Garlic Prawns – who feels like a big pile of plump juicy prawns laced with lemon garlic butter?? Hands down, my favourite way to cook prawns! Quick and easy, never fails to impress. The secret ingredient? A splash of white wine. It makes all the difference.
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Garlic Prawns
This is a spectacular way to cook prawns that’s been a family favourite for as long as I can remember.
Just 6 ingredients – prawns, garlic, white wine, butter, olive oil and lemon (I get salt and pepper for free). Prawns are delicious plain, so simple is best!
Quick to cook – just 6 minutes. Any longer and you’ve over cooked the prawns 😭;
Though the recipe calls for a 20 minute marinade, it’s optional; and
It’s always a hit. ALWAYS!!
A splash of white wine is the secret ingredient that makes these prawns amazing!
What you need for Garlic Prawns
Here’s what you need. The key ingredient here that makes all the difference is white wine. Wine adds complexity and depth of flavour to this otherwise simple dish.
Use any white wine you have. Dry white wine is best but even sweet ones work great. Rose and Champagne are also terrific!
How to make garlic prawns
This is a 6 minute recipe so make sure you have all the ingredients on hand, ready to throw into the skillet!
Marinate prawns with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, salt and pepper for just 20 minutes, if you have time (otherwise skip it). Don’t marinate for longer as the salt will draw too much moisture out of the delicate prawn flesh and make them watery.
No garlic – I used to marinade the prawns with the garlic assuming it would infuse the flesh with garlic flavour. But actually, it doesn’t. Not with such a short marinating time. But you do end up with little burnt bits of garlic!
So these days, I add the garlic partway through cooking the prawns so it doesn’t burn. Better result, better garlic flavour!
Sear in batches – Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non stick pan over high heat. Place half the prawns in the pan and sear each side for 45 seconds, using tongs to turn individually.
Remove the first batch onto a plate then sear the remaining prawns for 45 seconds on each side.
TIP: don’t crowd the pan! Less prawns = better colour = easier to handle = won’t overcook.
Garlic – Return the first batch of prawns into the pan then add the garlic and toss for 30 seconds.
Wine – Add the wine, it will sizzle and steam when the wine hits the hot pan which is GOOD! This means it reduced down very quickly (~30 seconds) which is exactly what we want (fast cook = juicy prawns)
Butter – Once the wine has mostly evaporated, add the butter and lemon juice then swirl the pan to make it melt.
Parsley – As soon as the butter has melted, quickly toss through the parsley then transfer the prawns and all the butter sauce onto a plate.
Serve straight away, freshly cooked!
Oh – here’s the reason I like to make extra sauce: FOR MOPPING UP WITH BREAD. All that garlic and the juices from the prawns makes the most outrageously delicious butter.
Some people start fist fights over the prawns. I’ll fight you for the butter!!😂
(PS Use this crusty artisan bread recipe. Pretty sure it’s now been officially crowned as the world’s easiest yeast bread recipe!)
Garlic Prawns are super easy to make, but I do have a few tips to make sure you nail it every single time!
Tips for the BEST Garlic Prawns
CHOP the garlic, don’t use a garlic press. Garlic press = finer garlic that’s also juicy which will burn at the high heat we use to cook the prawns;
Fresh is best, but frozen is really great nowadays! 5 years ago, I never would have said that. But nowadays, there are very good quality frozen prawns. Look for big, plump frozen ones – they work best if using frozen;
Dry prawns – especially if using thawed frozen prawns. Wet prawns will not get that lovely golden sear in the short time it takes to cook prawns and you’ll end up with stewed prawns;
Fast cook – overcooked prawns are rubbery and hard, rather than juicy and plump. They take 3 minutes max to cook (medium to large);
Cook in batches – don’t crowd the pan! Crowded pan = stewed prawns rather than seared. We want to sear for maximum flavour. Remember, colour = flavour! So cook half the prawns then remove, then cook the other half. Also, cooking less prawns at a time is easier to handle ie turning them one at a time.
High heat, large pan – to help cook the prawns perfectly and get a nice sear on them;
Use tongs not a spatula – turn each prawn individually, don’t stir them;
Butter + oil – butter provides flavour, but butter burns at high heat. To counteract this, we use a combo of butter + oil here. Oil to sear, then butter for sauce flavour!
Wine will SIZZLE and STEAM! The pan should be super hot when you pour the wine in so it sizzles and evaporates quickly (30 seconds or less). If your prawns simmer in a pool of wine, then you’ll simmer away the seared surface = loss of flavour 😩
6 minute rule – This should take 6 minutes or less to cook. Any longer, and the prawns will probably be overcooked……😩
Be generous with lemon! Seafood loves lemon. I make garlic prawns with a medium amount of lemon in it, but I always serve with extra wedges for people to serve themselves.
Want a creamy sauce for Garlic Prawns?
Use this Creamy Garlic Prawns recipe – same garlic marinated prawns, PLUS a garlicky creamy parmesan sauce!
What goes with Garlic Prawns
Crusty bread for mopping up that tasty garlic butter sauce is essential! For homemade options, try one of these (I especially recommend the crusty Artisan bread – insanely easy recipe!):
Round out your meal with some sides – here are some classics for warm summer days:
Prawns cooked on the BBQ!
Also – BBQ option!! This recipe I’m sharing today is for Garlic Prawns cooked on the stove. For larger get togethers, I tend to do big batches on the BBQ and I make the sauce separately – here’s my Grilled Garlic Prawns/Shrimp with Lemon Garlic Butter.
You will love how crispy you can get the prawns on the barbie! – 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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Garlic Prawns (Shrimp!)
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)
Garlic butter sauce
- 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)
Serving
- 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),.
Cooking
- 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!
Recipe Notes:
- 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.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2017. Updated with better video and photos in 2020, then recipe process improved when I decided to include this recipe in my cookbook. Because it’s a personal favourite recipe and it deserves the best I can do! 🙂
More prawn recipes
Life of Dozer
Even if garlic wasn’t bad for dogs, he still wouldn’t get one. They’re for someone else!
The prawns u use in the vid look like they’ve been cooked already. I always use raw prawns. Am I doing it wrong?
PS It’s a particular type of prawns that has a more pinky colour to them when raw. But I can absolutely promise you they are raw!! N xx
Hi Mulloes – these prawns are raw 🙂
Hi Nagi
Lovin ur recipes
Love to see a good satisfying spring roll recipe.
Hi Mulloes, thanks so much – just pop it into the search bar and you’ll see the spring roll recipe 🙂
LOVE your recipes Nagi – just a few Qs on the garlic prawns – do you add the marinade with the prawns to the pan or do you use separate oil and butter? if the latter then what ratio of oil to butter do you recommend for the cooking? I live in the best prawn area of Australia – Exmouth where the Exmouth Gulf Prawns are from – delicious!
Lucky you Alan!!! You’ll find that with the small amount of oil used in the marinade, the garlic sticks to the prawns so you don’t need to scrap the marinade in 🙂 Oil and butter gets heated/melted in the skillet together. I use the minimum amount of oil required to stop the butter from smoking out the house while still being able to get a nice sear on the prawns, the quantity as listed in the ingredients! N x
Yes ! A definite ‘yes’ on a Friday afternoon in Australia. Before you were born this dish must have been the first ‘foreign’ and ‘strange’ and ‘stinky’ food the then almost entirely Anglo-Saxon population dared to try ! Made as delightfully easily and quickly as you have just shown us ! A great idea for the weekend !! And I am still waiting to get up your way and be taken, alongside Dozer, down to the Park to meet the delightful ‘man who lives in the car’ !!
WHAT??!! I can’t imagine prawns EVER being in the stinky food category – are you serious???
*loud laugh* So you think it was acceptable in the 1950s in predominantly Anglo-Saxon Australia to know what garlic even was ? It was that ‘wretched thing them forriners eat . . . wish them stinky folk went back where they came from . . . ‘ Oh, yes !
Weekend homework for you and any Sydneysider reading – you know who first brought fish sauce and lemongrass to Sydney – look up Mogens Bay Esbensen, an absolutely delightful gay Danish chef who brought Thai cooking to Australia and had the first Thai restaurant in Darlinghurst . . . fantastic 🙂 “Lived’ there ! Happy Sunday !
Hi Nagi. I love your website and the great choice of recipies. Also, I love the photos of Dozer. Nice touch, warm and personal. Thanks for sharing
Hi, Nagi. Thank you for sharing this tantalizing dish with us! I will surely try out this dish and tell you how it taste. I will also share this amazing post with my relatives for their reference.
It is completely ridiculous that such a simple recipe can taste so amazing! How do you do it Nagi? I made these bad boys as part of a girly tapas evening and they went down a storm. I even forgot the splash of wine but they were still fantastic (and delicious the next day dunked in lemon Mayo!!). Thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes.
I know!!! I’m so glad they were a hit!
What on earth does the “(seperated)” note mean in the recipe list, after olive oil?? I tried searching on line for info about this and came up empty.
Hi Ashleigh, it just means that you’ll use 2 1/2 tbls of oil in total in the recipe but it will be in separate amounts
Fantastic. I’ve been cooking prawns for a l-o-n-g time but getting depth of flavour has been a bit ‘hit-and-miss’. Marinading them, of course. In lots of chopped garlic and oil. Put the lemon juice in a the end. Thanks for the details; much appreciated.
You’re so welcome Vivienne – N x
Yummy!
I’m so happy you love it Alexis!
Amazing! I tried this with bargain frozen prawns that I wasn’t super sure of. Best ever. Thanks!
Perfect!
I made this last night – both the corn salad and the garlic prawns. DELICIOUS!! And so fast and easy. Marinated the prawns 20 minutes per your recipe and it was perfect!!
I love hearing that! So glad you enjoyed this Cathy! N x
Hi Nagi,
These look amazing! I am going to try them this week and put them on skewers under the grill. With this cooking method, would you recommend I put the wine in the marinade first – or splash it over the prawns like you described for the skillet method?
These were excellent! Hubby absolutely LOVED them. Thanks so much for the delicious recipe : )
That’s great to hear Gwen! So glad you enjoyed it! N x
One word…gorgeous !! I will be making this often. We did this on the grill. Paired this with your avocado / corn salad. Perfect flavors. Thanks Nagi. 😘😍
WHOOT!!! This is my family’s “go to” way of using prawns 🙂 So I’m especially pleased you loved this Steven! N xx
Nagi, thank you so much for all your great recipes and photos! I personally think the internet exists solely to salivate over cooking blogs such as yours. Your blog is the only one to which I subscribe since you have so many great ideas. Consider that a high compliment indeed! These prawns remind me of how much I miss Australia. Maybe you can help me…when I lived there, I picked up a copy of Australian Taste at Coles and they had this amazing Prawn and Mango Salad that I made several times. Since moving back to Canada, the magazine has gone missing and I can’t remember the recipe. The recipe isn’t on their website. I think you could create such a recipe for your blog, hint, hint. It had salad greens, fresh steamed prawns, fresh mango and a yummy spicy asian style sauce over top. I think it might have had nuts too.
I am VERY flattered!!! 🙂 I will try to remember to do a Prawn and Mango salad when it’s summer over here, no mangoes at the moment! Try the Asian Dressing from one of my Asian salads – just have a browse of the salads recipes (under Recipe Index) 🙂 N xx
These were amazing; dear Husband made them on the weekend for dinner and they were perfectly matched with the corn salad. The colours in the salad make it even more appealing .
So super duper easy to make and bursting with flavour.
Thanks for sharing Nagi.
How is this prepared on the BBQ? i’d love to make it that way. Instructions, please! Have to make this right away!
Hi Cindy! I have added some extra helpful notes in the recipe for you! N xx
Hi Nagi, could I do this same method with flathead and mackerel? Would I need to change anything? We have fish in the freezer!
YES!!! It works super well with fish, absolutely fabulous. If you do it on the stove, try adding a tiny knob of butter – just 1 tbsp or so – right at the end and it will create the most amazing white wine butter sauce. 🙂 N xx
Hi Nagi that’s awesome thanks for the tips. I will report back once I’ve made it!
Hi Nagi,
Did this one the other night, with mackerel! It worked really well. I had to do a bit of method juggling because I had 2 batches of fish, so I fried up the fish then reduced down the sauce and poured it over. If I do fish again I will just marinade the fish in olive oil without the garlic and fry up the garlic when I make the sauce so that the garlic doesn’t overcook. I also added a bit more salt because fish isn’t salty like prawns. But overall it was delicious, gone in no time and everyone kept wanting seconds! Added the butter at the end as per your recommendation, it was really good!
WOAH that sounds amazing Katrina!!! Good juggling … 😉
Yumi, yumi! So nice and kind of YOU for giving IT to HOMLESS Men. And yes Noty Doza…… No menares. Good do Not have garlic crusher. Nagi am off to Food Show today should be good. W/ End will be Cooking for Neighbour, her Mum passed Away .Just to make her fell bit better. Also doing Cooking for friend. Whole Family went to Singapore for grandchild B’day and on return they Had shocking trip more than 24 hours, so Nancy got sick. After two weeks She has gone to work ,on Sat, going to local Asian restaurant , catching up. Will prepard soups for lunch/ work. Was glad to share lemons and parsly with her. Have good w/End .
FOOD SHOW!! You are going to have so much fun! I’m sorry hear about your neighbours mother and what a wonderful friend you are. 🙂 N xx