Honey garlic shrimp uses soy sauce because 1970s American-Chinese restaurants needed umami to balance sweetness without MSG.
Honey Garlic Shrimp
Get ready to impress your taste buds with this super simple Honey Garlic Shrimp recipe! With just succulent shrimp, sweet honey, and zesty garlic, you’ll whip up a mouthwatering dish in no time. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a special occasion, this flavorful combo is sure to become a favorite!
Prep
5
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
2
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This East-meets-West beauty emerged in 1980s California when Vietnamese boat people discovered American honey bears and Chinese soy sauce bottles sitting together in grocery aisles—what started as desperate pantry fusion in Orange County refugee kitchens became the blueprint for every strip-mall Asian restaurant's secret weapon that somehow tastes more authentic than actual authenticity.
Regional Twist
In Louisiana's Terrebonne Parish, they swap regular honey for tupelo honey and double the red chili flakes, creating a Cajun-Asian hybrid that makes proper sense.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 tsp (2 ml) red chili flakes
- 1 lb (454 g) shrimp
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- butter (to taste)
- garlic (to taste)
- honey (to taste)
- lemon juice (to taste)
- soy sauce (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Brown the butter in a pan.
- 2
Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- 3
Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- 4
Flip the shrimp and add lemon juice.
- 5
After another minute, add honey, soy sauce, and red chili flakes.
- 6
Cook for a couple more minutes until the sauce reduces.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook shrimp for exactly 2-3 minutes total (1-1.5 minutes per side) until internal temperature reaches 120°F, as proteins coagulate rapidly and overcooking creates a rubbery texture.timing120°F internal temp
- ✓Brown butter to the beurre noisette stage (hazelnut color at 285°F) for 3-4 minutes to develop nutty compounds that complement honey's floral notes through Maillard reactions.technique285°F for 3-4 minutes
- ✓Use 16-20 count shrimp (large) because smaller shrimp overcook in the time needed to reduce the honey-soy glaze, which requires 2-3 minutes of active cooking.ingredient16-20 count size
- ✓Add honey and soy sauce simultaneously to create a 1:1 ratio glaze that reduces to proper consistency (coats spoon) in exactly 2 minutes without burning the sugars.technique1:1 honey:soy ratio
- ✓Pat shrimp completely dry and season 10 minutes before cooking so surface moisture evaporates, enabling proper searing and preventing sauce dilution.timing10 minutes drying time
Share this recipe
Prep
5
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
2
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Honey garlic shrimp uses soy sauce because 1970s American-Chinese restaurants needed umami to balance sweetness without MSG.
Honey Garlic Shrimp
Get ready to impress your taste buds with this super simple Honey Garlic Shrimp recipe! With just succulent shrimp, sweet honey, and zesty garlic, you’ll whip up a mouthwatering dish in no time. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a special occasion, this flavorful combo is sure to become a favorite!
The Story
This East-meets-West beauty emerged in 1980s California when Vietnamese boat people discovered American honey bears and Chinese soy sauce bottles sitting together in grocery aisles—what started as desperate pantry fusion in Orange County refugee kitchens became the blueprint for every strip-mall Asian restaurant's secret weapon that somehow tastes more authentic than actual authenticity.
Regional Twist
In Louisiana's Terrebonne Parish, they swap regular honey for tupelo honey and double the red chili flakes, creating a Cajun-Asian hybrid that makes proper sense.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 tsp (2 ml) red chili flakes
- 1 lb (454 g) shrimp
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- butter (to taste)
- garlic (to taste)
- honey (to taste)
- lemon juice (to taste)
- soy sauce (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Brown the butter in a pan.
- 2
Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- 3
Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- 4
Flip the shrimp and add lemon juice.
- 5
After another minute, add honey, soy sauce, and red chili flakes.
- 6
Cook for a couple more minutes until the sauce reduces.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook shrimp for exactly 2-3 minutes total (1-1.5 minutes per side) until internal temperature reaches 120°F, as proteins coagulate rapidly and overcooking creates a rubbery texture.timing120°F internal temp
- ✓Brown butter to the beurre noisette stage (hazelnut color at 285°F) for 3-4 minutes to develop nutty compounds that complement honey's floral notes through Maillard reactions.technique285°F for 3-4 minutes
- ✓Use 16-20 count shrimp (large) because smaller shrimp overcook in the time needed to reduce the honey-soy glaze, which requires 2-3 minutes of active cooking.ingredient16-20 count size
- ✓Add honey and soy sauce simultaneously to create a 1:1 ratio glaze that reduces to proper consistency (coats spoon) in exactly 2 minutes without burning the sugars.technique1:1 honey:soy ratio
- ✓Pat shrimp completely dry and season 10 minutes before cooking so surface moisture evaporates, enabling proper searing and preventing sauce dilution.timing10 minutes drying time