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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!
This post was originally published on February 13, 2019
Just made this. It’s delicious!!!
I was only able to get small pink shrimp so they didn’t brown as nicely as in your pics. Next time, I’ll get the larger shrimp so that they can brown nicely. Will definitely make again, the entire family loved it. Thanks Tieghan, I love your site and have really enjoyed making several different recipes from you!
Keep up the good work!!
Hi Roe! I am so glad you loved this recipe and you have been loving others as well! Thank you so much! xTieghan
i have to say it. HOH LEEEE SHYTE! Woman i check your website daily and pretty much just yours. This soup was AMAZING. I am so happy you are such an inspiring chef! Thank you! Annnnd totally jealous of your barns, but in the very nice way.
Haha thank you so much Brooke! I am so glad you loved this recipe and I hope you love others you try!! xTieghan
I made this on Valentines Day for my daughter and son-in-law and we all LOVED it…in fact it’s so good that when my son & his fiancé heard what we were having, they got jealous-so I’m making the same meal for them tomorrow! The only thing we thought would improve the dish was to add a little more spice, so we each added a bit of sriracha to fit our own tastes. Other than that, this was a perfect dish that we all agreed we would pay good money for in a restaurant! I also made pan cooked Halloumi cheese which I saw mentioned in another recipe on this site and that was a fantastic accompaniment to the meal! This shrimp dish is a keeper!
Hi Micky! That is so amazing that you all loved this recipe! I hope you had an amazing Valentine’s Day with your family! Thank you! xTieghan
Sounds like a great recipe. Looking to try this over rice instead of noodles this weekend because my kids did not really like the noodles last time. Do you think that would work?
HI Tara! I am sure rice will be PERFECT with the shrimp. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Hello Tieghan! I made this dish this week and it was delicious! Another keeper from your blog! I’m a fan and love your creativity. Keep up your excellent work!
Thank you so much Denise! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
I made this dish last night for a special Valentine’s Day dinner for my hubby. In his words exactly, “You could sell this dish in a restaurant!” And then silence … except for the slurping sound of the rice noodles lol We both loved it! Oh so delicious, satisfying flavors and easy to prepare! Another amazing recipe from you! I have yet to make one that failed! Thank you Tieghan, for all that you give us! Now, explain to us please, why don’t you have your own cooking show on TV??
Haha maybe I will get there soon!! Anyway, I am so glad you loved this recipe and it turned out amazing for the both of you, Donna! Thank you! xTieghan
Just made this, and I love the flavors! Messed up the noodles, but it didn’t affect the taste. A definite keeper!
Thank you so much Kate! I am so glad you still loved this recipe! xTieghan
Happy Valentines from Calgary…
As always
Happy Valentine’s Day! xTieghan
Hello Tieghan, I made this recipe for dinner and it was delicious! Another keeper from your blog! Thanks for making Asian recipes, I love it so much! I’m a fan of yours and can’t wait what you’ll create next. Thank you! 🙂
I am so glad you loved this recipe and it turned out amazing! I hope you love others you try! Thank you Denise! xTieghan
I had something similar to this in a restaurant last week with spaghetti squash instead of rice noodles. SO good. Will use this recipe to try to recreate at home!
I love that! I hope this turns out amazing for you, Melissa! Thank you! xTieghan
Cooking is all about experimenting, failing, trying again, and celebrating all of the little successes. People who claim that food isn’t “authentic” are missing the heart of what makes cooking such a wonderful personal expression. Girl please keep giving us fun Thai/Italian mashups, fun ingredients swaps, and anything else that comes to your mind! It’s a measure of how much fun you are having in the kitchen and how much creativity you pour into your recipes. You can’t make everyone happy, especially in the crazy internet world.
I love how you enjoy the little mashups I do! You’re too sweet! I hope you try this recipe, Lauren! Thank you! xTieghan
This sounds lovely, however I am pescatarian. Any work around for the bacon? Just olive oil perhaps?
Hi Diana! Yes, you can just use 2 tablespoons olive oil. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This dish looks so yummy. I noticed here that you said basil or cilantro – I usually don’t see you mention this. Half of my family has the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap. So, my question is, can I ALWAYS substitute basil for cilantro? Or is there another type of seasoning that usually works?
HI! Yes, you can pretty much always use basil in place of cilantro. It works well for most dishes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Yum! Can’t wait to try this! This recipe actually reminds me a bit of the laksa with prawns I enjoyed a lot when I visited Australia a few years back – a Thai/Indonesian dish that is really popular there!
I hope you love this Joanna! Thank you! xTieghan
this is sooooo me!!
YES! I hope you try it! Thank you! xTieghan