Spicy Skewered Prawns are an ideal appetizer or main dish year round, a perfect summer barbecue food.
Gluten-free, paleo and low-carb!
With the arrival of July 4th, the summer grilling season is in full swing. If you are looking for some ideas to grill meat, look no further.Our spicy skewered prawn recipes is one of the easiest and quickest recipe you will find out there.
What’s more, they are packed with flavor and an easy crowd pleaser, when you are having a summer party in your backyard and are looking for easy grilling recipe ideas.You can make it in an outdoor or indoor grill.
The simplicity of the spices, flavored with herbs and juices from the cherry tomatoes and bell peppers makes these skewered prawns dish versatile to pair with your favorite rice dishes like Lemon rice, Bell Pepper Rice and Zucchini rice or simply had as an appetizer.
These grilled prawns are a delicious variation from the normal BBQ fare. The amazing aroma that emanates from these marinated prawns as they are cooked on the grill after being seasoned with spices and herbs, is enough to draw your guests to the table without a second call on dinner being served.
Need I say more?
Table of Contents
Ingredients used
Prawns
Use fresh, frozen or thawed prawns for this recipe. You may use large, medium or small sized prawns for this recipe. Medium and large work best as it is easy to thread me into skewers while grilling.
Do not use precooked prawns for this recipe as we will be cooking/grilling them ourselves and it is so easy to grill fresh, frozen or thawed prawns.The taste varies when you use precooked prawns.
Olive Oil
Marinating the prawns for this recipe, starts with the addition of olive oil, that makes these prawns moist and flavorful when grilled.
Lemon Juice
The lemon juice not only adds a fresh and bright flavor to this prawn recipe, but also helps in tenderizing the prawn for grilling.
Ginger Garlic paste
Freshly ground ginger garlic paste or store bought ginger garlic paste enhances the flavor of this prawn recipe.
Spices
Red chili powder,Turmeric powder, salt and pepper when added to the prawns while marinating enhances the natural flavor of the prawns.
Herbs
We used Thyme for this recipe that gives it a smoky flavor. You may choose to use Thyme or any other herb of your choice to add to a fresh bright flavor.
How to prepare the grilled prawn marinade?
Marinating prawns for this skewered prawn recipe is quite easy and quick. Since the flavors easily seep into the tender prawns , just marinating the prawns 20 minutes before you decide to grill, should be more than enough time for the flavors to seep in.
Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and add the prawns last to coat them with the marinade. Let it sit for 20 minutes before you grill them on a skewer.
Note: Since lemon juice tenderizes prawns, having them soak in the marinade longer would result in rubbery prawns that are tough. So DO NOT not marinate prawns for longer than required.
How to make grilled prawns on skewers?
- Skewer the prawns :Once done marinating the prawns, gently pick each one and thread them into a skewer. You can add cherry tomatoes, bell pepper or any such veggie of your choice to bookend the skewer for added flavor. You may use either stainless steel skewers or soaked bamboo skewers for this recipe.If using bamboo skewers make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before using. If you don’t soak them they will light on fire and burn.
- Prepare Grill : Preheat the grill to medium high heat, clean, and oil the grates to prevent sticking. Place the skewered prawns on the grill.
- Grill: Grill the prawns on each side for 2-3 minutes by gently rotating the skewer or until the shrimp is opaque and white/pink.
- Serve: Serve warm with a drizzle of lemon juice.
What to serve with Skewered Prawns?
The Skewered Prawns can be had as an appetizer for an outdoor get together.
Just to give you a heads up, on that bit…it will be gone before you know it. So if you are having a large get together, make sure to have at least 4-5 prawns on a skewer.
It can also be a side to main rice dish in your meal.We have used skewered prawns with our Zucchini Rice, Lemon Rice, Bell Pepper Rice in the past.You can try it with any rice dish of your choice.
Quick Tips to note while grilling prawns
Marinade
Soak the prawns in the marinade only for 15- 20 minutes prior to grilling.Marinating them any longer will result n tough and rubbery prawns upon grilling coz the lemon juice not only tenderizes the prawns but also cooks the prawns if left for too long.
Skewers
Always use sturdy skewers for grilling. Be it stainless steel skewers or bamboo skewers, they need to be sturdy to hold the food that is being threaded in.
That said, if you are using Bamboo skewers make sure to soak them in water 30 minutes prior to grilling so that they don’t burn and break while grilling.
Grilling
Do not overcook/grill the shrimp as it will turn the them tough and rubbery when done.
Prawns only takes a few minutes to cook, on a hot grill. When you notice the color change from translucent to opaque, that is the best time to remove them from the grill, after you have turned them in both sides.
Citrus Flavor
If you can grill half a lemon alongside, it helps. Warm lemon releases more juice that is perfect to squeeze over the grilled prawns once cooked.
Spicy Skewered Prawn Recipe
Spicy Skewered Prawns|How to make
20
minutes10
minutes30
minutesIngredients
20-30 20-30 Prawns large or medium size
2-3 2-3 Bell Peppers Colored
12-15 12-15 Cherry Tomatoes
1 tbsp 1 Olive Oil
1 tsp 1 Chili Powder
1/2 tsp 1/2 Turmeric powder
1 tsp 1 Ginger -Garlic paste
Salt and pepper for taste
A few A few Thyme leaves
Directions
- Marinate cleaned & deveined prawns in a mix containing Olive oil, chili powder, turmeric powder, lime juice, salt, thyme & ginger garlic paste for 20 minutes.
- Cut the bell peppers of different colors in small cubes.Now thread the cherry tomatoes, prawns, bell peppers in the pattern you prefer
- We used 2 skewers while threading, since it’s easier to turn the skewer when it’s hot in the grill & prevents the prawn from rotating all over.
- Grill it in the open or indoors for a few minutes each turning the skewers every few minutes ensuring the prawns are cooked on either side.
- Serve hot as an appetizer or a side to the main dish.
Notes
- Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 20-30 minutes before threading the prawns in, just to avoid burning them while grilling.
- Alternatively, one could use pineapple chunks, mushrooms, onions, chicken pieces in the skewer with similar recipe.
FAQ’S
What is the difference between BBQing and grilling?
When you barbecue you are cooking with a slow circumvented unit of hot air with the lid closed. Grilling is done with the lid up and you’re cooking with direct heat on the bottom, instead of all around the source.
How long do you marinate the prawns before grilling?
Marinating prawns for 20 minutes should be ideal, but certainly not more than 30 minutes.The lemon juice which is added to the marinade to tenderize the prawn will end up cooking the pawns if left to marinate for longer, making them tough to chew on when cooked.
How long do you grill prawns?
Prawns only need 2-3 minutes on the hot grill, depending on the size. If they are smaller it might even take lesser time.
Do not grill for a longer time since this will make the prawns tough and leathery to chew on when cooked. An easy way to find if they are cooked is note the color change from translucent to opaque.
Do we need to keep the shell on the prawn while grilling?
This particular recipe doesn’t call for the shells to stay on the prawns, since removing the shells would help the flavors seep into the prawns while marinating. However grilling prawns with the shell on for other kind of recipes is totally Ok.
The Bottom Line
Our Spicy Skewered Prawn Recipe is going to be among one of your best grilled recipes, if you give it a try. We promise you that! Not only is it quick and easy to make, it is delicious and a crown pleaser, when it comes to you being the host.So why wouldn’t you give it a try, right?
Go on try it for yourselves and share your feedback with us, in the comments section below. We would love to hear it.
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