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37 delicious prawn recipes for seafood lovers
Our best-ever prawn recipes
By Miriam Carey · January 14, 2025
Originally published on loveFOOD
Moreish meals with prawns
Having a bag of frozen or fresh prawns to hand means you can always whip up a meal quickly. They're incredibly versatile, whether to toss through a stir-fry, poach in a warming curry or sizzle on the barbecue.
There's something for everyone in this collection of our best prawn recipes.
BBQ prawns
Sometimes when you've got quality ingredients, it's best to keep things simple. Here, meaty tiger prawns are smothered in a punchy marinade full of ginger, garlic, fresh coriander and lime, then griddled or barbecued to bring out their sweetness. Sprinkle over finely diced red chilli for a final flourish.
Sweet and sour prawns
A quick and simple recipe that will be become a firm favourite. The sweetness comes from chunks of pineapple and the sour comes from a splash of vinegar and ketchup. Cashews add a lovely nuttiness too. Serve with rice noodles which are super-quick to prepare as well.
Chilli king prawns
King prawns are succulent and sweet, which works perfectly with chilli. Our recipe uses Chinese five spice to add some aromatic flavours and bell peppers which give a sharper sweetness. Serve with rice or noodles, or on toasted sourdough for lunch.
Jamaican pepper shrimp
Fiery and flavourful, this is a dish best cooked on the barbecue (but a pan will work if not). The Scotch bonnet chillies are what gives this dish heat, but they also have a sweetness to them which is in harmony with the paprika. Limes provide a balancing sharpness.
Vietnamese-style Singapore fried noodles
These fried noodles are packed with flavour and are fantastic with prawns. Easy to whip up, the noodles are cooked with Vietnamese curry powder which gives them an earthy spiciness, and the sauce has a delicious saltiness from both soy sauce and oyster sauce. You can also add your favourite green veg.
Get the recipe for Vietnamese-style Singapore fried noodles here
Chicken and prawn stir-fry
Prawns are perfect for stir-fries because they are quick to cook, taking about the same time as most leafy greens. Our recipe includes chicken, a great pairing with prawns, and the flavour comes from Chinese five spice which balances the sharpness of Shaoxing wine with salty soy sauce.
Garlic pepper butter prawns
Inspired by seafood dishes in Mumbai, this recipe is rich and satisfying. Deep flavours come from lightly marinating the prawns with turmeric and garlic; adding peppercorns and chilli flakes gives it a kick; and the butter brings everything together. Serve with flatbreads so you can soak up the sauce.
Burmese prawn curry
A Burmese-inspired curry with the addition of nutty creamed coconut, this sauce can be made up to four days in advance and stored in the fridge. When you’re ready, reheat it and add the prawns. You can use frozen or raw, but shell-on prawns look the most impressive.
Sichuan prawns
One of the best-known dishes from the famous southwestern Chinese province, Sichuan prawns are stir-fried in a spicy tomato, ginger, garlic and black bean sauce. It’s quick and easy. Garnish with sliced spring onion and serve with stir-fried veg and steamed rice.
Get the recipe for Sichuan prawns here
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Prawn and chicken pad Thai
This fragrant and crunchy stir-fried noodle dish with prawns, chicken, scrambled egg, beansprouts, crispy onions, peanuts, lime, fresh mint and coriander is always a treat. Don’t be put off if you’ve never made it before, you probably have many of its core ingredients (such as soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger and garlic) already in the cupboard.
Cajun seafood gumbo
This warming Louisiana classic features prawns, tender okra and the Cajun holy trinity of celery, green peppers and onion. Serve it with fluffy white rice and crusty bread to soak up the rich broth.
Thai green curry with king prawns
This Thai green curry doesn’t contain shop-bought curry paste – the recipe teaches you how to make your own. The result is a super fresh-tasting dish that can be ready in just over 30 minutes. Serve it with rice noodles or jasmine rice.
Korean seafood soup
A rich, umami bowl of seafood soup. Shellfish, such as whole prawns (the shells add flavour), clams, mussels and scallops work best while soft silken tofu and a cracked egg give it a thick texture. In terms of veg, Korean cabbage, mushrooms (such as button, enoki, oyster and shiitake) and sliced courgette are great. Finish with a sprinkling of fresh chives.
Grilled king prawns with chermoula
A North African marinade often used with seafood, chermoula features coriander, parsley, garlic, preserved lemon, fresh lemon, paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper. In this recipe prawns are marinated then grilled (don’t overcook them), and served on black rice with peas, broad beans and French beans.
Prawn, chorizo and basil linguine
This surf 'n' turf pasta combines prawns with spicy chorizo in a rich tomato sauce. You can use lardons of bacon if you don't have chorizo. Once plated, tear over basil leaves for a pop of green.
Prawns, spring onions and bacon with cheesy polenta
If you’re after a comforting dish, this recipe is a winner. Sweet, juicy prawns and salty, crisp bacon work perfectly with creamy Parmesan polenta. Don’t hold back on the lemon juice or cayenne pepper either, it’s needed to cut through the rich flavours.
Get the recipe for prawns, spring onions and bacon with cheesy polenta here
Bloody mary prawn tacos
A spicy Bloody Mary-inspired tomato sauce works well with tender prawns. Celeriac provides the crunch you’re looking for, plus there's lots of acidity thanks to the lime. You’ll also want to add a little mayo or sour cream to each of these.
Vietnamese chicken and prawn pancakes
The proper name for these crispy, prawn and chicken-stuffed rice pancakes is bánh xèo. Bánh means cake, while xèo means sizzle, referring to the sound the batter makes when it hits the hot skillet. It’s a quick mix of rice flour, turmeric, coconut milk and spring onions. Crunchy beansprouts and lettuce also go inside the wrap.
Get the recipe for Vietnamese chicken and prawn pancakes here
Prawn and salmon chowder
This is a Norwegian chowder-style soup that’s super comforting on a cold day. It features salmon, prawns, potato and leek, and you can garnish it with crème fraîche, salmon roe and chives which is totally optional. Serve it the traditional way with flat, crisp bread or go with a hunk of crusty sourdough.
Vietnamese-style seafood stew
This refreshing and sweet seafood stew, loaded with herbs and veg, is almost like a Vietnamese bouillabaisse. Traditionally it's made with ingredients such as tamarind (a sour fruit), taro stem (a starchy Asian root veg) and a citrus herb, but this recipe makes a few supermarket swaps.
Ginger and prawn potstickers
Potstickers are Chinese dumplings that are pan-fried then steamed. Although they may seem intimidating to make, you can buy premade wrappers from Asian supermarkets to help you out. These ones are stuffed with a juicy ginger, garlic, pork and prawn filling, and are served with a tangy chilli, soy, rice wine, ginger and sesame oil dipping sauce.
Mustard prawn curry
The spice blend of mustard seeds, ginger and garlic really works with seafood, but the great thing about this mustard prawn curry is that the sauce can be used with almost any white fish. Simmer it slowly to allow the flavours time to develop and serve it with chapati or rice.
Prawn, pea and courgette risotto
This lemony prawn, pea and courgette risotto is perfect as a midweek meal. It’s made even more simple if you stock frozen prawns in the freezer. Soft herbs such as parsley, mint, dill and chives keep it fresh and exciting. Add garlic butter at the end if you want to make it more indulgent.
Pasta with leeks, chilli and prawns
A simple pasta dish featuring softened leeks, blistered cherry tomatoes and prawns. You don’t want the seafood to be rubbery, so only sauté for a few minutes before adding chilli flakes, garlic and lemon zest, then turn the heat down. Also be sure to reserve at least a cup of pasta water to add at the end to keep it saucy.
Prawn and rice noodle rolls
These little rice noodle rolls can be served as a starter or part of a larger spread. They look technical but are really simple – you can buy spring roll wrappers from an Asian supermarket and the filling is sliced cucumber, fresh coriander, rice noodles, sesame oil and cooked prawns. Add a little of the dipping sauce inside each of the rolls for extra flavour.
Prawn ceviche
In this popular Peruvian dish, raw prawns are cured in Tabasco, lemon juice and salt. Then they're combined with avocado, red onion and tomato to make a sweet, spicy and citrus mix. It’s great on top of tostadas or in tacos with sour cream and crispy pork crackling.
Grilled prawn Thai salad
This crunchy Thai salad features marinated and grilled king prawns plus raw carrot, cabbage, cucumber and onion. The peanut and coconut sauce makes the meal, so be sure to prepare a generous portion. Blanch glass or rice noodles to serve alongside the salad.
King prawn scampi and chips
Have a go at homemade king prawn scampi and chips. This version is light and crispy as raw prawns are coated in wholemeal breadcrumbs and baked in the oven instead of deep-fried. Make your own potato wedges and tartare sauce to go with them.
Prawn and fennel spaghetti
A beautiful Italian prawn pasta dish with the mild flavours of fennel, garlic and parsley. It’s super speedy and a great weeknight dinner. A shot of Ouzo (Greek aperitif) or similar added to the sauce is a nice touch.
Prawn and cabbage fried rice
This tasty fried rice features cabbage for crunchiness and wok-fried garlic for immense flavour. We also love the addition of a handful of sweet frozen peas. You can use cooked giant tiger prawns for quick results, but don’t give them too much extra cooking or they’ll go rubbery.
Barbecued lime and chilli tiger prawns
Lime, chilli, garlic and prawns is a combination made in heaven. The smoky flavour from the barbecue makes it even better, but they could also be grilled or pan-fried. Serve with salad, wraps, crusty bread or couscous to make a meal.
Get the recipe for barbecued lime and chilli tiger prawns here
Prawn sambal and nasi lemak
Inspired by the flavours of Malaysia, prawn sambal features prawns cooked in sambal (Indonesian chilli paste), coconut cream, pineapple and lime. Meanwhile, nasi lemak (fragrant coconut rice) is the country’s national dish. Both are delicious and can be ready in under 30 minutes, which is perfect for midweek.
Goan prawn curry
This Goan-inspired prawn curry is infused with spices such as ginger and turmeric, and features coconut milk, desiccated coconut and spicy red chillies. It’s cooked in a slow cooker for up to six hours to give it time to develop flavour. Sweet, meaty prawns and spinach or green beans are added at the end.
Chunky fish soup
A simple take on classic French fish soup bouillabaisse, this dish combines seafood, like prawns and calamari, and fish with a heady saffron-infused broth. Best of all, it's ready in just 15 minutes.
Peri peri prawns
Crispy, spicy and bursting with flavour, these peri peri prawns need very little work. Make sure you leave the prawns to marinate overnight and all that is left to do the next day is grill them and serve on a bed of savoury rice with wedges of lemon to squeeze over.
Prawn noodle soup
This speedy noodle soup can be ready in just 15 minutes. Creamy coconut balances out the fierceness of the chilli but feel free to add more or less in depending on your heat preference. Adding some greens in the end, such as bok choy, chard, kale or spinach, is a nice touch.
Spicy prawn and tomato stew
Fiery with green chillies, warming with cumin, allspice and caraway seeds, and herby with dill and parsley. This Palestinian stew is traditionally baked in a clay pot but this has been adapted for the hob. Serve with bread to mop up the delicious sauce.
Get the recipe for spicy prawn and tomato stew here
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