Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry

Why Use Honey in a Shrimp Stir-Fry?

If you only like popcorn shrimp battered and deep-fried, I understand you. Those little morsels are delightful when cooked properly.

However, sometimes it’s nice to have a lighter dish and a stir-fry with no bread batter is the way to go.

The natural sweetness of honey perfectly balances the savory garlic and lime juice. It also helps caramelize the shrimp to a slightly crispy, golden-brown finish.

Honey is a great way to add a little touch of sweet without adding refined sugar.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• shrimp 
• honey
• garlic
• lime juice
• red pepper flakes (optional)

Shrimp: You can use fresh or frozen-thawed shrimp in this recipe. Most people opt for the deveined and shelled version because who wants to do that job?

But if you don’t mind – you can peel and devein your own. Shrimp can be a bit expensive so shop around and watch for a sale.

Honey: Any variety of raw honey works well. Does it have to be raw? No, I just try to use raw when possible to get the most nutritional benefits.

Honey is a great staple to have on hand in the pantry. If you learn how to store honey properly, you will always have it ready to use. Honey never goes bad and will be useful for year.

Garlic: You will need 2 cloves of garlic. Choose firm pieces that are not dried out or too soft.

Lime Juice: Fresh squeezed lime juice is great but for this recipe – the little green bottle version works just as well. However, I do like to use fresh lime when possible – they look very nice on the plate.

Red Pepper Flakes: Pepper flakes are optional – they do add a bit of heat to the recipe if you wish.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Frozen raw (shelled and deveined) shrimp are what I used in this recipe. I forgot to thaw them the day before. 🙁 If you are using fresh shrimp – rinse with cool water, drain the excess and set shrimp aside.

If you forgot to thaw like me – remove the frozen shrimp from the bag. Place them in a bowl of cold water. Let them sit for about 20 minutes – changing the water once. Let them drain and proceed. Mine were just fine.

2. Next, sauté the garlic in oil and butter in a large skillet (amounts are below in recipe card). The aroma will tell you when it is done. Don’t burn them – we want the garlic to be slightly brown.

3. Now, add the drained shrimp to the garlic and butter. Cook for several minutes – stirring as needed (3-5 minutes)

4. In a separate bowl combine the honey, lime juice and red pepper flakes (if desired). Add to the shrimp cooking in the skillet.

Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency. Remove from heat and add lime slices and parsley if desired.

What to Serve With It

There are many different sides you could serve with this honey garlic shrimp stir fry. We like angel hair pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese. But, any creamy pasta dish is suitable.

And, we often use fruit salads or roasted veggies (such as red bell peppers or potatoes) as a side for our stir fry dishes. Perhaps my easy honey lime fruit salad would be a good choice for you.

Rice of course is a popular addition to the meal. And, green bears, snap peas, cauliflower rice, asparagus or mushrooms are delicious.

Storing & Reheating

Store leftovers (if you have any) in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 days. You can freeze your honey shrimp for up to 2 months. But, it is honestly much better fresh.

When reheating, the best method is to warm it in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or extra sauce to prevent drying out.

Expert Tips

To serve, I remove the shrimp from the sauce with a slotted spoon. However, thanks to a suggestion from my husband, in the future, I will reserve some of the cooking sauce for dipping! It was that good.

Choose the right shrimp – large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined give the best texture and are easier to cook.

Don’t overcook the shrimp. 2-3 minutes per side is usually enough. Overcooking will make them rubbery – remove from heat as soon as they turn pink and opaque.

Add this one to your recipe book because you will want to make it more than once. If you want to add just a bit of dazzle to the flavor – a teaspoon of ground ginger will work well.