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Sharing an easy weeknight dinner that feels extra special, 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp. Spicy, garlicky, gingery shrimp, pan-seared and tossed with butter, coconut milk, and sweet honey. It’s Thai inspired with a hint of Italian. Not traditional, but so DELICIOUS. Serve this simple one skillet dinner with a side rice and mango salsa. Added bonus? You only need one skillet and about 20 minutes’ time. Perfect for busy weeknights when you’re looking for something different, but still quick, healthy-ish, and of course…delicious!
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I wanted to start the week off with something fun and a dish that felt a little different too. Life in quarantine has meant a lot of pantry style recipes. Which are amazing and, of course, what we all need most right now. But today, however, I just needed some fresh color.
Enter this shrimp. Yes, this is still what I consider to be a pantry style recipe. Frozen shrimp plus shelf-stable ingredients, but yet it’s light, colorful, fresh, and most importantly, so very good.
And you guys? That’s kind of all I got for my “intro” today. Honestly, there isn’t too much to report on these days, as I haven’t left home for over three weeks now. In fact, no one in our four-person family quarantine here in Colorado has gone anywhere other than the grocery store (and only twice) in over three weeks. And it’s actually been almost two weeks since our last trip. If you knew how much we normally grocery shop…once or even twice a day. You’d know that this is a long time to go without hitting up the store.
We’ll be doing a grocery restock here soon, but that’s pretty much all I have to report! My human interaction consists of zoom meetings and Instagram. It’s bare, but hey, we’re hanging in there. I feel so very thankful for you guys and this HBH community. It makes Isolation, not feel all that isolated.
Anyway, that’s it. Let’s talk shrimp.
The background.
This recipe was inspired more by my dad than anyone else. With just four of us here at home, I’ve been making more recipes based on their preferences and what they love most. He’s a huge fan of anything spicy and anything saucy. He says you can never have too much spice or too much sauce, which is probably why most of my recipes include a little bit of both.
I’ve made a few garlic butter shrimp recipes in the past, but this one is a new favorite. It’s heavily influenced by Thai flavors, but there’s also a touch of Italian with that garlic butter. It’s not traditional, but then most of my recipes aren’t traditional…so you know, what’s new? I love switching things up!
And yes, there is also a spicy, sweet mango salsa. You all know me. When I have the option to add a fruit salsa, I am adding it.
Here are the details.
As you might guess, this recipe is fast. It takes just about 20 minutes from start to finish. And it’s all made in one skillet using ingredients you hopefully have on hand right now.
It starts with pan-searing your peeled and deveined shrimp in a little olive oil…then comes the flavor. Toss in plenty of garlic, a little ginger, and a couple of jalapeños. Then swirl in the (salted) butter. As the butter melts, the garlic caramelizes around the shrimp creating truly the most mouth-watering smell (and delicious sauce).
This is that moment you know the recipe is going to be good. Very. Good.
Once the butter has browned, stir in the coconut milk, a touch of sauce, and a bit of honey. The coconut creates a cream sauce, the soy adds a little salty flavor, and the honey balances out the spice.
Remove from the heat and finish with lime and cilantro or fresh herbs.
Simple. Simple. But so delicious.
How do you serve this garlicky buttery shrimp?
Well, I love serving the shrimp over rice with a heavy side of that mango salsa, and some avocado too. Yes, these are fresh ingredients, so if you don’t have them on hand right now, don’t feel like you need them for this recipe. You can simply swap in the fresh ingredients you do have…any fruit would be delicious. My top picks would be mango or pineapple, but you can even just go with an avocado-based salsa.
Use what you have and make it work!
If you’re out of rice, rice noodles would be equally great. Or simply serve with crusty bread for scooping up all that buttery sauce. Delish.
Any way you serve this up it’s going to be beyond good. It’s all about that sauce. The sauce is everything.
Again, this shrimp is kind of like Italian meets Thai. A weird, but delicious mash-up that just works. It’s all things good and a nice change of pace if you’ve been eating nothing but pasta, chickpeas, and bread for the last month.
And the added bonus? This is so quick and easy to make! Yes, please! Great for a Monday, but also great for just about any other night of the week too. Hoping you all enjoy!
Looking for other quick-cooking shrimp recipes? Some of my current favorites…
Cajun Pepper Shrimp with Creamed Corn Orzo
Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Shrimp Tacos
Better Than Takeout Garlic Butter Shrimp Pad Thai
Lastly, if you make this 20 minute honey garlic butter shrimp, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp in Coconut Milk.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 inch fresh grated ginger, grated, (or 1 teaspoon dried ginger)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper , (optional)
- 2 jalapeños, seeded, if desired, and chopped
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- zest and juice from 1 lime
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or basil, chopped
Mango Salsa
- 1 mango or 2 cups pineapple chunks
- 1 jalapeño, seeded (if desired), and chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1. Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 2 minutes per side. Add the garlic, ginger, cayenne, if using, jalapeños, and butter. Continue to cook the shrimp in the butter until the garlic begins to caramelize and turn light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. 3. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, and the honey, stir to combine, bring the mixture to a simmer, cook 2-3 minutes, until warmed throughout. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and zest, add the cilantro, or basil.4. To make the salsa. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt. 5. Serve the shrimp and sauce over rice. Top with salsa. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
as we speak..trying to get this to thicken up…is it not supposed to thicken? thanks!!
Hi Lauren,
This definitely will not be very thick. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Omgosh this is so good! The sauce has so much flavor. I want to make double just so we have leftovers.
Hey Malea,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Love the recipe and hope to make for a luncheon. Any tips on make ahead?
Hey Monica,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Sorry, I really would not make this recipe ahead of time, the shrimp would get tough. xTieghan
Am I missing something? In the pictures you show the shrimp marinating in the garlic, but in the recipe you added the garlic after sautéing the shrimp. Wouldn’t the garlic burn if you let it on while sautéing the shrimp?
I feel like I’m also missing something!!! I also see mint in one of the photos, but no mint in the recipe? I saw the garlic one you were mentioning too!
I think what you’re seeing in the photos is cilantro. It was a suggested topping/garnish
Hey Serena,
No mint here:) Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xTieghan
Hey! So with the butter and stuff going in at the same time i didnt have any trouble with garlic burning. The extra liquid seems to keep it under contol
Hey Liza,
You can follow the recipe as is, or if you have extra time you can marinate like I did:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Could you substitute salmon (shell fish allergy) and would you follow the repair as is? Would cooking times change? Thank you!
Hey Jennifer,
Sure, salmon would work well here, you will probably have to cook it a little longer then but other than that you can follow the recipe! Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Finally nade this recipe after bookmarking it weeks ago. It was so good! The sauce really is amazing. I didnt have cayanne and decided to throw paprika in instead. Cant tell if it made a difference but everything tasted great! Omitted jalapeños because i dont like spice.
Hey Katie,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! ? xx
Is there anything you can substitute for the coconut milk? (allergy related)
thanks
Hi Jody,
You can use another milk that you enjoy. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made this tonight for me and the wife. My GAWD. Thanks for this! Can’t wait to make it again to speed up the cook time. Still only took 30ish minutes to cook.
Hey Seth,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
This was so simple, quick and easy but delicious! Perfect weeknight dinner. I used the extra coconut milk in the rice, perfect!
Hey Pam,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
I’m so excited to try this one! The flavors sound amazing. Question about the shrimp: do you cook them from frozen, or thaw them first?
Thank you!
Hey Lauren,
I would thaw the shrimp first. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Made the recipe last night, and already thinking about making it again! I cut the butter down to 3 tablespoons and skipped the jalapeños, but it was still delicious. Served it over a wild rice medley and am eagerly anticipating leftovers for lunch!
Hey Lauren,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
DELICIOUS & EASY!!! I have made this recipe several times for guests, always a crowd pleaser. If you measure out all the ingredients in advance the recipe comes together in minutes. Thanks!
Hey Michele,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I’ve tried so many HBH recipes (all amazing) but this one stands out as one of my absolute favorites!!! So good, would give it a hundred stars if I could
Hey Alyssa,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
OH MY GOSH! This was beyond amazing and pretty quick and easy. Will be a regular on our menu! I only used 1 jalapeño and no cilantro and it was so good. My fiancé is still raving about it!
Hey Stacy,
I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for testing it out! Have a great week! xTieghan
The marrying of your unique flavors make everything so delicious ! This was crazy easy and start to finish I had an incredible meal on the table in 30 minutes!!
Hey Sharon,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
So yummy, and mine looks like yours (pretty much). Yay! Skipped the salsa- no fresh mangos in NJ in Feb! Still sooo good! Best of luck to your Olympics family!
Hey Maryann,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
OMG, seriously amazing and super easy! Thanks for a quick and
Delicious meal . My family loved it .
Hey there! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan