Discover my recipe for easy skillet shrimp with homemade honey garlic sauce; it's a great solution for busy weeknights and so much better than take-out.
Fresh shrimp are sautéed in a simple, sticky honey garlic sauce that's perfect for spooning over cooked white rice. Serve with steamed broccoli, green beans, or hibachi-style vegetables, and dinner is done!
Now that school is back in session, I'm always looking for healthy recipes and quick meals that my whole family loves. With a prep and cooking time of less than 30 minutes, this recipe fits the bill.
And, it's also customizable if you're not in the mood for shrimp. Boneless skinless chicken breast, chicken thighs, boneless pork chops, or pork tenderloin sliced into medallions are all great substitutions.
Looking for other easy weeknight recipes that are ready in less than an hour? Be sure to check out my Easy New Orleans-Style Skillet Barbecue Shrimp, Harvest Grain Bowl, Mediterranean Bowls, Chicken Cobbler with Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuit Topping, and Cast Iron Chicken Parm recipes.
Jump to:
Ingredients
First, let's gather all the ingredients needed for this recipe:
- fresh shrimp
- fresh garlic cloves
- fresh ginger
- honey
- soy sauce
- brown sugar
- vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
- dark sesame oil
- rice vinegar
- crushed red pepper flakes
- corn starch
- green onions
- sesame seeds
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got all our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
First, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Then, heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a large skillet, add the garlic and ginger, and sauté until fragrant.
Next, add the shrimp and soy sauce mixture and cook until the shrimp turn pink and the sauce is thickened.
Finally, stir in the green onions and sesame seeds and serve over white rice.
Hint: To get 1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp, be sure to buy 1 ¼ pounds to account for the weight of the shells. Or, to save time buy already peeled and deveined shrimp.
Substitutions
Looking for ways to make this recipe your own? Check out these substitution options:
- Protein - instead of shrimp, use chicken breast, boneless chicken thighs, or boneless pork chops.
- Gluten-free - use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to make this gluten-free.
- Noodles - instead of cooked white rice, you can also use cooked rice noodles.
Variations
Here are even more ways to change up this recipe:
- Spicy - stir in chile-garlic paste to the sauce to give the honey garlic sauce even more of a kick.
- Wings - make honey garlic wings. Heat the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan until thickened and then toss or serve with your favorite crispy chicken wings.
- Kid friendly - omit the crushed red pepper flakes for a spice-free kiddo version.
Bonus: hibachi-style vegetables recipe
I love to make hibachi-style vegetables to serve with this recipe; it's one of my favorite no-recipe recipes using a handful of simple ingredients. First, I cut a yellow onion, a container of whole mushrooms, and two zucchini into chunks.
Then I sauté the vegetables in hot oil, in that order, adding a little kosher salt while cooking to help release the liquid and soften the veggies.
Once they begin to brown, I add a little butter and soy sauce and cook until the vegetables are tender and caramelized. Combined with the sweet and savory sauce from the shrimp, the rice, and some yum-yum sauce...oh man, it's delicious.
Equipment
Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:
- whisk
- liquid measuring cups
- small bowl
- cast-iron skillet
- measuring spoons
- zester
- rice cooker
Storage
If you have any leftovers, separate the shrimp and sauce from the rice, and store them separately in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
I don't recommend freezing the leftovers. The sauce tends to separate and the shrimp become rubbery.
Tasty tip
Try not to overcook the shrimp. They only take a couple of minutes to cook so keep a close eye on them.
Frequently asked questions
This simple stir fry sauce is sweet and sour and perfect for shrimp, chicken breasts, chicken wings, or even pork chops.
For this recipe, I use cornstarch as the thickener.
I think sautéing shrimp is the way to go. For best results, while they're cooking, I like to add the homemade honey garlic sauce to the shrimp and let it thicken. That way the shrimp don't get overcooked.
You bet! And, what I love most about this shrimp recipe is that it is ready in a snap and requires only a handful of pantry staples that you most likely have on hand.
If you want to make this stir fry sauce by itself, it'll last for about 2 weeks in the fridge. Keep in mind though that once you add protein or veggies to it, it'll only last a couple of days.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Even more
Here are more of my favorite recipes:
🍽Get the recipe
Easy Skillet Shrimp with Homemade Honey Garlic Sauce
Equipment
- whisk
- liquid measuring cups
- small bowl
- cast-iron skillet
- measuring spoons
- zester
- rice cooker
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
- Sliced green onions and sesame seeds
- Hot cooked white rice
Instructions
- Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using), in a small liquid measuring cup or bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the shrimp and soy sauce mixture and cook until the shrimp turn pink and the sauce is thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. (Add a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time if the sauce gets too thick before the shrimp are cooked.)
- Stir in the green onions and sesame seeds and serve with hot-cooked white rice.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.
- Be sure to cook the shrimp to a minimum temperature of 145°F.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw seafood/meat.
- Wash your hands after touching raw seafood/meat.
- Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods of time.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Sally says
Skillet shrimp sounds perfect for nights when I have no clue what to cook!
Theo says
This skillet shrimp with honey-garlic sauce is juicy and tasty. Sweet, sticky sauce with perfectly seared shrimp that’s quick and super satisfying!