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This Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp recipe is buttery, garlicky, and irresistibly delicious—just like the famous Giovanni’s shrimp truck in Oahu. With crispy, golden shrimp and a rich, savory sauce, it’s easy to make at home and a must-try for seafood lovers!
Giovanni Shrimp Recipe
One of my favorite shrimp dishes is Hawaiian garlic shrimp, made famous by Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck in Kahuku on Oahu’s North Shore. If you’ve been to Hawaii, chances are you’ve tried this iconic, garlicky shrimp—it’s a must-try when visiting Oahu!
My easy Hawaiian garlic shrimp recipe is inspired by Giovanni’s, with buttery, golden shrimp coated in a flavorful garlic sauce. Many of my friends have tried and tested it, all giving it their thumbs up—they say it tastes just like Giovanni’s! The best part? You can recreate it at home with simple ingredients. It’s utterly delicious and best served with a cold beer.
Give my recipe a try and see for yourself—you won’t regret it! Be sure to check out my tips and tricks below to make sure your shrimp come out perfect every time. If you love garlic and shrimp, be sure to check out my Honey Garlic Shrimp and Garlic Butter Shrimp recipes next—they’re just as delicious and full of garlicky goodness!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Just like the real deal. If you’ve tried the famous Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck on Oahu’s North Shore, you’ll love how this Giovanni garlic shrimp recipe comes so close to the original!
- Mouthwatering garlic butter sauce. This garlic butter sauce is absolutely irresistible, coating the shrimp in rich, savory goodness with every bite. It’s full of garlicky, buttery flavor that’ll have you coming back for more!
- Quick and satisfying. Craving something rich and delicious but don’t have much time? This recipe comes together fast, making it perfect for those busy weeknights when you want something tasty without the hassle.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shrimp – I used large shrimp, headless, shell-on, and tail-on for the best flavor. You can use peeled shrimp if you prefer, but you’ll miss some of the flavor from the shells.
- All-purpose flour
- Cayenne pepper – If you prefer milder heat, paprika is a great substitute for cayenne.
- Unsalted butter – You can use salted butter, but just be sure to cut back on the added salt.
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- White wine – If you prefer not to use wine, you can substitute with chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- Salt
- Sugar
- Fish sauce – Fish sauce is optional but it adds umami flavor to the dish. If you don’t use it, just add more salt to taste.
- Lemon juice
- Ground black pepper
For the full details on each ingredient, be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
How To Make Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
Give the shrimp a good rinse and clean them up, then devein them. After that, just pat them dry with paper towels.
Grab a big bowl and mix the flour and cayenne pepper together. Then toss the shrimp in, just enough to lightly coat them with the flour mixture—don’t overdo it!
Alright, heat up a sauté pan and toss in the butter. Once it’s melted, add the olive oil. Then throw in the garlic and sauté it for just a minute until it smells amazing. Now, add the shrimp to the pan and cook them up. Once they’re looking nice and pink, pour in the white wine, sprinkle in the salt and sugar, and add the fish sauce if you’re using it.
Keep stirring until the shrimp are fully cooked and nice and pink. Then squeeze in a bit of lemon juice and sprinkle some black pepper over it. Give everything a good mix and serve it up right away!
Secrets To Perfect Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
- Always use shell-on, tail-on shrimp. The shells help lock in the shrimp’s natural juices, making the garlic butter sauce richer and more flavorful. If you prefer peeled shrimp, you can use them, but you’ll miss out on some of that extra flavor boost.
- Fish sauce is the secret ingredient that takes this dish from good to wow. The umami it adds really rounds out the garlic butter. While it’s optional, I promise you’ll miss out on that extra depth of flavor if you skip it. If you choose not to use it, just add a little extra salt, but it won’t be quite the same!
- Shrimp cook in a flash, and that’s exactly how you want them—just 2 minutes per side is all it takes. Any longer, and they’ll turn rubbery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frozen shrimp works just fine. Just make sure to thaw them out fully and pat them dry before cooking. You want to remove any excess moisture so the shrimp can sear nicely in the pan.
You can absolutely use a different size of shrimp, but I always recommend going for large shrimp because they hold up better. If you use smaller ones, just be sure to adjust your cooking time so they don’t overcook.
For sure! This recipe is super easy to double. Just use a bigger pan so the shrimp have plenty of space to cook evenly. You might need to cook in batches to avoid overcrowding and get that perfect sear on every shrimp.
If you love garlic (who doesn’t?), feel free to add extra cloves! Just be careful not to burn it when sautéing—garlic burns quickly, which can make the dish bitter.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, just heat it up gently on the stove over low heat to avoid overcooking the shrimp.
This recipe is only 524 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500g) shrimp, headless, shell-on, tail-on, deveined
- 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 oz (60g) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce, optional
- 1 squirt lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Clean and rinse the shrimp, then devein them. Pat them dry with paper towels.
- Mix the flour and cayenne pepper together in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss a few times to lightly coat them with the flour mixture.
- Heat a sauté pan and add the butter. Once the butter melts, add the olive oil. Stir in the garlic and sauté lightly until fragrant, then add the shrimp to the pan. Sauté the shrimp, then add the white wine, salt, sugar, and fish sauce (if using).
- Continue to stir until the shrimp are cooked through. Add a squirt or two of lemon juice and some black pepper. Stir to combine and serve immediately.
Notes
- Always use shell-on, tail-on shrimp. The shells help lock in the shrimp’s natural juices, making the garlic butter sauce richer and more flavorful. If you prefer peeled shrimp, you can use them, but you’ll miss out on some of that extra flavor boost.
- Fish sauce is the secret ingredient that takes this dish from good to wow. The umami it adds really rounds out the garlic butter. While it’s optional, I promise you’ll miss out on that extra depth of flavor if you skip it. If you choose not to use it, just add a little extra salt, but it won’t be quite the same!
- Shrimp cook in a flash, and that’s exactly how you want them—just 2 minutes per side is all it takes. Any longer, and they’ll turn rubbery.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We just came back from Hawaii and the family wants shrimp scampi from the truck at home. We will try your recipe. What green stuff did you garnish with? Green onions? Parsley? Cilantro?
Can I not use white wine, it’s available but it’s a 2 hours drive to where it is.
You can skip it.
Can I not use white wine, it’s available but it’s a 2 hours drive to where it is.
My daughter makes her own version of the garlic and hot shrimp. She uses rice flour, coconut milk. No wine or beer. Otherwise pretty much the same recipe. Awesome. Last night we inadvertently used shelled shrimp and it was good but using shell on (devained, easy peel variety) make them extra yummy.
Hello is the flour necessary or can I omit that. Have someone who cant eat gluten.
Yes you can skip!
Have made this several times, the family loves it!
In fact, voted better then the Giovannis truck by my in-laws.
Began playing with the recipe. Tonight I added ginger in place of half the garlic.
More wine and flower to increase the sauce, tossed it with past and …a new star is born!
Thanks for the great recipe and the inspiration to make it my own.
From the rainy SF Bay!
Hi Steve, thanks for sharing your tips! I am so glad that you in-laws said mine are beter than Giovanni’s. Maybe I should start a shrimp truck.
DELICIOUS
I made this awesome recipe inside last time and it was such a hit! However, I want to make this for my parents tonight but it’s going to be 95 degrees here today, yikes. Do you think it’s possible to use a cookie shit outside on the grill this time? Or just suck it up and get my kitchen hot? Thanks again for this recipe!
You can try.
Aloha Rasa,
So interesting that you added Fish Sauce into the recipe, as when I tried Giovanni’s Shrimp Scampi this past weekend for the first time (and I’ve lived on Oahu my entire life), I KNEW there was some kind of “umami” factor going on, thinking it was Parmesan Cheese giving it that “oomph”. What brand or style of fish sauce do you recommend using for the Giovanni’s Shrimp Scampi knock-off recipe? Thai Fish Sauce (Nam Pla)? Filipino (Patis)? Other?
Also good to know it’s coated in flour, as I could also tell there as extra crunch and adhesion of the garlic butter sauce thanks to that flour coating. As for mixing Ceyenne pepper into the flour, to be honest, I didn’t taste ANYTHING spicy in Giovanni’s Shrimp Scampi, and I have a very sensitive tongue for spicy food. If there is Ceyenne Pepper in Giovanni’s flour mixture, it’s very little.
I’ve left several links and references to your post and recipe here on my food blog over at Tasty Island Hawaii (dot com).
Mahalo!
Pomai
The Tasty Island
Honolulu Food Blog
Pomai, thanks for your comment. I was eating both the spicy version and non-spicy version so I couldn’t really tell on whether or not there was spices. But I love cayenne pepper. For Fish Sauce, use Vietnamese fish sauce, for example: Red Boat or Magic Chef.
I have tried this recipe and it was perfectly made as it was I tasted it in Kauai. I have been trying to find these recipe for a long time and at last someone shared this recipe. Thank you soo much.
Hi Josie, thanks so much for trying my recipe. So glad that you like my recipe.