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Prawns / shrimp

Fish & seafood · Shellfish

Prawns / shrimp

Prawns and shrimp, sold raw or cooked, shell-on or peeled; quick-cooking for curries, stir-fries, grills and pasta.

Also called: shrimp, prawns, prawn, king prawns, jhinga, camarones, gambas, karides, ebi

A kind of shellfish

49 recipes with it

Photo: self, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Prawns and shrimp are small crustaceans; the names overlap and vary by country, with 'prawn' usually meaning larger ones in Britain and Asia. Raw prawns are grey-translucent and turn pink and opaque when cooked; cooked prawns are already pink. They are sold whole, headless shell-on, or peeled and deveined, mostly frozen.

How it’s used

  • Curries, such as Goan and Malay prawn curries
  • Stir-fries, pad thai and fried rice
  • Garlic prawns (gambas al ajillo) and grilled skewers
  • Prawn cocktail and salads
  • Dumplings (har gow), tempura and gumbo

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet and briny.
Texture
Firm and springy; rubbery when overcooked.
When cooked
Cook raw prawns only until pink and just opaque, usually 2–4 minutes; they curl into a C when done and a tight O when overcooked. Shells and heads make excellent stock.
Sold as
fresh, frozen, dried
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for frying, Suitable for grilling, Suitable for boiling

Kinds in our pantry

Storage

Frozen. Most prawns are sold frozen; thaw overnight in the fridge or in a bowl of cold water. Fresh raw prawns should be cooked on the day; discard if they smell of ammonia.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Crustaceans.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains crustacean shellfish, one of the most common and serious food allergens; reactions can be severe and also occur from cooking steam or shared oil.
  • Cook raw prawns until pink and opaque (63 °C / 145 °F). Keep frozen until needed; do not refreeze thawed raw prawns.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
85 kcal
Protein
20.1 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
0.51 g
Fibre
— g
Sugars
— g

USDA FoodData Central: Crustaceans, shrimp, raw.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Scallops — 1:1 in sears and pastas; similar quick cooking.
  • White fish fillet — Firm chunks in curries; for crustacean-free cooking.

Related ingredients

Recipes with prawns / shrimp

See all 49

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