Honey Garlic Shrimp

Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry

I love a good weeknight stir fry recipe, like my lightened up General Tso Chicken, and Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry. This honey garlic shrimp, made with orange juice and orange zest, scallions and red pepper flakes for some kick, is a new favorite! The recipe was adapted from Chrissy Teigen‘s Cookbook, Cravings: Hungry For More (affiliate link). Her gorgeous cookbook is filled with lots of dishes I can’t wait to try, but I especially love her Asian recipes. 

What You’ll Need

If you make stir fries often, you’ll recognize many of these ingredients! Scroll down to the recipe card below for exact measurements.

• Oranges – Fresh orange juice is much more vibrant than bottled.
• Honey – You only need a little bit for the perfect amount of sweetness.
• Soy sauce – I usually use reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari, which is gluten-free.
• Unseasoned rice vinegar – Seasoned rice vinegar has added sugar.
• Cornstarch – To make a thick, sticky sauce.
• Jumbo shrimp – Peel and devein the shrimp.
• Salt and pepper – I use kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Canola oil – Or your go-to high smoke point oil for cooking.
• Garlic and ginger – A pair that adds unbeatable flavor to any stir fry. Fresh is a must!
• Scallions – Slice the whites into small rounds and the greens into longer pieces.
• Red pepper flakes – Feel free to adjust the amount to your heat preferences.
• Cooked rice – For serving.

How to Make Honey Garlic Shrimp

See the recipe card below for printable instructions. Below, I share just a quick overview of the steps involved in this recipe.

1. Prepare the oranges. Zest one of the oranges, then juice both of them into a bowl. 
2. Finish the sauce. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of water into the orange juice. Create a slurry by whisking the cornstarch with a tablespoon the sauce mixture, then stir this back into the rest of the sauce.
3. Prepare the shrimp. Pat them dry and then season them with salt and pepper.
4. Cook the shrimp. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high. Once it’s shimmering, add half of the shrimp in an even layer, and cook until the underside is bright pink, 1 to 1½ minutes. Flip and cook 1 minute more, then transfer the shrimp to a plate. Repeat with another teaspoon of oil and the remaining shrimp.
5. Cook the sauce. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, followed by the garlic, ginger, scallion whites, and red pepper flakes. Stir fry until fragrant, then add the sauce and orange zest. Cook until the mixture thickens.
6. Put it all together. Return the shrimp to the skillet, along with the scallion greens, and toss to coat. Serve the shrimp over rice.

Tips and Variations

Here are some additional pointers for making this honey garlic shrimp recipe.

• Use frozen, peeled shrimp. To save time, I like to buy peeled shrimp. I prefer to buy my shrimp frozen when fresh is not available, rather than thawed which may have been sitting out a few days.
• Thaw the shrimp before you get started. To thaw frozen shrimp, I transfer it to the refrigerator the night before or I run it under cool water for a few minutes in the sink.
• Leave out the red pepper flakes if needed. If you’re making this for the kids and don’t want it spicy, you can leave out the red pepper flakes and just add it to your dish before serving.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this over basmati or brown rice, or try it over cauliflower fried rice to keep it low-carb. I also love honey garlic shrimp in lettuce wraps, rice bowls, and as a protein for Asian salads.

Proper Storage

• Refrigerator: Store leftover honey garlic shrimp in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 
• Freezer: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
• To reheat: Reheat the shrimp and sauce in a skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through. You can also reheat it in the microwave, but be careful not to overcook the shrimp.

More Shrimp Recipes For Dinner

• Cilantro Lime Shrimp
• Bang Bang Shrimp
• Garlic Shrimp
• Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice
• Easy Roasted Lemon Garlic Shrimp