This easy and delicious honey garlic shrimp is ready in a flash. Serve with rice and broccoli or spinach or try it for a shrimp stir fry with vegetables.

honey garlic shrimp in bowl with rice
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I always keep frozen shrimp on hand, as it is always perfect for a quick, easy and delicious meal. This one is a favourite!

  • You’ll love how quick, easy and delicious this shrimp is!
  • The sauce is a wonderful blend of sweet, a bit of heat and garlic.
  • You just need a few easy ingredients.
  • Serve this honey garlic shrimp in a variety of ways – as a rice bowl, as a shrimp stir fry or with noodles – to change it up or to suit what you have on hand.

Ingredient and substitutions

Shrimp – you’ll have the best results starting with raw, peeled and deveined large or jumbo shrimp. I love Argentinian shrimp, as it is wonderfully meaty shrimp. You can leave the tails on or take them off, as you like.

Mirin – Mirin is widely available in in with the Asian sauces or online. I use it often and recommend adding it to your pantry if you don’t have it already. I have included an easy substitute for Mirin in the Recipe Card below though, if you don’t have it on hand.

How to Quickly Thaw Frozen Shrimp

To quickly thaw frozen shrimp, empty the package into a large bowl of cold water and let it soak for about 15 minutes. The shrimp should be thawed by that point. Take the shrimp out and place it onto a doubled-up paper towel and dry off well before using.

(If time is not an issue, thaw frozen shrimp in the fridge overnight or for 6-8 hours).

Step-by-Step Photos

photo collage of steps to make honey garlic shrimp 1
  1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add some of the marinade to the shrimp.
  3. Stir to coat shrimp in marinade.
  4. Add cornstarch and water mixture to the remaining marinade and set aside.
photo collage of steps to make honey garlic shrimp 2
  1. Add shrimp to hot skillet.
  2. Cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Remove shrimp to bowl.
  4. Wipe excess liquid from skillet.
photo collage of steps to make honey garlic shrimp 3
  1. Add reserved marinade to a skillet.
  2. Return shrimp to skillet.
  3. Cook shrimp with sauce for a couple minutes more, until the shrimp is cooked and the sauce thickens.
  4. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and a bit of salt and pepper.

What to serve with Honey Garlic Shrimp

I love to serve this honey garlic shrimp as a bowl, with white or brown rice (or cauliflower rice), and something green. Steamed or roasted broccoli is always a good choice. Quick sautéed spinach or other greens is another great addition to a bowl. If serving with plain rice, I like to double up the sauce, so there is extra for the rice.

Another option is to skip the rice and serve with some sesame noodles or turn it into a bit of a stir fry, by sautéing some onion, bell pepper and maybe pea pods after you take the shrimp out of the skillet and before you add the sauce. Serve with rice or noodles.

honey garlic shrimp in bowl with rice

Try it with Chicken, too!

Yes! This sauce is lovely with chicken, as well. Simply cut up some boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs and cook in exactly the same way, allowing a little extra time in the skillet, as needed, to cook the chicken through.

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honey garlic shrimp in bowl with rice

Get the Recipe: Honey Garlic Shrimp

A quick, easy and delicious way to cook shrimp. Serve with rice and a green (broccoli or spinach is a great side!).
5 stars from 2 ratings
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Marinating Time:: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons honey
  • 2 Tablespoons mirin, or 2 Tbsp of rice vinegar or white wine vinegar with 1 Tbsp of sugar.
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium recommended
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, grated, from about 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated or ginger paste
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 300-350 g raw large or jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined tail-on or off, thawed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1-2 teaspoons cooking oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice, from 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
  • 1 large green onion, thinly sliced on an angle, about 1/4 cup
  • Salt, to taste
  • Sesame seeds
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Cooked white or brown rice, or cauliflower rice.

Instructions
 

  • Whisk together the honey, mirin, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Place thawed shrimp in a large bowl. Add 2 Tbsp of the marinade and toss to coat. Set aside remaining marinade at room temperature until ready to use. Ideally, cover and let shrimp marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, but if you're in a rush, a little less marinating time is fine.
  • Remove shrimp from marinade, letting excess marinade drip back into bowl. Discard the marinade in the bowl. Whisk water and cornstarch into remaining marinade in a small bow and set aside.
  • Heat cooking oil a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in an even layer and cook just until marinade around edges of shrimp starts to caramelize, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping shrimp halfway through cook time. **If shrimp is still a little frozen and water cooks off in the skillet, spoon it off and discard, to get some browning on the shrimp, rather than allowing the shrimp to cook in the moisture. Transfer shrimp to a plate and use a paper towel to wipe the skillet clean.
  • Add the reserved marinade mixture and the cooked shrimp to the skillet. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until the shrimp are cooked through and sauce is syrupy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and about 1/2 of the green onion. Season with salt, to taste. Spoon shrimp mixture over cooked rice and sprinkle with remaining green onion and some chopped cilantro and/or sesame seeds, if desired and serve with lime wedges.

Notes

You can double up the sauce if you would like some extra sauce for rice.
If doubling the recipe, cook the shrimp in two batches, so there isn’t too much moisture in the pan.
Steamed or roasted broccoli, or sautéed spinach make a great addition to make it a complete meal.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Main Course
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 165kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 126mg, Sodium: 1159mg, Potassium: 176mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 288IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 66mg, Iron: 1mg
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