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Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp

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Delicious Hawaiian garlic shrimp ready in 20 minutes. Rich garlic butter sauce, tender juicy shrimp whipped up in the comfort of your home. The perfect quick and easy dinner.

plate of Hawaiian garlic shrimp

If you’ve ever tried garlic shrimp from the food trucks here in Hawai’i then you know how amazingly delicious they are. Fresh, tender, juicy shrimp cooked in a rich garlic butter sauce served with a side of sticky white rice and topped with fresh squeezed lemon and parsley.

But you’re in luck you can totally make this all in the comfort of your own home.

All you need is 20 minutes and a few simple ingredients and you’re on your way to a quick and easy dinner. Which is always a win!

pouring butter on Hawaiian garlic shrimp

Now, while garlic shrimp is not a traditional Hawaiian recipe, it has been made popular here in Hawai’i and is definitely considered a local dish. Local dishes make up a huge part of Hawai’i. Foods like shoyu chicken, spam musubi, and loco moco.

Ingredients for Hawaiian garlic shrimp

  • Shrimp. Leave the shell on for optimal flavor and be sure to devein. Size doesn’t really matter here. I like to use 16-20 or 21-25. The numbers represent about how many shrimp in a pound. The smaller the number the bigger the shrimp.
  • Cornstarch. Cornstarch gives the shrimp an extra crunch factor. You can also use flour, mochiko flour, or potato starch as well.
  • Paprika. This gives the dish a nice mild, sweet and smoky flavor.
  • Salt. Table salt or kosher salt will do.
  • Pepper. Fresh cracked pepper or ground pepper work well.
  • Unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter omit the extra added salt.
  • Garlic. Of course you can’t have garlic shrimp without garlic of course.
  • Olive oil. Or any other cooking oil of choice.
  • Optional lemon juice. This gives the dish a nice, fresh pop of citrus flavor.
  • Optional parsley as a garnish.
hawaiian garlic shrimp ingredients

What to serve with Hawaiian garlic shrimp?

I always say you can’t go wrong with some good old sticky, white rice and of course you can’t have a plate lunch without some mac salad. You could even serve it over pasta if you’d like.

How to store this Hawaiian shrimp recipe?

If you happen to have leftovers, allow to cool completely before placing in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

frying Hawaiian garlic shrimp

How long will cooked garlic shrimp last in the refrigerator?

If stored correctly, cooked shrimp will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze cooked garlic butter shrimp?

Cooked shrimp can be stored in the freezer for 6-12 months. Although the longer the storage time the more at risk for freezer burn.

picking up Hawaiian garlic shrimp with chopsticks

How to reheat?

Shrimp is one of those proteins that are best eaten right after cooking. Shrimp can be easily over cooked and reheating can definitely cause a rubbery texture if not done correctly. Reheating in a pan on the stove at a lower temperature for a more slow and steady reheating process helps prevent over-cooking and the dreaded rubbery texture. Of course you can always use the microwave or oven as well.

If you love shrimp, you’ve got to try these recipes

How to make Hawaiian garlic shrimp?

  1. Using a paper towel, pat shrimp dry and set aside.
  2. To a bowl add cornstarch, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine.
  3. Add shrimp to the bowl, toss to coat, and set aside.
  4. Place a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add butter and heat until melted. Once melted add garlic and cook until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the butter or garlic.
  5. Pour out the garlic butter mixture into a heat safe bowl and set aside.
  6. Add olive oil to the pan. Next add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and the shrimp are opaque.
  7. Pour the garlic butter back into the pan and toss to coat. Top with lemon juice and parsley. ENJOY!
plate of Hawaiian garlic shrimp

Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp

Relle Lum
Delicious Hawaiian garlic shrimp ready in 20 minutes. Rich garlic butter sauce, tender juicy shrimp whipped up in the comfort of your home. The perfect quick and easy dinner.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Local
Servings 4 servings
Calories 338 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound shrimp shell on and de-veined
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ tablespoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 head of garlic finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Garnish chopped parsley

Instructions
 

  • Using a paper towel, pat shrimp dry and set aside.
  • To a bowl add cornstarch, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine.
  • Add shrimp to the bowl, toss to coat, and set aside.
  • Place a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add butter and heat until melted. Once melted add garlic and cook until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the butter or garlic.
  • Pour out the garlic butter mixture into a heat safe bowl and set aside.
  • Add olive oil to the pan. Next add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and the shrimp are opaque.
  • Pour the garlic butter back into the pan and toss to coat. Top with lemon juice and parsley. ENJOY!

Notes

*Common size shrimp used for this recipe is 16-20 or 21-25, however you can use any size shrimp.
*You can sub out cornstarch for flour or potato starch.
*If using salted butter, omit added salt.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 338kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 28gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 270mgSodium: 1344mgFiber: 1g
Keyword easy dinner recipes, easy recipes, garlic shrimp, hawaiian garlic shrimp, hawaiian shrimp, keeping it relle, quick recipes, shrimp dishes, shrimp recipes
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By on June 27th, 2021

About Relle

Aloha, my name is Relle and welcome to my little home on the internet where I like to share all my favorite Hawaiian recipes (and local ones too).

I am a wife, mom of two, and nurse practitioner here in the beautiful state of Hawai’i. I was born and raised in Hawai’i and I am of native Hawaiian descent. In my spare time I love to cook and bake and I have compiled many of my favorite recipes here for you to enjoy.

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