Gluten-Free Honey Garlic Shrimp Skillet

I stumbled onto this recipe on a Wednesday night when my fridge was nearly empty but I had a bag of frozen shrimp and a jar of raw honey staring back at me. I tossed everything into my cast-iron skillet and the kitchen filled with this incredible sweet-savory aroma that had my roommate wandering in asking what I was making. Ten minutes later we were both sitting on the couch demolishing bowls of sticky, caramelized shrimp over fluffy rice. It has been my go-to weeknight dinner ever since — fast, naturally gluten-free, and absolutely addictive.

aka The Sticky Skillet Stunner

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs wild-caught shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
• Steamed white rice or cauliflower rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the raw honey, coconut aminos, minced garlic, grated ginger, lime juice, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
2. Sear the shrimp: Heat avocado oil in a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the shrimp in a single layer and sear without moving for about 1 and a half minutes until the bottoms turn golden pink.
3. Flip and sauce: Flip each shrimp and immediately pour in the honey garlic sauce. Toss everything together with tongs and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until the shrimp are opaque throughout and the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze.
4. Finish with sesame oil: Remove the skillet from heat and drizzle in the toasted sesame oil, tossing gently to coat. This preserves the sesame flavor without burning it.
5. Serve: Spoon the shrimp and all that gorgeous sticky sauce over steamed rice. Shower with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Tips

• Pat your shrimp completely dry with paper towels before searing — moisture is the enemy of that golden caramelization.
• Do not walk away during the sauce step. Honey can go from perfectly glazed to burnt in seconds over high heat.
• For extra protein, toss in a handful of raw cashews when you add the sauce.
• This pairs beautifully with steamed broccoli or a simple cucumber salad on the side.
• Leftovers reheat well in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the glaze.