Super tasty! This Garlic and Butter Shrimp cooked in Sprite is crazy delicious and so easy you’ll make it over and over again.
We are huge shrimp (or prawn) eaters in the Philippines. Go to any seafood or Filipino restaurant in Manila and you’ll have a myriad of shrimp dishes to choose from!
I guess, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise. After all, the Philippines is an archipelago and totally surrounded by bodies of water. Having over 7,100 plus islands we also possess a vast amount of rivers and lakes.
With all that water (both salty and fresh), seafood abounds and especially shrimps or prawns which you’ll find all over the place in all kinds of markets.
While we make so much variety of shrimp dishes in the Philippines, one dish, in particular, stands out as it is always a crowd favorite! That is —- Garlic Butter Shrimp with Sprite or Halabos na Hipon in the local dialect.
You’re probably re-reading that above statement. Sprite? What?
Yes, indeed shrimp cooked in Sprite!
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that we cook shrimp in Sprite (or 7UP for that matter!). After all, we use Sprite or 7Up in many of our dishes that should it included as part of the local ingredients! LOL.
Seriously, we have chicken and pork dishes cooked with or at least marinated in Sprite! Ok, I’ll let you in on a secret Filipino ingredient – our secret ingredient is Sprite!!! Seriously, we love to cook with Sprite that it seems odd if it is left out in dishes that rely on it for flavor, texture, and tenderness!
It is so popular that even some adobo recipes (adobo is our national dish!) are cooked with Sprite. Now you get how much we love Sprite in our cooking. And, no… this is not a sponsored post by the Coca-Cola Company. You can certainly use 7UP if you prefer that – any lemon-lime soda will do.
I think it’s because we love both sweet-tangy, sweet-tart, and sweet-sour flavors in our cuisine that Sprite or lemon-lime soda has a special place in our cooking.
Anyway, without further ado, here’s our favorite recipe for Garlic Butter Shrimp with Sprite! It’s so simple and quick to make.
My main advice would be to cook with shrimps/prawns with their heads and shells still intact for a more robust and truly delicious flavor. I have tried it with both intact shrimps and shelled shrimps (see photos for comparison) and for me, the difference is night and day in taste. I genuinely prefer and highly recommend the use of fully intact shrimps for full flavor.
The shelled shrimps aren’t bad – it still tastes good what with the sprite, garlic, and butter in it – you can’t go wrong – but if you want some umami goodness – leave the shells alone and keep them on!
Enjoy!
How to Make Garlic Butter Shrimp with Sprite (Halabos na Hipon)
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic (divided), minced
- 1 tbsp oil of choice
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup Sprite (or 7 UP or any lemon-lime soda)
- 1 lb shrimp or prawn, deveined but shells and heads (preferably) left intact
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, a few drops of juice (optional)
Instructions
- In a skillet or shallow pan, brown half of the garlic in the oil over low to medium heat. Spoon the browned garlic and set aside. This would be used for garnish.
- In the same pan or skillet, add the butter and remaining garlic. Cook until the butter is melted and the garlic is aromatic. Pour in the Sprite. Simmer for about 3-5 minutes or just until the liquid is reduced.
- Add the shrimp or prawn. Season with a little salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the shrimp has fully changed its color and is cooked through. if you are cooking shelled prawns or shrimp, just cook until they are fully opaque. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Remove the shrimp from the sauce and reduce the sauce some more, if desired. Otherwise, serve the shrimps in a platter and pour over the remaining sauce all over. Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice (optional). Garnish with the browned garlic. You may also sprinkle it with some chopped cilantro or parsley to add a bit of color. Serve over rice. Enjoy.
Notes
Last updated on August 22nd, 2023 at 04:30 pm
I must say I’ve never seen a recipe like this to cook shrimp in sprite, but I was intrigued so I tried it. OMG delish! You’d think it’d be sweeter but it wasn’t and now I’m hooked!
Oh my goodness this Garlic Butter Shrimp with Sprite looks so delicious and so yummy! My daughter and I are going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to give this a try!
I think my husband thought I was crazy pulling out the ingredients to make this Garlic Butter Shrimp with Sprite but after one bite, he was raving about it! A total winner and must try!
Oh my goodness – this is so crazy-unique! You’re exactly right … I had to do a double-take when I read “Sprite.” Whaaaaa?!?! But it makes sense – sweet/sour/tangy lemon-lime flavor all from one bottle. Thanks for this fun recipe!
So easy to make this Garlic Butter Shrimp with Sprite and crazy delicious!
I had never heard of cooking with sprite before, but I figured I would give it a shot. The whole family really loved it, and we will definitely be making these shrimp again.
This is so delicious! The Sprite adds a wonderful brightness and sweetness. This is going on my normal rotation!
Oh wow! I would have never thought to use Sprite in a shrimp recipe like this. Definitely intrigued now. 🙂
My husband loves shrimp and I was trying to find a recipe that was easy to make! This is perfect!
Oh my, so easy to make and yet you get such a rich and delicious shrimp dish.
Such a creative and delicious way to make shrimp with Sprite! Definitely gonna try this!
Super delicious! I added some lemon juice (around 2 tbsp) and chili powder to spice it up, and some cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce and coat the shrimp, but the soda (I used 7up) definitely creates the magic. Ridiculously easy too!
Author
I love your addition of chili powder and the extra tanginess from the lemon juice! I should try that next time! So glad you enjoyed this!
This is such a fun and delicious recipe. My family loved it and couldn’t believe it was made with Sprite soda!
I low how easy this recipe is. plus it can be made with pantry ingredients! win-win
This recipe is so tasty, and I love the tips you added at the end. Those are always my favorite parts because I learn more ways to make a recipe delicious- and this recipe was certainly that!
This was SO DELISH! I’m kind of addicted! On my regular rotation for sure!
My family loved this, thank you!
What is the purpose of leaving the shells on.
I always remove them before I cook them??
Author
The recipe post explains why it’s better to have the shells on. It adds so much flavor. The flavor of the shrimp is actually on the shells particularly the head part.