Bourbon-Glazed Shrimp

Quick-cooking shrimp make for easy weeknight meals, plus their mild flavor makes them incredibly versatile so that you don’t ever have to get bored. I always have a few bags in the freezer — I honestly never buy shrimp “fresh,” which are usually just frozen shrimp that have already been thawed. This means I can always whip up some sort of 10-minute meal. They are a great way to get creative in your kitchen.

Here’s a weeknight recipe inspired by my mother-in-law’s fabulous bourbon brown sugar salmon, but adapted to use freezer-friendly shrimp instead. The simple marinade works overtime to become a rich, sweet yet savory glaze.

Shrimp are so incredibly simple to cook, and yet I’ve tasted my fair share of bland, rubbery specimens. The trick to not overcooking them, which make them tough, is to err on the side of underdone. I cook them until they are pink on one side, flip, and pull them when they are still a tad translucent. Since they are mixed back into the glaze before serving, you can use this time to make sure they are cooked all the way through.

The best part of this recipe is the sauce. I love how the complex marinade turns itself into a glossy, luscious sauce without any effort at all. Just crank up the heat the skillet and let the stove do the work. As it bubbles away, the water will cook out leaving behind a silky, flavorful glaze. Pair this with edamame-ginger rice for a stunning, well-rounded weeknight meal.