Name: Sticky Honey Garlic Shrimp
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 12 oz raw small frozen shrimp (peeled and deveined with tail off); ¼ cup honey; 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 Tablespoon soy sauce; 1 Tablespoon cornstarch; 1 Tablespoon minced garlic; 1 Tablespoon minced ginger paste; ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

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If you’re looking for a ridiculously quick and easy dinner recipe that tastes like it came from the restaurant, but actually only takes a few minutes to make at home, then this sticky honey garlic shrimp recipe is for you!

This recipe yields juicy shrimp coated in a sweet and sticky garlicky honey glaze. Caramelized to perfection with a touch of spice. All in less than 30 minutes!

A white plate with a serving of sticky honey garlic shrimp and steamed broccoli to one side.

Try these seafood recipes next:

I know a lot of home cooks find shrimp recipes a bit daunting, but I’m not really sure why. Shrimp are one of the quickest and easiest things to cook. They are literally done in mere minutes and are a low-fat and lean protein source.

A gray nonstick skillet full of sticky honey garlic honey shrimp. 3 shrimp rest in a spoon.

This recipe is absolutely packed with flavor! The key players are soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey and crushed red pepper flakes. First the shrimp are marinated in soy sauce and cornstarch. This technique is known as velveting and helps ensure maximum flavor absorption and keeps your protein from drying out and overcooking. The result is tender, juicy and flavorful shrimp. You can use jarred garlic and ginger, but using fresh does impart more flavor.

Then the shrimp are seared before dousing them in honey. The garlic, ginger and honey caramelize into a golden sticky flavorbomb of a pan sauce that coats each shrimp.

A close up image of 3 honey garlic shrimp in a serving spoon.

What to serve with Honey Garlic Shrimp

I like serving this dish with a side of steamed jasmine rice, but you can also use riced cauliflower.

A simple sprinkling of sliced green onions elevates this dish in taste and looks, but other options include steamed or stir-fried broccoli, sugar snap peas, broccoli slaw or your favorite veggies.

You can also throw your shrimp on top of a green salad! Yum!

What do I need to make Sticky Honey Garlic Shrimp?

The ingredients needed to make honey garlic shrimp: chopped garlic, minced ginger, cornstarch, honey, soy sauce, vegetable oil, crushed red pepper, and raw shrimp.

1 pound of raw peeled and deveined shrimp. Frozen and thawed is perfect. I prefer to get small to medium shrimp because it’s easier to find them with tails already removed, and as I’ve said countless times on AHB, I am all about short-cuts and making recipes easier!
1/4 cup Honey
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 tablespoon of minced garlic, this is equal to about 4 garlic cloves. But you can used jarred garlic if you like!
1 Tablespoon of minced ginger. The easiest way to do this is to freeze fresh ginger and then to grate it, but again, feel free to use jarred minced ginger.
1/4 teaspoon Crushed red pepper, feel free to omit if you don’t like spice!
Sliced green onions, to garnish

Before we get into the step by step instructions let’s talk about picking the right pan. You want to use a very well seasoned skillet or a nonstick pan. This recipe is called sticky honey garlic shrimp. It sticks. It’s sticky. It’s a caramelized honey glaze on tender shrimp. You don’t want those shrimp sticking to your pan because if they do, they will tear apart if you have to scrape them off the bottom of a pan. Kay? You’ve been warned!

Step by step Instructions:

Step 1: Thaw the shrimp if using frozen and pat dry. Remove tails if desired.

Step 1:If you are using frozen shrimp, you’ll need to thaw them according to the package. The easiest way to do this is to place your shrimp in a colander and run cold water on them. Once your shrimp are thawed, pat them dry with paper towels.

Whisk together soy sauce and cornstarch. Toss the shrimp in the mixture.

Step 2: In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch. Add the shrimp and toss to make sure every shrimp is coated in the mixture. Set aside.

Mince the garlic and ginger. Cook the garlic and ginger until they are fragrant.

Step 3: Mince your garlic and ginger if using fresh.

Step 4: Heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat and cook the garlic and ginger until they are fragrant.

Pour the shrimp and the cornstarch slurry into the pan and cook for one minute on each side.

Pour the shrimp and the cornstarch slurry into your pan and cook for 1 minute on each side.

The honey and crushed red pepper are added to the pan as the shrimp finish cooking.

Step 5: Add the honey and the crushed red pepper to the skillet, stirring gently to make sure all the shrimp are coated. Cook your shrimp until they are totally pink and opaque, and you see no more grey bits. Depending on the size of your shrimp and how many you have in the pan, this could take 2 to 5 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Consistency should be sticky and golden.