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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.
We really enjoyed this recipe! It came together quickly and was full of flavor. Will definitely be recurring in our dinner rotation!
Hi Jenna,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! xxT
I love making honey garlic shrimp! but I was wondering if there is anything I can substitute for the coconut milk. My fiancé is very picky when anything has coconut in it. thanks!
Hey Jordan,
Totally, you can use any other milk that you enjoy! I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I have made this for my co-workers and my family and everyone loves and raves about! But I’m just wondering.. what side would I put with this. So far I’ve only done the meal but any help on sides would be amazing!!!
Hey Roe,
Yay!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! I like to serve this with white rice or rice noodles. A side of sautéed broccoli would be great too:) Have a great week! xT
Tried this last night and it was so good! even better on day 2 cos the juices all soaked in! new staple for me.
Hey Chase,
Happy Friday!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xT
I made this with fresh Rocky Point shrimp and it was great! I love Thai inspired dishes so I added fresh Lemongrass (about one tablespoon). Next time I’m going to use fresh Thai chiles instead of jalapeños. I’d like to see the sauce a bit lighter in color. What do you think about substituting the soy sauce with something else to help that? Thank you for sharing!
Hey Andrew,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment! Love to hear that it turned out nicely for you:) You could try coconut aminos for the soy sauce next time! xx
We made this dish last week and loved it! This week I doubled all ingredients except the shrimp, added fresh mushrooms, broccoli and used the whole can of coconut milk. Sooooooo delicious!! Such a great combination of flavors in the sauce.
Thank you!!!
Thanks so much, Barbara!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe:) Happy Friday! xT
This was a hit! First of all, I am a huge fan of spice with a hint of sweet for balance. This dish has it! I have fresh basil so loaded up on that and the cilantro in the salsa was a perfect addition for those sweet flavors. Shied away from too many jalapeños, just in case but next time, I am all in. Thanks for another home run Tieghan!
Thanks sooo much! Love to hear that this recipe was a success! xT
I usually have on hand dried cilantro and fresh basil, which of the two would be best in this recipe?
Hi there! You could totally do a combination of both! xT
The shrimp should be cooked at the END of step two; this way, they overcook and become rubbery.
Wow! Great flavors in the sauce and salsa. We will definitely make this one again. Thank you.
Hi there! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! So glad you enjoyed it! xT
I’ve made this a few times for my family and it’s always a hit! It’s delicious over white rice and the pineapple salsa adds a ton of flavor!
Hey! Thank so much for trying out the recipe! I’m so glad you loved it! xT
Could I use something else instead of coconut milk? I thought I had some but I don’t!
Hi Sarah,
Of course! Another milk that you have on hand will work:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Made this for dinner tonight and really enjoyed it. The salsa on top added so much flavour! Easy and very flavourful! Make this!
Hi Sarah,
Happy Monday!! I am thrilled to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks for trying it and your comment!🌼🌸 xx
Made this for my family (husband and 2 year old) – everyone loved it! The combination of ingredients seemed very unique and it all worked so well! Everyone got seconds.
Hi Kate,
Love it!!🍪🍦 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and sharing your review!! xx
I made this tonight. I had a shallot laying around that needed some love, so I diced it and threw it in with the jalapeno, ginger and garlic. SO GOOD! Will def put it on the short list of faves and make again. Thank you!
Hey Jill,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
Made this recipe as is and absolutely loved it!! We will be adding this to our weekly options. So delicious – I definitely wasn’t able to make it in 20 minutes but it didn’t take too long.
Hey Ale,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad it was delish! Have a great weekend:) xx