A quick prawn recipe loaded with BIG flavours! Seared prawns smothered in a 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. 15 minutes, start to finish!
Quick prawn recipe with BIG flavours!
While I love a classic Chinese-style prawn stir fry with its clean and steady flavours, or the heart-stopping (in more ways than one) fried and sweet deliciousness of Honey Prawns, sometimes I find myself looking for a punch in the face (flavour-wise, that is!)
This prawn recipe came to be after I had a terrific Stir Fried Prawns in Chilli Jam at a modern(ish) Thai Restaurant. 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.
And well, well, well, what do you know? 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 12 minute recipe
There’s nothing more disappointing that shoving a big, plump, juicy-looking prawn in your mouth only to find it’s rubbery and dry.
So in my world, every prawn recipe has to be a quick recipe because otherwise you’ll overcook the prawn! And these Asian Chilli Garlic Prawns certainly fit the bill. Here’s how it goes down:
Chop / grate the ginger and garlic, measure out the sauce ingredients – 5 minutes
Sear prawns in 2 batches – 4 minutes
Simmer sauce until syrupy – 2 minutes
Toss prawns back in – 1 minute
Total time – 12 minutes 🙌🏻
TIP: get the rice started first, because that takes longer than this recipe!
Frozen prawns – all the way!
For the first couple of years when I started this website, I was a total prawn snob and urged everyone to peel their own prawns, declaring that frozen was just not the same. This conclusion was drawn from many years of mediocre frozen prawn experiences in my youth.
It’s been a very pleasant discovery to find that frozen prawns have come a long way in their time! Sure, some are better than others, but even the budget ones (eg Aldi, Costco) are still very good.
I still peel fresh prawns for company. But for everyday purposes, I’m all about frozen prawns nowadays – and I totally own it!
What to serve on the side
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:
Cucumber chunks tossed with Asian Sesame Dressing sprinkled with coriander/cilantro (pictured)
Asian Sesame Dressing drizzled ove leafy greens, tomato wedges or cherry tomatoes
Asian Slaw – terrifically fresh and crunchy!
Restaurant Style Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce – or use any steamed Asian greens, green beans or snow peas
Enjoy! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Asian Chilli Garlic Prawns (Shrimp)
Ingredients
- 500g / 1 lb prawns / shrimp, raw, , peeled 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 , grated or finely chopped (can be omitted)
- 1 tsp chilli flakes* (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) water
- 3 tbsp Sriracha (Note 4)
- 2 tsp soy sauce , light or all purpose (Note 5)
- 3 tbsp brown sugar (sub with white)
Garnish (optional)
- Sesame seeds
- Green onions , finely sliced
- Red chillies , finely sliced or chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add half the prawns and sear for about 45 seconds on each side until golden, then remove into bowl. Repeat.
- Remove skillet from stove to cool down slightly, turn down to medium.
- Return skillet to stove, heat sesame oil.
- Add garlic, ginger and chilli flakes. Cook until garlic turns golden.
- Add water, then Sriracha, soy sauce and sugar, Stir, increase heat to medium high, and let it simmer for 3 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken to a thin syrup consistency.
- Return prawns into skillet and toss to coat in sauce and reheat, and cook for 1 – 2 minutes until sauce is reduced and coats the prawns nicely.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, fresh chilli and shallots if desired. Serve with rice to soak up the awesome sauce! (Low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice) Side salad suggestions in post.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published July 2016. Rewritten in May 2019, new photos, brand new video, and new Life of Dozer photos!
Life of Dozer
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! 😂
And from the original publish date in 2016: The vet said to figure out a way to stop him from licking his injured paw. So I did. 😉
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 glorious sticky glaze!
Or to serve on the side, how about Chinese Fried Rice?
My husband ranted and raved about this recipe. I enjoy cooking and enjoy trying different foods. My family is from Jamaica so I often feel that recipes I encounter need tweaking to suit my palate that is used to highly flavoured food. I followed this to a T. My husband and I both have mild cases of coronavirus. I literally cannot taste any of the flavours except sweet, salty and spicy but what I could taste was awesome. My husband’s tastebuds are fine and he told me he wanted to eat more just because it was so good. I served this with steamed broccoli. My husband ate his food and then went for more broccoli that he sopped in the sauce in the pot. Excellent recipe and now I am absolutely going to check out the rest of your site. Thanks for leaving corporate finance to deliver flavourful recipes to the world 🙂
OMG another fantastic recipe!!! My hubby is sooo happy! Fast, easy and delicious!!!
Hi Nagi, my 28 year old son introduced me to your recipes. I LOVE THEM. Your philosophy: Fast, creative, clever & fresh is fabulous. Everything I have cooked from your recipes is a never fail and so easy. Thank you soooo much. Love your work! xx
These are amazing. Perfect balance of spice to sweetness and saltiness. I have cooked them time and again and have used the sauce for other dishes too. In fact, every recipe I have tried from this website is beyond delicious!
MARRY ME !!!!
This recipe is amazing , turned out so good! To be honest , we didn’t exactly measure the spices out , just kind of guessed, and it was spicy but not too spicy. Thank you for the perfect shrimp (we ate them with asparagus and a side of rice)
thank you Ms Nagi, for your continuous new recipes – Your smiling face is the best part of trying your teaching. God bless you for sharing.
This recipe was super delicious and easy, I added a little something extra to make it spicier. This will probably be a go to dinner option for me.
Fabulous never fail, spicy recipe. It tastes wonderful every time I make it. Amazing as I’m not the best cook. Thanks Nagi for all your amazing recipes.
So easy! Worked perfectly. I added some cooked peas and broccoli to sneak some veggies in for the teens. They gobbled it up!
Does the nutrition info include the rice or no?
You are very good chef and teacher, thank you
Next time, I’ll cut the heat in half. My mouth is burning, but it hurts so good! Yet another of your recipes is going into my rotation. Thanks!
My kids don’t really like spice, if I omit the sriracha and chili flakes without sacrificing flavor too much? Should I add a little vinegar?
Hi Christine, this recipe is all about the chilli, why don’t you try one of these recipes: https://promotown.info/garlic-prawns-shrimp/%3C/a%3E or https://promotown.info/grilled-shrimp-with-lemon-garlic-butter/%3C/a%3E – N x
This is a fab, tasty & quick cook, 3 Tblsp on Sriracha makes it hot lol, I was having 1 prawn to one mouthful of milk, 🤣 I’ll reduce the Sriracha next time lol
Nagi, all of your recipes have been winners. Following your instructions has made me a master at Asian cooking. Tonight I prepared the Asian Chili Garlic Shrimp and it was divine. It brought back memories of a dish my mother and I would always share at an upscale Asian Wash DC restaurant. It tasted identical-and I wanted to say “Thank You” for that unexpected wonderful memory. Hope you are well!
I simply love this recipe – been using it for fish and crab as well – delish.
Nice recipe. But salt is not mentioned
Cooked this for my daughter and we both loved it! I substituted ssamjang korean paste for the sriracha as I don’t have any sriracha available…tastes sooo good! Just the right amount of spiciness. Also served it with steamed broccoli drizzled with roasted sesame dressing as side dish! Yummy!
I love this so much I make it with foil oven baked salmon as well. I just sub sweet chilli sauce (& don’t add the sugar) for my slightly chilli adverse husband but keep it exactly the same for myself. 12 min in the oven, AMAZING. It’s also great with prawns haha
Perfect Rachel, I’m so glad you love it!! N x
Outstanding! I didn’t have shrimp and used chicken instead. Worked perfectly! A definite keeper