How to BBQ Prawns Perfectly Every Time
When it comes to impressing during barbecue season, it is hard to beat big juicy BBQ prawns; this is how to cook them perfectly!
They take mere minutes to cook, look spectacular and taste divine!
BBQ Jumbo Shrimp
There ain't nothing like great food for lifting my mood, so a little sun and some smoke and seafood means that I had a great weekend!
It is easy to be intimidated when it comes to cooking seafood on the BBQ. Don't be I have you covered!
With ingredients this good, there is not a lot you need to do.
In fact, the less you do, the better the meal is!
Just like my grilled trout recipe, these prawns rely on a few great ingredients.
Garlic, chilli sauce and lemon are all we add apart from salt, and for me, that is all they need.
Buying Prawns for the Grill
Prawns and shrimp have a bizarre sizing system, but when it comes to cooking them on the BBQ/grill, you want big.
The sizing of shrimp or prawns refers to the number per pound.
As a result, the smaller the number, the bigger the prawn, ain't that a doozy?
Just like my Harissa Garlic Prawns these bad boys are sized 8-10 Head on Shell On (HOSO).
The shell adds an aroma and flavour that simply cannot be beaten.
But if you have something smaller, then stick them on a skewer (see what I did there). This grilled shrimp recipe is a great example of this.
To Devein or Not to Devein
The first thing to say is that the line down the back of a prawn is not a vein, and it is not "poop".
It will do you no harm, and it has no flavour, if it is particularly prominent, it may be a little gritty.
So the removal is right down to you; I do remove them if they are noticeable, and I am removing the shell.
If I am not removing the shell, then I do not.
To remove the vein from larger shrimp with the shell on, you can make a cut down the back.
This kinda spoils the "aesthetic" for me.
As a result, I would make a small cut near the head of the prawn where the "vein" usually sits.
Slide in a pin perpendicular to the prawn under where the vein usually is and pull. If there is anything there, you can then pull it out.
Simple BBQ Prawns Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g Prawns 14oz head on shell on
- 1 Thai Birds Eye Chilli Pepper
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 1 Lemon
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 2-3 Pinches Salt (be generous)
Instructions
- Dice the chilli and garlic as finely as you can.
- Mix together the garlic, chilli, salt and oil and coat the shrimp.
- Place the prawns over the direct heat of the coals and cook until pink.
- Size 8-10 prawns take 7-10 minutes.
- Halfway through the cooking time, squeeze over half of the lemon juice, then flip.
- Cook for the remaining time and squeeze over the remaining juice just before serving.
Love to see a video of your deveining technique w/out removing shell and head. Cheers
Hi Kim... I am unable to eat shellfish at the moment so I'm unable to make a video for you, shame really as I am always looking for an excuse to eat prawns 😉 But I have been doing some searches and this technique will work, it is not exactly the same as the one I use but it is clear and easy to follow 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PzAab2HUb4
It’s been really hot here in the Netherlands the last few weeks and when ever that happens we fire up the bbq. I made your grilled shrimp with watermelon and rocket yesterday and it was fabulous. This one is a keeper. Thank you for the recipe!
This is such a pretty dish for the summer. Pairing the watermelon with the shrimp is brilliant. I am so intrigued how you added the sweet chili sauce to the watermelon for grilling. I can't wait to see what that will taste like.
Love the photos! Sounds like a great Summer recipe.
Oh, we love grilling here! All summer long, we grill! Easy clean up and great flavor! You can't go wrong! These shrimp look amazing! In the states we have a hard time finding the shrimp with the head on. Ours now are what they call easy peel, they are deheaded, split and veins removed! I love the presentation with the heads! This recipe sounds great with the grilled watermelon! I must give it a try!
Grilled watermelon sounds unbelievable! I have never even thought of grilling watermelon before but you have inspired me 🙂 I will be adding some watermelon to our next BBQ menu for sure!
It’s been really hot here in the Netherlands the last few weeks and when ever that happens we fire up the bbq. I made your grilled shrimp with watermelon and rocket yesterday and it was fabulous. This one is a keeper. Thank you for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
This is such a pretty dish for the summer. Pairing the watermelon with the shrimp is brilliant. I am so intrigued how you added the sweet chili sauce to the watermelon for grilling. I can't wait to see what that will taste like.
I love watermelon and chili, hell I love chili...
Oh, we love grilling here! All summer long, we grill! Easy clean up and great flavor! You can't go wrong! These shrimp look amazing! In the states we have a hard time finding the shrimp with the head on. Ours now are what they call easy peel, they are deheaded, split and veins removed! I love the presentation with the heads! This recipe sounds great with the grilled watermelon! I must give it a try!
Most of our shrimp are like that too, which is sad... But on occasions we get big boys like this and the only thing to do is fire up the BBQ and go to town 😀
Love the photos! Sounds like a great Summer recipe.
Thanks Amanada
Grilled watermelon sounds unbelievable! I have never even thought of grilling watermelon before but you have inspired me 🙂 I will be adding some watermelon to our next BBQ menu for sure!
Prepare to be hooked 🙂
I love grilling watermelon, yup finally got my hands on some great seafood... Soooo expensive but we are worth it, right?
I used to only eat fried popcorn shrimp and wouldn't eat it any other way but I'm falling in love with it cooked all different ways. I haven't tried it on the grill yet, though so I'm adding this one to the list!
Ha, when I was a child the only way I would eat fish was in a fish finger sandwich 😉
I see you got your hands on some seafood. Those prawns look great! Where are they from?
Cheers Whitney, the prawns came from Croatia 😀
I am so, so jealous of your gorgeous grill set up! Tell me again how I quit my job and move to the Hungarian countryside...?
Cheer Hillary, it's been a while but it goes something like this, go to a music festival, get drunk, buy a house and figure 'f' it, in for a penny in for a pound 😉
I love Grilled Shrimp Brian - it's one of my very favorite ways to enjoy it! And pairing it with watermelon sounds delish!
Me too Paige, I only wish I didn't have to sell a kidney to buy them here in Hungary 😉
I'm British too so know them as prawns, but I must make concessions to the great Google gods... Most of my readers are US based and no one knows them as prawns 😉 I believe the British summer is coming three weeks on Tuesday, it will finish on Wednesday, you hear it here first 😀
I guess we were all like that when we were younger, I know I certainly was... The water melon works really well on a grill and with a bit of chili is a perfect partner for the Shrimp 🙂
Wonderful, nothing more 🙂 Never tried the combination of shrimp with watermelon on the grill. Actually, I think that meals cooked in the fresh air will taste better 🙂
Totally with you on the alfresco cooking thing, I spent years not cooking outside after being forced to spend 9 months cooking outside... Feels great to be back at it again.
I love your photos! The recipe looks really great 🙂
Thanks Sarah 🙂
Superb recipes, I love watermelon as a side, fantastic flavour profiles and colours in this recipe!
Thanks Azlin.