Honey Garlic Shrimp

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Everyday Culinary Delice

Quick, glossy, Asian-inspired honey garlic shrimp with crisp-tender broccoli in a sticky honey-soy sauce. Serve it over fragrant coconut rice and call it dinner in 30 minutes.

Honey Garlic Shrimp with Broccoli in a cast iron skillet.

Why I’m obsessed (and why you’ll be, too)

30-minute complete dinner (sides included). I cook the coconut jasmine rice while I’m cooking the shrimp; the glossy honey-garlic sauce and broccoli come together in the same skillet. By the time the shrimp are done, the rice is fluffed. I top the shrimp bowls with crispy shallots, scallions, sesame, and a squeeze of lime. In under 30 minutes, you’ll have a well-balanced, simple meal packed with protein, veggies, and a killer side – just like my shrimp orzo and shrimp asparagus bacon pasta. Weeknight dinners just don’t get easier than that!
Coconut rice makes it special. I simmer jasmine rice in full-fat coconut milk until it’s plush and fragrant—the perfect base for that sweet-savory shrimp sauce. I assemble everything in bowls—coconut rice, honey garlic shrimp, crispy broccoli, extra sauce—and top with crispy shallots for a little crunch. Coconut rice is my favorite comfort food side dish for shrimp recipes and great for entertaining, too.
Restaurant-quality sauce. This Asian-style honey-garlic shrimp sauce blends soy, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and fresh ginger, with a little cornstarch for that glossy, coats-the-spoon cling on every shrimp and broccoli floret. It’s salty-sweet, gingery-garlicky, and bright with a squeeze of lime—tastes like your favorite Asian takeout stir-fry sauce, only faster, cheaper, and lighter. If you love saucy shrimp, check out my pesto mushroom shrimp, healthy Mediterranean shrimp, and shrimp with creamed corn.

Honey Garlic Shrimp with Broccoli and Coconut Rice - on a white plate.

Honey Garlic Shrimp with Broccoli and Coconut Rice (close-up photo)

Main Ingredients

Shrimp. I use large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined; I leave the tails on. I go for 21–25 count so they sear fast and stay juicy; tails-on look nice (remove if you prefer). Frozen shrimp are perfect—thaw in the fridge or under cold water for 10–15 minutes, then pat very dry so they char, not steam.
Asian-style Honey-Garlic Sauce. It uses only 8 core ingredients: low-sodium soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, cornstarch, and a splash of water (with red pepper flakes optional for heat).
Jasmine rice + full-fat coconut milk, water, salt. Jasmine gives that fluffy, aromatic base I want under a glossy sauce. Full-fat coconut milk is key for plush, creamy rice—shake the can so the cream and liquid combine, and don’t use sweetened coconut milk from the beverage aisle.
Broccoli florets. I prefer small, even florets that cook quickly and grab more sauce—aim for bite-size pieces about 1 inch. In the pan, they should turn bright green and just tender while staying a little snappy. If you like softer broccoli, splash in a tablespoon of water and cover for 30–60 seconds to steam.

This photo shows all the ingredients (labeled) to make Honey Garlic Shrimp.

How To Make Honey Garlic Shrimp (Step-by-Step Photos)

You’ll find the complete recipe (with the ingredients amounts + directions) below in the recipe card — but here’s a brief overview (with helpful process shots) of what you can expect when you make honey garlic shrimp:

Make coconut rice: Rinse 1 cup jasmine rice. Cook with 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, ½ cup water, ½ teaspoon salt. Simmer 15 minutes; rest 5–10 minutes.

Adding jasmine rice, water, and coconut milk into a sauce pan; cooking the rice unil fluffy.

Mix sauce: Whisk soy sauce, water, honey, cornstarch, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and optional chili flakes.
Prepare shrimp: Season shrimp with salt, pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder.

Sear shrimp: Heat oil in a hot skillet. Sear the shrimp about 1 minute per side until lightly charred but still underdone, then transfer to a plate.
Glaze: Whisk sauce again (cornstarch settles). Pour into hot pan; it thickens fast.

Searing the shrimp in a cast iron skillet; then adding the honey-garlic sauce into an empthy cast iron skillet.

Add broccoli to the pan with the honey garlic sauce, toss to coat.
Return shrimp; cook 1–2 minutes until shrimp are opaque and broccoli is crisp-tender.

Adding broccoli florets to the honey-garlic sauce in a cast iron skillet; then returning shrimp and cooking it with broccoli and honey-garlic sauce in a cast iron skillet.

Serve in bowls over coconut rice. Top with green onions, toasted sesame seeds, crispy shallots, and lime wedges.

Honey Garlic Shrimp

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This 30-minute honey-garlic shrimp is a true weeknight dinner—one pan for the shrimp + broccoli, one pot for the rice. It tastes like takeout from your favorite Asian restaurant but uses pantry staples. It’s a well-balanced, simple meal packed with protein, veggies, and a flavorful side (hello, coconut rice). Quicker, easier, and healthier than takeout.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword honey garlic shrimp

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 521kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

For the Coconut Rice

1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup full-fat coconut milk shaken
½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
crispy shallots store bought or homemade (for garnish)

For the Honey Garlic Shrimp + Broccoli

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
⅓ cup water
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger finely minced or grated
6 cloves garlic finely minced
½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon neutral oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined with tails on, pat dry
3 cups small broccoli florets

Garnish

thinly sliced green onions
toasted sesame seeds
Lime wedges

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

For the Coconut Rice

Rinse the jasmine rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear.
In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed rice, coconut milk, water, and salt. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let it sit, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. Garnish with crispy shallots just before plating.

For the Garlic Shrimp + Broccoli

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, corn starch, rice vinegar, sesame seed oil, ginger, garlic, and chili flakes if using. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat while you season the shrimp lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Once hot, sear the shrimp on each side for about 1 minute, making sure to get a good char, but not fully cook the shrimp all the way through. Remove the shrimp and set aside.
*You will need to move quickly from this point on so make sure you have everything ready and you’ve read the instructions.* With the pan still on high heat, stir the sauce once more to make sure the cornstarch is incorporated, then pour into the pan. It will begin to thicken quickly.
Immediately put the broccoli florets into the sauce and coat. It’s OK if the florets aren’t fully cooked just yet.
Add the shrimp, stirring to coat once more, and cook until the shrimp are fully cooked through. By this time, the small florets should be cooked through, but still a bit crunchy.
Top with green onions, sesame seeds, and more chili flakes (if using) to taste.
Serve alongside the coconut rice and sprinkle with crispy shallots if using. Enjoy!

Notes

Rinse the rice well before cooking. Removing the excess starch will help to make fluffy rice and prevent stickiness.
Shaking the coconut milk in a can helps the cream be dispersed evenly when pouring it into your pot.
Use smaller broccoli florets: It’s important to have smaller broccoli florets as they will cook very quickly. If your florets are very large, they might not get coated completely by the sauce and the sauce might burn if cooked too long. Also, try to cut your broccoli florets as uniformly as possible. This will ensure even cooking.
Patting the shrimp dry will help make a nice browned crust instead of steaming due to too much liquid.
High heat is the heat to cook the shrimp fast and perfectly! Cooking shrimp too long will make it rubbery.
Whisk the sauce together to make sure it’s combined evenly.

Common Variations:

Spice it up: Add 1 tablespoon of Thai red curry paste, Thai chiles, or more chile flakes for a kick!
Fruity: Pineapple chunks would be a delicious addition to this dish!
Vegetarian/Vegan: Replace the shrimp with extra firm tofu or some hearty mushrooms such as wood ear, shiitakes, or oyster mushrooms!
More Veggies: Add snow or snap peas, carrots, corn, or zucchini for some extra nutrients!

Storage Tips

Fridge: Once cooled, everything can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
To reheat, you can microwave everything in a microwave safe bowl or plate for around 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Freezer: You can freeze everything in freezer bags with all of the air removed for up to 2 months, though I don’t recommend it as it will affect the texture of the shrimp and broccoli most. To reheat, thaw overnight, then follow the same instructions as above.

You’ll Need These Supplies:

Knife
Cutting board
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Small to medium sized sauce pot
Can opener
Large skillet
Spatula or tongs

Nutrition

Substitutions

Chicken: Using breast or thighs, cut into 1” chunks and sear them like the shrimp.
Fish: Salmon, halibut, and tilapia chunks are also great replacements for shrimp.
Veggies: Asparagus, bell pepper, zucchinis, snap peas, snow peas, bok choy are all great subs for broccoli.
Rice/Noodles: plain rice, plain jasmine rice, brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, sticky rice, rice noodles are great alternatives to the coconut rice.
Sweetener: Brown sugar, agave nectar, and maple syrup can replace the honey. However, just remember that the maple syrup will taste significantly different than the original recipe.
Soy Sauce: Tamari, coconut or liquid aminos can replace the soy sauce if needed.
Lite coconut milk: For less calories and lighter coconut flavor, use light/lite coconut milk instead.
Chile: Sambal, fresh red chile, jalapenos can substitute the chile flakes if needed.
Crispy shallots: Fried garlic, french onion, or toasted panko crumbs can stand in for the crispy shallots if you’d like.