The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
This Copycat Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp recipe is loaded with garlic butter and lots of flavor! Serve the shrimp over white rice to help soak up all of the delicious garlic butter!
It costs approximately $4.99 per serving to make this Garlic Shrimp. The recipe makes six servings for about $29.96.
For more Hawaiian-inspired dishes, try our Macaroni Salad, Banana Pancakes Recipe, and our Coconut Shrimp with Dipping Sauce.
Garlic Butter Shrimp
One of the things on the top of our to-do list when going to Hawaii was stopping at as many food trucks as possible! One of our stops included a stop for Garlic Shrimp.
To say it was delicious is an understatement. We were practically licking our lunch plates clean and have been craving it since.
Our cravings can be filled anytime we want now that we can make our version of Hawaii Food Truck Garlic Shrimp in our kitchen with this recipe.
The rich butter garlicky sauce covers succulent pieces of shrimp that can be served over rice or pasta. The meal is easy to make and on the table in under an hour. Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp makes a great weeknight meal or one to impress your guests with over the weekend.
Ingredients & Estimated Cost:
- 3 pounds shell-on shrimp – $23.49
- 4 ½ Tablespoons paprika – $0.45
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour – $0.06
- 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper – $0.02
- 1 ½ cups salted butter – $2.64
- 3 large heads of garlic – $1.64
- 3 cups long-grain rice – $1.17
- 1 lemon – $0.48
To learn more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
How To Make Garlic Butter Shrimp
- First, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and then set them aside.
- Next, using a pie dish, whisk together the paprika, flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Then add half of the shrimp to the pie plate and cover the shrimp evenly with the mixture.
- Next, using a 12-inch skillet cook the garlic and butter over low heat for four minutes, stirring often. Remove the garlic butter from the skillet and set aside.
- Then, turn the heat up to medium and add the shrimp in a single layer to cook for 2-4 minutes per side or until the shrimp are no longer translucent.
- Remove the shrimp from the heat and spoon the garlic butter over the shrimp and then transfer the garlic shrimp to a bowl.
- Finally, repeat the process with the remaining ingredients and then serve altogether over rice.
***For complete instructions, see the recipe card below.
Storage Tips
SERVE: Serve with two scoops of rice and with lots of garlic butter spooned over the rice, YUM! You can leave the shrimp out for about 90 minutes before it needs to be covered and stored in the refrigerator.
STORE: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
FREEZE: This recipe does not freeze and defrost well, so we do not recommend freezing it.
Cook’s Tools
- Pie plate
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Skillet
- Measuring spoons
- pot
- whisk
Recipe FAQs
Depending on the size of your shrimp, it should take about 2-4 minutes to cook per side. Once the shrimp is no longer translucent, on the side touching the pan, it is done cooking on that side.
We like to use the largest shrimp we can find when making this recipe. We prefer to use U/15. This means there are under 15 shrimp per pound in the package.
Get Kids Involved
Ages 2-3: This is a great recipe for counting skills with your child. Ask them to count the number of shrimp they put into the pie plate to coat with the paprika mixture.
Ages 4-5: Your child can help pour in the ingredients for the paprika mixture and then toss the shrimp in the mixture. They can also practice counting the number of shrimp they coat with the paprika mixture.
Ages 6-8: Ask your child to pre-measure the ingredients and then mix them together on the pie plate. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss fractions.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Budget Tips
Shrimp is an item that is a little more expensive to buy, as is most seafood, especially when eating out. $4.99 per serving is less than what you will pay for this dish when you eat out. We like to buy shrimp at our local grocery store when it goes on sale and save it in our freezer until we are ready to use it.
More Copycat Recipes
- Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
- Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
- Panera Mac and Cheese
- Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme
- General Tso Chicken
- Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Panda Express Chow Mein
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
Recipe Cost 29.96 Serving Cost 4.99Equipment
- pie plate
- mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- skillet
- Measuring spoons
- pot
- whisk
Ingredients
GARLIC SHRIMP:
- 3 pounds shell-on shrimp often called EZ peel jumbo or extra jumbo shrimp, thawed if previously frozen
- 4 ½ Tablespoons paprika
- 3 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 ½ cup salted butter
- 3 large heads of garlic about 15-20 cloves each, minced
FOR SERVING:
- 3 cups long-grain rice cooked as per package instructions
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
Instructions
PREP SHRIMP:
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels; set aside.
- In a pie dish, whisk together paprika, flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne (if using).
- Add half of the shrimp to the pie plate and toss the shrimp into the paprika mixture until all of the shrimp are evenly coated.
COOK GARLIC:
- In a large 12-inch skillet over low heat, add half of the butter and half of the garlic and cook, often stirring, for 4 minutes.
COOK SHRIMP:
- Turn the heat up to medium and add the shrimp to a single layer. Some may overlap.
- Cook the shrimp for 2-4, or until the shrimp are no longer translucent on the side touching the pan (the cooking time varies depending on how big your shrimp are).
- Then turn the shrimp over and cook for another 2-4 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the garlic butter over the shrimp.
- Transfer the shrimp and garlic butter mixture to a bowl.
- Repeat the entire process with the remaining ingredients.
TO FINISH:
- Serve the shrimp with 2 scoops of rice, and spoon some of the garlic butter over the rice.
- Serve and enjoy!
Monica says
Holy cow is this delicious! I especially love the tips for getting kids involved – it’s a good reminder that my seven year old can do a lot when I set him up for success!
Casey says
Omg, totally takes me back to the shrimp trucks in Hawaii! Sooooo delish–now I know I can make it at home!!
Lisa says
Oh man, Hawaiian garlic shrimp is my favorite! I’m so glad to have a good recipe for it.
kushigalu says
We love shrimp and the flavors in the recipe. I will be making this for dinner soon.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
My kind of dinner. Can’t beat shrimps with garlic and butter! Absolutely delicious.
Elise says
Did you modify this recipe recently? I used to make this all the time and I swear it used to include lemon!
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Elise, we have not modified it, so maybe you used a different recipe?