Asian Chilli Garlic Prawns (shrimp) Recipe
Cook Asian Chilli Garlic Prawns (shrimp) Recipe in 20 minutes for sticky, spicy glazed prawns; serve with steamed rice.
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)
- Sesame seeds (optional garnish)
- Green onions, finely sliced (optional garnish)
- Red chillies, finely sliced or chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions
Step 1: Sear the prawns
Heat a large skillet until very hot, add vegetable oil and sear half the prawns in a single layer—about 40–50 seconds per side—until the exterior is just golden and slightly crisp, then lift them onto a clean bowl. Repeat quickly with the remaining prawns so each batch is hot and caramelized but still plump and translucent inside. Keep the cooked prawns loosely covered in the bowl to rest while you finish the sauce.
Step 2: Rest and reset the pan
Remove the skillet briefly from the heat to cool a touch and lower the burner to medium. This small pause prevents the garlic from burning once reintroduced. Return the skillet and heat the toasted sesame oil until it shimmers; the sesame oil will give that nutty, toasted backbone to the finished glaze.
Step 3: Fry the aromatics
Add the very finely minced garlic, grated ginger (if using) and chilli flakes to the hot sesame oil, stirring frequently. Cook the aromatics gently until the garlic just turns golden and fragrant—this is the moment the aromatics bloom and the kitchen fills with a toasty, chili‑garlic aroma. Be attentive: you want color and aroma but not bitterness.
Step 4: Combine the saucy components
Pour in the water from a small jug, then add Sriracha from its jar, light soy sauce in a little ceramic dish and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring the mixture together; this is the raw sauce composition before reduction, a glossy, thin orange‑red liquid studded with tiny garlic bits.
Step 5: Reduce to a glossy glaze
Increase heat to medium‑high and let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, until it reduces for about 3 minutes and thickens into a thin syrup that coats the back of a spoon—an amber‑orange, glossy glaze with suspended flecks of garlic and chilli. This is the core transformation: spicy, sweet and sticky.
Step 6: Toss prawns in the glaze
Return the seared prawns to the skillet and toss them briskly in the thickened sauce to reheat and coat—1–2 minutes is enough. The prawns should be glossy and evenly lacquered in the amber sauce, edges slightly caramelized, juices sealed in, with the sauce clinging to every curve.
Step 7: Garnish and serve
Transfer the prawns to a shallow rustic beige plate, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, thinly sliced green onions and slivers of fresh red chilli, and serve immediately with rice or cauliflower rice. The finished dish should present plump, glossy prawns in a sticky chili‑garlic glaze with bright green and red accents that cut through the amber sauce.
Notes
- Pat prawns dry before searing to get a good caramelized crust.
- Keep aromatics moving in the pan to prevent burning.
- Store sauce separately from garnishes for best leftover texture.
- Use low heat to reheat leftovers briefly to avoid rubbery prawns.
- Swap brown sugar with honey for a slightly different depth of sweetness.