These Creamy Lemon Garlic Prawns are likely to become one of your favourite easy meals. It is a speedy seafood dinner, made in just one pan, and comes together in about 30 minutes. The prawns are bathed in a creamy garlic butter sauce, elevated with fresh lemon juice. Just be sure to have sufficient bread to enjoy the delicious sauce!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- You will love the ease and speed with which you can have this creamy, flavour-filled, aromatic dish on the table.
- They are creamy, comforting and full of bright flavour.
- The prawns are cooked in just one pan, making clean-up a simple matter.
- It is made from simple and readily available ingredients.
- You can use fresh or frozen prawns (shrimp). If using frozen prawns, we give some advice on defrosting below.
- Prawns are such a versatile ingredient, there are so many ways to enjoy them, such as my Creamy Prawn Linguine, Thai Inspired Prawn Salad, or my easily prepared Chilli Garlic Prawns.
- This simple cooking method takes prawns to the next flavoursome level. So good!
Recipe Inspiration: I love a recipe that is ideal for nights when time is short, or a breeze for stress-free entertaining. It does not get much easier!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Prawns – I like to always have some shelled and deveined raw prawns (shrimp) in the freezer – they are perfect for quick and easy meals. We use large raw prawns (also known as green prawns) such as king or tiger prawns. For ease, you can buy raw prawns that have been deveined and had the shells removed, if you prefer.
- Butter – adds richness to the sauce. You can use salted or unsalted.
- Extra virgin olive oil – we add a small amount with the butter to prevent it from burning.
- Garlic – for the best flavour, we use fresh, finely chopped garlic.
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice adds flavour and the necessary acidity to balance the richness of the cream.
- Thickened cream – also known as heavy cream or whipping cream. It has a minimum milk fat content of 35%.
- Parsley – fresh parsley adds flavour and colour. For the best flavour, use the flat-leaf, continental variety.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste. My preference is for sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.
- Grilled bread/crusty bread – to enjoy with the delicious creamy garlic sauce.
- Lemon wedges – for additional acidity, if required.
Variations:
Chilli flakes – you could add some dried red chilli pepper flakes if you like a little heat.
Baby spinach leaves – a great way to add greens to your meal.
Sun-dried tomatoes – pat them dry with some paper towel and add at the end with the parsley to warm through.
How To Make Creamy Garlic Prawns:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Sauté the prawns:
Gently pat the peeled and deveined prawns dry with some paper towel.
In a large stainless-steel pan, add the olive oil and butter and heat to medium-high.
Add the prawns, and sauté for 3-4 minutes, tossing regularly, or until almost cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2 – Start the sauce:
Add remaining butter and garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, stirring to ensure the garlic doesn’t burn.
3 – Finish the sauce:
Add the lemon juice and cream and simmer for 3-4 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce.
4 – Add the prawns to the sauce:
Add prawns and parsley and stir to combine. Check that the seasoning is to your liking.
Serve immediately with crusty/grilled bread and lemon wedges.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Sometimes you will notice a thin, dark line down the back of the prawn/shrimp and for aesthetics and taste, it is best to remove it. You may find the prawns/shrimp that you purchase will already be de-veined. If not, I find that the easiest way is to run a small, sharp knife down the back of the prawn, being careful to not cut too far and cut it in half. With the tip of the knife, or a toothpick, lift the digestive tract away from the prawn flesh. Sometimes it pulls away, all in one piece, but not always so it may take several tries to remove it.
If you buy frozen raw prawns, defrost them in an iced-water brine. In a bowl large enough to accommodate all the prawns, add some cold water, ice cubes and coarse sea salt to the bowl at a ratio of 1 ½ tablespoons (6 teaspoons) of salt per 1 litre (4 cups) of water. Add the prawns, ensuring they are covered with the water. Stir them occasionally until they defrost. Once defrosted, remove them immediately, pat them dry with paper towel and store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you are ready to use them. They are best prepared on the day you intend to use them. Alternatively, you can defrost them in the refrigerator. Sit them in a colander over a bowl. Do not let them sit in their own juices. When defrosted, pat them dry with paper towel and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It is best to do this on the day that you intend to use them. Do not defrost prawns at room temperature or in the microwave.
The Creamy Lemon Garlic Prawns are best eaten soon after cooking. However, in the unlikely event you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave or frying pan. However, if they have been at room temperature for 2 hours or for 1 hour if the temperature is 32 degrees C (90 F) or above, they should be discarded.
As a rough guide, you will need to buy 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of prawns with shells.
Whilst they have several similarities, they are not the same creature but can be used interchangeably in recipes as their texture and flavour are similar.
Top Tip:
When a recipe uses so few ingredients as this one, all the ingredients must be of good quality. We recommend good quality butter, and cream with a minimum of 35% milk fat. They are important parts of the dish, forming the base of the sauce to be enjoyed with bread.
And especially important – do not overcook the prawns or they will become tough and rubbery.
Serving Suggestions:
There are so many ways to enjoy the Creamy Garlic Prawns. It is a versatile dish, one you can prepare quickly and easily on busy weeknights but also sufficiently elegant to serve when entertaining. Some serving suggestions are:
- As a main course, served simply with our Smashed Potatoes and Roasted Broccolini or a Rocket and Pear Salad.
- With rice on the side, a perfect companion to this luscious creamy dish.
- As a starter, with a main course, such as our Spatchcock Chicken, to follow.
- Served simply with crusty or grilled bread to enjoy the full-of-flavour sauce.
My Creamy Lemon Garlic Prawns is a dish that is quickly and easily made and a guaranteed crowd pleaser. There is a perfect balance of flavours in this dish; it is creamy, with the tang of lemon offsetting the cream and the prawns adding a luxurious element. I hope you enjoy it very soon.
Alex xx
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Creamy Lemon Garlic Prawns (Shrimp)
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Prawns:
- 500 g (1.1 pounds) large raw prawns/shrimp – prepared weight after shells removed and prawns deveined See Notes 1 and 2
- 2 tablespoon butter See Note 3
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Sauce:
- 2 teaspoon butter
- 5 cloves garlic – finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice – freshly squeezed
- 1 cup (250 ml) thickened cream – fat content of 35% See Note 4
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley – finely chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
For Serving:
- crusty or grilled bread
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Gently pat the prawns dry with a paper towel.In a large stainless-steel pan, add the olive oil and butter and heat to medium-high.
- Add in the prawns and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing regularly, or until they are almost cooked through. Remove them from the pan, and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 teaspoon of butter to the same pan and allow to melt before adding the garlic. Cook for 30-60 seconds, stirring to ensure it does not burn. Add in the lemon juice and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the flavour.
- Add in the cream, and simmer for 3-4 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce. Return the prawns to the pan and add in the parsley. Stir to combine, and check that the seasoning is to your liking. Serve immediately with grilled bread and lemon wedges for additional acidity, should you wish.
Notes
- Prawns: if you buy whole prawns, you will need to get a kilo (2.2 lbs) to end with 500 g (1.1 lbs) shelled prawns.
- Frozen prawns: if you buy frozen raw prawns, defrost them in an iced-water brine. In a bowl large enough to accommodate all the prawns, add some cold water, ice cubes and coarse sea salt to the bowl at a ratio of 1 ½ tablespoons (6 teaspoons) of salt per 1 litre (4 cups) of water. Add the prawns, ensuring they are covered with the water. Stir them occasionally until they defrost. Once defrosted, remove them immediately, pat them dry with paper towel and store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you are ready to use them. They are best prepared on the day you intend to use them.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
- Cream: thickened cream is also known as heavy cream or whipping cream. It has a minimum milk fat content of 35%.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper for this recipe.
- Servings: serves 2 people as a main course or 4 as an appetiser.
- Storage: the Creamy Lemon Garlic Prawns are best eaten soon after cooking. However, if you have leftovers they can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on low heat in the microwave or frying pan. Do not heat for too long or they will become tough. If they have been at room temperature for 2 hours or for 1 hour if the temperature is 32 degrees C (90 F) or above, they should be discarded.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Becs
really lovely… I added bucatini as that’s what I had to serve it with!! thoroughly enjoyed it,thank you!!
Alexandra Cook
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, Becs!
Love bucatini – great idea! Alex xo
Christine
Love this recipe. Simple and elegant. Minimum prep and quick from stove to plate.
Alexandra Cook
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Christine!
Alex xo
Marie
OMG, I’m in love with this recipe. That creamy lemon sauce is to die for.
Alexandra Cook
Thank you SO much, Marie!
Thrilled to hear this. Alex xo
Sarah Cooke
I’ve made the creamy garlic prawns tonight, mixing cooked tagliatelle through just before plating up. Absolutely gorgeous! Really straightforward, easy to follow, great result! Thank you Alex!
Alexandra Cook
Hi Sarah,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, and I am so happy you enjoyed it. Serving with tagliatelle sounds ideal 🙂
Appreciate you taking the time to let me know.
Alex xo
Marie
All I can say is lucky I just served these with a side salad, because hubby and I got through a whole pan on our own – they’re delicious and so morish.
Alexandra Cook
I am so glad that you both enjoyed them so much, Marie!
That is lovely to hear. Alex xo