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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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How to make Hawaiian garlic shrimp?
- 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!
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
Equipment
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
Nutrition
© Relle Lum for Keeping It Relle. Please do not copy and paste or screenshot recipes online or on social media. I’d love it if you share a link with a photo instead. Mahalo!
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