This post Asian Chilli Garlic Prawns – Shrimp was updated in 2022.
Quick prawn recipe packed with BIG flavours Seared prawns are seasoned with garlic butter. spicy, sticky Asian sauce, these Asian Chilli Garlic Prawns will have you smacking your lips in utter satisfaction, feeling like you’ve just dined at a fancy modern Thai restaurant.
The sauce tastes like a homemade Chilli Jam except it’s far easier to make. It takes 15 minutes from start to finish.
Simple prawn recipe that has big flavours
Although I love classic Chinese-style prawn stir-fry with its steady flavours and the delicious, heart-stopping Honey Prawns fried and sweet, I sometimes find myself craving a punch in my face flavour-wise!
After I had some delicious Stir Fried Prawns In Chilli Jam at a Thai Modern Restaurant, this recipe for prawns was born. While I can’t replicate desserts at home on a whim, I usually have a fair chance of getting pretty close with savoury dishes.
I was going to try to replicate it using a homemade Chilli Jam recipe, but then I got lazy. Instead, I tried to achieve the same flavours using a little bit of this, a little bit of that, a dash of this and a splash of that.
Well, you’ll be glad to know that it was delicious. It came out darn delicious. Really, really tasty and pretty close to making this with a homemade Chilli Jam, but just a whole lot easier and faster. 🙂
The sauce is essentially a quick and easy Chilli Jam – and it’s lip smackingly delish!
I promise I’m not exaggerating when I say that this really does taste like Spicy Stir Fries you get from modern Asian restaurants. I don’t claim this to be authentic Asian because it probably isn’t an authentic Asian stir fry but every ingredient in the sauce is certainly used in many Asian dishes!
A recipe that takes only 12 minutes
There’s nothing more disappointing that shoving a big, plump, juicy-looking prawn in your mouth only to find it’s rubbery and dry.
Every prawn dish is a winner in my book. Has to be a quick recipe because otherwise you’ll overcook the prawn! These Asian Chilli Garlic Prawns are perfect for this. Here’s how it goes down:
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Chop / grate the ginger and garlic, measure out the sauce ingredients – 5 minutes
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Sear prawns in 2 batches – 4 minutes
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Simmer sauce until syrupy – 2 minutes
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Toss prawns back in – 1 minute
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Total time – 12 minutes 🙌🏻
TIP:Start the rice first because it takes more time than this recipe!
Frozen prawns – all the way!
When I first started this website, I was a complete prawn snob. I encouraged everyone to peel their own shrimps and declared that frozen was not the same. This conclusion was formed from my many years of poor experiences with frozen prawns in my youth.
It’s been a very pleasant discovery to find that frozen prawns have come a long way in their time! Some are better than others but all are good, even the most budget-friendly (e.g Aldi, Costco).
For company, I still peel fresh shrimps. But for everyday purposes, I’m all about frozen prawns nowadays – and I totally own it!
What should you serve as a side dish?
Serve with rice to soak up that glorious sauce. Or for a Healthy low-carb option try Cauliflower Rice – 77% fewer calories and 87% less carbs than rice!
Add some greens to your meal – here are a few suggestions:
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Cucumber chunks tossed with Asian Sesame Dressing sprinkled with coriander/cilantro (pictured)
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Asian Sesame Dressing drizzled on leafy greens, cherry tomatoes or tomato wedges
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Asian Slaw – terrifically fresh and crunchy!
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Restaurant Style Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce –Use any steamed Asian greens or green beans, or snow peas
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Smashed Cucumber Salad
Enjoy! – Nagi x
You can see how it is done.
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Asian Chilli Garlic Prawns
Ingredients
- 500g/ 1 lb prawns / shrimp, raw, , peel and deveined. (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Vegetable oil (or canola)
- 1 tsp Sesame oil , toasted (Note 2)
- 3 Garlic cloves Very finely minced
- 2 tsp ginger You can leave it grated or finely chopped.
- 1 tsp chilli flakes* (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup (125ml) Water
- 3 tbsp Sriracha (Note 4)
- 2 tsp soy sauce Note 5)
- 3 tbsp Brown sugar (sub with white
Garnish (optional).
- Sesame seeds
- Green onions Finely sliced
- Red chillies Finely chopped or sliced
Instructions
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In a large skillet, heat oil on high heat. Half the prawns should be added. Cook for 45 seconds each side, until golden. Repeat.
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Allow skillet to cool on the stove, then turn down to medium.
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Heat sesame oil on the stove.
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Add the garlic, ginger, and chilli powder. Stir fry until the garlic turns golden.
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Stir in the Sriracha, sugar and water. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer for 3 minutes.
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Place prawns back in skillet. Stir sauce into prawns and then reheat. Cook for approximately 1 to 2 minutes, or until sauce has reduced and coated the prawns well.
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As an option, garnish the dish with fresh chilli, sesame seeds, and shallots. Serve with rice to absorb the amazing sauce. Side salad ideas are provided in the post.
Recipe Notes
NON SPICY VersionYou can skip the chilliflakes and sriracha. Instead, add 2 tablespoons of ketchup + one tbsp rice vinegar (or cider vinegar). + 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine) OR Mirin (reduce sugar by 0.5 tbsp) OR 2 tbsp chicken broth low sodium. All these are necessary to compensate for the lack of sriracha.
1. Prawns/shrimpUse frozen (which I do), to remove any excess water, thaw thoroughly and then pat dry with paper towels. Prawns can look cooked even though they are raw. They’re pink varieties.
2. Toasted Sesame OilIt is darker and more flavorful than untoasted sesame oils, which are yellow. It is more common to find untoasted sesame oil in Australia than toasted. It will work well with Untoasted sesame oil has a slightly different flavour.
3. Chilli flakesRed pepper flakes are also known. A jar of minced chili or chilli paste could be used, but it is best to not saute it together with the garlic as it will spit everywhere. Add the water and stir it in.
4. SrirachaAsian chilli sauce made with more than chilli. It can also be flavoured with other ingredients. It’s now available in all major supermarkets across Australia, the USA, Canada, and the UK. This is the one that I use at Woolworths.
SUBS:A similar consistency to ketchup is another hot or chilli sauce. To make Franks a stronger, thinner hot sauce, I would use half Franks and half ketchup, then taste the sauce after it has been reduced. 🙂
5. How to determine if prawns were cookedRaw prawns hang by the trail. When cooked properly, prawns form an “C” shape. Overcooked prawns become a tight “O”. Don’t overcook prawns! They have a rubbery texture that is not pleasant. 🙂
6. NutritionPer serving, assuming 3 portions. It should serve 3 persons as a meal. But, you can make it up to 4.
Nutrition Information:
Original publication July 2016. Original publication July 2016.
Dozer life
Another snap from the Mother’s Day weekend away to Rick Stein’s Bannisters Hotel in Port Stephens.
Contemplating the meaning of life as he gazes at the sun rise over the infinity pool….
OK, we all know that’s not true. He’s more likely wondering how much trouble he’d get in if he dove in. I don’t think the other hotel guests would appreciate swimming in a sea of Dozer’s golden fur! 😂
Also, starting at the original publication date in 2016,: The vet suggested that he find a way to prevent him from licking the injured paw. I agreed. 😉
If you enjoyed my Asian Chilli Garlic Prawns (Shrimp), I think you’ll LOVE……
My Mongolian Beef – crispy beef tossed in a fabulous sticky sauce!
My Asian Glazed Salmon with a delicious sticky glaze
You can also serve it as a side dish with Chinese Fried Rice.
