Barbecued prawns
Whole king prawns split down the back, cooked hard and fast on a hot barbecue and finished with garlic and chilli butter. Eaten with fingers.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 33 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Treat yourself$28+ USD · indicative, not a store price
About
These are whole raw prawns, shell and head on, split down the back with scissors so the vein comes out and the butter gets in. They are brushed with oil and cooked hard on a very hot barbecue plate or grill for two or three minutes a side, until the shells char and the flesh just turns opaque. Garlic, chilli, parsley and lemon zest are mashed into soft butter; some goes into the cuts before cooking and the rest melts over at the end. The shells keep the meat juicy and add flavour. Eat them with your hands and keep bread for the butter.
What you'll need
9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Prawns
- Garlic-chilli butter
- To serve
Ingredients
Garlic-chilli butter
- Butter, soft100 g
- Garlic, finely grated4 clove
- Fresh chilli, red, finely chopped, seeds in or out2
- Parsley, finely chopped1 handful
- Salt4.9 ml
To serve
- Lemon, zest of one for the butter, both cut into wedges2
- Crusty bread, loaf, for the butter (optional)1
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Keep the prawns cold until you are ready. With kitchen scissors, cut along the back of each shell from head to tail, a few millimetres into the flesh. Pull out the dark vein and rinse. Leave the shell, head and legs on.
15 min
Tip: Thaw frozen prawns overnight in the fridge, not in water, which washes out flavour.
Step 2
Mash the butter with the garlic, chilli, parsley, salt and the zest of one lemon.
3 min
Step 3
Heat the barbecue hotplate or grill as hot as it will go for at least 10 minutes. Toss the prawns with the oil and push a little of the butter into each cut.
10 min
Step 4
Lay the prawns on the hot plate in one layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the shells turn red and char in spots. Turn them with tongs and cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes, until the flesh in the cut is just opaque.
5 min
Watch: Overcooked prawns go floury and tight. Pull them as soon as the flesh is opaque all the way through.
Step 5
Pile them onto a platter, dot with the remaining butter so it melts over, and serve straight away with lemon wedges and bread.
2 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 750 kcal
- Protein
- 68.8 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Saturated fat
- 13.6 g
- Fibre
- 3.7 g
- Sugar
- 1.9 g
- Sodium
- 771 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Shellfish
- Milk
- Pescatarian
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Whole king prawns → Large headless shell-on prawns, or Moreton Bay bugs split in half
Headless prawns cook a minute faster. Bugs take the same butter and about the same time, flesh side down first.
Tips
- No barbecue: use your heaviest frying pan or a griddle, very hot, and cook in two batches so the prawns sear rather than stew.
- Buy raw prawns, sold as green prawns in Australia. Pre-cooked prawns reheated on a barbecue turn rubbery.
- Put a bowl on the table for heads and shells, and another of water with a lemon slice for fingers.
History & culture
Prawns are Australian summer food. Before Christmas, Sydney Fish Market trades through the night and queues run out the door. Most of those prawns go cold onto a platter, but hot prawns off the backyard barbecue, a drink in the other hand, are the equal tradition. King and tiger prawns are the usual choice.
Australia has large wild prawn fisheries, from the king prawns of Spencer Gulf in South Australia to the tropical north, and the backyard barbecue became a fixture of suburban life after the Second World War. A 1984 tourism advertisement for the American market used the word shrimp. In Australia they are prawns, and this is how most people cook them.
Traditional — Plenty of Australians eat their Christmas prawns cold and pre-cooked with seafood sauce; this is the hot barbecue version. Some cooks peel the body and leave head and tail on. Keeping the shell gives juicier meat.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Barbecued prawns take?
33 min all in — 25 min prep, 8 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Shellfish, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Pescatarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free.
8 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Treat yourself — about $28+ USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Chef's knife, Mixing bowl, Tongs, Frying pan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Whole king prawns → Large headless shell-on prawns, or Moreton Bay bugs split in half. Headless prawns cook a minute faster. Bugs take the same butter and about the same time, flesh side down first.
What should I watch for?
Overcooked prawns go floury and tight. Pull them as soon as the flesh is opaque all the way through.
Any tips from this recipe?
No barbecue: use your heaviest frying pan or a griddle, very hot, and cook in two batches so the prawns sear rather than stew. Buy raw prawns, sold as green prawns in Australia. Pre-cooked prawns reheated on a barbecue turn rubbery. Put a bowl on the table for heads and shells, and another of water with a lemon slice for fingers.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Thaw frozen prawns overnight in the fridge, not in water, which washes out flavour.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
Similar dishes
Gambas al ajillo
Gambas al ajillo from Spain.
Easy
Garlicky prawns with sherry
Garlicky prawns with sherry from Spain.
Easy
Camaro Grelhado Com Molho Cru (Grilled Prawns with Green Onion Sauce)
Camaro Grelhado Com Molho Cru
Camaro Grelhado Com Molho Cru (Grilled Prawns with Green Onion Sauce) from Angola.
Medium
Bobó de camarão
Prawns folded into a thick cream of manioc and coconut milk, finished with dendê oil and coriander. A Bahian dish served with rice.
Medium