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Hawaii-Style Garlic Shrimp (30 Minutes)

GF Gluten-Free
Posted by Jess Larson on September 10th, 2025
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE SALES LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY FULL DISCLAIMER POLICY FOR DETAILS.

Juicy jumbo shrimp, crispy garlic chips, and a rich browned butter sauce—my Hawaiian family’s recipe is North Shore Garlic Shrimp at its best. Inspired by O’ahu’s iconic food trucks, this easy at-home version comes together in 30 minutes using fresh or frozen shrimp. Just marinate, sear, toss in rich, garlicky browned butter, and serve over warm rice to soak up every drop. So ’ono! 🌺🤙🏼

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A plate of seasoned shrimp on white rice, garnished with green onions, served with lemon slices and macaroni and cheese on a white, ridged plate.
Photography by Gayle McLeod
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Serves: 2-4

From O’ahu’s North Shore to Your Kitchen: My Hawaiian Mom’s Easy Garlic Shrimp Recipe

My mom and I have worked together for over 10 years to publish my family’s favorite Hawaiian and Local-Style Recipes, many of which are now our most popular dishes here on PWWB. We love sharing recipes that carry the flavors of Hawai’i and the spirit of aloha, no matter where you are.

Today we’re recreating a modern classic from O’ahu—the butter-soaked North Shore Garlic Shrimp! If you’ve never been to Hale’iwa, you’re missing out on one of Hawai’i’s most legendary food experiences.

Just steps from the crashing waves is a line of food trucks serving up paper plates piled high with sizzling jumbo shrimp drenched in garlicky butter. You eat it right there in the hot parking lot, butter dripping down your arms as your bathing suit dries in the sun. What’s not to love? 🤤

The only downside is that the shrimp trucks are now so popular that you’ll wait over an hour in the heat just to get a plate. So Mom and I got to work making a version you could quickly whip up at home. It’s fast, foolproof, and SO FREAKIN’ GOOD. Dare we say…even better than the original?

A plate of garlic shrimp served over white rice with macaroni salad, garnished with sliced green onions and lemon wedges on a white plate. this Recipe for Later!
Consider this garlic shrimp recipe your one-way ticket to O’ahu! My family has decades of experience making Hawaiian recipes, so trust me, this is the real deal. 🌺🤙🏼

How We Perfected the North Shore Classic, at Home

Garlic shrimp isn’t a traditional Hawaiian dish, like Kalua Pig or Ahi Poke, but it has quickly become a local favorite. Most of the North Shore food trucks serve versions that lean scampi-style, with shell-on shrimp tossed in lemony garlic butter. 

Mom’s version recreates all of that legendary butter-soaked, garlic-loaded goodness with a few smart upgrades for the home cook. After 10+ rounds of testing across 4 different kitchens (with rave reviews every time), we landed on 3 secrets that make this garlic shrimp recipe the absolute BEST:

  1. Using nutty browned butter instead of white wine and lemon for a deeper, richer flavor.
  2. A mix of diced and sliced garlic to layer lots of texture and crunch—inspired by the crispy garlic chips my Uncle Kevin serves at his Honolulu restaurant.
  3. Peeled shrimp so the marinade soaks all the way into the meat. More flavor, less mess!
Raw shrimp on a plate lined with parchment paper, surrounded by butter, sliced garlic, minced garlic, seasonings, flour, pepper, and a small bottle of olive oil on a rustic blue surface.
It takes just 6 ingredients to make the best garlic shrimp at home! All you need is a stick of butter, a whole head of garlic, and some spices to season fresh or frozen jumbo shrimp.

Easy Garlic Shrimp Essentials

Tips for the Juiciest Garlic Shrimp

For the best texture and flavor, this recipe calls for peeled jumbo shrimp. These larger shrimp stay juicy and tender as they sear (never dry or rubbery!), giving you that satisfying meaty bite just like a legit North Shore garlic shrimp plate.

🦐Peeled vs. shell-on shrimp. We tested this recipe both ways because we thought shell-on would be the obvious choice. Not so! We prefer peeled shrimp because the marinade actually soaks into the meat rather than sliding off the shell.

To create big flavor from the start, you’ll quickly marinate the peeled shrimp in a simple garlic-infused olive oil before cooking. 

A glass bowl filled with raw shrimp marinated with minced garlic and spices, surrounded by small dishes of paprika, olive oil, salt, and pepper, set on a rustic blue wooden surface.
Make the marinade by whisking together olive oil, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper for a subtle kick of heat. Add the jumbo shrimp and soak for a few minutes, or let the shrimp marinate overnight for easy meal prep.

🦐Prefer shell-on shrimp? Set half the mixture aside before marinating, then use it as a dipping sauce after you’ve cooked and peeled the shrimp.

How to Make Hawaii-Style Garlic Shrimp With Browned Butter

Once the shrimp is marinated and ready to go, everything comes together in one skillet. From here, dinner’s just about 20 minutes away.

A white pan with melted butter sizzling on its surface, placed on a distressed turquoise wooden background.
First, melt the butter.
1

Start with a cold pan. Unlike the quick sizzle of a food truck, you’ll slowly melt the butter with garlic so it infuses without burning. As it warms, the garlic will turn a golden color, and your kitchen will smell heavenly!

A white skillet containing melted browned butter with golden-brown sliced garlic on a distressed turquoise wooden surface.
Cook until the butter is browned and the garlic is crispy.
2

As the butter melts, it will foam and deepen to a rich amber color. Lower the heat and stir gently until it smells nutty and the sliced garlic turns irresistibly crispy.

Cooked seasoned shrimp in a white skillet on a rustic blue wooden surface. The shrimp are lightly browned and arranged in a single layer.
Set the browned butter aside, then use the same pan to sauté the shrimp.
3

Lightly dust the marinated shrimp with rice flour, which helps them sear up perfectly and thickens the garlic butter sauce so it clings to every bite. Sauté the shrimp in a little oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. The shrimp cook quickly, just 1-2 minutes per side until golden and tender.

Close-up of cooked shrimp in a pan, coated in a brown garlic butter sauce with visible pieces of garlic.
Toss the shrimp with the browned butter.
4

Add the crispy garlic brown butter back to the pan with the shrimp and toss for 30 seconds—just enough to coat them in all that buttery, garlicky goodness.

A plate of shrimp cooked with onions, served over white rice, with macaroni salad and green herbs. Lemon wedges are on the side, and everything is arranged on a white plate on a turquoise table.
This easy, 30-minute garlic shrimp recipe is one of those “how is it this simple and this good?” meals you’ll come back to again and again.

Serve Hawai’i Plate Lunch-Style

For the full island experience, serve your garlic shrimp as a plate lunch with a scoop of Mom’s Iconic Hawaiian Mac Salad (loved by thousands of PWWB readers!) and Perfectly Cooked Calrose Rice (a method passed down to me through 4 generations of Japanese cooks!). 

All that’s missing is a cold POG to wash it all down. 🤙🏼

A plate of garlic shrimp served over white rice with a side of macaroni salad, garnished with chopped green onions and a lemon wedge.
Close your eyes, take a bite, and pretend you’re eating seaside in O’ahu. 🤙🏼

I can’t wait for you to try this Hawaii-Style Garlic Shrimp! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!

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Close-up of a plate featuring garlic shrimp on white rice, garnished with sliced green onions, with creamy macaroni and cheese served alongside.

Hawaii-Style Garlic Shrimp (30 Minutes)

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: serves 2-4 1x
  • Category: Main Dishes; Seafood Recipes
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Hawaii and Local-Style; American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

Juicy jumbo shrimp, crispy garlic chips, and a rich browned butter sauce—my Hawaiian family’s recipe is North Shore Garlic Shrimp at its best.

Inspired by O’ahu’s iconic food trucks, this easy at-home version comes together in 30 minutes using fresh or frozen shrimp.

Just marinate, sear, toss in rich, garlicky browned butter, and serve over warm rice to soak up every drop. So ’ono! 🌺🤙🏼

Ingredients

Scale

for the garlic shrimp:

  • 1 pound jumbo shrimp (16–20 count), peeled and deveined with tails left on
  • 3–4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ¼–½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
  • 1 tablespoon rice flour (can sub all-purpose flour)

for the crispy garlic brown butter:

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 8 cloves garlic, half finely chopped and half very thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Marinate the shrimp: Rinse the shrimp and pat very dry with paper towels. Add to a medium bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, chopped garlic, cayenne pepper (if using), 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Toss well to coat. Set aside or cover and refrigerate overnight.A glass bowl filled with raw shrimp seasoned with spices sits on a distressed blue wooden surface, with a small pitcher of olive oil, a jar of paprika, and a dish of black pepper nearby.
  2. Prepare the crispy garlic brown butter: Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the chopped and sliced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. When the butter begins to foam, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the garlic turns golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.A white skillet with browned butter and sliced garlic sizzling in it, sitting on a distressed turquoise wooden surface.
  3. Cook the shrimp: Wipe the skillet clean and return it to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. While the oil heats, sprinkle the rice flour over the marinated shrimp and gently toss to coat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the shrimp in a single layer, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook 1 ½ – 2 minutes per side, until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining shrimp, adding more oil as needed between batches.Cooked, seasoned shrimp in a white skillet with handles, sitting on a distressed turquoise wooden surface. The shrimp are arranged in a single layer with a light coating of seasoning.
  4. Toss it all together: Return all the cooked shrimp (and any juicy goodness on the plate!) to the skillet with the prepared crispy garlic brown butter. Toss to combine well, cooking 30-60 seconds longer to let everything meld together.Shrimp sautéing in a white pan with melted butter and seasonings, placed on a distressed blue wooden surface.
  5. Serve immediately: Spoon the shrimp and garlic butter over warm Calrose rice and serve with a few lemon wedges for a little brightness. For a plate lunch-style meal, add a few scoops of Mom’s Hawaiian Mac Salad—so ‘ono! Enjoy!A plate of shrimp in sauce served over white rice, with a side of macaroni salad and lemon wedges, garnished with fresh herbs, on a rustic blue wooden table. Forks, rice, and part of a skillet are visible nearby.

Equipment

Notes

  • Storage and reheating: While best enjoyed fresh and warm, leftover garlic shrimp will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 2 days. For best results, reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through—the microwave also works, but may make the shrimp a little rubbery and tough.

Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!

A plate with grilled shrimp over white rice, macaroni salad, lemon wedges, and green onions, next to a bowl of chopped green onions and a plate of lemon wedges on a blue wooden table.
A plate of blackened shrimp served over white rice with macaroni and cheese, garnished with chopped green onions and lemon wedges on the side. A fork rests on the plate against a rustic blue wooden background.

Hi there, I'm Jess!

If there’s 1 thing to know about me, it’s this: I am head-over-heels in love with food. I’m on a mission to make weeknight cooking flavorful, fast, & fun for other foodies, & PWWB is where I share foolproof recipes that deliver major flavor with minimal effort. Other true loves: pretty shoes, puppies, Grey’s Anatomy, & my cozy kitchen in Minneapolis, MN.

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Comments

  1. 9.10.25
    Angela K. Marvin said:

    Aww, I’m excited to try this one! North Shore garlic shrimp is one of the few Hawaiian or local recipes I haven’t tried to make myself since visiting O’ahu last November, and I know your recipe will rock with authenticity. Gotta make your mom’s mac salad (which is the only way I make it now) and Calrose rice (which I also learned from your SPAM musubi recipe is the way to go!) to go with! (And order some Hawaiian Sun Pass-O-Guava from Amazon first!)

    Which restaurant is your uncle’s?! You’ve probably posted about it before and I missed it. I’ll be in O’ahu again this November so I’d like to go!

    Reply
    • 9.11.25
      Emma @ Plays Well With Butter said:

      Hope you give it a try soon, Angela!! Can’t wait to hear what you think! Sounds like you’re a pro at this point 🙂 Jess’s uncle Kevin owned Tae’s Teppanyaki in downtown Honolulu but has moved to the Lanai food court at Ala Moana mall, it’s now named Teppanyaki Farmer! You can find an article about it here!

      Reply