Our Go-To Honey Garlic Shrimp Bowls: A Quick and Flavourful Meal

Are you on the hunt for a midweek dinner that feels a little bit special yet comes together in no time at all? Do you love that delightful combination of sweet, savoury, and garlicky notes in one deeply satisfying dish? If that sounds like you, then we’ve got some wonderful news. Here, we believe that fantastic, healthy food shouldn’t be a chore, and our delicious Honey Garlic Shrimp Bowls are the ultimate proof of that philosophy.

This recipe has become our firm favourite for those busy evenings when we’re after something truly tasty without dedicating hours to the kitchen. Just picture it: plump, juicy prawns smothered in a sticky, delectable honey and garlic sauce, all served on a bed of fluffy rice with crisp, fresh vegetables. It’s a complete, nourishing meal in a bowl that truly excites the palate. Let’s get started and create a dinner that your family will be requesting time and time again.

Why We’re Sure You’ll Adore This Recipe

Ready in a Flash: From gathering your ingredients to serving, you can have these bowls on the dinner table in under 30 minutes, which makes it an absolute lifesaver on hectic weeknights.
Packed with Flavour: The homemade honey garlic sauce truly is the star, creating a beautiful harmony of sweet and savoury tastes that clings to every single prawn.
Wholesome and Balanced: Filled with protein from the prawns, carbohydrates from the rice, and essential vitamins from the fresh vegetables, it’s a well-rounded meal you can feel great about enjoying.
Wonderfully Versatile: Think of this recipe as a brilliant foundation. You can easily switch out the vegetables, use a different grain, or tweak the spice level to perfectly match your family’s tastes.
Excellent for Meal Prep: The separate elements can be prepared ahead of time, which makes assembly even speedier when you’re ready to eat. Cook the rice, chop the veg, and whisk the sauce in advance!

What You’ll Need for Your Honey Garlic Shrimp Bowls

To put together this vibrant and tasty meal, we need to gather the components for the prawns, the sauce, and the bowl itself. We find it helps to have everything measured and ready before you begin, ensuring the cooking process is as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

For the Prawns:

450g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil or sesame oil
A pinch of salt and black pepper

For Our Irresistible Honey Garlic Sauce:

80ml honey
60ml low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari for a gluten-free option)
4-5 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tsp water (a cornflour slurry, to thicken)

For Assembling the Bowls:

300g cooked rice (we love jasmine or basmati)
1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets
1 large carrot, julienned or spiralised
Optional garnishes: sesame seeds, sliced spring onions, fresh coriander, or red pepper flakes.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Perfection

Just follow these straightforward steps, and you’ll be serving up a restaurant-quality meal before you know it. The trick is to have your ingredients prepped and waiting by the hob before you start cooking.

Cook Your Base and Prep the Veggies: First, get your rice cooking according to the instructions on the packet. As it simmers away, you can prepare your vegetables. We prefer to lightly steam or blanch the broccoli florets for a couple of minutes until they’re perfectly tender-crisp, with a slight bite remaining. Set both the cooked rice and veggies aside.
Create the Honey Garlic Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, grated ginger, and rice vinegar until they are thoroughly combined. This glorious sauce is what makes our Asian shrimp bowl so special.
Sauté the Prawns: Pat the peeled prawns completely dry with a paper towel, then season them lightly with a little salt and pepper. Heat your chosen oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the prawns in a single layer, taking care not to overcrowd the pan (it’s best to cook in batches if you need to). Cook them for 1-2 minutes on each side, just until they turn pink and opaque. Keep a close eye on them, as overcooking will make them tough!
Bring It All Together and Thicken: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour your prepared honey garlic sauce over the cooked prawns in the pan. Allow it to bubble away gently for a minute or so, which lets the flavours infuse beautifully. Next, give your cornflour slurry a quick re-stir and pour it into the pan. Keep cooking and stirring constantly for another 1-2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and is luxuriously coating every single prawn.
Assemble Your Honey Garlic Shrimp Bowls: Now for the best part! Share the cooked rice between four bowls. Arrange the steamed broccoli and fresh carrots on top. Spoon the wonderfully saucy honey garlic prawns generously over everything. To finish, garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, some sliced spring onions, and a few fresh coriander leaves for that final touch of flavour and colour.

Our Top Tips for the Best Shrimp Stir-Fry Bowl

Having made this recipe countless times, we’ve discovered a few simple tricks along the way that help guarantee a perfect result every time. This dish can also be transformed into a fantastic shrimp stir-fry bowl with a few small adjustments.

The Golden Rule: Don’t Overcook the Prawns: This is the most important tip. Prawns cook incredibly fast. The moment they turn pink and curl into a ‘C’ shape, they are ready. An overcooked prawn becomes rubbery and is always a let-down.
Start with a Hot Pan: Using a properly hot pan helps give the prawns a beautiful, rapid sear on the outside without overcooking the inside. Always wait until your oil is shimmering before you add them.

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Fresh is Always Best: While not strictly necessary, using freshly minced garlic and grated ginger will give you a far more vibrant and potent flavour than the ready-prepared versions. The pairing of garlic with protein is a timeless classic. If you’re a fan of it here, we think you’ll also adore our flavourful Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe.
Tailor the Sauce to Your Taste: Don’t hesitate to taste the sauce before adding the cornflour. If you’d prefer it a little sweeter, add a touch more honey. If you’re craving a more savoury depth, an extra splash of soy sauce will do the job perfectly.

Fun Variations and Customisations

One of the greatest things about creating meals in a bowl is just how simple they are to adapt. If you enjoy this concept, we highly recommend you also take a look at our much-loved Sticky Chicken Rice Bowls for another wonderfully easy and delicious weeknight meal. Here are some of our favourite ways to make these honey garlic shrimp bowls your own:

Pack in More Vegetables: This recipe is magnificent with the addition of sautéed bell peppers, sugar snap peas, edamame, or bok choy. Simply stir-fry them before you cook the prawns and set them to one side.
Change Your Base Grain: Not in the mood for rice? This garlic shrimp and rice bowl is equally tasty when served with quinoa, brown rice, cauliflower rice (for a low-carb alternative), or even soba or udon noodles.
Turn Up the Heat: For anyone who enjoys a little spicy kick, try adding a teaspoon of sriracha or a generous pinch of red pepper flakes into the sauce mixture.
Swap the Protein: This versatile honey garlic sauce also works brilliantly with diced chicken breast, salmon fillets, or even cubed tofu for a fantastic vegetarian meal. Simply adjust your cooking times to suit.

The sublime balance of sweet and savory shrimp ensures this dish is a real winner, regardless of how you decide to customise it. Prawns are not just delicious; they’re also a brilliant source of lean protein. You can discover more about their nutritional benefits in the NHS guide on fish and shellfish.

FAQ

Q: Is it alright to use frozen prawns for this recipe?

A: Yes, of course! Frozen raw prawns are a fantastic and convenient choice. Just be certain they have thawed completely before you begin cooking. You can let them thaw overnight in the fridge or, for a faster method, pop them in a colander under cold running water for a few minutes. The most crucial step is to pat them totally dry with paper towels; this ensures they sear beautifully in the pan instead of steaming.

Q: How can I adapt this recipe to be gluten-free?

A: Making these honey garlic shrimp bowls gluten-free is incredibly simple. The only ingredient you’ll need to substitute is the soy sauce. Use tamari or another certified gluten-free soy sauce, which will provide that same savoury, umami flavour. All the other ingredients listed in this recipe are naturally free from gluten.

Q: What’s the best way to store and reheat any leftovers?

A: For best results, we suggest storing the different components separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to three days. This method helps to keep the vegetables crisp and stops the rice from going soggy. To reheat, you can gently warm the prawns and sauce in a frying pan over a low heat or give them a short burst in the microwave. Assemble the bowl with the cold or warmed rice and veg just before you’re ready to eat.

Your New Weeknight Favourite is Waiting

So, there we have it—our simple, elegant, and unbelievably tasty recipe for Honey Garlic Shrimp Bowls, which we are confident will become a firm fixture in your meal rotation. It’s a wonderful demonstration that you never have to choose between quick, healthy, and flavourful; you can truly have it all in one perfect bowl. The sticky, sweet, and garlicky prawns, paired with fresh veg and fluffy rice, create a combination that is simply unbeatable.

We really hope you give this recipe a go this week. Feel free to get creative with the toppings, adjust the flavours to make it your own, and savour the process of creating a wholesome meal from scratch. When you do try it, please be sure to leave a comment below to let us know how you got on. We always love to hear from you!

Honey Garlic Shrimp Bowls for an Easy Dinner

Pin Recipe

Discover our foolproof recipe for Honey Garlic Shrimp Bowls! Juicy prawns in a sticky, sweet, and savoury sauce, ready in under 30 minutes. The perfect healthy and delicious weeknight meal.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the Prawns: 450g raw king prawns (peeled & deveined), 1 tbsp oil, salt & pepper
For the Sauce: 80ml honey, 60ml low-sodium soy sauce, 4-5 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 1 tbsp rice vinegar
For the Slurry: 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tsp water
For the Bowls: 300g cooked rice, 1 head of broccoli (florets), 1 large carrot (julienned)
Garnish (optional): Sesame seeds, sliced spring onions, fresh coriander

Instructions

Cook rice as per packet instructions. Lightly steam or blanch broccoli florets.
In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients: honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and rice vinegar.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season prawns with salt and pepper, then cook for 1-2 minutes per side until pink.
Reduce heat, pour the sauce over the prawns and simmer for 1 minute. Add the cornflour slurry and stir for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the prawns.
Assemble the bowls: divide rice, top with broccoli and carrots, then spoon over the saucy honey garlic prawns. Garnish and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 485 kcal
Protein: 26g
Carbs: 72g
Fat: 9g

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