Description
Tender shrimp seared and simmered in a creamy garlic coconut milk sauce brightened with lime juice and sweetened with honey, served with fresh cilantro and optional chili flakes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.1 pounds shrimp – peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves – minced
- 1 yellow onion – diced
- 1 can (14 oz/400 ml) unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
- Chili flakes – for serving
- Freshly cracked black pepper – for serving
Instructions
- Step: Thaw shrimp completely, pat dry, peel and devein if needed, then toss with salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, and garlic powder.
- Step: Mince garlic, dice onion, chop cilantro, and measure coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, and honey. Whisk cornstarch into a small amount of coconut milk until smooth.
- Step: Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot.
- Step: Arrange shrimp in a single layer in the hot skillet and sear 1 minute per side until pink and opaque; remove shrimp and set aside.
- Step: Turn heat to low and add minced garlic and diced onion to the skillet; sauté about 3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Step: Pour in about three-quarters of the coconut milk and stir to combine.
- Step: Whisk the cornstarch mixture again and add it to the pan, then stir in fish sauce, honey, and lime juice.
- Step: Raise the heat slightly and simmer 1–2 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Step: If using quick-cooking greens like baby spinach or sliced bok choy, add them now and cook until wilted, about 1–2 minutes; for heartier greens, add earlier and cook until tender.
- Step: Stir in chopped cilantro, return the shrimp to the skillet, toss to coat, and simmer 1 minute just to warm through without overcooking.
- Step: Taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce for saltiness, extra lime juice for brightness, finish with chili flakes and freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
Serve with basmati rice, noodles, crusty bread, or warm naan to soak up the sauce. Optional vegetable add-ins: quick-cooking greens such as spinach, sugar snap peas, bell pepper, bok choy, or kale. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 160 mg
Keywords: garlic shrimp, coconut milk shrimp, easy dinner, seafood, fusion