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Mastering Shrimp
Recipe
30 min

Hot Honey Broiled Shrimp

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Hot Honey Broiled Shrimp
Author: Annie Petito

Recipe By Annie Petito

Published on June 2, 2025

For tender, succulent, spotty-brown shrimp, let your broiler do the work.

Time

30 min

Yield

Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as an appetizer

Why This Recipe Works

The broiler’s direct, intense heat is great for browning, but shrimp are so small that it’s hard to get color on them before they overcook. We started by briefly salting the shrimp so that they retained moisture even as they were cooked under high heat. A coating of butter and honey added richness, boosted browning, and underscored the shrimp’s sweetness. To cook, we arranged the shrimp in a single layer on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet to allow for airflow, which promotes even cooking. Setting the oven rack 4 inches from the broiler ensured the shrimp had enough distance to cook evenly and brown quickly without needing to be turned. Chili powder and cayenne pepper were easily stirred directly into the honey-butter mixture before cooking, giving the shrimp a sweet-spicy profile perfectly balanced by a shower of fresh, thinly sliced scallions.

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, tails left on
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey
¾ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 scallions, sliced thin
Lemon wedges

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Toss shrimp and salt together in bowl; set aside and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
  2. Combine butter and honey in small bowl. Cover and microwave until butter is melted, 30 to 60 seconds. Add chili powder and cayenne and stir to combine. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. While mixture cools, adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set wire rack in sheet.
  3. Spread out shrimp on large plate or cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Return to bowl and pour butter mixture over shrimp. Toss until shrimp are thoroughly and evenly coated, including where they are split from deveining (it’s OK if butter starts to solidify). Arrange shrimp in single layer on prepared rack.
  4. Broil until shrimp are opaque throughout and beginning to lightly char in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer shrimp to serving platter; sprinkle with scallions; and serve, passing lemon wedges separately.

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Hot Honey Broiled Shrimp

Recipe By Annie Petito

Published on June 2, 2025

Time

30 min

Yield

Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as an appetizer

Hot Honey Broiled Shrimp

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, tails left on½ teaspoon kosher salt4 tablespoons unsalted butter2 tablespoons honey¾ teaspoon chili powder¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper2 scallions, sliced thinLemon wedges

Instructions

  1. Toss shrimp and salt together in bowl; set aside and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
  2. Combine butter and honey in small bowl. Cover and microwave until butter is melted, 30 to 60 seconds. Add chili powder and cayenne and stir to combine. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. While mixture cools, adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set wire rack in sheet.
  3. Spread out shrimp on large plate or cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Return to bowl and pour butter mixture over shrimp. Toss until shrimp are thoroughly and evenly coated, including where they are split from deveining (it’s OK if butter starts to solidify). Arrange shrimp in single layer on prepared rack.
  4. Broil until shrimp are opaque throughout and beginning to lightly char in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer shrimp to serving platter; sprinkle with scallions; and serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
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