Garlic Butter Prawns (Printable Version)

Tender prawns cooked in rich garlic butter, brightened with lemon and fresh parsley.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large raw prawns, peeled and deveined, tails on

→ Aromatics

02 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Fats

04 - 3.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Citrus

06 - 1 lemon, zest and juice

→ Seasonings

07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Pat the prawns dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
02 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the olive oil.
03 - Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly until fragrant but not browned.
04 - Add the prawns in a single layer. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until pink and opaque.
05 - Add the lemon zest, juice, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir in the chopped parsley and toss to coat.
06 - Remove from heat and serve immediately with extra lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in under 20 minutes, which means you can pull off an elegant dinner on a weeknight without the chaos.
  • The butter and lemon create this gorgeous, naturally glossy sauce that tastes like you spent hours on it.
  • Prawns have this delicate sweetness that shines when you don't overshadow it with heavy sauces.
02 -
  • Overcrowding the pan drops the temperature and turns prawns into rubber—cook them in batches if you need to, giving them room to caramelize.
  • Lemon juice at the end, not the beginning, means the acid stays bright instead of cooking off and disappearing.
03 -
  • Swirl in an extra tablespoon of cold butter right at the end—it creates a silky, restaurant-quality sauce that coats the prawns beautifully.
  • If you want to get fancy, finish with a tiny pinch of fleur de sel instead of table salt for texture and a subtle mineral taste that elevates the whole dish.
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