4 simple ways to prepare and cook prawns
30/04/2022
5 min. reading
Source: Photo by Anthony Leong from Pexels
Prawns are a delicious treat that can be cooked in a variety of ways. If you enjoy their tenderness, try our different recipes to savor the goodness in all kinds of flavors.
With around 3,000 species of prawns, there are a lot of choices of which prawn to put on the dinner table. All of them are perfect sources of B vitamins, especially B12, folate and 22 times the amount of vitamin E in chicken or beef!
You can purchase prawns in the following states:
- Raw or cooked
- Shelled or whole
- Frozen or fresh
So let’s dive in!
How to cook prawns
Prawns are versatile seafood that one can cook in many different ways - grilled, pan-fried, or even poached. Why not start your culinary journey with an easy creamy garlic prawns recipe and learn how to cook prawns.
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Easy Creamy Garlic Prawns recipe
Creamy Garlic Prawns are your favourite garlic prawns… PLUS a creamy garlic sauce! Few simple little tricks to make a sauce that's a cut above your basic recipes - deglaze the pan with a little white wine, a splash of chicken stock and sprinkle of parmesa
Let’s go through a few ways how prawns can be cooked and prepared:
Preparation
For whole prawns which are raw or cooked, there is some preparation involved before cooking:
Remove shell and head - keep these to make a stock or soup base
Remove the vein of the prawn - use a sharp knife along the back of the prawn and remove
Rinse and pat dry - for even cooking
Cooked prawns, like frozen peas, are ready to go! So no preparation is needed.
How long to cook prawns
Smaller prawns cook quickly, but larger prawns take a little longer, but only a few extra seconds. So, how long to cook prawns? You may sensibly ask. Well, prawns are very quick to cook, taking around 5 minutes. Try not to cook them for too long, or the texture will become rubbery.
Now, our few ways on how to cook prawns:
How to cook raw prawns
Fresh, raw prawns are delicious, and if they are pre-prepared, you can easily make a quick mid-week meal.
To cook raw prawns, they can be added to a dish near the end so that they have a short cooking time and retain their soft texture. A great recipe that is a twist on a shepherd's pie is a prawn potato pie. The prawns are peeled and cooked for only a few minutes. This would be great served with hot crusty bread and a green salad.
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Quick and easy Shepherd's pie recipe
This is a classic of English cuisine, a traditional stew made with minced lamb. It's a recipe for Sunday with the whole family, a dish that takes time to prepare and delights the palate of all your guests.
How to cook prawns from frozen
Frozen prawns are a great convenience! You can take them from freezer to fork in just a few moments.
Preparation
Frozen prawns can be cooked directly from the freezer or defrosted quickly in water for about 20 minutes. You can also defrost them overnight in your fridge.
How long to cook prawns
Prawns can be poached and will take about 5-6 minutes. In a large saucepan, add seasoning and flavours such as lemon, parsley, salt and pepper to the water. This will help to keep the prawns moist.
Source: Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
How to cook tiger prawns
Tiger prawns can be as big as 13 inches long. These are sold raw and whole, so they need some preparation before cooking.
How to clean tiger prawns? Slit the prawn curve with a clean knife and remove the greenish-yellow vein along its back. After that, remove the prawn legs and wash the prawn under cold running water. Pat dry with a paper towel or dishcloth, and you're done.
Once tiger prawns have been cleaned, they are ready to be pan-fried. Simply add the prawns to a Pad Thai, and you have a tasty meal!
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Pad Thai Recipe
Here, you'll learn how to prepare Pad Thai and make it look amazing. Enjoy this delicious Pad Thai recipe!
How long to cook prawns in pan? Not too long as we don’t want a rubbery texture. About 3-4 minutes on each side will ensure that they are gobbled up in a flash!
How to cook crispy prawns
Who loves crispy prawns? Yes! Me too! Using fresh raw peeled prawns saves time, so you can concentrate on eating later.
The prawns are dipped into rice flour, egg and breadcrumbs, then deep-fried until golden to ensure a crispy crunch.
Now that you know how to cook prawns, look at our recipes below to make delicious prawn meals.
- Oh, so yummy Prawn curry
- Delightful Prawn, Avocado and Courgette salad
- Tantalising Bruschetta Prawn pasta
- Daring Prawn cocktail
- Lovely Linguine, Prawn and Samphire mix
- The authentic Malasyan hokkien noodles recipe
- Authentic Char Kway Teow recipe
- Traditional Singapore Noodles
- Stir fry Chinese noodles
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The authentic Malasyan hokkien noodles recipe
In Malaysia, this is a famous street food dish. It is particularly well known in Ipoh. This stir-fry has more soy sauce and is not dry-roasted as other noodles are usually cooked. It is a versatile dish and the recipe varies depending on the meat used.
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Authentic Char Kway Teow recipe
This is one of the most popular dishes in Malaysia and Singapore, with a medley of vegetables, along with rice noodles, meat in the form of Chinese sausages and prawns.
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How to make Traditional Singapore Noodles
One of the most popular stir fried noodles, made at home! Made with Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu), prawns/shrimp, egg and vegetables with a signature curry seasoning.
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Best Chinese Shrimp Fried Rice Ever
How to make authentic fried rice with prawns with this easy recipe!
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How to make the best prawn cocktail at home?
A prawn cocktail is a cold dish served as an appetizer or starter, prepared with boiled and peeled prawns or shrimp, usually with spices, lemon juice, some sauce and a variety of vegetables. Learn how to prepare it with this recipe. Homemade are better!
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Homemade Australian fishermans basket recipe
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How to make Chinese Prawn Omelette
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Homemade Chinese prawn spaghetti recipe
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Prepare a delicious spaghetti meal with shrimp sauce, chili, and basil.
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Simple Authentic Curried Prawns
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How to cook Simple Garlic Butter Prawns
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Seafood San Choy Bow with Prawns Recipe
Try this Chinese lettuce wrap with prawns, mushrooms, and other vegetables, to make a simple meal for yourself and others!
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Simple Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta
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A quick pasta recipe with zucchini, shrimp, and tomatoes! Learn how to make it today.
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Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta
This pasta version of Creamy Garlic Prawns is a quick meal you'll get on the table, this is luscious but it's not too rich. The key is to emulsify the sauce (i.e. thicken it) by tossing the pasta in the sauce just before serving.
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The most delicious curry prawns recipe
This curry prawn recipe follows the purest Asian style. Don't miss it because it's the most delicious recipe that you'll ever try!
Final thoughts
How long to cook prawns? This is quick seafood that you can cook in a variety of ways. Grilling prawns only takes 5mins; marinated king prawns make an easy dinner. Even better, pan-fried prawns with garlic would be a massive hit at a cocktail party. And when you want something totally different, try coconut poached prawns. You can clearly enjoy prawns in various dishes. Try all our recipes and enjoy the goodness of this seafood!
