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Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp

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Juicy prawns cooked in a garlicky buttery sauce, this Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp is just like the shrimp trucks you’d find in Hawaii.

I often wonder if I could travel anywhere in the world for one meal; where would I go? This is a hard choice for me; I’d have to admit. I’d have to say maybe Nigeria to grab some fresh street suya, or Vietnam for a huge bowl of Pho, or Hawaii for a plate of Hawaiian garlic shrimp!

Juicy prawns cooked in a garlicky buttery sauce, this Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp is just like the shrimp trucks you'd find in Hawaii.

I was lucky enough to visit Hawaii last month (look out for my travel posts coming soon), and the one thing I’ve been unable to forget is this Hawaiian garlic shrimp. Shrimp trucks are very popular in Hawaii, and I got to try one of their most famous ones Giovanni’s shrimp truck. I had heard so many good things about it, and it absolutely did not disappoint!!

Flavor bomb from the juicy shrimp to the macaroni salad I chose to pair with; the wheels in my head instantly began turning trying to figure out how I could make these shrimps back home! Seriously, if there is one place I could recommend visiting for AMAZING food non stop; it’s definitely Hawaii. I had so many delicious meals my time there, and this shrimp truck was hands down my favorite eat! 

Juicy prawns cooked in a garlicky buttery sauce, this Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp is just like the shrimp trucks you'd find in Hawaii.
Juicy prawns cooked in a garlicky buttery sauce, this Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp is just like the shrimp trucks you'd find in Hawaii.
Juicy prawns cooked in a garlicky buttery sauce, this Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp is just like the shrimp trucks you'd find in Hawaii.

Turns out making these garlic shrimp isn’t hard at all! I did my research about what they key ingredients are and thankfully the ingredient list is small. You’ll need the obvious.. shrimp, garlic, and butter. But you will also need some flour, paprika, and salt, and pepper. If you want to keep this keto friendly use almond or coconut flour.

Juicy prawns cooked in a garlicky buttery sauce, this Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp is just like the shrimp trucks you'd find in Hawaii.

LOTS of garlic goes in this recipe so don’t be surprised when you read it requires `18 cloves of garlic. It’s definitely need to get that garlicky flavor. I recommend using fresh garlic, but you can also use the minced garlic that is sold in grocery stories. It’s great time saver if you are pressed for time, and don’t feel like chopping up a bunch of garlic. 

Juicy prawns cooked in a garlicky buttery sauce, this Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp is just like the shrimp trucks you'd find in Hawaii.

You’ll find that these shrimp are cooked with the shell on. I know some do not like to peel their shrimp when eating them so you can remove the shells before cooking if this is a problem for you. Personally I love to cook shrimp with the shell on because of the amount of flavor the shells bring to the party. It also makes them more juicy. Make sure your shrimp is cleaned and deveined before cooking. Check out the recipe below!

Juicy prawns cooked in a garlicky buttery sauce, this Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp is just like the shrimp trucks you'd find in Hawaii.

Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Juicy prawns cooked in a garlicky buttery sauce, this Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp is just like the shrimp trucks you’d find in Hawaii.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of jumbo shrimp with shell on (cleaned and deveined)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 18 large garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • Fresh chopped parsley (optional for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter and one tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large pan. Once the butter has melted, add the chopped garlic to the melted butter & oil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until you see the garlic has turned light brown. TAKE CARE TO NOT BURN THE GARLIC!
  2. Remove the garlic sauce from the pan and set aside.
  3. Place the flour, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a large resealable bag.Add the shrimp to the bag and coat the shrimp with the flour mixture. Make sure all the shrimp is coated evenly. Set the shrimp aside.
  4. Add the second tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Once heated, add your shrimp to the pan.
  5. Cook the shrimp over medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. You may need to cook the shrimp in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
  6. Once you have cooked the last batch of shrimp, add all the shrimp back to the pan and pour over the garlic sauce. Stir to combine and garnish with parsley.
  7. Serve Hawaiian Style with sticky white rice and macaroni salad!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 481Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 300mgSodium: 1874mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 29g
Juicy prawns cooked in a garlicky buttery sauce, this Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp is just like the shrimp trucks you'd find in Hawaii.

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11 Comments
  • Lilly
    September 22, 2022

    My family and I LOVED this shrimp recipe. The sauce is just so flavorful. Thanks for the recipe!

  • Jamie
    September 29, 2022

    Wow! This shrimp recipe looks yummy! The presentation is just so satisfying making it enticing and tempting! Totally love it! Whenever I SEA food, I’m hungry!

  • Amy Liu Dong
    September 30, 2022

    One of my favorite dish to make, and seeing this makes my mouthwatering. Yummy!

  • Jennifer poole
    October 28, 2022

    Tried and was super delicious however would use probably 1/2 to 3/4 the butter in the “sauce” and salt in the batter a teaspoon and a half was way too much for our families liking.

  • Ashley Summer Carpenter
    January 30, 2023

    I did not particularly enjoy this. The “sauce” isn’t really a sauce just garlic butter and oil and it makes wayyy too much for the amount of shrimp. Paprika on its own doesn’t taste like much so maybe opt for smoked! It’s a decent enough recipe but I won’t try it again

  • Denise A. Monsanto
    April 5, 2023

    Love this recipe can you use potato flour..

    • Evi Aki
      May 18, 2023

      Thanks Denise! Yes, I’ve used potato, almond, and rice flour with this recipe and it comes out just as good!

  • Lisa
    August 1, 2023

    So delicious and so quick to make. My rice and my shrimp came off at the exact same time (that was luck) and the kids loved it. I used Sona Masoori rice (from India), it was so light and fluffy and it paired very well with it. I know it’s supposed to pair with sticky rice but this is what I had and it was really good. Served it up with a nice side salad and wala— a well rounded meal in minutes!

  • Cindy
    August 9, 2023

    This is so good and pretty easy to make. You better love garlic . It is delicious!!!

  • Susan Ma
    January 28, 2024

    I’ve been using your recipe since 2017, recipe is A1 I LOVE IT ! thank you for making such a bomb ass recipe!

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