Honey Garlic Shrimp

Quick & easy Honey Garlic Shrimp Recipe is a simple dinner idea with only a few ingredients. Shrimp marinates in a honey garlic soy sauce marinade, and then it cooks in a skillet pan with the marinade for maximum flavor & taste.

We love the flavor combo of honey + garlic! Be sure and try my Slow Cooker Sweet Garlic Chicken, Crispy Honey Chicken, or this Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken & Potatoes. 

Honey Garlic Shrimp Recipe

I don’t have a lot of seafood recipes on my site because not everyone in my family likes it. Shrimp is something that my husband loves so I am always trying new recipes to share with him. This easy to make Honey Garlic Shrimp is just that! Quick to make with an easy homemade marinade that consists of soy sauce, honey, and garlic. The shrimp marinates in the sauce and then cooks in one pan on the stove top inside the same marinade. 

Marinating meats & proteins is even something that I can get on board with… even if it involves seafood like shrimp. The meat gets ultra tender, infused with so much flavor, and it’s an easy way to get restaurant-quality flavor without spending hours. 

Ingredients Needed

Here is the short list of ingredients that you will need to make this easy shrimp recipe. I also share some tips too so that you can have success recreating this recipe in your own kitchen. 

• Large or Extra-Large Peeled & Deveined Shrimp : Make sure that you are using peeled & deveined shrimp. I certainly don’t have time, or the knowledge, to stand there and accurately peel and devein shrimp. But if you’re a pro, then go for it! Buying it already peeled and deveined makes it really easy. You can even use frozen shrimp too. Just make sure that it is completely thawed (the proper way) before using. I put the frozen shrimp in the fridge to thaw overnight. 
• Honey
• Soy Sauce : Here is where you have some options. The only salt called for in this recipe is the soy sauce, with that being said, it’s best to use the regular, full-salt soy sauce in this recipe. But, if you want to reduce the salt content or if you just prefer using it, go ahead and use reduced-sodium soy sauce. You could also use half of each too. 
• Garlic : I prefer using fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed through a garlic press. You can also use chopped garlic from a jar or garlic paste from a tube. 
• Olive Oil : This is to cook the shrimp in. I use a extra virgin ‘light tasting’ olive oil when a recipe calls for olive oil. My family does not care for the heavy taste of regular olive oil. 
• Sesame Seeds : This is for garnishing the shrimp. It looks pretty and I like the extra taste and slight crunch they add to the dish. 

How To Make Easy Honey Garlic Shrimp (Marinated Shrimp)

Learn how to make honey garlic shrimp at home with these easy steps!

• Marinade : Add the washed, dried, peeled, and deveined shrimp into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Add the honey, soy sauce, and garlic. Close the bag and shake it around making sure that all the shrimp is in the marinade and covered. 
• Marinate : Put the bag into the fridge to allow the shrimp to marinate for 1 hour. Do not marinate shrimp for longer than 2 hours! It will turn rubbery once cooked. 
• Cook : Put the olive oil in a skillet pan, over high heat, and sear/sauté the shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side. Refer to my tips above and in the recipe card below for how to tell when it’s done. Only do a few shrimp at a time, depending on the size of your skillet pan. You do not want to overcrowd the pan. Once all the shrimp are cooked add the marinade into the skillet pan and let it simmer for about 2 minutes. Take it off the heat, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve. 

Tips For Success

Here are a few of my helpful tips when cooking with shrimp. 

• Wash Shrimp : I like to rinse the shrimp, under cold running water, and then lay them on a paper towel and pat them dry with another paper towel. This just ensures that there are no random bits of shell or gunk on the shrimp before cooking. 
• Tips For Cooking Shrimp : To get the best texture, juicy & tender, without any chewiness cook the shrimp at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time. Remove the shrimp from the hot pan when the flesh is uniformly pink and opaque looking, with no brown or grayish spots. Perfectly cooked shrimp will also loosely curl into a ‘C’ shape, while overcooked shrimp will be tightly curled in the same shape. 
• Soy Sauce : The only salt called for in this recipe is from the soy sauce. I prefer using regular salted soy sauce, rather reduced-sodium, but feel free to use whichever one you prefer. If I have both kinds of soy sauce, sometimes I will also use half soy sauce + half reduced-sodium soy sauce.
• Honey : If the 1/2 cup called for is too sweet for you, simply reduce it to 1/3 cup if needed.  

Honey Garlic Shrimp Recipe FAQ’s

• How Do I Tell If Shrimp Are OverCooked?
  • One of the easiest ways to know if the shrimp is overcooked is by the shape of it and the color. Overcooked shrimp will be a matte white color and grayish looking. Another way is the shape of the shrimp. Perfectly cooked shrimp will be in a loose ‘C’shape, while overcooked shrimp will be a tightly curled ‘C’ shape. 
• Can I Make It Spicy?
  • Yes you can! The recipe as is, is suitable for kids even, but if you want to take it up in the spice level simply add 1-2 teaspoons of red pepper chili flakes (or red cayenne pepper) in with the other marinade ingredients. 
  • You can also serve this shrimp with a drizzle of sriracha sauce over it. 
• What Should I Serve With Shrimp?
  • I like to serve shrimp on top of cooked rice, we prefer white rice, and with a vegetable side dish or just frozen steamed vegetables from a bag. 
  • Try serving it alongside my Honey Butter Skillet Corn. 
• Can I Use Frozen Shrimp In This Recipe?
  • Yes you can use frozen shrimp. It’s so easy to keep frozen shrimp on hand for quick recipes like this one. 
  • If using frozen shrimp, make sure that you thaw it completely before proceeding with the recipe. I like to thaw the frozen shrimp in the fridge overnight. 
• Can I Change The Marinating Time?
  • The recipe calls for 1 hour of marinating time. This is my preferred amount of time that will get you the best flavor. If you are short on time you can marinate for 20-30 minutes at the very least. 
  • I do not recommend letting the shrimp marinate for more than 2 hours. The shrimp will start to get rubbery if marinated for too long! No one wants that. 
• How To Store Leftover Cooked Shrimp
  • Put any leftovers inside a shallow, air-tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• What Is The Best Way To Reheat Shrimp?
  • A challenge to reheating seafood is that it can dry out and you can get that ‘fishy smell’.  
  • My preferred method is to put some shrimp inside a microwave-safe bowl, and put some water into the bottom of the bowl, reheat in 30-40 increments just until it’s up to temperature again (internal temperature of 145 degrees F). The water helps keep the shrimp moist while reheating. You can also use this same method inside a skillet pan over medium heat on the stove top. 
  • I personally don’t enjoy eating leftover seafood because of that fishy smell you can get when reheating it. To avoid this, you can eat leftover shrimp cold straight from the fridge if wanted. Like on top of a salad or something. 

More Easy Seafood Recipes You’ll Love

• Easy Fish Tacos
• Honey Garlic Salmon
• Crab Salad