Savory Honey Garlic Shrimp Dinner
There are some weeknight dinners that just click into place, transforming a mundane Tuesday into something a little more special. This Honey Garlic Shrimp recipe is one of those meals. It’s the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with an incredible aroma—the sharp scent of garlic hitting a hot pan, followed by the sweet, rich notes of honey and savoury soy sauce. I stumbled upon this combination by accident one evening, trying to use up the last bits of honey in the jar, and it’s been a firm favourite ever since. It delivers on flavour without demanding hours of your time.
What makes this shrimp recipe so memorable is the sauce. It’s not just sweet; it has depth. The honey caramelises beautifully, creating a glossy glaze that clings to every single prawn. The garlic provides a pungent, savoury backbone, while a splash of soy sauce adds that essential umami saltiness. A little bit of lemon juice at the end cuts through the richness, brightening everything up. It’s a beautifully balanced dish that feels both comforting and a little bit indulgent.
This garlic shrimp dish is ideal when you want a fantastic seafood dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. It’s a lifesaver for busy parents, a brilliant option for a date night in, and a straightforward recipe for those new to cooking seafood. We’re going to walk through every step, ensuring your prawns are perfectly cooked—plump and juicy, never rubbery—and coated in that irresistible sticky sauce.
Recipe Overview
This honey garlic shrimp recipe involves creating a simple yet flavourful sauce and quickly pan-frying prawns until they are perfectly pink and tender. The sauce is then added to the pan, where it bubbles and thickens into a beautiful glaze. I’ve found that patting the prawns completely dry before cooking is the key to getting a little bit of colour on them, which adds another layer of flavour.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 4 people
- Difficulty: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Honey Garlic Shrimp
- A Symphony of Flavours: The sauce achieves a wonderful balance. You get the deep sweetness from the honey, a savoury punch from the fresh garlic, a salty depth from the soy sauce, and a bright, acidic lift from the lemon juice. It coats the prawns in a glossy, sticky layer that is utterly delicious.
- Ready in 20 Minutes: From start to finish, this seafood dinner comes together in about 20 minutes, making it a brilliant choice for those evenings when time is short but you still want a proper, satisfying meal.
- A Flexible Recipe: You can easily adjust the heat by adding a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of sriracha to the sauce. If you prefer things a little less sweet, simply reduce the amount of honey slightly. It also works beautifully with chicken pieces if you’re not a fan of seafood.
- Great for a Midweek Treat: This dish feels special enough for a Friday night but is straightforward enough for a Wednesday. It works beautifully for a quick lunch or a light dinner that won’t leave you feeling weighed down.
- Family Tested: This recipe always gets compliments whenever I make it. My husband, who’s usually picky about seafood, asked for seconds the first time I made it! It’s one of those reliable dishes we return to again and again.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For this recipe, using good quality raw king prawns makes all the difference – they have a sweet flavour and a firm, satisfying texture. When it comes to the sauce, I prefer using a clear, runny honey as it mixes more easily. For the soy sauce, a brand like Kikkoman provides a consistently balanced flavour, which is crucial for the final taste profile. You can learn more about the history and different types of soy sauce to see how it impacts Asian cuisine.
- 600g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
- 2 tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 80ml runny honey
- 60ml low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (optional, for a thicker sauce)
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced, for garnish
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- A small handful of fresh parsley or coriander, chopped, for garnish
Ashley’s Tip: Make sure your prawns are thoroughly patted dry with a paper towel before they go into the pan. This removes excess moisture and helps them to sear rather than steam, giving them a much better texture and colour.
How to Make Honey Garlic Shrimp
The process for this garlic shrimp recipe is very straightforward. We’ll start by making the sauce, then quickly cook the prawns before combining everything in the pan to create that wonderful glaze. The key is to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go, as the cooking part happens very fast.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, low-sodium soy sauce, fresh lemon juice, and black pepper. If you prefer a thicker sauce, this is also when you would whisk in the cornflour slurry. Set this mixture aside for now.
- Sauté the Garlic: Heat the olive oil or melt the butter in a large frying pan or skillet over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the minced garlic and cook for about 30-60 seconds until it’s fragrant. Be very careful not to let it burn, as burnt garlic will make the whole dish bitter.
- Cook the Prawns: Add the peeled and deveined prawns to the pan in a single layer. Try not to overcrowd the pan; cook in two batches if necessary. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. I find this is the perfect amount of time for them to turn pink and opaque. You’ll know they are cooked when they curl into a gentle ‘C’ shape.
- Combine with the Sauce: Once the prawns are cooked, reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the prepared honey garlic sauce over the prawns in the pan.
- Simmer and Thicken: Stir gently to coat all the prawns. Let the sauce simmer for 1-2 minutes. It will bubble away and thicken slightly, creating a beautiful glaze that clings to the prawns. If you used the cornflour slurry, it will thicken quite quickly.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle over the sliced spring onions, toasted sesame seeds, and fresh parsley. Give it one last gentle stir and serve immediately while hot.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Temperature Control is Key: Start with a medium-high heat to get a good sear on the prawns, but be sure to lower it before adding the sauce. The honey can burn easily if the heat is too high, so a gentle simmer is all you need to thicken the sauce without it catching.
- The Secret to Juicy Prawns: I learned that the biggest mistake you can make with a shrimp recipe is overcooking them. Prawns cook incredibly fast. Watch them closely – as soon as they turn from translucent grey to opaque pink and curl up, they’re done. Pull them from the heat immediately to keep them tender.
- Make-Ahead Prep: You can save time by preparing the sauce up to two days in advance. Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also peel and devein the prawns ahead of time. This makes the final cooking process take just a few minutes.
- Storage: Leftover honey garlic shrimp can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan over a low heat or in the microwave. The prawns can become a bit tough when reheated, so do it gently.
Equipment You’ll Need
You don’t need any fancy gadgets for this straightforward seafood dinner. Here are the basics that will help you get the best results:
- Large frying pan or skillet: A non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is ideal to prevent the sticky sauce from catching.
- Sharp knife and cutting board: For mincing the garlic and slicing the garnishes.
- Small mixing bowl: For whisking the sauce ingredients together.
- Wooden spoon or spatula: For stirring everything without scratching your pan.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
This is a simple dish, but a few small missteps can affect the final result. Here’s what to look out for:
- Overcrowding the Pan: Piling too many prawns into the pan at once lowers the temperature, causing them to steam in their own liquid instead of searing. This results in a paler, slightly rubbery texture. Cook in batches if your pan isn’t large enough to hold them in a single layer.
- Burning the Garlic: Garlic goes from fragrant to burnt and bitter in a matter of seconds. Keep the heat at medium and stir it constantly for that initial 30-60 second cook time. As soon as you can smell it, it’s ready for the prawns.
- Overcooking the Shrimp: As mentioned in my tips, this is the most common issue. An overcooked prawn is tough and chewy. Remember the visual cue: a perfectly cooked prawn forms a ‘C’ shape. If it has curled into a tight ‘O’, it’s likely overdone. For more guidance, the BBC Good Food guide on cooking prawns is a helpful resource.
What to Serve With Honey Garlic Shrimp
This honey garlic shrimp is versatile and pairs beautifully with a number of sides that can soak up that wonderful sauce.
- Steamed Jasmine Rice: This is the classic pairing. The fluffy, fragrant rice is the perfect neutral canvas for the rich, flavourful sauce.
- Roasted Vegetables: Roasted broccoli, asparagus, or bell peppers add a lovely bit of colour and nutrition. Their slightly charred flavour contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the honey. If you enjoy roasted vegetables, my recipe for Stuffed Peppers with Rice is another fantastic option.
- Creamy Noodles: Egg noodles or soba noodles tossed with a little sesame oil work wonderfully. The sauce will coat the noodles, making every bite delicious.
- Drink Pairing: A crisp, off-dry Riesling or a cold lager cuts through the richness of the sauce perfectly. For a non-alcoholic option, sparkling water with a squeeze of lime is refreshing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Honey Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, low-sodium soy sauce, fresh lemon juice, and black pepper. If you prefer a thicker sauce, this is also when you would whisk in the cornflour slurry. Set this mixture aside for now.
- Sauté the Garlic: Heat the olive oil or melt the butter in a large frying pan or skillet over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the minced garlic and cook for about 30-60 seconds until it's fragrant. Be very careful not to let it burn, as burnt garlic will make the whole dish bitter.
- Cook the Prawns: Add the peeled and deveined prawns to the pan in a single layer. Try not to overcrowd the pan; cook in two batches if necessary. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. I find this is the perfect amount of time for them to turn pink and opaque. You’ll know they are cooked when they curl into a gentle ‘C’ shape.
- Combine with the Sauce: Once the prawns are cooked, reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the prepared honey garlic sauce over the prawns in the pan.
- Simmer and Thicken: Stir gently to coat all the prawns. Let the sauce simmer for 1-2 minutes. It will bubble away and thicken slightly, creating a beautiful glaze that clings to the prawns. If you used the cornflour slurry, it will thicken quite quickly.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle over the sliced spring onions, toasted sesame seeds, and fresh parsley. Give it one last gentle stir and serve immediately while hot.
Notes
I really hope you enjoy making this Honey Garlic Shrimp. It’s a recipe that has brought a lot of flavour to my family’s dinner table with very little fuss, and I hope it does the same for yours. It’s proof that a fantastic seafood dinner doesn’t need to be complicated. If you try it, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below – I love hearing from you!
Happy cooking,
Ashley Rivera
