Honey Garlic Shrimp Recipe

Honey Garlic Shrimp stir fry is a 30-minute meal that tastes like a million bucks!

The honey and soy sauce in this recipe gives it a deep flavor, while the garlic and hot sauce provide the heat for the shrimp

Cooking shrimp is always a quick process and this recipe is no exception. This method calls for a 20-minute marinating time in the refrigerator and a quick stir fry to finish. During the marinating time you can prepare the rest of your dinner and have it on the table in 30 minutes!

Ingredients for Sticky Honey Shrimp

The ingredient list for this recipe is short and everything is easy to find:

• Soy Sauce – we use the low sodium version
• Honey
• Hot Sauce – such as Tabasco or Tapatio
• Lemon Juice – squeeze it fresh from about 2 lemons
• Garlic – freshly chopped
• Large Shrimp – we use 16/20 or 10/15 size, peeled and deveined, tail on
• Butter
• Scallions – we use both the white and green sections

Making the marinade for sticky honey shrimp stir fry:

This marinade comes together quickly and you can make it ahead of time and reserve it in the refrigerator, if needed.

• Plan on about 2 large lemons to produce 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
• Adjust the hot sauce to suit your tastes but we think just 1/4 teaspoon gives it the extra bit of heat needed
• Combine all of the marinade ingredients – soy sauce, honey, hot sauce, lemon juice and garlic – together in a small bowl and whisk well to completely combine
• Honey is sticky to measure but here is a quick tip: spray your measuring cup or spoon with non-stick cooking spray beforehand and the honey will slide right out!
• In a resealable bowl or bag combine the shrimp and honey sauce, coat well, and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

How to cook Honey Garlic Shrimp:

• Remove shrimp from the refrigerator
• Heat a heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat and melt butter until it’s foaming
• Pour in half of the marinade and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the marinade starts to thicken slightly
• Add the shrimp and a little more of the marinade (discard the remaining marinade) and stir fry for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently
• The shrimp will turn pink. Shrimp can overcook in a flash so keep a close eye on them so they don’t overcook
• Turn off the heat and add half of the scallions. Stir to coat
• Remove from the pan, scatter with remaining scallions, and serve

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How to choose shrimp:

• Shrimp is versatile so it’s a good idea to have frozen shrimp in your freezer for a quick dinner. Look for larger shrimp because they have more flavor and are less likely to overcook.

• We use 16/20 or 10/15 size for this recipe. The number indicates the number of pieces of shrimp per pound.

• When buying frozen shrimp make sure the package says IQF, which means Individually Quick Frozen. I buy mine deveined to make the prep quicker.

• Thaw shrimp in the refrigerator and then rinse and pat dry before using in a recipe.

How to Butterfly Shrimp:

• Butterfly the shrimp to give it more surface area for sauce and flavor
• Butterflying along the back is the easiest way
• Using a paring knife, hold the shelled shrimp between your thumb and forefinger, set the paring knife right at the tip of the head and then drag it lightly down along the backside of the shrimp, from the head to the tail 
• For more details on how to butterfly shrimp refer to our Coconut Shrimp post with full details and photos

Good Side Dish Pairings:

• Steamed rice is our favorite, along with roasted broccoli with sesame seeds
• Our Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts are a delicious match
• Try our Fresh Peach Salad with Port Wine Vinaigrette for a light side

Suggestions for Wine Pairings:

This dish pairs well with crisp white or rose wines. Garlic always loves a Sauvignon Blanc and it is a good place to start. Look for any available vintages of the following:

Your weekday wine:

• Chateau de Fabregues Costieres de Nimes Rose, France

• Blanchet Pouilly Fume Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley, France

Your weekend wine:

• Rombauer Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

• Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

• Rock Angel Rose, France

A special occasion wine:

• Joseph Phelps Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

• Taittinger Brut Champagne, France