Frozen prawns are convenient and as good as fresh if cooked right. Just run them under cold water for a minute or two before using them.
Batter-dipped prawns tossed in sticky, sweet honey sauce – old-school Chinese restaurant style! This recipe features a proven batter coating technique that stays crispy for hours and uses ice-cold soda water. For more frozen prawns, check out frozen prawns recipes online now.
Honey Prawns
It is one of the most popular Chinese banquet dishes and takeout items. It’s easy, quick to make, and surprisingly inexpensive, especially compared to other seafood banquet dishes like abalone or steamed grouper.
Frozen prawns are already cooked; you only need to warm and flavour them. If you have a lot of frozen prawns to cook and don’t want to wait overnight to defrost them in the fridge, then run them under cold water in the sink for 10 minutes first to defrost them quickly.
Pat thawed prawns dry with a paper towel. Heat oil for deep-frying and gradually make the batter by whisking self-raising flour into the egg and cold water (the batter should be pretty thick). Dip prawns in cornflour into the batter, holding them by the tail and shaking off excess. Fry them in batches of 6 and drain on absorbent paper. Toss with warmed honey and garnish with sesame seeds before serving.
Shrimp with Garlic
This garlicky shrimp recipe is easy enough for a weeknight meal and is best served with rice or pasta. It can also be paired with cheesy homemade biscuits or roasted vegetables. If you have time, purchase large shrimp and leave the tails on for a restaurant-style presentation.
Place frozen shrimp in the fridge overnight to safely thaw them, or if you’re in a rush, run them under cold water for 20 minutes until they’re completely melted. Before cooking, blot the shrimp dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for frying the shrimp (it’s best, but not essential). Add a pinch of paprika for colour. Choose standard sweet paprika over smoked for a less intense flavour. Add a little cayenne pepper for a light kick of heat if desired, or omit it for a milder dish.
Garlic Prawns
A classic from Spain, these garlic prawns are known as gambas al ajillo, and they’re giant juicy prawns bathed in the most amazing olive oil and garlic sauce. They’re often enhanced with salt and chilli (red pepper flakes) or sherry for an earthy kick or lemon to give a fresh, zesty lift.
This simple recipe uses whole shell-on prawns designed for dinner parties or treat-yourself nights. Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley adds great freshness to balance the rich buttery flavour.
You can make this dish ahead and store the prawns in a tightly sealed container in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them. Remove the prawns from the refrigerator an hour before cooking so they’re at room temperature.
Garlic Prawns with Lemon Sauce
Fancy a delicious, creamy, lemony garlic sauce for your prawns? This straightforward and tasty dish takes very little time to prepare.
You can use fresh or frozen prawns (shrimp) for this dish. If you are using frozen, thaw them before cooking.
Shell and devein the prawns, keeping the tails on, and cook them in butter for two minutes. Add the garlic, lemon zest and juice, and fry for a minute or more. Toss with a handful of cooked pasta and serve.
This recipe is adapted from a lovely book by Jamie Oliver. We used a supermarket seafood seasoning blend to give the prawns some of their flavour, but you can make your own. This dish is easy to prepare and makes an excellent show-stopper dinner for guests.
Garlic Prawns with Garlic Sauce
A classic Spanish tapas dish, these garlic prawns (Gambas al Ajillo) are simple and delicious. They’re seasoned with olive oil and butter, garlic and chilli flakes and finished with paprika and parsley. You can serve these as a starter or main meal, and they’re perfect for entertaining!
A splash of white wine adds a depth of flavour to this recipe. It will make your prawns taste extra special. Drizzle the remaining garlic confit butter over the prawns, and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley before serving.