Chilli, Garlic and Coriander Prawns

Name: Chilli, Garlic and Coriander Prawns
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 20 large shell on tiger prawns; 5 cloves garlic; 1 scotch bonnet; ½ cup fresh coriander; 50 g unsalted butter; 1 tsp salt; ½ tsp pepper; ½ tsp paprika; 3 tbsp olive oil

Home » Chilli, Garlic and Coriander Prawns

17 April 2021

Fusion Lunch Shellfish Spicy Starters Summer

Chilli, Garlic and Coriander Prawns

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WHAT'S SPECIAL!

Spicy fragrant shell on prawns covered in a rich garlic butter sauce!

Jump to Recipe

This is my favourite prawn dish ever – these Chilli, Garlic and Coriander Prawns are busting with flavour! I love prawns and cooking them is incredibly easy. All you need is these 4 simple ingredients – Chilli, coriander, garlic and butter. These flavourful prawns are ready in just 10 minutes!

Prawns are a very popular ingredient and are so quick and easy to prepare. These chilli garlic prawns are great for BBQ’s, as a starter or can be enjoyed with a side of rice or salad. Try it with my Nigerian Jollof Rice for a seriously good combination.

Sourcing Prawns

When cooking a prawn dish like these Chilli, Garlic and Coriander Prawns, you should buy and use raw prawns with the shell on. Pre-cooked prawns are great for things like fried rice and stir-frys but for this type of recipe, pre-cooked prawns will end up rubbery and overcooked – which is something we definitely do not want.

Lots of supermarkets and Asian markets sell frozen prawns from various parts of the world for reasonable prices. Wing Yip my favourite Chinese supermarket have a wide selection of frozen prawns in their stores. It is well worth having a look in your local stores to see what you can find.

The other option is a fish monger. Lots of UK fish mongers sell raw prawns but they are often expensive as if as they should come from local waters to truly be fresh. The prawns I am using today are from none other than Costco. They are frozen black tiger prawns with the head and shell on. I have been buying them for years and they are really great quality and always fresh. I have never had a bad batch. The price is super reasonable at just £13.99 for about 20 prawns.

Where I buy my prawns really depends on where I am and the budget I have. I always try to buy locally sourced prawns but this can be difficult and is often expensive. Always check the back of the packet you are buying if you are concerned about their source. If buying from a fish monger, always be sure to ask where the prawns are from and you should get an honest answer. Supporting your local fish monger is always a good thing as their customers are the ones keeping them open.

Please note that if you buy fresh prawns you should ideally clean and cook them the same day you buy them or the next day at the latest.

What do I need?

Shell on king prawns – I like to use tiger prawns or Argentinian prawns for this recipe but any large raw shell on prawn will work fine.
The flavour in this yummy sauce comes from chilli, garlic and coriander. These 3 ingredients flavour the butter sauce beautifully. I use a scotch bonnet or habanero like most of my recipes.
Unsalted butter and olive oil are the base of your sauce – be sure to use the best quality ingredients for the best results. You can find my favourite butter here. The olive oil I use and have been using for years is Filippo Berio Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I buy the 1.5 litre bottle from Costco for just £7.99!
Salt and pepper is used as standard. But I also like to add a pinch of paprika to add a little extra depth of flavour.

Tips & Tricks

Clean, trim and devein your prawns before marinating them. See the directions for this below.
If using frozen prawns bring them out the morning you intend to cook them. Once defrosted and cleaned make your marinade mix and put them in the fridge until ready to cook.
Take the prawns out of the fridge at least 10 minutes before you want to cook them. Cooking meat and fish at room temperature is always best.
Use good quality fresh coriander. I like to chop half of the coriander and add to the marinade. I rip the rest into medium chunks and add directly to the pan before serving.
Get your pan nice and smoking hot before throwing the prawns in. This will release the aromatics in your herbs and spices and provide strong flavour to your butter.
Use a big enough frying pan where all the prawns have their own space on the surface of the pan.

How to Clean Prawns

This is the longest most annoying part of this recipe. You dont have to devein prawns if you are keeping the heads on, but I like to do this. It makes a difference to the presentation. Plus, if I am making this for guests I dont want to serve prawns with the veins still in!

If your prawns are frozen allow them to defrost naturally. Alternatively, put them in a bowl filled with tepid water and leave soaking until the prawns are defrosted.
Using a pair of kitchen scissors cut all of the legs and antenna off each prawn and discard. You dont have to do this but I find it makes the final dish look more appealing and easier to peel.
To devein the prawn without removing the head, use your scissors to make a small cut in the middle of the prawn where the vein is and use your nail or a toothpick to pull the vein out. Run the cut under cold water to remove fully.
Finally, rinse all the prawns in cold water.

Chilli Garlic Prawns Serving Suggestion –

These prawns are good enough to eat alone! If you want a full meal try these Chilli, Garlic and Coriander Prawns with some delicious Nigerian Jollof Rice or White Rice. Don’t forget to drizzle the incredible butter all over you won’t regret it! Not enough for you? Add some Sweet Fried Plantain on the side to complete your meal!

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5 from 1 vote