Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp and Broccoli

A fork picking up a honey garlic shrimp.

It's a shrimp and broccoli stir fry at heart: the sauce doubles as a quick marinade, the broccoli goes in first, the shrimp cooks in two minutes a side, and the reserved sauce thickens in the pan. Same idea as my Sweet Chili Shrimp Stir Fry, and when I want it creamy instead, I make Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta.

Quick Look: Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp & Broccoli

⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 20 minutes
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Servings: 4
📊 Calories: 300 kcal per serving
🥣 Ingredients: Honey, soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, cornstarch, large shrimp, butter, broccoli, olive oil, salt and pepper
⭐ Difficulty: Easy — one skillet, 20 minutes

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Faster Than Takeout. Twenty minutes from the fridge to the table, and the shrimp cooks in about four of them.

One Sauce Does Two Jobs. A third of it marinates the shrimp, the rest thickens into a sticky glaze in the pan.

Simple Ingredients. Honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, butter. The only thing you might not have is the shrimp.

If you like the honey garlic combination, my Garlic Brown Sugar Pork Chops use it on pork, and Shrimp Pasta Primavera is the other shrimp-and-vegetable dinner I make on repeat.

Ingredients Needed

Shrimp: I use large shrimp like 16/20 for this recipe.
Broccoli: Fresh is best, but frozen can work in a pinch.
Soy sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce.
Honey: For the sweetness.
Ginger: Freshly grated ginger adds the best flavor.
Butter: Salted or unsalted is fine.
Garlic: Fresh garlic is always best!
Cornstarch: Helps thicken the sauce into a glaze.
Red pepper flakes: Adds the perfect kick!

How to Make Shrimp and Broccoli

The marinade ingredints mixed into a small bowl. Then some added to a bowl of raw shrimp.

Step 1: In a small bowl whisk the sauce ingredients until combined.
Step 2: Add the peeled and deveined shrimp to a medium bowl, pour in 1/3 of the sauce and let it marinate. Set the remaining sauce aside.

A little cornstarch added to the marinade then broccoli added to a hot skillet.

Step 3: Add cornstarch to the remaining sauce and whisk.
Step 4: Heat a skillet on high heat, add the olive oil and broccoli florets, and cook just until softened. Remove from the pan.

Raw shrimp added to a hot skillet and cooked then the sauce added in.

Step 5: Add butter to the skillet then followed by the shrimp in a single layer, and cook until opaque.
Step 6: Add in the reserved sauce, simmer, then add in the broccoli to heat through. Serve over white rice or pasta!

A platter with honey garlic shrimp and broccoli on it.

Recipe Tips

I like to use jumbo 16/20 size shrimp for this recipe, but you could use any size. The smaller ones will cook a bit faster depending on the size of your shrimp.
I buy frozen shrimp already deveined.
I use fresh broccoli, but you can use frozen. Just make sure to thaw them first and pat them dry before cooking.
Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces so they cook evenly.
Use a zester to grate your ginger and store the rest in a freezer bag in the freezer for freshness.
Don't crowd the shrimp. One layer in the pan so they sear instead of steam; cook in two batches if your skillet is small.
Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water so the shrimp don't turn rubbery.

A plate of white rice with honey garlic shrimp and broccoli on top.

Recipe FAQ's

How to devein shrimp?

I usually buy shrimp already deveined. If your shrimp isn't already deveined use a paring knife and make a slit down the back of the shrimp, to expose that black line. Use the knife to gently pull that out and rinse or wipe the knife off.

Can I use frozen broccoli?

Yes, you can use frozen broccoli for this easy shrimp recipe, I recommend thawing it first and patting it dry with paper towel.

How do you know shrimp is cooked?

Shrimp cooks really fast, making it a perfect weeknight dinner. You know they are done when they start to change to a pink hue and they will curl up.

Why didn't my sauce thicken?

This usually happens when you haven't added either enough cornstarch or you didn't let it simmer long enough.

Is this a shrimp and broccoli stir-fry?

Close to it. It's cooked the same way, hot pan, broccoli first, then shrimp, then sauce, but the honey garlic butter sauce is sweeter and stickier than a soy-based stir fry sauce. Serve it over rice the same way.