This quick shrimp recipe is the perfect dish to make during the week as it only takes about 20 minutes and you most likely have the ingredients in your pantry. The saucy shrimp have the perfect amount of garlic and honey, as well as a kick of ginger and spice. It’ll satisfy any takeout cravings and is way healthier and more delicious.–Farrah Jalanbo
Sticky Honey Garlic Shrimp FAQs
First, fill a large bowl with cold water. Take the desired amount of shrimp from their original package and seal them into a zip-top bag. Place the bag in the cold water and weigh it down with a pot lid or plate to make sure the bag remains fully submerged. Let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes or until your shrimp are fully thawed. Easy peasy.
Basic sambal is made of red chile peppers, vinegar, and salt, and can be quite spicy, depending on the brand you choose. Some versions are smooth, some are chunky. You can also make your own sambal chili paste.
If you’re spice averse, omit it entirely (although it does add a lovely flavor), or add it into the recipe in small amounts and taste.
Steamed rice and an easy vegetable, like steamed or roasted broccoli are the perfect sides for this easy shrimp recipe.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat, taking care not to overcook your shrimp.
Sticky Honey Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 8
cloves garlic, finely chopped - 1/2 teaspoon
ginger powder - 1/4 teaspoon
ground white pepper - 4 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sambal chili paste (optional, but suggested)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Whisk the soy sauce, garlic, ginger powder, white pepper, honey, and chili paste (if using) in a small bowl.
- Warm the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 1 minute per side. (We just want to get some color on the shrimp here—it doesn’t need to be fully cooked on the inside just yet!)
- Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside. Pour the prepared sauce into the skillet, and let it come to a simmer over medium heat.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Slowly mix this into the heated sauce, and let it all simmer together until you have a thick, sticky sauce, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Toss the shrimp back into the pan. Cook until the shrimp is opaque and fully cooked, about 3 minutes more. Garnish with the sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
“Better-than-takeout” recipes are a mixed bag. Some are truly what they promise, but a lot more fall disappointingly flat. This recipe for sticky honey garlic shrimp is definitely in the former category–these shrimp are tasty little firecrackers!
I will most definitely be making these delicious sticky honey garlic shrimp again and again. This recipe checked all the boxes: tasty, quick, and indeed more satisfying than takeout.
This sticky honey garlic shrimp was definitely an easy weeknight dinner with easy preparation! It was very flavorful.
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This honey shrimp is a lovely back-pocket gem of a weeknight recipe. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples. If you have a packet of frozen shrimp stashed in the back of your freezer, you can have a very satisfying meal on the table in about 45 minutes–less if your shrimp are already peeled and deveined.
This sticky shrimp dish is easy to make and delicious. I’d recommend getting uncooked pre-peeled and deveined shrimp if it’s a weekday and you’re in a rush. You can start some rice or some noodles and quickly sauté the shrimp at the last minute.
I pretty much always have frozen shrimp in my freezer–having this honey garlic shrimp recipe will mean there’s always an easy dinner ready in 30 minutes or so. I paired the shrimp with a salad and rice, definitely a must to soaking up every bit of the garlicky, sweetish shrimp sauce with sneaky heat.
There’s nothing better at the end of a long day than knowing that you can have a home-cooked dinner on the table in a matter of minutes with very little effort. It allows you to breathe easy and spend the evening relaxing.
A recommended quick and delicious weeknight dinner that I imagine would be popular with most people, as you can add more of the sambal to make it spicier. The recipe quantity of chili sauce is not very spicy. We served this with rice and lettuce wraps (used romaine), and this was very refreshing.
Is there anything that can beat a meal you can prep, cook, and serve in under an hour? Sticky honey garlic shrimp checks all those boxes and is delicious to boot. I’d add this to a dinner rotation for both its flavor and simplicity without hesitation.
This quick shrimp recipe is simple and superb. Throw it together in 10 minutes, add some rice and broccoli and you have dinner on the table.
Followed the recipe exactly as written. It was too salty and too sweet. The shrimp never got that nice sticky coating like the photo. It was still tasty but won’t make again.
Pamela, did you add salt to the dish or just the soy sauce? Did you use the cornstarch? And how long did you cook it after the cornstarch slurry? That’s what will make it nice and thick.
Very delicious, just what I wanted! I made my own paste with dark chili powder and Cajun seasoning instead of the recommended chili paste, I did everything else the same & it was very sticky just as promised!
I will definitely make again! 😋
That’s great to hear, Andrew. Thanks so much fo taking the time to comment.
This shrimp recipe was delicious and super easy to put together. I blanched and then sautéed some green beans along with the shrimp before folding it all into the sauce. I used sriracha for the heat and–because i only had 3 tbsp of honey in the entire house (!) that’s what I used. I think 4 tbsp would be too sweet. Regardless, this recipe is a winner!
Fantastic, Suzanne! We’re so pleased that these turned out so well and that you enjoyed them.