Although Operation Get Some Baby Stuff wasn’t super successful this weekend, getting out of the house to visit with friends over a nice dinner on Saturday night was!

Ben and I tend to hit the same restaurants over and over again here in town (locals: that includes Flying Mango, Miyabi 9, and Monterrey) so we tried to think of somewhere unusual that our friends would enjoy too, and all agreed on Bonefish Grill. Although it’s a chain, and Des Moines has some really stellar locally owned restaurants, it was close to home and Ben had never been, so off we went!

I hadn’t been to a Bonefish in ages and was pleasantly surprised to be reminded of the intimate, dark-wood decor as we walked inside. Normally I hate dimly lit restaurants (Granny’s eyes are bad!) but the low lights mixed with a cozy booth felt just right.

After perusing the menu for awhile, Ben and I decided to get the 2-person dinner, which came with a few sides and sampling of yummy seafood with the restaurant’s signature sauces. Chilean Sea Bass topped with a bright and fresh chimichurri sauce, Atlantic Salmon drizzled with decadent lemon butter, and Shrimp + Scallops brushed with a sweet, Pan Asian Glaze.

I didn’t have much of the sea bass (it’s high in mercury) and while the salmon absolutely melted in my mouth, the shrimp and scallops that were grilled-then-glazed in a thick, salty-sweet sauce were absolutely mouthwatering. So, I decided to recreate the dish at home!

Copycat Bonefish Grill Pan Asian-Glazed Shrimp

Plump shrimp are threaded onto skewers then grilled until smokey and sizzling. A sweet and spicy Pan Asian Glaze is then brushed over top before serving.

I actually found the Pan Asian Glaze recipe right on the Bonefish Grill website – how lucky! I scaled the recipe back, traded some white sugar for honey, then added red chili pepper flakes for a nice kick.

The result is the defiNITION of finger-lickin’ good. I could have eaten 100 of these smokey-sweet shrimp! If you don’t like shrimp, this glaze would be delicious brushed on everything from salmon and scallops, to chicken or even pork. You’ll just love it.

Start with the Pan Asian Glaze, which is made with mostly fridge and pantry staples: soy sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, lemon juice, and water. 

A note on oyster sauce – you can find this right by the soy sauce and pre-made Teriyaki sauce in the grocery store. I’ve used it in a couple of dishes here on IGE before including Beef & Broccoli, and Garlic Noodles. It’s thick, salty, and sweet – basically, it’s love.

Un-pictured was 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes I ended up tossing in the sauce for a hit of heat. I don’t know about you, but there’s just something kind of irresistible about a sweeter sauce with a little bit of spice. Mmmm!

Anyways, mix up the sauce in a bowl, then heat 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger and saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant, then add the sauce then bring to a bubble.

Reduce the heat to medium-low then sprinkle in 1 Tablespoon sugar and drizzle in 1 Tablespoon honey. Let the sauce cook for another minute or 2 to dissolve the sugars, then remove from the heat and set it aside.

Next, turn to zee shrimp! You’ll want about 1lb shrimp for 4 people. I used 40-50 count, peeled & de-veined frozen shrimp that I thawed for about 10 minutes in a bowl of cool water, then threaded onto skewers. You can actually buy shrimp pre-skewered at the meat counter if you don’t want to do this yourself!

Pat the shrimp dry then lightly season both sides with salt & pepper. Heat a grill or grill pan (I used my Griddler) to high then brush with extra virgin olive oil.

Grill the shrimp for 1-2 minutes, or until pink, then flip and brush the grilled side with some of the glaze. Grill until the second side is done then flip and brush the second side with the glaze.

Remove from the heat, then serve right away. You’ll want these hot, sticky, and sweet!

Bonefish Grill Pan Asian-Glazed Shrimp

Print this recipe!

Serves 4

Slightly adapted from Bonefish Grill

Ingredients:
1lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined & skewered

For the Pan Asian Glaze:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled & minced
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon water
3/4 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon honey

Directions:

1. Combine ketchup, oyster sauce, soy sauce, water, and lemon juice in a bowl then set aside. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat then add ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ketchup mixture then bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to medium low then stir in sugar and honey. Cook for 1 more minute then remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat then brush with more olive oil. Pat shrimp skewers dry then lightly season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill on one side for 1-2 minutes or until pink, then flip. Brush the grilled side with Pan Asian Glaze and grill until second side is cooked. Flip once more, glaze the second side, then remove skewers from grill and serve.

At Bonefish Grill we ordered our dish with tender haricot vert and creamy Potatoes Au Gratin, but today I decided to mound my Pan Asian-Glazed Shrimp on rice pilaf (I used Whole Foods brand organic Spanish-Style Pilaf) and roasted asparagus (asparagus tossed with extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper then roasted at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.) I stirred a bit of hot water into the extra glaze and drizzled it on top for a final flourish.

Perfection!

Hope you enjoy!