This recipe recreates the dish in your photo: juicy seared shrimp, browned sausage coins, crisp-tender broccoli, and a glossy sweet-savory honey-garlic sauce.
Servings: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15–20 minutes
Total: about 30–35 minutes
Ingredients
Shrimp
500 g / 1.1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp olive oil
Sausage
350 g / 12 oz smoked sausage, chicken sausage, turkey sausage, or beef sausage
1 tbsp olive oil, if needed
Cut sausage into 1–1½ cm / ½-inch rounds.
Broccoli
500–600 g / 1.1–1.3 lb broccoli florets
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp water
Pinch of salt
Honey-garlic sauce
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
5–6 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp rice vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbsp water
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp grated fresh ginger, optional
½ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
To thicken the sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water
Garnish
1 tsp sesame seeds
1–2 tbsp sliced green onions
Fresh parsley or cilantro
Optional red pepper flakes
Optional squeeze of fresh lemon
Full Step-by-Step Recipe
1. Prepare the shrimp
Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels.
This is important because wet shrimp will steam rather than sear.
Season with:
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
Don’t leave heavily salted shrimp sitting for a long time; season shortly before cooking.
2. Make the honey-garlic sauce
In a small bowl combine:
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp soy sauce
5–6 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp water
1 tsp sesame oil
ginger, if using
red pepper flakes, if using
Whisk well.
For a thicker glossy sauce
Mix separately:
1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp cold water
This is your slurry.
Don’t add the cornstarch directly to the hot sauce—it can form lumps.
3. Brown the sausage
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the sliced sausage.
Cook for approximately 3–5 minutes, turning occasionally, until deeply browned on both sides.
You want the caramelized brown edges visible in the photograph.
Transfer the sausage to a plate.
Tip
Don’t overcrowd the skillet.
The sausage needs direct contact with the pan to develop those dark caramelized edges.
4. Cook the broccoli
Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the same skillet.
Add the broccoli.
Season lightly with salt.
Cook for approximately 2 minutes.
Add:
2 tbsp water
Immediately cover the pan.
Steam for approximately 2–3 minutes.
Remove the lid.
Continue cooking for another 1–2 minutes until the broccoli is:
bright green
tender-crisp
slightly charred around the edges
Transfer to the sausage plate.
Don’t overcook it
For the texture shown in your photograph, the broccoli should still have some bite.
5. Sear the shrimp
Add another small splash of oil if the skillet is dry.
Place the shrimp in a single layer.
Cook approximately:
1½–2 minutes on the first side
Flip.
Cook another:
1–2 minutes.
Shrimp are ready when they become opaque and pink with a slight curl.
Don’t cook them until they form a very tight “O” shape—that usually means they’re overcooked.
Remove them from the pan temporarily.
6. Make the sauce
Reduce heat to medium-low.
Pour the honey-garlic mixture into the skillet.
Let it simmer for approximately 1–2 minutes.
Add the cornstarch slurry gradually while stirring.
Cook another 30–60 seconds.
The sauce should become:
shiny + slightly thick + syrupy
Don’t boil it aggressively because honey can burn.
7. Combine everything
Return the:
shrimp
sausage
broccoli
to the skillet.
Toss gently for 1–2 minutes.
Coat everything thoroughly with the sauce.
The shrimp should be heated through but not cooked for a long time.
8. Finish
Turn off the heat.
Add:
sesame seeds
green onions
parsley/cilantro
optional red pepper flakes
optional lemon juice
Serve immediately.
How to Plate It Like the Picture
For the appearance shown:
Put broccoli around the plate.
Arrange sausage slices between the broccoli.
Place shrimp prominently on top.
Spoon extra honey-garlic sauce over the shrimp and sausage.
Sprinkle sesame seeds and herbs over everything.
The dark brown seared sausage + orange-pink shrimp + bright green broccoli gives the same contrast as the photograph.
Make It Spicy
Add one or more:
½–1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp sriracha
½ tsp cayenne
1 finely chopped Thai chili
For a sweet-spicy version, use:
4 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp sriracha.
Less Sweet Version
If you don’t want a very sweet honey sauce:
Use:
2 tbsp honey
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
5 cloves garlic
This produces a more savory sauce while retaining the honey-garlic flavor.
Best Sausage Choices
You can use:
Chicken sausage
Lighter and excellent with shrimp.
Turkey sausage
Leanest option.
Beef sausage
Richer and closer to the dark, heavily browned appearance in the picture.
Smoked sausage
Very flavorful and easiest for this recipe.
Spicy sausage
Excellent if you want a Cajun-style variation.
Important: if using raw sausage rather than fully cooked smoked sausage, cook it completely according to its type before combining it with the shrimp.
What to Serve With It
For a complete meal:
Lower-carb
Cauliflower rice
Zucchini noodles
Extra broccoli
Green salad
Regular meal
Steamed white rice
Jasmine rice
Brown rice
Quinoa
My favorite
Serve it over steamed jasmine rice, allowing the honey-garlic sauce to soak into the rice.
Approximate Nutrition
Assuming 4 servings and using smoked chicken/turkey sausage, the recipe is approximately:
Nutrient Per serving
Calories 450–520 kcal
Protein 32–38 g
Total fat 18–24 g
Saturated fat 5–8 g
Carbohydrates 30–35 g
Fiber 5–7 g
Net carbs 24–30 g
Total sugars 20–23 g
Added sugar ~17 g
Sodium 1,000–1,400 mg
Cholesterol ~180–230 mg
Important: sodium and calories can change dramatically depending on the sausage and soy sauce you choose.
If you add rice, calculate the rice separately.
Approximate addition for 1 cup cooked white rice
~200 kcal
~45 g carbohydrates
~4 g protein
<1 g fat
Nut & Allergen Information
Does this recipe contain nuts?
No. The basic recipe contains no peanuts or tree nuts.
However, sesame seeds are not tree nuts, but sesame is a major allergen in many countries, so omit them if necessary.
Major allergens
This recipe can contain:
Soy — soy sauce
Sesame — sesame oil/seeds
Milk — depending on sausage
Wheat/gluten — depending on sausage and soy sauce
Shrimp is also a shellfish allergen.
Gluten-free
Use:
certified gluten-free sausage
gluten-free tamari instead of ordinary soy sauce
gluten-free cornstarch
The dish can easily be made gluten-free.
Recipe Q&A
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes.
Thaw them completely and pat them very dry before seasoning.
For the best browning, don’t put ice-cold wet shrimp directly into the skillet.
Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?
Yes, but add them at the very end.
Cook only about 30–60 seconds, just until heated through.
Otherwise they become rubbery.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes.
You don’t necessarily need to thaw it.
Cook it a little longer and allow excess water to evaporate before adding the sauce.
Fresh broccoli gives a better roasted/seared texture.
Why is my sauce too thin?
Simmer it for another minute or two.
If necessary, mix:
½ tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp cold water
and add it gradually.
Why did my sauce become too thick?
Add 1–2 tbsp water, chicken stock, or lemon juice and stir over low heat.
Why did my honey sauce burn?
Honey contains a lot of sugar and can caramelize quickly.
Keep the sauce at medium-low heat and don’t leave it unattended.
How do I prevent rubbery shrimp?
Three rules:
Dry shrimp → hot pan → short cooking time.
As soon as they’re opaque and cooked through, remove them.
Can I make this without honey?
Yes.
For low-carb/keto, replace honey with an appropriate zero-sugar sweetener.
A practical starting point is:
2–3 tbsp allulose
3 tbsp soy sauce
garlic
vinegar
sesame oil
Allulose generally gives a more syrupy sauce than many other non-sugar sweeteners.
Is this keto?
The pictured-style recipe with regular honey is not strictly keto.
For a keto version:
Replace honey with a keto-friendly sweetener.
Use low-carb sausage.
Use tamari or soy sauce.
Avoid serving with rice.
Broccoli and shrimp themselves are naturally relatively low in carbohydrates.
Can I meal-prep this?
Yes, but shrimp are best when freshly cooked.
For meal prep:
Cook the sausage.
Cook the broccoli.
Prepare the sauce.
Cook shrimp slightly less than usual.
Refrigerate everything promptly in airtight containers.
Store for approximately 3 days in the refrigerator.
Reheat gently so the shrimp don’t become tough.
Can I freeze it?
You can, but I don’t recommend freezing the completed dish for the best texture.
Broccoli can become soft and shrimp can become rubbery after freezing and reheating.
If you must freeze it, cool it quickly, package airtight, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Can I cook everything in one pan?
Yes—and that’s actually the best method.
Cooking the sausage first leaves flavorful browned bits in the skillet. The broccoli and shrimp then pick up that flavor, and the sauce deglazes everything at the end.
Chef’s Tips for the Best Result
1. Dry the shrimp extremely well.
This makes the biggest difference to browning.
2. Brown the sausage first.
Don’t just warm it.
3. Don’t overcrowd the shrimp.
Cook in batches if necessary.
4. Keep broccoli crisp-tender.
5. Add honey sauce near the end.
Honey burns easily.
6. Don’t overcook the shrimp.
7. Use low-sodium soy sauce.
Sausage already contributes considerable salt.
8. Add lemon or rice vinegar.
The acidity balances the sweetness and fat.
9. Finish with sesame and green onion.
They add both flavor and the visual finish seen in the photograph.
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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