This simple sheet pan dinner is packed with spicy, savory, and sweet flavor and couldn’t be easier to make. Roast shrimp and broccoli florets in the oven, drizzle them with a sweet and spicy hot honey, and you have the ultimate 30-minute meal. Pair it with white or brown rice, quinoa, or even orzo for a complete meal!This sheet pan dinner is also totally customizable. Swap the broccoli out for cauliflower florets, chunks of bell peppers, or halved Brussels sprouts, if you have these vegetables in your crisper drawer instead. Or try replacing the shrimp with bite-sized cubes of chicken breast or thinly sliced sausage. It’s a meal you can make your own!
A Perfect Sheet Pan Dinner for Busy Weeknights
Toss a mix of vegetables and protein on a sheet pan, roast everything together in the oven, and in no time, you’ll have a wholesome meal. Here, tender shrimp is roasted with broccoli florets. Cutting the florets in a similar size to the shrimp ensures it’s a dish that’s easy to eat, while a garlicky hot honey glaze brings the entire dish together. It’s a dinner that’s bursting with texture and flavor. The broccoli gets tender and charred, while the shrimp is ultra-juicy and sweet.
What is Hot Honey?
If you’re not familiar with hot honey, allow me to introduce you. Hot honey is simply honey that’s infused with chili peppers. Sometimes a splash of vinegar is added to thin the mixture and add a little tang, and sometimes hot sauce is used instead of chili peppers, but the results are the same: Honey that’s both sweet and spicy. This condiment has gained popularity in recent years and there are a handful of brands available at specialty markets and grocery stores like Whole Foods. My favorite brands are Red Clay and Mike’s Hot Honey. It’s also easy enough to make at home yourself by simply warming honey and red pepper flakes together on the stove to infuse the honey with spice. This recipe includes instructions on how to do it, so you have the choice to make it yourself or pick up a bottle from the store.
What to Do with Hot Honey
Hot honey is a versatile condiment that has endless uses. If you start with a store-bought bottle of hot honey, you’ll have plenty left over to play around with in the kitchen. While the recipe below makes just enough for this dish, it might be worth doubling or tripling the batch, so you do have some extra. Try drizzling it on everything from pepperoni pizza and fried chicken to roasted Brussels sprouts and corn on the cob. It’s even a surprisingly delicious addition to a cocktail like a hot toddy or Old Fashioned, or as a topping for vanilla ice cream. Store hot honey in an airtight container at room temperature in your pantry for up to one month.
The Best Shrimp to Use
Fresh or frozen shrimp can be used for this recipe. Unless I can get really fresh shrimp from my local fish market, I usually buy frozen uncooked shrimp at the grocery store. More often than not, the “fresh” shrimp at the grocery store is previously frozen and thawed, so buying frozen means you can thaw it as needed and the shrimp will end up being much fresher than what they’re selling behind the counter. Transfer the quantity of frozen shrimp you need to a covered bowl or zip-top bag the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator until you’re ready to start dinner. I prefer large shrimp (31/35 size) for this sheet pan dinner, though shrimp that’s a little smaller or a little larger will work well, too, if that’s what’s more available to you.
Smaller shrimp will only take 4 to 6 minutes to cookLarger shrimp will take 8 to 10 minutes.
Typically, shrimp that’s already peeled and deveined is a little more expensive than shrimp you need to peel and devein yourself. I find it a quick and easy process, so I generally opt to do it myself to save a few dollars. If you’d like to learn how to do it, check out this guide. However, feel free to buy them ready to go if you prefer.
Serving and Storage
Like I mentioned, my favorite way to serve this roasted shrimp and broccoli is over white or brown rice. However, it’s also great over quinoa, couscous, or orzo, or served with a side salad. Or simply serve it all by itself—it can hold its own! The dish isn’t super saucy, but rather sticky and glazed from the hot honey. I love finishing it off with a big squeeze of lime juice, which adds a bit of freshness to every bite, and an extra pinch of red pepper flakes, for just a little more spice. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Avoid microwaving and instead rewarm in a skillet over low heat until just warmed through.
More Weeknight Shrimp Dinner Recipes
Creamy Shrimp and Broccoli Fettuccine Shrimp Scampi Shrimp Fried Rice Shrimp Quesadilla Smoky Paprika Shrimp Skewers
1 cup long grain rice
For the hot honey
3 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the shrimp and broccoli
1 pound broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons hot honey, divided 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined (31/35 size) Red pepper flakes and lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Season the shrimp with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
