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Skillet Cranberry Honey Garlic Shrimp With Pineapple

Sweet-tart cranberry, honey garlic, and caramelized pineapple coat tender shrimp in one skillet simple, bright, cozy, and memorable for busy nights.
Print Recipe
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings:4
Course:seafood
Cuisine:American, Japanese-American fusion
Calories:390
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Shrimp
  • 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined (tails on or off)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch optional, helps sauce cling
  • Pineapple
  • 1 ½ cups pineapple chunks fresh or canned, drained
  • 2 tbsp pineapple juice optional, from the can or fresh
  • Cranberry honey garlic sauce
  • ⅓ cup cranberry sauce whole berry or jellied or ⅓ cup dried cranberries + ¼ cup water (see notes)
  • 2 ½ tbsp honey
  • 4 –5 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard optional, adds depth
  • ½ tsp chili flakes optional, for gentle heat
  • 2 tbsp water or chicken broth to loosen
  • 1 tbsp butter for finishing, optional but nice
  • For cooking and finishing
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley or cilantro
  • Lime wedges optional, for brightness

Method
 

  1. Prep the shrimp. Pat shrimp dry, season with salt and pepper, and toss with cornstarch if you’re using it. Set aside.
  2. Mix the sauce. In a bowl, whisk cranberry sauce, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard (if using), chilli flakes (if using), and water/broth until mostly smooth.
  3. Heat your skillet. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When it shimmers, the pan is ready.
  4. Caramelize the pineapple. Add pineapple chunks in a single layer. Let them sit 2 minutes without stirring so they can brown. Stir and cook another 2–3 minutes until you see golden edges and the kitchen smells sweet and warm.
  5. Make space for garlic. Push pineapple to one side of the skillet. Lower heat to medium and add garlic to the open space.
  6. Bloom the garlic. Stir garlic for 30–45 seconds. You want a gentle sizzle and fragrant aroma—garlic should not darken.
  7. Pour in the sauce. Add the cranberry honey mixture. It will look thin at first, then start to bubble lightly around the edges.
  8. Simmer briefly. Let the sauce simmer 1-2 minutes until it turns glossy and slightly thicker. You’ll see small bubbles and a deeper red color.
  9. Add shrimp. Slide shrimp into the sauce in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd shrimp cook best when they have room.
  10. Cook until just done. Cook 1-2 minutes per side, turning once. Shrimp should turn pink and opaque and curl into a loose “C.”
  11. Finish the glaze. Stir in butter (if using) and a splash of pineapple juice (optional). The sauce should look shiny and cling to the shrimp and fruit.
  12. Garnish and serve. Turn off heat, sprinkle with herbs, and serve immediately with rice, noodles, or your favorite simple side.

Notes

  • Pick your cranberry base. If you have cranberry sauce (especially leftover from holidays), this recipe becomes effortless. Whole berry cranberry sauce gives little pops of fruit; jellied cranberry sauce melts more smoothly. Both work.
  • No cranberry sauce? Use dried cranberries. Simmer ⅓ cup dried cranberries with ¼ cup water for 3–4 minutes until plump, then mash lightly and use in the sauce. You’ll get a slightly more textured glaze.
  • Use large shrimp for the best bite. Small shrimp cook too quickly and can turn firm before the sauce finishes. Large shrimp give you more control.
  • Cornstarch is optional, but helpful. A light cornstarch coating on shrimp thickens the sauce slightly as it cooks and helps the glaze cling. If you skip it, just simmer the sauce a touch longer.
  • Caramelize pineapple in one layer. If the pineapple is piled up, it steams. Spread it out and let it sit long enough to brown. Those golden edges are where the flavor deepens.
  • Balance the sauce to your taste. Cranberries can be tangy. If it tastes too sharp, add a drizzle more honey. If it feels too sweet, add a small splash of vinegar or lime.
  • Add heat only if you want it. Chili flakes add warmth that plays nicely with honey, but the dish is still delicious without spice.
  • Keep the shrimp cooking time short. Shrimp continue cooking in the hot sauce even after you turn off the heat. Pull the pan off once they’re just opaque.
  • Finish with herbs and citrus. A handful of parsley/cilantro and a squeeze of lime make the sweet-tart sauce taste fresher and cleaner.
  • Serve right away for the best texture. The glaze is glossiest, and the shrimp are tenderest right after cooking, while the pineapple is still warm and lightly crisp at the edges.