This Hawaiian Shrimp, made with paprika, butter, and bold garlic flavor, with crispy shrimp, is a 15-minute solution for a great appetizer or side dish.

I've always been a massive fan of Hawaiian food trucks, especially their spicy garlic shrimp; the garlicky flavors and juicy shrimp are irresistible.
This Hawaiian shrimp recipe is my homemade attempt to recreate the magic of those food truck favorite appetizers with my twist. My family loved it.
And I’m sure you will, too.
Why You'll Love This Recipe?
⭐️It's a delicious and party-friendly recipe!
⭐️Effortless and a quick dish ready in under 15 minutes!
⭐️Easy to find ingredients!
Ingredients
- Shrimp: I used medium-sized raw frozen shrimp: peeled, deveined, and tail-off. If you are using frozen shrimp, thaw and pat dry before using. Feel free to substitute with your preferred shrimp variety.
- All-purpose flour. The binding agent coats the shrimp well, making it super tasty with all the garlic, butter, and pepper in each bite.
- Garlic. Never skip this ingredient; this Hawaiian shrimp cannot taste better without garlic.
- Cayenne pepper: Adjust the quantity to suit your heat tolerance, or substitute with paprika.
- Grape seed oil and butter. I substituted half of the butter with grapeseed oil, but you may replace it with any cooking oil.
- Parsley. You can use fresh/dried parsley.
How To Make Hawaiian Shrimp?
- Add a mixing bowl of shrimp, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and flour.
- Combine them well until the shrimp is evenly coated. And set aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat butter, grapeseed oil, and garlic over medium heat, sauté until garlic is lightly golden.
- Add shrimp to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side until crispy and golden brown. And serve hot.
The Leftovers
You can repurpose the leftover Hawaiian shrimp to make tacos, fried rice, pasta, or salad.
- Refrigerate. Store the leftovers in an air-tight container refrigerated for about three days.
- Freeze. Store in an air-sealed container or zip-lock bags; they can be used for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer them to the refrigerator a day prior.
- Reheat. Sprinkle with water and cook covered until it turns warm.
♨️How To Adjust The Heat?
Adjust the quantity of cayenne pepper to make this Hawaiian shrimp mild or hot.
Alternatively, you can completely substitute the cayenne pepper with paprika for minimal heat but with the same spicy kick.
Variations
- White wine. This is for an added flavor with enhanced acidity and slight sweetness to the shrimp.
- Ginger. It gives an earthy flavor.
- Pineapple. Add this spicy grilled pineapple to make it more tropical.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally, medium or large shrimp are ideal for this Hawaiian shrimp recipe. If you're using frozen shrimp, ensure it has been thawed and dried.
This dish is great to enjoy as soon as it's made; however, you can prep everything by marinating the shrimp with spices and the flour for 3 - 4 hours before serving and tossing it into the skillet just before serving.
This Hawaiian shrimp is best served as a side dish or appetizer. To make a complete meal, serve it with a bed of steamed rice or quinoa.
Other Shrimp Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know your thoughts in the 📝 comments section below the recipe.
📖 Recipe
Hawaiian Spicy Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 cup shrimp cleaned and deveined
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon whole black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper /paprika
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 2 tablespoon garlic
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add shrimp, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, all-purpose flour.
- Combine them well until shrimp gets evenly coated. And keep aside.
- In medium flame, add butter, grapeseed oil, and minced garlic.
- Sauté until garlic changes its color slightly.
- Add shrimp mixture.
- Cook for 3 minutes on each side and until it turns to crispy and golden brown.
- Transfer to serving bowl and serve hot.
Notes
- Substitute cayenne pepper for paprika for the less spicy version.
- Store the leftovers in an air-tight container refrigerated for about three days.
- For the freezer, use an air-sealed container or zip-lock bags; they're good for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer them to the refrigerator overnight.
- To reheat, sprinkle water and cook covered until it turns warm.
Liz Dale says
Have tasted Hawaiian shrimp on our last vaccation, still then searching for the recipe. And I did not know that this dish making is that real easy.
pepperbowl says
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Liz!