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Guys!! Honey. Garlic. Butter. Shrimp. YESSSS!

Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp In Coconut Milk | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

All done with Belizean inspired flavors…which yes, is just as good as at sounds. Or at least I think it sounds good…. cause IT IS.

So let me explain this recipe, as it has a bit of a story. My brother and his girlfriend Lyndsie were just in Central America traveling through Guatemala, Belize and those areas. These two do a lot of traveling, I like to call them the “wanderers”. Basically they’ve figured out the key to life….travel, eat really good food and be happy. I could never be them because it’s just not my personality type, but sounds pretty awesome, and to each their own!

Technically they went on this trip for “work”, but let’s be real, chillin on the beach and drinking tequila sounds a lot more like vacay. They were on the hunt for textiles, furniture, antiques and that sort of thing for Lyndsie’s sister, who is an interior designer in LA. A little work and lot of relax is how they like to do things. Like I said, they’ve got things figured out.

Speaking of the fam, some of them went to Cincinnati and then up to Cleveland over the weekend to celebrate my cousin Matt’s graduation. Matt is one month younger than me, and guys, we could not be in more different places in our lives. Matt is SO excited to be done with school and have a little time off before he starts his new job at the Cleveland Clinic and steps out into the real world. Sometimes I wonder what I would be doing right now if I took a more traditional path. Like would I be writing this blog? Writing a cookbook? Would I have fallen in love with food photography? Or would I be a stylist in LA drinking kombuchas out the yazoo?? Like what? I wonder about this sometimes, but I’m super happy with where I’m at, so that has me pretty pumped!! That said, I am so happy for Matt! Graduating is such a huge deal…like HUGE. It takes a lot of freaking work to get through four years of school.

Congrats Mathew! 🙂

PS. all weekend long I was watching everyone’s snapchats back in Ohio, and man, they sure know how to have a good time…whoa.

Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp In Coconut Milk | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

ANYWAY, back to this KILLER Belizean Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp.

Brendan’s and Lyndsie’s trip through Central America, and all the delicious food they ate, inspired this shrimp. I’m sure it’s not super traditional or anything, but all the flavors are spot on. Coconut, garlic, shrimp, cilantro, plantains, jalapeño, ginger, rice and black beans.

All the good things in the world. 🙂

I’m actually not a huge shrimp person, I mean, I like it, but it’s got to be seasoned perfectly and just super flavorful. Plain shrimp I just can’t do, it’s too fishy or something for me.

SO, this shrimp is PACKED full of, but don’t worry, it’s still simple, fast and easy!! I’m all about these three elements now a days.

Here’s how this goes.

Start out by tossing your shrimp with olive oil, ginger, garlic, cilantro, honey, jalapeños, cumin and cayenne. This is the marinade/sauce, but the shrimp really only needs to sit in the marinade for about ten minutes or so because you also cook it in the same marinade, which in turn creates a yummy sauce! Once you’ve cooked the shrimp a bit, you then add the butter and sort of caramelize that garlic…YUM.

Then just finish up with the coconut milk and a generous handful of fresh basil.

Serve with a side of rice, avocado, black beans and fried plantains.

Done and DONE. It’s a super quick, no fuss meal, which I love on a Monday.

BUT, and this is SUPER important, you gotta, gotta, gotta make those fried plantains and a side of steamed rice. One, because the plantains are everything, and two, you need the rice for soaking up all the delicious honey garlic butter sauce. Obviously.

For real though, this sauce is EVERYTHING. You should probably put it on everything…thinking chicken, salmon, maybe even cook some chickpeas in it and get them all crispy…that would be YUM.

Either way though, the rice, the avocado and the plantains are a MUST. Just saying.

Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp In Coconut Milk | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp In Coconut Milk with Fried Plantains.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Refrigerate 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 490 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound raw tail on shrimp
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 4-6 cloves garlic finely minced or grated (I like using around 4)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
  • 2 jalapenos seeded + chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less for less heat maybe 1/4-1/2 teaspoon)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup canned coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped + more fore serving
  • kosher salt + pepper
  • steamed white rice + black beans + sliced avocado for serving

Fried Plantains

  • 4 inch yellow plantains sliced into 1/2 rounds
  • oil for frying
  • flaky sea salt

Instructions

  • Add the shrimp to a gallon size ziplock bag or medium size bowl. Add the olive oil, honey, garlic, ginger, jalapeños, cayenne, cumin and cilantro. Toss well to combine, seal the bag or cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes or up 24 hours.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot use a slotted spoon to scoop the shrimp out of the marinade, reserving the marinade, and into the hot skillet, season with salt and pepper. Cook the shrimp until pink, about 2-3 minutes per side. Add the reserved marinade, the butter and 1 teaspoon pepper (or more or less to your taste) to the skillet. Continue to cook the shrimp in the butter until the garlic begins to caramelize and turn LIGHT golden brown, about another minute or two. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut milk and basil.
  • Serve shrimp alongside rice, black beans, fried plantains, avocado and lime wedges. Garnish with freshly chopped basil.

Fried Plantains

  • Heat an inch or so of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the plantains and fry for 2-3 minutes per side or until just lightly golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Now transfer the plantains to a cutting board and, using the back of a wooden spoon, smash them down into round flat disks.
  • Return the plantains to the hot oil and fry another 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden and crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Chips are best eaten right after frying, but any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
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Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp In Coconut Milk | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Sooo, Monday night dinner??!! FOR SURE. K, bye. ?

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Comments

  1. Mildly obsessed!! Made this tonight for our first “outdoor dinner” of the year (weather is finally nice enough!). Ah-mazing as with every recipe of yours I’ve tried. I made the rice with 1/2 coconut milk for a creamy consistency & served the dish with roasted asparagus. The butter made this rich & even more delicious! Great job, keep it up Tieghan!!

    Reply

    1. Forgot to mention that I made it with chicken because I didn’t have shrimp in the house. Followed the same recipe, chicken just needed to sauté a little longer. I’ll try it with shrimp next time! 🙂

      Reply

  3. Hi there, I am looking to include this for an upcoming dinner party menu. Are there any other side dishes that you would recommend that would be a good match for this as the main course? I would be looking for any suggestions including appetizers and desserts. Thanks so much in advance!

    Reply

    1. Hi Stef!!

      So I really love this best with coconut rice. Here is my recipe: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/hawaiian-hula-pork-fajitas-pineapple-slaw-coconut-rice/

      for an appetizer I would go with this, I think it pairs nicely with the fish: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/pomegranate-guacamole-with-fried-plantain-chips/

      OR this: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/new-crudite-platter/

      OR this: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/panzanella-style-caprese-asparagus-salad/

      For dessert I would do this: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/coconut-banana-3-milk-cupcakes-with-nutella-buttercream/

      OR this: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/rocky-road-pudding-parfaits/

      Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions. THANKS! 🙂

      Reply

  4. Would it be possible to get the recipe for the steamed rice and beans? I would really appreciate it.

    Reply

    1. Hi Nat!

      I just used canned black beans and for the rice, see me recipe below. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!

      1 1/2 cups jasmine or basmati rice
      3 cups water

      Add the water to a medium size pot, bring to a low boil and add the rice. Stir to combine and place the lid on the pot, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook ten minutes on low and then turn the heat off completely. Let the rice sit on the stove, covered, for another 20 minutes (don’t take any peeks inside!). After 20 minutes remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Note that rice can cook differently for everyone, this is just what works for me.

      Reply

  7. Yum! I am always looking for ways to elevate shrimp. Thank you for sharing this recipe! Can’t wait to try.

    Cheers!
    xo Anna Lynn with Waiting On Martha

    Reply

  8. Oh yes please! I love shrimp, I’d absolutely inhale this! 🙂 You can’t go wrong with honey, garlic and butter!

    Reply

  10. Scrumptious recipe! One of many on this blog. What a nice surprise! Wasn’t sure what to expect when I spotted this blog mentioned in BHG. I’ll be back to see what else you have cooking!

    Tracy
    gottadabble.blogspot.com

    Reply

  11. I *really* like when your dad models the dishes. I love seeing well worn hands because they are a testament to earnest manual work, which the the real work of the world. 🙂

    Reply

  12. Hi, just need some clarification about the recipe. Are you putting 1 tsp cayenne pepper in the ziplock bag in the beginning and another tsp when you add the butter to the pan? Or is that regular pepper with the butter?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey Leslie!! You can add the full teaspoon or just use half a teaspoon for a less spicy shrimp. It all goes in the bag with the shrimp. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you so much!

      Reply

  13. My dad is allergic to shellfish so growing up we never ate seafood and I never acquired the taste for it…but this?! This sounds so good. I can’t wait to try it. My seafood loving husband who has been deprived will be thanking you! : )

    Reply

  14. I don’t know why this dish is called “Brazilian inspired”, girls. If it was called Caribbean inspired or something… Brazil is not even in Central America. If you want to make this dish really taste Brazilian, then please omit the honey, the cumin, the sil, even the ginger. Add a little tomato paste. You can dress it up with a little more cilantro, or with flat parsley. Serve it just with rice and a side salad of lettuce and tomatoes. Black beans are never served with this kind of shrimp dish around here, not to say avocados – most Brazilians only know avocados as a dessert!

    Reply

    1. I meant, the basil… Mind you, I love basil, it’s just not a typical Brazilian ingredient to use on shrimp…

      Reply

    2. I meant, the basil… Mind you, I love basil, it’s just not a typical Brazilian ingredient to use on shrimp… The salad would also typically have onion.

      Reply

    3. Hi Cristina, sorry I did not mean to offend you. I look up the flavors and felt this dish fit. Thank you so much for all the tips!! I love the idea of avocado in dessert. Yum!! Again thanks for the constitute criticism!!

      Reply

      1. 🙂 I know you didn’t mean to offend… It’s just that Brazilian food is so lttle known, I didn’t want all of you to get a wrong idea… Although I love avocados with savory dishes, most Brazilians have it either as a cream or a smoothie, beaten with milk, lemon and sugar. And well, when fried plantains are served alongside a dish, it’s usually called “Cuban style” around here… Brazilians love sweets, but our savory food usually doesn’t get seasoned with sugar or honey. Just so that you know, and maybe get curious about it… Greetings!

        Reply

    4. With all due respect to those who have asked why this recipe is considered Brazilian, I’m confused: Your post says that it is Belizean, not Brazilian. . . . Maybe that was edited after the comments were written, but I am just curious . . . are these flavors Belizean? Looks amazing, either way!

      Reply

      1. Yes, Alicia, it was edited. The “Brazilian inspired” was in the title before. Now the Belizean is only in the description, but I don’t know if it fits any better. I also don’t know why it needs to be referred as inspired by some culinary tradition the author probably never had contact with. Because obviously lots of people loved the dish – so perhaps it’s just an American take on ingredients that have become common. It doesn’t need to be foreign inspired to be a good dish.

        Reply

  15. Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp is possibly the most heavenly phrase in the world. For someone not that into shrimp you hit the mother lode for shrimp lovers!

    Reply