BBQ Prawns
Large prawns threaded on skewers, brushed with garlic, lemon and chilli butter and grilled for 8 minutes. Four servings in 18 minutes.
The Method for BBQ Prawns
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Heat the grill to high. Thread the prawns onto skewers.
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Stir together the butter, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, chilli and salt.
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Brush the prawns with half the butter and grill for 4 minutes, then turn, brush with the rest and grill for 4 minutes more.
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Scatter with parsley and serve with the pan juices.
Keep an Eye on These
- Choose shell-on prawns for juicier meat.
- Pull them as soon as they curl into a loose C.
- If your grill runs hot, check at 5 minutes.
- Brush on the butter in two coats.
Ingredient Swaps
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
A Little Background
Prawns cook in minutes and spoil in seconds, so the barbecue is a good place for them: hot, fast, and over before anyone looks away.
Buy raw, shell-on prawns if you can. The shell protects the flesh from the heat and keeps it juicy, and guests peel their own at the table. Peeled prawns work too, but cut the time a little.
The butter is melted with garlic, lemon zest and chilli, then brushed on in two coats. It drips into the coals, which is half the smell. Pull them when they turn pink and curl into a loose C. A tight O means overcooked and rubbery.
Thread two skewers through each row, one near the head and one near the tail, so the prawns lie flat and turn all at once. If your grill runs hot, check at 5 minutes. Serve them with plenty of napkins and a bowl for the shells, because this is food to eat with your hands.
To Go With It
Crusty bread · Green salad · Lemon wedges · Corn on the cob
Keeping BBQ Prawns
Best eaten straight away. Cooked prawns keep in the fridge for 1 day.
Quick Answers
How long does BBQ Prawns take to make?
About 18 minutes in total — 10 minutes of preparation and 8 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making BBQ Prawns?
Choose shell-on prawns for juicier meat. Pull them as soon as they curl into a loose C. If your grill runs hot, check at 5 minutes. Brush on the butter in two coats.
What should I serve with BBQ Prawns?
Crusty bread; Green salad; Lemon wedges; Corn on the cob.
Is BBQ Prawns suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is gluten-free, low-carb, keto and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
BBQ Prawns Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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