There are few dishes that perfectly balance sweet, spicy, and tangy flavours, but Sweet Chilli Lime Prawns achieve this balance effortlessly. This recipe is not only packed with flavour, but it’s also incredibly simple. With just four ingredients, you can create a dish that feels like a restaurant-worthy treat in no time. Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner or a dish to impress at a dinner party, these prawns will surely steal the show.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Breakdown
- Thawing Prawns Properly
- Deveining Prawns: Why It’s Worth the Effort
- Preparing the Sauce
- Cooking the Prawns Perfectly
- Tips for the Best Sweet Chilli Lime Prawns
- More Recipes You’ll Love
Ingredient Breakdown
- Frozen head-on, shell-on prawns: These prawns offer a juicy, tender texture when cooked and their shells retain flavour, making them ideal for this dish.
- Sweet chilli sauce: This sauce adds a perfect balance of sweetness and mild heat, elevating the prawns with its rich, sticky consistency.
- Limes (zest and juice): The zesty, tangy lime complements the sweetness of the chilli sauce, creating a refreshing, zesty contrast to the prawns.
- Garlic cloves (minced): Garlic infuses the prawns with a rich, savoury depth that ties together the sweet and tangy flavours beautifully.
Thawing Prawns Properly
When preparing prawns for a recipe like Sweet Chilli Lime Prawns, one of the most important steps is ensuring they are thawed properly. While it may seem like a simple task, the method you choose can affect the texture and flavour of your prawns.
Thawing prawns is a delicate process. If done too quickly, they can become watery and lose their natural sweetness. If done too slowly, they may not reach their full flavour potential. Here’s a deeper dive into the different methods you can use:
- Fridge Thawing: The slowest method but the most gentle on the prawns. Simply place the prawns in a bowl, cover them with a lid or plastic wrap, and leave them in the fridge overnight. This gradual defrosting process ensures that the prawns retain their texture and moisture. It’s a great option for those who prefer to prepare ahead of time.
- Cold Water Thawing: If you need to thaw the prawns quickly, submerging the unopened packet in cold water is an effective method. This takes approximately 45 minutes and allows the prawns to thaw evenly without compromising their flavour. Be sure to replace the water if it becomes too warm. Avoid using hot water, as it can partially cook the prawns, leading to an undesirable texture.
- Quick Thawing: For even faster results, you can remove the prawns from the packaging and place them directly into a large bowl of cold water. This method typically takes around 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the prawns. Just be careful not to leave them in the water for too long. They may begin to absorb excess moisture, which can dilute their flavour.
Deveining Prawns: Why It’s Worth the Effort
Deveining prawns is often viewed as a tedious step in prawn preparation, but it’s an important one. Many people choose to skip this process, especially when using shelled prawns, but there’s more to it than just appearance.
The dark line that runs along the back of prawns is the digestive tract. While it isn’t harmful to eat, it can have a gritty texture and slightly bitter taste. When preparing Sweet Chilli Lime Prawns, removing this vein is recommended.
How to Devein Properly: Start by cutting the back of the prawn shell with scissors, being careful not to cut too deeply. Gently peel open the shell to expose the dark vein. Use the tip of your knife or your fingers to carefully remove it. If you’re using head-on prawns, you’ll likely need to work around the head to ensure you remove the entire vein.
Preparing the Sauce
While the prawns are thawing or being deveined, it’s time to prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine sweet chilli sauce, lime zest, lime juice, and minced garlic. Stir together and season lightly with salt. This mixture will infuse the prawns with the right balance of heat, tang, and savoury goodness. The garlic, in particular, adds an earthy undertone that complements the sweetness of the chilli sauce.
The lime zest provides an extra burst of fragrance. It helps heighten the freshness of the prawns and makes the dish come alive. If you’re using lime wedges for serving, be sure to have them on hand, as they will bring an additional touch of zing when served.
Cooking the Prawns Perfectly
The next step is to cook the prawns. Heat a splash of oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the prawns in batches. Cook them for two minutes per side. This method ensures the prawns cook evenly and don’t overcrowd the pan, resulting in a tender, juicy texture.
Once all the prawns have been cooked, return them to the pan. Then pour in the prepared sweet chilli lime sauce. Stir the prawns to coat them evenly with the sauce. Let it cook for an additional one to two minutes, or until the sauce slightly reduces and becomes sticky and luscious. You’ll notice the prawns taking on a glossy sheen as they absorb the flavours of the sauce.
Tips for the Best Sweet Chilli Lime Prawns
- Don’t Overcook the Prawns: The key to succulent prawns is to cook them just right. Overcooking them can result in a rubbery texture. Aim for a bright pink colour and an opaque centre.
- Adjust the Lime to Your Preference: Depending on how tangy you like your dishes, you can adjust the amount of lime zest and juice. More lime zest will add a sharper citrus flavour, while the juice brings more liquid and tang.
- Serve Immediately: Prawns are best served fresh and hot, so be sure to plate them straight from the pan for the best flavour and texture.
More Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoyed the bold, punchy flavours in this Sweet Chilli Lime Prawns recipe, why not give some more of my recipes a go?
- Grilled Corn with Chilli Lime Butter: Perfectly grilled corn on the cob slathered in chilli lime butter. Need I say more?
- BBQ Sweet Chilli Chicken Drumsticks: Sticky, sweet and finger-licking good! These chicken drumsticks are full of flavour and so easy to make
- Coriander Lime Rice: A simple but flavourful side. It comes together in just 15 minutes and is the perfect complement to any dish.
- Thai Steamed Fish with Lime Sauce: My take on pla kapong neung manao, an incredibly popular Thai dish consisting of steamed fish served with a bright, punchy sauce made with lots of lime, garlic, chillies, fish sauce and other fragrant aromatics.
See how I make these recipes and more over on my Instagram!
Sweet Chilli Lime Prawns
You only need 4 ingredients to make what might be one of the tastiest prawns you’ll ever have! They’re sweet and sticky, but also zingy and garlicky – the perfect combination of flavours.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg frozen head-on, shell-on prawns
- 250 g sweet chilli sauce
- 2 limes, zest and juice, plus extra lime wedges for serving
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
- Thaw the prawns. You can do this in a number of ways: 1) Defrost them in the fridge overnight. 2) Place the unopened packet of prawns in a large bowl with cold water, using a plate or something heavy to weigh it down – it should defrost within 45 minutes. 3) Take the prawns out of the packet and place them in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and let sit. Depending on the size of the prawns, the thawing process can take anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes.
- Next, you’ll need to devein the prawns i.e. remove the intestinal tract. To do this, use a pair of scissors to cut down the back of the prawn shell, starting near the head. Gently run a knife down the slit and use your fingers to slightly pry open the prawn. You should now see a black-ish line (the intestinal tract) and you can remove it with the tip of your knife or your fingers.
- Of course, you only need to do this if you’re using head-on, shell-on prawns. If you prefer, you can use shelled prawns instead.
- Place the sweet chilli sauce, lime zest and juice and garlic in a small bowl. Season lightly with salt and mix to combine.
- Heat a splash of oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the prawns for 2 minutes per side.
- Return all the prawns to the large saute pan, add the sauce and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced slightly.
- Plate up the prawns and serve with extra lime wedges – enjoy!
