Wondering how to make hot honey lemon pepper sauce? These crispy shrimp in hot honey lemon pepper sauce put the party in party food! The perfect appetizer for game day, or any day!
If you've ever wrapped your hands around crispy chicken wings drenched in lemon pepper wing sauce, you already know where I'm going with this easy recipe. It's a super-quick pescatarian version of the hot honey lemon pepper wings that are so popular across the southeast US.
Get ready to tingle your taste buds!
What You Need to Make Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Sauce (for shrimp or chicken):
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Shrimp (or chicken wings): medium or large shrimp will work for this recipe, if the shrimp are too small they will cook faster than the coating can crisp up. Be sure the shrimp are cleaned and deveined, then dry well with a paper towel before coating. If using chicken wings, this is enough sauce for about 1-1 ¼ pounds of wings.
Coating: cornstarch, lemon pepper seasoning and salt are all you need to season and coat your shrimp. Remember these crispy shrimp will also get a dunk in hot honey lemon pepper glaze, so we don't want to overwhelm them with spices at this stage! But I wouldn't be mad if you added a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder or paprika to the cornstarch dry rub.
Honey: the recipe calls for regular honey to be seasoned with hot sauce and chili flakes to add heat. But if you have a bottle of hot honey floating around your kitchen, skip the added spice and just use the hot honey!
Hot sauce and chili flakes: I tested a variety of spicy add-ins for this sauce and preferred the combination of hot sauce and dried chili flakes. But feel free to use what you have to spice up your sticky sauce. Cayenne pepper, sriracha, chili crisp or peri-peri would all be great additions.
Neutral oil: I recommend shallow frying your shrimp in a skillet using a neutral oil (such as canola, sunflower or even vegetable oil). I don't recommend olive oil, as it is not the best option for frying and because it is a little too flavorful for our recipe. If you prefer deep frying, feel free to use that method, instead. I haven't tested this recipe using an air fryer, so let me know if you try it!
Full measurements and ingredients included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions:
To begin, make the hot honey lemon pepper sauce. Combine honey, butter, hot sauce, lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning and chili flakes in a saucepan over medium heat.
Cook the sauce for 3-4 minutes, until fully combined and thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning, then reduce heat to low and prepare the shrimp.
Next, dry cleaned shrimp well with paper towels. Combine cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of lemon pepper seasoning and ½ teaspoon fine kosher salt in a zip-top bag. Drop clean and dried shrimp into the bag and shake well, coating the shrimp in the dry batter.
Heat neutral oil in a large skillet - enough to cover the skillet with about 1 inch of oil. Once hot, fry shrimp in batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan.
Cook for about 90 seconds, then turn the shrimp and cook for another minute, until golden brown and cooked through. Using a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs, remove shrimp to a wire rack to drain any excess oil while frying the next batch.
Once all of the coated seafood is fried, toss the shrimp in the hot honey lemon pepper sauce.
Garnish with lemon zest and sliced scallions or chives, if using.
Need more seafood appetizers in your life?
- 20 Easy Shrimp Appetizers for Party Season
- Smoky Tuna Dip Recipe
- New Orleans Grilled Oysters (Drago's Oyster Recipe)
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
This recipe as written is about a medium level of spiciness. But the level of spiciness in hot honey lemon pepper sauce depends on how much hot sauce and red chili flakes you add. So if you prefer a milder option, taste the glaze before adding any spicy elements. Then you can adjust the spiciness to fit your taste preferences by adding just a little hot sauce at a time.
This is a versatile condiment that can be used in so many delicious ways:
- Drizzle it over crispy fish, grilled fish fillets, salmon bites or coated chicken wings for a spicy and tangy glaze.
- Mix it into marinades for an extra kick in your BBQ dishes.
- Use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, dumplings, or french fries.
- Add it to stir-fries or sautéed vegetables for a spicy-sweet flavor boost.
If these crispy shrimp are the centerpiece for your meal, serve it with Savory Slaw, Baked Fries or Pasta Salad. If you're including lemon pepper shrimp as part of your party spread, think about serving it with Spicy Hummus and pita chips, Smoky Tuna Dip, Eggplant Bruschetta or Gazpacho Salad.
If you store extra sauce separately from your fried shrimp, the hot honey lemon pepper sauce can last for up to 2 weeks.
To store leftover crispy shrimp, move to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator up to 2 days. To reheat, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake shrimp in the oven at 375℉ for about 8 minutes, or until just heated through. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Crispy Shrimp with Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Sauce
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 (appetizer) 1x
Ingredients
1 pound large shrimp, cleaned and tails removed
½ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
½ teaspoon fine kosher salt
Neutral oil, for shallow frying
Hot honey lemon pepper sauce:
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
½ teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon scallions or chives, optional, for garnish
2 teaspoons lemon zest, for garnish
Instructions
- To begin, make the hot honey lemon pepper sauce. Combine honey, butter, hot sauce, lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning and chili flakes in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the sauce for 3-4 minutes, until fully combined and thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning, then reduce heat to low and prepare the shrimp.
- Next, dry cleaned shrimp well with paper towels. Combine cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of lemon pepper seasoning and ½ teaspoon fine kosher salt in a bag. Drop cleaned and dried shrimp into the bag and shake well, coating the shrimp in the dry batter.
- Heat neutral oil in a large skillet - enough to cover the skillet with about 1 inch of oil. Once hot, fry shrimp in batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for about 90 seconds, then turn the shrimp and cook for another minute, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove shrimp to a rack to drain any excess oil while frying the next batch.
- Toss the shrimp in the hot honey lemon pepper sauce. Garnish with lemon zest and chives, if using.
Notes
Be sure to fry shrimp in batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan.
Medium or large shrimp work best in this recipe, giving the coating time to crisp while the shrimp cooks through.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Tina
Oh yum! These look so good! Can't wait to try this recipe!
Christina Jolam
Thanks so much...You're going to love them!
Lori
I'm curious as to what hot sauce you used. Making this tonight as an appetizer for friends 🙂
Christina Jolam
Hi, Lori! I used a Texas Pete style hot sauce when I shot the recipe. But I've used cholula and a Portuguese peri peri sauce and loved them all. Thanks for cooking along with me!