Some weeknight dinners just work and honey Sriracha shrimp is one of them! Tender, pan-seared shrimp is tossed in a sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce. The quick stir-fry is easy to pull together, and you can serve it over rice, pile it into tacos, or throw it on a salad. Want more like this? Try pad pak, Chongqing chicken, or pad cha gai!
Key Ingredients
- Shrimp: I recommend using extra-large or colossal shrimp for the best results, but you can use any size of shrimp. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Honey Sriracha Sauce: Prepare a homemade honey Sriracha sauce from scratch with minced garlic, honey, Sriracha, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and fresh lime juice.
How to Make Honey Sriracha Shrimp
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Defrost, peel, and devein the shrimp. Pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Step 2: Warm one tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1–2 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp, until the edges turn pink.
Step 3: Flip the shrimp with tongs and cook the other side for 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with any remaining shrimp.
Step 4: In the same skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, and the raw smell fades.
Step 5: Whisk together honey, Sriracha, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and lime juice in a liquid measuring cup, then stir it into the garlic. Simmer for 2-3 minutes over low-medium heat.
Step 6: In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water until smooth, then stir it into the sauce. Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss until everything is evenly coated and the sauce thickens.
Baked Honey Sriracha Shrimp
I prefer to saute the shrimp so they cook evenly in the sriracha honey sauce, but you can bake the shrimp on skewers and serve the honey sriracha shrimp recipe as an appetizer with the sauce on the side.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the shrimp and transfer them to a mixing bowl with the marinade.
- Thread the shrimp onto the wooden skewers and set them on a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. You should be able to fit 4-5 shrimp, depending on their size.
- Bake the shrimp skewers for 6 to 8 minutes until they turn light pink.
- Set the oven to broil and cook for 1-2 minutes to brown the shrimp.
- Prepare the sauce in a non-stick skillet and toss the shrimp to combine.
Expert Tips
- Preheat the pan. A properly heated pan will give the shrimp a golden sear, but watch the heat closely. You want it hot enough to sear, but shrimp can overcook quickly.
- Cook in batches. Give each shrimp enough room to make full contact with the pan. Overcrowding causes the shrimp to release water and steam rather than sear, which means you’ll end up with rubbery shrimp rather than a beautiful, golden crust.
- Wait to flip. Shrimp cooks in 1–2 minutes per side, or up to 3 minutes for larger varieties such as extra-large or colossal. Once you place them in the pan, let them cook undisturbed. If a shrimp feels like it’s sticking when you go to flip it, give it another 30 seconds; it will release naturally when it’s ready.
- Add butter and oil as needed. If you’re cooking in batches, add a small amount of fresh butter and olive oil to the pan between each batch to maintain the right level of fat for a good sear.
If you enjoy the seafood dish, try more shrimp recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or throwing together a quick weeknight dinner, honey Sriracha shrimp fits the bill. Spoon it over piping hot white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice. You can keep it light by pairing it with broccoletti, air fryer cauliflower and broccoli, or air fryer zucchini and squash. Tuck it into tacos or lettuce wraps, or use it as the protein for a vegetable chopped salad.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover shrimp in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Warm the honey Sriracha shrimp on the stovetop on low heat so you don’t overcook it.
- Repurpose: Use the leftover shrimp to fill warm corn tortillas for shrimp tacos, salads, and lettuce wraps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Place a sealed bag of frozen shrimp in a large mixing bowl with cold water for 20 minutes, changing the water as needed. Drain the shrimp and pat them dry before searing.
What kind of shrimp should I use?
Use large or jumbo shrimp for this recipe, fresh or properly thawed. Larger shrimp hold up better in the pan and cook through without drying out.
If you’re starting with frozen shrimp, thaw them overnight in the fridge or place them in a sealed bag submerged in cold water for 15–20 minutes before cooking.
How do you clean shrimp?
1. Rinse the Shrimp: Rinse the shrimp in a colander under cold water.
2. Remove the Head: Grasp the head and twist it off.
3. Peel the Shell and Legs: Start at the head and peel away the shell, working toward the tail. To make it easy, you can use kitchen shears to cut along the back of the shrimp to open the shell. The legs should come off in one motion with the shell.
4. Devein the Shrimp: Use a small paring knife to make a shallow slit along the back of the shrimp, and use the blade to lift out the dark vein and discard it.
5. Rinse and Dry: Rinse the shrimp in cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess water.
More Quick Dinner Recipes:
Honey Sriracha Shrimp
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- lime juice one lime
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon COLD water
- Defrost, peel, and devein the shrimp. Pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Warm one tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1–2 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp, until the edges turn pink.
- Flip the shrimp with tongs and cook the other side for 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with any remaining shrimp.
- In the same skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, and the raw smell fades.
- Whisk together honey, Sriracha, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and lime juice in a liquid measuring cup, then stir it into the garlic. Simmer for 2-3 minutes over low-medium heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water until smooth, then stir it into the sauce. Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss until everything is evenly coated and the sauce thickens.
- Preheat the pan. A properly heated pan will give the shrimp a golden sear, but watch the heat closely. You want it hot enough to sear, but shrimp can overcook quickly.
- Cook in batches. Give each shrimp enough room to make full contact with the pan. Overcrowding causes the shrimp to release water and steam rather than sear, which means you’ll end up with rubbery shrimp rather than a beautiful, golden crust.
- Wait to flip. Shrimp cooks in 1–2 minutes per side, or up to 3 minutes for larger varieties such as extra-large or colossal. Once you place them in the pan, let them cook undisturbed. If a shrimp feels like it’s sticking when you go to flip it, give it another 30 seconds; it will release naturally when it’s ready.
- Add butter and oil as needed. If you’re cooking in batches, add a small amount of fresh butter and olive oil to the pan between each batch to maintain the right level of fat for a good sear.