Sweet and Spicy Shrimp (10 Minute Appetizer)

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp are an easy to make hot shrimp appetizer recipe in only ten minutes of cooking time! The bold flavors turn ordinary shrimp into a special sweet and spicy seafood recipe. You'll love these delicious shrimp.

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Recipe

I am all about shrimp especially when it comes to appetizers.

You could probably say I'm a shrimp hoarder. At any given time I have three bags of raw shrimp in my freezer for a quick meal. I always buy them peeled and de-veined. Why would I want to do that myself?

When I have a shrimp craving or just need a really quick dinner, I throw a bag in a colander and run some cold water over them. They are defrosted in just a few minutes and they cook even quicker. There are so many ways to cook them and one of my favorite ways is in only ten minutes using my cast-iron skillet. Lately I like to cook everything in my cast iron pan especially scallops and frittatas.

Ingredients

• olive oil - or substitute another light oil.
• salted butter - the best way to add richness to the sauce.
• large shrimp- peeled and deveined
• Sriracha sauce - you can substitute sweet chili sauce if you don't like it spicy.
• honey - or use Maple syrup as a substitution.
• balsamic vinegar - I love the tang of this vinegar.
• ketchup - adds a nice tomato sweetness.
• onion powder - or garlic powder if you prefer.
• paprika - this mild spice provides color and flavor.
• optional chopped green onions or fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

• Heat olive oil and butter on medium heat in large skillet and cook shrimp in the pan.
• In a small bowl, add Sriracha sauce, honey, vinegar, ketchup, onion powder and paprika. Mix well then add to the pan. Stir the shrimp and sauce and cook for another minute or until shrimp are fully cooked. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
• Continue to cook sauce for another 5 minutes until it starts to thicken. Pour sauce over shrimp.
• Garnish with green onion or cilantro before serving.

See printable recipe card below for detailed measurements and instructions.

Top Tip- Use paper towels to dry shrimp and remove any excess moisture before cooking.

While I usually serve this dish as a shrimp appetizer, you can add some roasted asparagus and brown rice to this easy shrimp recipe and make it a meal or entree. However you serve the sweet and spicy shrimp is fine but just know they are not going to last long.

They also go great with beer. And plenty of napkins! You don't want any of that sweet and spicy sauce for shrimp on your face.

This is the type of dish that cooks quicker than you can call your family or friends to the table. The shrimp are quickly seared and the delicious sauce simmers in the pan for a few minutes until it thickens a little. Can cooking be any easier?

Summer is here and it's the perfect time for seafood especially this shrimp appetizer! It's one of my favorite easy recipes.

Variations

• As mentioned above, if you'd like to take this dish and make it as an entree rather than an appetizer or side, you could add a vegetable like asparagus or snow peas and serve it over rice (either brown or white would work fine)! With added veggies this spicy shrimp stir fry recipe would also be delicious over some noodles too. This shrimp would also be delicious over noodles too.
• To increase the heat of your shrimp, try boosting the amount of Sriracha or include additional spices like chili powder, cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes.
• Serving this dish at a party or BBQ? Make the sauce separately and serve it as a dipping sauce with cocktail shrimp instead.

FAQ

How to Pick the Best Shrimp

• Typically, the easy way to buy shrimp is to get them in frozen bags. It's also easy to thaw and cook them right out of the bag for shrimp appetizer recipes!
• If you would rather try fresh shrimp, make sure the shrimp don't smell like ammonia or have shells that are slimy. They should be firm with solid tails.
• For this spicy sweet shrimp appetizer, the size of shrimp should be medium to larger shrimp. I do not recommend the small salad shrimp for this recipe. Still, this would work with jumbo shrimp, and especially if you're serving it over rice, make sure to take the tails off when cleaning them.

Storing Your Dish

• Cooked shrimp typically lasts up to 1 to 2 days in the fridge. Be sure to store your shrimp in an airtight container. I don't like to store cooked or raw seafood for very long.

How to Reheat

• One way to reheat this recipe from the refrigerator is to place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it up for increments of 45 seconds or so, stirring in between for equal heating.
• You could also heat up a pan with a little bit of oil and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat, or until the shrimp has reached your desired temperature.

More Shrimp Appetizers

1. Cilantro Lime Shrimp from Simple and Savory
2. Old Bay Shrimp - The Easiest Shrimp Cocktail Recipe 
3. Greek Shrimp Skewers
4. Preserved Lemon and Caper Shrimp
5. Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

Pairing Suggestions with Sweet and Spicy Shrimp

1. Marinated Mushroom Salad
2. Baked Eggplant Parmesan Rounds
3. Strawberry Feta Skewers with Basil
4. Mango Guacamole from Sally's Baking Addiction
5. Broccoli Salad from Cookie and Kate
6. Kicked Up Olives

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