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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!
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.
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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!
This post was originally published on April 6, 2020
Made this last night and vowed to make it once a month! Finger licking good! That saaaauce! I served mine with pasta and added some more garlic ?.
Thank you so much! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Another great one! Served this over cauliflower rice. Will make this one again for sure.
Thank you so much Laura! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
We made this tonight and it was delicious. I only used one jalapeno because my son was eating it and he likes some heat but not too much. The flavor with one was delicious, but the heat was low enough that next time I will do both jalapenos. Very easy recipe and everyone loved it. We served over the rice but skipped the salsa this time. Can’t wait to add it next time.
Thank you so much Marteigh! I am glad this turned out well for you! xTieghan
Made this last night and it was a huge hit! Added some black sesame seeds for a little crunch (but tbh mostly for aesthetic purposes). This took me a lot longer than 20 minutes, but I would definitely still make it again.
Thank you so much Kat!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I miss being able to eat shrimp so much! I get horrible heartburn if I eat shrimp now 🙁 unless it’s frozen/heavily processed in which case what’s the point really.
I still my make this for my other half though and stare longingly at it…although if anyone has any tips on eating food that gives you heartburn please let me know as I really want to try this recipe!
Aw that is such a bummer! I hope your other half loves this, Pauline! Thank you! xTieghan
I feel like I’m late to the party but I just made this for dinner and it turned out soooo good! I am still licking my lips after eating it! It felt so indulgent but was so healthy. Thank you so much, I can’t wait to make it again!
Never late haha! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Kelly! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
SO. GOOD. this has been fueling us through quarantine. We make it at least once a week. One of my favorites of yours!!
Love to hear that! Thank you so much Samantha! xTieghan
This is one of my favorite dishes I’ve made in a long time. Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you so much Emma! xTieghan
This is honestly one of the best things I have ever cooked, and I have been cooking my entire life. It’s actually one of the best things I’ve ever even eaten.
Wow that is so amazing to hear! Thank you Lara! xTieghan
Excellent recipe! I added avocado to the mango salsa since I had one on hand. Left overs were delicious too!
Thank you so much Jaclyn! xTieghan
This was SO amazing!! I made it tonight for dinner and my bf loved it. Thanks for making me look good!
Thank you Emma!! xTieghan
Found this recipe over a month ago, and it’s become a weekly staple for my home. Typically every Sunday night, so we end our week on a perfect night, we’ve cooked it so many times we now just freestyle it. Love it and makes me excited to try the other shrimp dishes ?
Wow that is so amazing to hear! I am so glad you have been loving this one, Heather! Thank you so much! xTieghan
This was one of the best recipes I’ve made in a long time! I used frozen (Argentinian) shrimp from Trader Joe’s and served it over jasmine rice. We have four kids and it’s rare that’s we are obsessed over the same meal! Jackpot! Wondering if you have any recommendations on what else I can serve with this, since shrimp don’t tend to be very filling. Any ideas? Thanks so much!!
This was one of the best recipes I’ve made in a long time! I used frozen (Argentinian) shrimp from Trader Joe’s and served it over jasmine rice. We have four kids and it’s rare that’s we are obsessed over the same meal! Jackpot! Wondering if you have any recommendations on what else I can serve with this, since shrimp don’t tend to be very filling. Any ideas? Thanks so much!!
Hi Jen,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad your family enjoyed it! I would recommend doing some roasted veggies on the side! xTieghan
I made this for dinner today and all 5 of us decided that it was most definitely a make-again meal. That is high praise when the whole family is in a agreement!
Love that! Thank you Sarah! xTieghan