This post may include affiliate links; see our disclosure policy.
This honey garlic shrimp is so irresistible, you’ll want to eat it every night! A sweet savory glaze covers succulent shrimp, and it’s done in 10 minutes.
Every now and then a recipe comes along that knocks our socks off—and so it was with this honey garlic shrimp recipe! There’s nothing like the sweet savory combination of honey garlic glaze and juicy shrimp. The best part? It takes 10 minutes to make.
Why we love this recipe: Honey garlic shrimp hits all the comforting, satisfying dinner notes with a lightning fast prep speed. It’s hard to find those recipes with that trifecta of healthy, easy and delicious—and this one has it in spades.
The secrets behind honey garlic shrimp…in 10 minutes!
There’s no marinating time needed with this honey garlic shrimp. It’s the ultimate fast and easy dinner idea…in just 10 minutes! Make sure to thaw the shrimp if you’re using frozen; this isn’t included in the timing. Here are a few of the secrets to this kitchen magic trick (or jump to the recipe below):
- Mix the shrimp with minced garlic, onion powder, and salt. This allows maximum coverage of the seasoning on the shrimp first.
- Mix together a quick sauce. Honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar is all you need!
- Sauté 1 to 2 minutes per side. To learn about the perfect sear, to Perfect Sautéed Shrimp.
- Turn off the heat and add the sauce! Removing the heat is important so the sauce doesn’t evaporate when it hits the hot pan. Stir until everything is fully coated in glossy sauce.
The best shrimp to buy
When you’re shopping for shrimp, there are so many options at the store. If you’re making this honey garlic shrimp, here’s what we’d recommend:
- Find medium shrimp (or large). Medium is nice because you get more bites! But either work. Medium is also labeled as 41 to 50 count, and Large as 31 to 40 count (which indicates how many shrimp there are per pound).
- Use tail on or peeled. Tail on looks beautiful, but you do have to remove the tails as you eat them! Peeled shrimp is helpful if desired.
- Buy fresh or frozen. Both are essentially the same freshness because most shrimp are immediately flash frozen. Just make sure to thaw the shrimp in advance.
- Look for wild caught. Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.
How to thaw shrimp
What’s the best way to thaw shrimp? The easiest way is to remember to place it in the refrigerator the night before! But if you’re like us and rarely think ahead, there’s a quick method too. Here’s the best way to thaw shrimp for this honey garlic shrimp recipe:
- Day before: Place the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight.
- Day of: Place the frozen shrimp in a large bowl with very cold water. Stir the bowl every 5 minutes to break up clumps of shrimp that freeze together. The shrimp should defrost in about 15 minutes. Make sure to pat it dry before using!
Ways to serve honey garlic shrimp
All you need are a side dish or two to make honey garlic shrimp into a healthy whole food dinner that everyone will love. Our favorite picks? Rice and broccoli. Every time we make it, everyone around the table raves. Even our 6 year old inhales it! This is one of those recipes I could eat at least 6 out of 7 days of the week and be happy. Here are a few side dish ideas:
- Broccoli: Whip up pan fried broccoli in a separate pan, or use the same pan after you cook the shrimp.
- Rice: Go to white rice or brown rice. (Or try lentil rice, rice made from lentils: it cooks even faster!)
- Veggie sauté: Pair with these ultimate sauteed veggies.
- Edamame: Try Easy Edamame or 5-Minute Shelled Edamame.
- Stir Fry: Pair with this Cauliflower Stir Fry for a stunning meal.
- Snow peas: Try easy snow peas.
More shrimp recipes
There are so many great ways to eat this tasty seafood! Shrimp features in many of our easy dinner ideas. Here are some of our favorite healthy shrimp recipes:
- Go for fast dinners, like a shrimp stir fry, BBQ shrimp or shrimp fajitas.
- Opt for classic shrimp scampi, shrimp linguine or shrimp and rice.
- Make pasta like garlic shrimp pasta or shrimp primavera.
- Grab a shrimp roll, Cajun shrimp or blackened shrimp.
- Whip up fan favorite shrimp pasta, shrimp pizza, or shrimp fried rice.
Dietary notes
This honey garlic shrimp recipe is pescatarian, gluten-free and dairy free (with olive oil).
Honey Garlic Shrimp (in 10 Minutes!)
This honey garlic shrimp is so irresistible, you’ll want to eat it every night! A sweet savory glaze covers succulent shrimp, and it’s done in 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 6 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Seafood
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds medium or large shrimp, deveined (tail on or peeled)
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
Instructions
- Thaw the shrimp, if using frozen.
- Mince the garlic. Pat the shrimp dry. Stir it together with the minced garlic, onion powder and kosher salt.
- Mix the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl, mixing until mostly smooth (a few small lumps are ok).
- In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil on medium high heat. Cook the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side until opaque and cooked through, turning them with tongs.
- Turn off the heat and remove the shrimp. Add the glaze to the pan and stir until thickened, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Once thickened, stir the shrimp back into the sauce and serve.
This recipe is not gluten free. There is gluten in soy sauce.
Made this tonight and it was excellent! Added steamed broccoli and chopped watercress from can at the very end. Will definitely be making it again and using the sauce for other items. Maybe on salmon???
This was a fantastic, easy recipe that was fast and super delicious! I think the sauce could also be used on salmon and chicken with great success. Thank you!
Yum! Will be saving this one to remake again and again on busy nights. So simple and delish; easy to scale up or back. As it was just my husband and I, did a 1/3 recipe and I added a squirt (maybe a tsp?) of sriracha for a little heat. Served with a mix of cauli rice and edamame. He wished I’d doubled the sauce, it was so yummy!
Made this tonight with a side of Broccoli risotto w/ seafood stock and a squeeze of lemon. SHRIMP was delicious Glaze spectacular!! I might ad a little heat to glaze next time…
Thanks for the recipe!!
We were gifted 2# of jumbo shrimp .I was not sure what to make . Came across this one and it was a big hit with my family. I was told it was a definite make again . VERY EASY and tasty . Thanks
So glad you enjoyed it!
What is best way to cook raw
Medium size shrimp with shell on
Our favorite is just a simple saute: https://www.acouplecooks.com/sauteed-shrimp/ You can remove the shell before or after cooking.
I made this with some leftover pre-cooked shrimp and it was sooo good. We had a little sauce left over and put in on steak. I’ll be making this again for sure. Thanks!
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed :)
This recipe is a keeper!
But soy sauce isn’t gluten free… any alternative you can recommend?
Hi! You can find GF soy sauce, or Tamari in most grocery stores.
Excellent recipe, super easy and quite delicious. Will certainly make this again. Thank you.
Excellent recipe, tasty and delicious.
I substitute coconut aminos in place of soy sauce
Yes