Chef notes
We love a good takeout-at-home recipe — and we love even more when it can be cooked on a sheet pan. This recipe has minimal prep (the only thing you need to slice are scallions for garnish!), so it easily comes together in under 30 minutes.
Traditionally, honey walnut shrimp are battered and deep-fried before being tossed in the creamy sauce. This lightened-up version eliminates these two steps, so the dish gets its crispiness from charred broccoli, which is served alongside the saucy shrimp.
Speaking of sauce, it’s really the main attraction here. A mixture of mayo, heavy cream and honey is luscious and slightly sweet, balanced with a large squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The shrimp and walnuts are seasoned with garlic and onion, adding savoriness to the dish. Feel free to sprinkle the shrimp with a pinch of chili flakes for some welcome heat.
Everything is served over jasmine rice, which can be purchased pre-cooked or made ahead. If you only have uncooked rice in your pantry, start preparing that first. You’ll need about 1 cup uncooked, which yields 3 to 4 cups of cooked rice.
Swap option: Obviously this is called honey walnut shrimp, but we’re giving you the green light to replace the nuts with cashews or peanuts. You can chop them or leave them whole.
Add-ons: Want to amp up the textures and flavors? Stir a small amount of toasted sesame oil into the sauce or finish with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. For some added freshness, top with a mound of fresh cilantro. Or, go the extra mile and reach into the fridge for your jar of chili crisp, a crunchy, spicy Chinese condiment that tastes good on almost anything.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- kosher salt
- 1 pound large (21/30 count) shrimp, uncooked, peeled and deveined, tails removed
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3-4 cups cooked jasmine rice, heated
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Preparation
1.Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat to 400 F.
2.In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets with 2 tablespoons of oil and a large pinch of salt. Arrange on one half of a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes.
3.Meanwhile, pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Using the same bowl, toss shrimp, walnuts, granulated garlic and onion, 1 tablespoon oil, and a large pinch of salt. After broccoli has roasted for 10 minutes, carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and arrange shrimp and walnuts on the other side. Return the baking sheet to the oven and continue roasting until shrimp is cooked through and broccoli begins to char, 8 to 10 minutes.
4.In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, heavy cream, honey, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. In a medium bowl, toss hot cooked shrimp and walnuts with half the sauce.
5.Arrange honey walnut shrimp and broccoli over rice. Drizzle with more sauce, as desired. Garnish with sliced scallions, and if using, a pinch of chili flakes.
