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!

overhead photo of 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp in skillet

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.

prep photo of 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp before cooking

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.

prep photo of mango salsa on cutting board

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 the 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.

Simple. Simple. But so delicious.

side angled close up photo of 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp in skillet

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.

overhead photo of 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp on plate with rice and mangos

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!

overhead close up photo of 20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp in skillet

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 | halfbakedharvest.com
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4.27 from 431 votes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

The Recipe

20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp in Coconut Milk.

An easy weeknight dinner that feels extra special and uses just one skillet...serve with a side of rice and mango salsa!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 308 kcal

Ingredients

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
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. 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!