Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp have so much garlic flavor and are best served over a bed of white rice to soak up the garlic sauce. This easy appetizer or meal can be made in just minutes. If there are any leftovers, I love to add them to a salad.
I recently returned from a trip to Hawaii and one of the foods I was most excited to try was Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp. (Note: Originally published May 25, 2019.) I love any kind of shrimp dip, especially ones with garlic, and Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp has lots and lots of garlic. The more the better.
Ingredients Needed For Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
- All-Purpose Flour
- Paprika– use regular or sweet paprika, not smoked.
- Sea Salt– A Hawaiian Sea Salt is ideal, but regular sea salt is fine.
- Medium to Large Shrimp– medium to large shrimp are best. If you don’t live near the coast, you are best off buying frozen shrimp and thawing them.
- Butter– I use salted butter.
- Oil– either olive oil or vegetable oil.
- Garlic– lots and lots!
- White Wine– Use a good quality dry wine that you enjoy drinking. If you don’t have wine, you can use shrimp stock of clam juice.
- Lemon Juice
Use Fresh Shrimp
This is a simple dish with not a lot of ingredients so it’s important to use shrimp that are as fresh as possible. If you don’t live near the coast, it’s best to use frozen shrimp. They will actually be your freshest choice. Just run them under some room temperature water to thaw them just before you cook them.
Typically Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp are cooked with the shells on and you eat them peel-and-eat style. I like to peel them, leaving the tail on. They are so much easier to eat this way.
Light Flour Coating
I then coat them in a mixture of flour, Hawaiian sea salt, and paprika and pan-fry them. The light flour coating really adds to the flavor, plus it helps thicken the sauce some.
Don’t Burn The Garlic
When you cook the garlic, be sure to cook it just until golden brown. Garlic can go from golden to burnt in the blink of an eye and then it will be ruined. Some foods taste good a little burnt, but not garlic.
Careful Not To Overcook The Shrimp
Shrimp cook very quickly and develop a rubbery texture if you overcook them. They are done as they turn from translucent to opaque.
Make It Spicy
To add some heat to this dish, add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
More Shrimp Recipes
- Easy Shrimp Creole
- Bourbon Shrimp
- Copycat Bang Bang Shrimp
- Instant Pot Indian Butter Shrimp
- Garlic Shrimp in Creamy Parmesan Sauce
- Bubba Gump Copycat Shrimp
- Calabash Shrimp
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Hawaiian sea salt,, or any sea salt
- 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp,, peeled and deveined but leave tails on
- 7 tablespoons butter,, divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil, divided
- 12 large cloves garlic,, minced
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine flour, paprika and salt in a bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Place 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick pan. Heat over medium heat. Add garlic and cook just until it starts to turn golden. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon place in a bowl. Be sure to remove all of the garlic. Any left behind will burn.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the butter and oil left in the pan. Heat over medium-high heat. Add half the shrimp. Cook just for about 1 minute per side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
- Add a little more oil to pan if necessary and cook remaining shrimp. Remove shrimp from pan and wipe pan clean.
- Add wine to pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cut remaining butter in pieces and add to pan along with lemon juice. Once butter is melted, return garlic and shrimp to pan. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Taste for seasoning and add additional salt if desired.Serve over white rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally posted May 25, 2019.
Could I use sake instead of white wine?
The tails left on the shrimp serve two purposes. First because you are peeling the shrimp , that little bit of shell will impart more flavor during the cooking process. Second, the tail can serve as a little handle for finger food. Not as messy as trying to remove the whole shrimp shell would be at a party.
A quick question. Why leave the tails on the shrimp?
Excellent and easy to make. Very tasty. Just the right amount of garlic flavor.
What can I use instead of wine?
I would use vegetable stock as a substitute
You could make stock from the scales & tails of the shrimp & use that. 😊