hot honey garlic butter shrimp with cold tzatziki

20 minute winner

Aug 29, 2026

Your next 20-minute dinner sorted, and she’s a little dramatic for how easy she is. Cold, tangy tzatziki gets absolutely smothered in hot, buttery shrimp with Calabrian chile and honey, then showered with crispy garlic. The real trick is that we’re frying the garlic first and using that garlic-infused oil everywhere: in the tzatziki, again to cook the shrimp, and even for frying the pita. So one tiny extra step is doing a a whole lot of work for you.

hot honey garlic butter shrimp with cold tzatziki

SERVES: 2
TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

tools i use.

tips.

make it GF: ✅ serve with gluten-free pita, flatbread, or rice.

make it DF: ❌

Make it easier

simplify: skip the crispy garlic and use regular avocado or olive oil throughout. You’ll lose a little crunch and garlic intensity, but dinner gets even faster.

riff: turn this into bowls with rice, chopped cucumber and tomato, or swap the pita for warm naan/flatbread. You could also add a handful of chickpeas to the platter to stretch it.

You might be wondering

can I make this without a mandoline? yes, sharp knife works perfectly, the goal is just thin, relatively even slices so the garlic cooks at the same rate.

make it ahead? tzatziki and crisp garlic can be made up to 2 days ahead, but cook the shrimp right before serving.

storing: store the shrimp and tzatziki separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Keep the crispy garlic at room temperature in an airtight container so it stays crunchy.

reheating:
the best way: gently warm the shrimp in a skillet over medium-low heat just until warmed through.
the easy way: microwave in short bursts. Do NOT reheat the tzatziki.

ingredients.

For the crispy garlic:

2 tbsp avocado oil
4 large garlic cloves

For the tzatziki:

½ English cucumber
½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp white vinegar
¼ cup fresh dill

For the shrimp:

1 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
¾ tsp kosher salt
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp calabrian chili paste
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon

For serving:

Warmed pita bread
More dill

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steps.

Make your crispy garlic:

thinly slice garlic into even pieces.
add garlic to your smallest skillet and add a thin layer of avocado oil. Place over medium heat and cook until pale golden and crispy, watching carefully, as it turns fast. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with a pinch of salt. Reserve the oil.
(heat your pitas on the garlic oil pan for extra flavor!)

Make your tzatziki:

grate cucumber on a large box grater into a large colander, and season with salt and set aside. Using your hands, squeeze as much liquid as you can out (don’t sweat it if it’s not fully dry), and add to a large mixing bowl.
add 1 cup greek yogurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp reserved garlic oil, 1 tsp white vinegar, ½ tsp kosher salt and mix well.
roughly chop ¼ cup dill and mix it in. Set in fridge while you make the shrimp.

Cook your shrimp:

heat 1 tbsp reserved garlic oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Pat shrimp very dry. Add in a single layer and season with ¾ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, undisturbed, until golden underneath, about 1–1½ minutes.
flip the shrimp and add 3 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp calabrian chili paste and 2 tbsp honey. Cook, tossing, until the butter is melted, the sauce is glossy and bubbling, and the shrimp are just cooked through, about 1 minute.
remove from the heat and stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice and the zest of 1 lemon.

Serve:

spread tzatziki across your serving platter and spoon the hot shrimp and all that spicy honey-garlic butter over top. Finish with the crispy garlic, more fresh dill, and plenty of warm pita for dragging through everything.