If you adore the perfect blend of sweet and savory with a touch of zest, the Grilled Shrimp with Honey Garlic Marinade Recipe is sure to become a fast favorite in your dinner rotation. This dish combines tender, juicy shrimp with a luscious honey garlic glaze that caramelizes beautifully over the grill, delivering an irresistible flavor that feels both elegant and comforting. Whether you’re cooking for a quick weeknight meal or impressing guests at your next gathering, this recipe is just the right mix of simple ingredients and bold taste that makes every bite memorable.

Ingredients You’ll Need

A clear plastic bag filled with raw shrimp submerged in a dark brown sauce with visible small light brown garlic pieces and red chili flakes mixed throughout, resting on a white marbled surface. The shrimp inside the bag are grayish with a translucent texture, and the sauce looks thick and glossy, evenly coating every shrimp layer. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

This recipe shines because of its straightforward, pantry-friendly ingredients that each play a crucial role in building layers of flavor. You’ll appreciate how the balance of sweet honey, savory soy sauce, and pungent garlic comes together effortlessly to create mouthwatering grilled shrimp.

Honey: Adds natural sweetness and helps create a beautifully caramelized glaze.
Soy sauce: Brings a salty, umami depth that balances the honey’s sweetness perfectly.
Olive oil: Enhances richness and ensures the marinade coats the shrimp evenly.
Garlic cloves: Gives a fresh, aromatic kick that’s essential to the marinade’s character.
Red pepper flakes (optional): Adds a subtle heat to brighten the overall flavor profile.
Extra large shrimp: The star of the show—peeled and deveined for ease and optimal texture.
Chopped green onions or parsley: Fresh garnish that adds a pop of color and mild herbal notes.

How to Make Grilled Shrimp with Honey Garlic Marinade Recipe

Step 1: Prepare the Marinade

Whisk together honey, soy sauce, olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes if you want a touch of spice. This marinade does the heavy lifting—it infuses the shrimp with amazing flavor while also helping them stay juicy and delicious once they hit the grill.

Step 2: Marinate the Shrimp

Place the peeled and deveined shrimp in a resealable bag or shallow dish, then pour the marinade over them. Seal the bag while removing excess air and massage the shrimp gently to coat them evenly. Refrigerate and let the shrimp soak up these wonderful flavors for 30 to 60 minutes—patience here truly pays off.

Step 3: Prepare Your Grill and Skewers

If you’re using wooden skewers for the shrimp, make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes first to prevent burning. At the same time, preheat your grill to medium-high heat, aiming for about 400 degrees. A clean, oiled grill grate will help the shrimp cook evenly without sticking.

Step 4: Skewer and Grill the Shrimp

Thread the marinated shrimp onto the skewers. Lay them on the hot grill and cook for about 2 minutes per side. You’ll notice the marinade caramelizing and the shrimp turning a gorgeous pink with slight char marks—the hallmark of great grilled shrimp.

Step 5: Garnish and Serve

Once off the grill, sprinkle chopped green onions or parsley over the shrimp for a vibrant finish. This final touch adds freshness and a hint of crisp color that makes the dish even more inviting.

How to Serve Grilled Shrimp with Honey Garlic Marinade Recipe

There are six wooden skewers lying on a dark baking tray that is placed on a white marbled surface. Each skewer has five large shrimp, all in a light orange and pale gray color with a slight shine, showing they are marinated or cooked lightly. The shrimp are aligned neatly in rows, with tails curved inward. A woman's hand is holding one skewer on the left side, ready to pick it up. The baking tray has some oil or sauce spots giving a shiny texture. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Garnishes

Fresh green onions or parsley are fantastic for adding a bright contrast and subtle herbal notes. A wedge of lemon on the side can add a burst of citrus that complements the sweet-savory marinade wonderfully. Don’t be shy about adding a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds for an extra nutty crunch!

Side Dishes

This grilled shrimp pairs beautifully with simple sides like fluffy jasmine rice, garlic butter noodles, or a crisp garden salad. Roasted or grilled vegetables such as asparagus, bell peppers, or zucchini also make excellent companions and keep the meal light and vibrant.

Creative Ways to Present

Serve the shrimp on skewers over a bed of coconut-lime rice or tossed into a fresh quinoa salad for a wholesome and colorful presentation. You can also pile them high on toasted baguette slices with avocado and sprouts for effortless shrimp bruschetta that’s sure to impress.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Refrigerate any leftover grilled shrimp in an airtight container within two hours of cooking. They will stay fresh for up to 2 days, making for a quick addition to lunch salads or wraps the next day.

Freezing

If you want to keep the shrimp longer, freeze them raw in the marinade on skewers by placing them in a freezer-safe bag. Frozen shrimp with marinade can last about 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge before grilling.

Reheating

To reheat, gently warm the shrimp in a skillet over medium heat for just a few minutes, or warm them in the oven at a low temperature. Be careful not to overcook, as shrimp can become rubbery if reheated too harshly.

FAQs

Can I use frozen shrimp for this recipe?

Absolutely! Just make sure to fully thaw and pat the shrimp dry before marinating to ensure they soak up the marinade properly and grill evenly.

Is it necessary to use skewers?

While skewers make grilling shrimp easier and help keep them together, you can also grill the shrimp directly on the grate using a grill basket or onion slices as a base to prevent sticking.

Can I make the marinade spicier?

Yes! Simply increase the amount of red pepper flakes or add a dash of cayenne pepper to dial up the heat to your preference.

What type of soy sauce works best?

Both regular and low sodium soy sauce work well. Choose low sodium if you want to control the saltiness better or cater to dietary needs.

How long should I marinate the shrimp?

Between 30 to 60 minutes is ideal. Longer than that, and the acidic components in the marinade may start to change the shrimp’s texture.

Final Thoughts

This Grilled Shrimp with Honey Garlic Marinade Recipe is one of those dishes you’ll find yourself craving again and again. Its perfect harmony of honey’s sweetness and garlic’s boldness is tantalizingly good, and the grilling adds a smoky depth that’s simply unbeatable. Give this recipe a try—I promise it’s a crowd-pleaser that’s just as easy to whip up for a casual family dinner as it is for entertaining friends outdoors.

Grilled Shrimp with Honey Garlic Marinade Recipe

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4.1 from 83 reviews

This delicious grilled shrimp recipe features succulent extra large shrimp marinated in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce with a hint of spice from red pepper flakes. Perfectly grilled to juicy perfection and garnished with fresh green onions or parsley, it makes a quick and flavorful main dish ideal for summer cookouts or a weeknight dinner.

Author: Julia
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes (including marinating time)
Yield: 6 servings
Category: Main Course
Method: Grilling
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Marinade

1/2 cup honey
6 Tbsp soy sauce (regular or low sodium)
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Shrimp

36 extra large shrimp (about 1 3/4 lbs, thawed, peeled and deveined)

Additional

Olive oil (for brushing grill)
Chopped green onions or parsley (for garnish, optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare the Marinade: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes if using, until well combined to create the marinade.
Marinate the Shrimp: Place the shrimp in a gallon-size resealable bag or a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the shrimp, seal the bag removing excess air, and rub the marinade over all shrimp. Refrigerate and let marinate for 30 to 60 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Soak Skewers: If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes beforehand to prevent burning on the grill.
Preheat Grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, approximately 400°F, ensuring it is ready for cooking the shrimp evenly.
Thread Shrimp: Thread the marinated shrimp onto the skewers, preparing them for grilling.
Prepare the Grill Grates: Clean the grill grates thoroughly and brush them with olive oil to prevent the shrimp from sticking.
Grill the Shrimp: Place the shrimp skewers on the grill and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through.
Garnish and Serve: Remove shrimp from the grill, sprinkle with chopped green onions or parsley if desired, and serve immediately for a fresh and flavorful meal.

Notes

Marinating the shrimp for the full hour enhances flavor but 30 minutes is sufficient if short on time.
Soaking wooden skewers helps prevent them from catching fire on the grill.
Use low sodium soy sauce if you want to control the saltiness of the dish.
If you prefer, you can grill shrimp directly on the grill without skewers, just be careful when flipping.
This recipe can be doubled or halved depending on your serving needs.