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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!

overhead photo of 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp in skillet

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.

prep photo of 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp before cooking

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.

prep photo of mango salsa on cutting board

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 the 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.

Simple. Simple. But so delicious.

side angled close up photo of 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp in skillet

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.

overhead photo of 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp on plate with rice and mangos

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!

overhead close up photo of 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp in skillet

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.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 713 kcal

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

Ingredients

Mango Salsa

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!
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Comments

    1. Hey Ann,
      Happy Sunday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT

    1. Hey Djienne,
      Happy Friday!👻 Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT

  1. 5 stars
    This is another HBH hit, but here is a note about shrimp. Shrimp cooks fast! This recipe calls for jumbo shrimp/prawns, so 2 min per side is fine, which probably is about a dozen per pound. However, if you’re using something smaller, say 21-25 ct (Kirkland), cook only 1 min per side. I seared to pink, flipped, seared to pink, added the other ingredients and cooked for only a minute or two more, then removed the shrimp and thickened the sauce separately adding the shrimp back in just before serving. If you use anything smaller than jumbo (still an excellent dish), do not follow the times in this recipe. If your shrimp begins to curl tightly, it’s overcooked and will be tough rather than delicate in texture.

    1. Hey Shelley,
      Happy Friday🍁 I appreciate you making this recipe and love to hear that it turned out well for you! Thanks for sharing your tip about the shrimp! xT

  2. 5 stars
    SOO good and easy! I had most of the ingredients on hand as well. Served with cauliflower rice and it was delicious! Thank you!!!

    1. Hey Julie,
      Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) xx

  3. 5 stars
    Just made this! It’s so, so good. Accidentally used twice the ginger called for but it was still quite good! Had a side of vegetables and a heaping pile of fresh rice with it. Definitely a keeper and will be put in our regular rotation.

    1. Hi Lena,
      Yes, that will work well for you, just add a little cooking time onto your shrimp. I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan

  4. 5 stars
    Absolute perfection! Followed your recipe exactly and it’s wonderful! I made your 20 Minute Red Curry Noodles with Fried Coconut Garlic and served the shrimp on top… it’s a beautiful dish! We have loved each of your recipes that we have made!

    1. Hi Dana,
      Amazing!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review! xxT

  5. I subbed the olive oil and butter for coconut oil. And ended up using more coconut milk and thickened with cornstarch. Added asparagus and both the cilantro and Thai basil. Then served with a red curry orzo I found at the Seattle public market.
    It is truly amazing!

    1. Hi Stephanie,
      Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback!! 🙂

  6. If I wanted to substitute the shrimp for something else what would you recommend? I’m allergic to shrimp but this recipe sounds really good.

    1. Hey Maggie,
      Chicken would work well for you, you will just need to cook it longer. Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish! xx

    1. Hi Jessica,
      Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try!! xTieghan

  7. Wow, wow, wow!! Just made these for an appetizer tonight for my boyfriends birthday. My first time making shrimp. So easy and so delicious! For my main course I made the sheet pan recipe with Lemon Brown Butter Salmon! Everything was so yummy! Thanks for sharing such great recipes!

    1. Hey Olivia,
      Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xx

    1. Hey Nicole,
      Fantastic!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! ?Tieghan

  8. 5 stars
    Oh my gosh, this was so amazing! The creamy sauce, the perfect bite of the jalapeño and cayenne and a cooling offset from the mango—just superb and quick to make as well! My two guys loved it (the 4th serving disappeared as well). I got your new cookbook for my birthday last week and after I marked it with a million sticky notes, I found this on your site and couldn’t resist making it first. So glad I did but I predict Every Day is my new favorite cookbook?. Thank you for your creativity!

    1. Hey Lucy,
      Fantastic!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! I hope you love the book and everything you make, happy belated birthday! ?Tieghan

  9. Hey! I’m wanting to make this recipe but I typically only have whole milk or 2% on hand, not coconut milk. Can I substitute?

    1. Hey Mary,
      You can use either of those:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan

  10. 4 stars
    as we speak..trying to get this to thicken up…is it not supposed to thicken? thanks!!

    didn’t hit post so afterward…didn’t thicken so I tossed it with ramen…tasty

    1. 5 stars
      Oh my gosh, this was so amazing! The creamy sauce, the perfect bite of the jalapeño and cayenne and a cooling offset from the mango—just superb and quick to make as well! My two guys loved it (the 4th serving disappeared as well). I got your new cookbook for my birthday last week and after I marked it with a million sticky notes, I found this on your site and couldn’t resist making it first. So glad I did but I predict Every Day is my new favorite cookbook?. Thank you for your creativity!

      1. Hi Lucy,
        Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! I hope you love the cookbook:) Thanks for your kind message! xTieghan