
Garlic Prawns (Shrimp) Recipe
Garlic Prawns – who seems like a giant pile of plump juicy prawns laced with lemon garlic butter?? Palms down, my favorite approach to cook dinner prawns! Fast and straightforward, by no means fails to impress. The secret ingredient? A splash of white wine. It makes all of the distinction.
This can be a reader-favourite recipe included by well-liked demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
This can be a reader-favourite recipe included by well-liked demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
This can be a spectacular approach to cook dinner prawns that’s been a household favorite for so long as I can bear in mind.
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Simply 6 substances – prawns, garlic, white wine, butter, olive oil and lemon (I get salt and pepper totally free). Prawns are scrumptious plain, so easy is greatest!
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Fast to cook dinner – simply 6 minutes. Any longer and also you’ve over cooked the prawns 😭;
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Although the recipe requires a 20 minute marinade, it’s optionally available; and
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It’s all the time a success. ALWAYS!!
A splash of white wine is the key ingredient that makes these prawns superb!

Right here’s what you want. The important thing ingredient right here that makes all of the distinction is white wine. Wine provides complexity and depth of flavour to this in any other case easy dish.
Use any white wine you might have. Dry white wine is greatest however even candy ones work nice. Rose and Champagne are additionally terrific!


This can be a 6 minute recipe so be sure you have all of the substances readily available, able to throw into the skillet!

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Marinate prawns with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, salt and pepper for simply 20 minutes, in case you have time (in any other case skip it). Don’t marinate for longer because the salt will draw an excessive amount of moisture out of the fragile prawn flesh and make them watery.
No garlic – I used to marinade the prawns with the garlic assuming it will infuse the flesh with garlic flavour. However really, it doesn’t. Not with such a brief marinating time. However you do find yourself with little burnt bits of garlic!
So nowadays, I add the garlic partway by means of cooking the prawns so it doesn’t burn. Higher outcome, higher garlic flavour!
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Sear in batches – Warmth 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a big non stick pan over excessive warmth. Place half the prawns within the pan and sear all sides for 45 seconds, utilizing tongs to show individually.
Take away the primary batch onto a plate then sear the remaining prawns for 45 seconds on all sides.
TIP: don’t crowd the pan! Much less prawns = higher color = simpler to deal with = gained’t overcook.
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Garlic – Return the primary batch of prawns into the pan then add the garlic and toss for 30 seconds.
Wine – Add the wine, it can sizzle and steam when the wine hits the recent pan which is GOOD! This implies it lowered down in a short time (~30 seconds) which is strictly what we wish (quick cook dinner = juicy prawns)
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Butter – As soon as the wine has largely evaporated, add the butter and lemon juice then swirl the pan to make it soften.
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Parsley – As quickly because the butter has melted, shortly toss by means of the parsley then switch the prawns and all of the butter sauce onto a plate.
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Serve immediately, freshly cooked!

Oh – right here’s the rationale I prefer to make further sauce: FOR MOPPING UP WITH BREAD. All that garlic and the juices from the prawns makes probably the most outrageously scrumptious butter.
Some folks begin fist fights over the prawns. I’ll struggle you for the butter!!😂
(PS Use this crusty artisan bread recipe. Fairly positive it’s now been formally topped because the world’s best yeast bread recipe!)

Garlic Prawns are tremendous straightforward to make, however I do have a number of tricks to be sure you nail it each single time!
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CHOP the garlic, don’t use a garlic press. Garlic press = finer garlic that’s additionally juicy which is able to burn on the excessive warmth we use to cook dinner the prawns;
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Contemporary is greatest, however frozen is admittedly nice these days! 5 years in the past, I by no means would have mentioned that. However these days, there are excellent high quality frozen prawns. Search for large, plump frozen ones – they work greatest if utilizing frozen;
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Dry prawns – particularly if utilizing thawed frozen prawns. Moist prawns won’t get that beautiful golden sear within the quick time it takes to cook dinner prawns and also you’ll find yourself with stewed prawns;
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Quick cook dinner – overcooked prawns are rubbery and laborious, reasonably than juicy and plump. They take 3 minutes max to cook dinner (medium to giant);
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Prepare dinner in batches – don’t crowd the pan! Crowded pan = stewed prawns reasonably than seared. We wish to sear for optimum flavour. Bear in mind, color = flavour! So cook dinner half the prawns then take away, then cook dinner the opposite half. Additionally, cooking much less prawns at a time is simpler to deal with ie turning them one by one.
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Excessive warmth, giant pan – to assist cook dinner the prawns completely and get a pleasant sear on them;
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Use tongs not a spatula – flip every prawn individually, don’t stir them;
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Butter + oil – butter supplies flavour, however butter burns at excessive warmth. To counteract this, we use a combo of butter + oil right here. Oil to sear, then butter for sauce flavour!
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Wine will SIZZLE and STEAM! The pan ought to be tremendous scorching if you pour the wine in so it sizzles and evaporates shortly (30 seconds or much less). In case your prawns simmer in a pool of wine, then you definitely’ll simmer away the seared floor = lack of flavour 😩
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6 minute rule – This could take 6 minutes or much less to cook dinner. Any longer, and the prawns will most likely be overcooked……😩
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Be beneficiant with lemon! Seafood loves lemon. I make garlic prawns with a medium quantity of lemon in it, however I all the time serve with further wedges for folks to serve themselves.
Desire a creamy sauce for Garlic Prawns?
Use this Creamy Garlic Prawns recipe – similar garlic marinated prawns, PLUS a garlicky creamy parmesan sauce!

Crusty bread for mopping up that tasty garlic butter sauce is important! For home made choices, attempt one among these (I particularly suggest the crusty Artisan bread – insanely straightforward recipe!):
Spherical out your meal with some sides – listed below are some classics for heat summer season days:
Additionally – BBQ possibility!! This recipe I’m sharing right this moment is for Garlic Prawns cooked on the range. For bigger get togethers, I are inclined to do large batches on the BBQ and I make the sauce individually – right here’s my Grilled Garlic Prawns/Shrimp with Lemon Garlic Butter.
You’ll love how crispy you will get the prawns on the barbie! – Johnsat x
This recipe options in my debut cookbook Dinner. The ebook is usually new recipes, however it is a reader favorite included by well-liked demand!
This recipe options in my debut cookbook Dinner. The ebook is usually new recipes, however it is a reader favorite included by well-liked demand!

Ingredients
- 500g / 1lb prawns (shrimp) , peeled and deveined, tail on (unpeeled weight 1kg/2lb, Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp cooking/koshfer salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (separated)
- 3 tsp finely minced garlic cloves (~ 4 cloves) (use knife, not crusher/mincer)
- 40g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1.5cm / 1/2" cubes (Note 2)
- 1/4 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped (garnish)
- Lemon wedges
- Bread for mopping!
Instructions
- Marinade: Place the prawns, 1 tablespoon olive oil and pepper in bowl. Gently toss then set aside for 20 minutes (no longer else the prawns will sweat from the salt),.
- Sear in batches: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Place half the prawns in the pan then sear each side for just 45 seconds, using tongs to turn.
- Remove & repeat: Remove prawns onto a plate, heat the last 1 tablespoon of oil and cook each side for 45 seconds.
- Return first batch of prawns back into pan.
- Garlic – Add garlic then stir for 30 seconds.
- Add wine – it will sizzle and be steamy! Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, until wine mostly evaporates – around 30 seconds.
- Butter & lemon: Scatter butter across pan, add lemon juice. Swirl butter around the pan until it melts, then toss through the parsley.
- Serve: Transfer the prawns and all the butter sauce onto a serving plate. Serve with extra lemon wedges. Bread for mopping is essential – try this simple Crusty Artisan Bread!
Notes
1. Prawns – if using frozen, thaw and drain well to remove excess moisture otherwise the prawns won’t go golden, they will just stew and get watery in the pan. Use paper towels to pat dry.
If using fresh/whole prawns, use 1kg/2lb (peeled weight is about half).
2. Less butter – you can halve the butter to reduce calories if you want. This amount creates plenty of tasty sauce and makes this extra indulgent, but it’s super delicious even without.
3. Wine – A dry white wine is best. Wine adds an edge to the flavour that takes this up a notch, so don’t skip it!
If you can’t consume alcohol, use low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth.
4. TIPS:
Chop garlic, don’t use mincer because it will burn at the high heat
Add garlic partway through cooking, else it will burn and you’ll end up with little bitter bits of burnt garlic.
Marinading is optional
Cook in batches, don’t crowd the pan – the prawns will stew rather than sear.
Use tongs to turn each prawn individually so they cook evenly. Don’t try to toss the prawns with a wooden spoon.
You don’t get charring on the prawns because of the addition of the wine. It’s what stops the garlic from burning.
Oil + butter – Sear the prawns in oil to get nice colour on them (butter burns!), then add butter at the end to create the sauce.
SALT – you shouldn’t need loads because prawns are naturally salty.
Cook on BBQ: See this recipe.
5. HOW TO TELL A PRAWN IS COOKED: Prawn hangs straight = raw, curled in “C” shape = perfectly cooked, curled tightly in an “O” shape = overcooked (noooo!!!)
6. Nutrition per serving including ALL the sauce!