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Sharing an easy…let’s make this weeknight feel special…dinner, Saucy Garlic Butter Shrimp with Coconut Milk and Rice Noodles. Spicy, garlicky, and gingery shrimp, pan seared and tossed with a touch of butter and coconut milk. This dish is creamy, saucy, a touch salty, and just a little spicy. It’s served over rice noodles and comes together in no time at all (about 30 minutes). Perfect for busy weeknights when you’re looking for something a little more special, but still quick, healthy-ish, and DELICIOUS.
Recipes like this saucy shrimp are my favorite. This shrimp has a mix of flavors, fusion food as some might say. It’s quick, it’s saucy, relatively healthy (there’s some sneaky greens in all that sauce), and just an all around delicious meal.
Traditionally garlic shrimp is more of an Italian dish, and is served simply with butter and lemons. But I wanted to put a twist on the classic and switch things up a bit.
So I threw in some Thai flavors by adding creamy coconut milk, a squeeze of fresh lime, and rice noodles. Yes, it’s different, and I will probably get criticized for this not being “authentic” over on Instagram (if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all, right?). But hey, my purpose here is to provide you guys with easy and delicious recipes, this shrimp is both, so all is good.
The shrimp is first tossed with a little olive oil, garlic, ginger, and spicy jalapeño. These are the main flavors, so if you don’t love garlic, this recipe might not be for you. And if you want to tame the spice level, just use one jalapeño.
Let the shrimp sit a few minutes and cook the rice noodles. I really love using vermicelli rice noodles, but any noodle works, so use your favorite.
Next, cook up some bacon. It adds a really deep flavor and a hint of saltiness that is delicious. Go with me on this. Now, pan sear the shrimp. The key is to remove the shrimp from the garlic marinade. If you cook the shrimp in the marinade, the shrimp with steam, and the garlic will burn. So first remove the shrimp, cook, add the butter, and then add all of that garlicky marinade. 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…so good.
At this point, I like to remove half of the shrimp and save it for topping. Honestly, you don’t have to do this step. You can instead leave the shrimp in the skillet and combine it with the coconut milk. I just like to remove some of the shrimp so that it stays crisp…and if being truly honest, for photo purposes.
Once the coconut milk has been added, the shrimp looses it’s crispness a bit. It’s also a little more visually appealing to have a few shrimp sitting atop the rice noodles. And we all know that I’m all about a visually good-looking dish…
You guys always ask if I do anything special to the food for photos, and the answer really is no. But I like to add garnishes or pull out tricks like this one…
If you have something extra saucy, or you’re making a soup and want to keep the dish both colorful and full of texture. To create a beautiful looking dish, remove a little bit of one of the main elements of the recipe. In today’s case the shrimp. But think along the lines of keeping out some of the chickpeas in a curry, or the noodles in a soup, things like that. Then reserve them for topping the dish just before serving. Again, this is not necessary for flavor purposes. But if you want to create that “Instagram worthy” food photo, this is one of my go-to tricks to really make food pop off the page, as seen in the cacio e pepe, lemon garlic chicken soup, and herb salad.
Okay, styling talk over. Moving along now.
Once I’ve removed half the shrimp from the skillet, I add the coconut milk. I know the coconut milk might seem like an odd ingredient to add, but as I mentioned, I wanted to put my own twist on a classic, and the coconut milk creates a creamy, flavorful sauce.
It’s beyond good. Especially with the rice noodles. It’s kind of like Italian meets Thai. A weird, but delicious mash-up that’s just a touch cozy, a touch on the healthy side, and all things good. And quick, which is always a very nice bonus!
If you make this saucy garlic 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 also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Saucy Garlic Butter Shrimp with Coconut Milk and Rice Noodles
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 970 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 3 strips thick cut slices bacon, chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup extra olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro OR basil, roughly chopped (use you personal favorite)
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 cups baby spinach or kale, roughly chopped
- juice and zest from 1/2 a lime
- sliced jalapeño pepper and green onions, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a medium size bowl, toss together the shrimp, olive oil, honey, garlic, ginger, and jalapeños. Toss well to combine. 2. Cook rice noodles according to packaged directions.3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot and drain on a paper towel lined plate.4. Working with the same skillet, 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 a large pinch of pepper. Continue to cook the shrimp in the butter until the garlic begins to caramelize and turn light golden brown, about another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove half the shrimp and reserve for topping. 5. To the skillet, add the coconut milk, 1/3-1/2 cup water, spinach, and the fish sauce. Stir to combine, bring the mixture to a boil, cook 3-5 minutes, until warmed through. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and zest, and the cilantro, or basil.6. To serve, divide the noodles among bowls. Spoon the sauce and reserved shrimp and bacon over the noodles. Top with peppers and green onions. Enjoy!
Hi! What can I use as a substitute for honey? I want to make this an my son (under 1, can’t have honey).
Thanks!
Hey Ashley,
You could use maple syrup in place of the honey. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Do you think chicken would sub well here or would that be weird ? I love shrimp but all I have on me is chicken
Hey Angela,
Sure, chicken would be great here! I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Wonderful, made this for lunch today! I added a bit of miso paste to the soup also for some depth and served over Korean ramen noodles. Will definitely have again , this dish is very creamy!
Hey Shannon,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad you enjoyed it! Have a great weekend!! xxTieghan
This might be the most amazing thing I have ever cooked!
I could drink the sauce!
Hey Meagan,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
I’ve tried so many of your recipes and this is hands down one of my favorites! It’s a crowd pleaser – from foodies to those of my family who aren’t nearly as adventurous. Love the flavor and simple 🙂
Hey Brandie,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
This is DELICIOUS! I love Tieghan’s recipes because she puts together flavors that I would never use on my own, so I find myself often surprised by the flavor of the end dish. However, I am never disappointed, including with this recipe! Absolutely delicious. I made this dish a little different because I don’t like pan-frying shrimp, so I baked the shrimp in the oven for 8 minutes at 400 F, and cooked the garlic, ginger, and jalapenos in the bacon grease after frying the bacon. It came out great. My only critique would be that I wish there was a touch more sauce- I might recommend adding a little more coconut milk and water. Thanks again for another great recipe, Tieghan! This one is going right into my meal rotation 🙂
Hey Jackie,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xTieghan
My husband and I love this recipe and want to make it for a larger group. Do you think it would work to make the shrimp/sauce in advance and reheat over the stove? I just don’t want to be cooking up until the minute guests arrive. Thanks!
Hey Marie,
So so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Yes, I think that would work well for you. Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
Wow! That was amazing! Added some asparagus and red onions for some more veggies but I could drink the broth! Kept some of the jalapeño seeds as well. Definitely repeating that!!!
Hey Holly,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted that it was enjoyed!! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
So sorry I always forget to take a picture. All I can say is the Garlic shrimp in coconut milk is delicious.
Thank you Tieghan!!!!!
Hey Tina,
Awesome! So glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Most delicious restaurant style dish you can make at home. I omitted the bacon and it was still so incredible and wholesome not to mention super easy to make! Definitely one to be repeated
Hey Sabina,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! ?xTieghan
Wow this was so good! I made with scallops, delicious!
Hey Michelle,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it. Happy Sunday! ☀️Tieghan
i have made this twice and both times the broth had no flavor. Are you supposed to use full-fat coconut milk?
Hey there,
Sorry to hear this! I do like to use full fat coconut milk. Is there anything you are adjusting in the recipe? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Looks so good! Any chance almond milk would work instead of canned coconut milk if I don’t have any?
Hey Jamie,
Yes, almond milk will work here. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Whoa. This dish is LIGHTS OUT YUMMY! My husband and I ate it all right up! Kind of like an Asian shrimp scampi? And so so easy, we had everything on hand( except the shrimp I guess). Definitely adding it to our recipe rotation. Thanks!
Hey Kelsey,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hello! Made this the other night and it was delish!! Plan to make it again and was curious if I could substitute Lite Coconut milk for full fat coconut milk? Last week when I made this dish I made it for just 2 people. I reduced shrimp and noodles, but kept everything as recipe called so that it was more like a soup. Flavors were incredible, just a bit rich. I don’t want to screw it up by using lite coconut milk in the second go around for 2 people. Thank you!!
Hey Eloise,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, yes lite coconut milk will work just fine. Have a great week! xTieghan
Made this for dinner tonight – so delicious and easy to make. Crinkle top brownies for dessert too. A perfect meal.
Hey Angie,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have great week:) xTieghan