!!!! I
Hi Johnna! I am glad that you enjoyed our garlic butter shrimp. It is easy to make and quite delicious.
Those shrimp look lip smacking good!
Thank you Karen! This garlic butter shrimp was a hit among my family.
Simple and beautiful ! Sharing with the world dear ! xo
Thank you spo muc. I am so glad you enjoyed my honey garlic butter shrimp. Have a marvelous week!
Oh my goodness... this looks AMAZING! What a delicious way to change up the flavors of a shrimp dinner!