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Close up of shrimp in creamy sauce topped with parsley in a pan with a spoon

Creamy Garlic Prawns (Shrimp)

Easy and delicious creamy garlic prawns (shrimp) done in 15 minutes that's big on flavour and deliciously creamy! The perfect solution to a quick weeknight dinner, this easy creamy prawn recipe is fantastic served with rice or some crusty bread.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 275kcal

Ingredients

  • 500 g (1 lb) raw prawns (shrimp) peeled, deveined & defrosted (note 1)
  • ½ cup heavy cream substitute: light/low fat cream
  • ⅓ cup stock chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped

Prawn (shrimp) seasoning

  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Flash cook prawns (shrimp)

  • In a large bowl, combine prawns (shrimp) with prawn seasoning. Mix well and set aside.
  • Preheat a large frying pan over high heat until very hot then add seasoned prawns. Spread the prawns out into a single layer without overlapping. Cook over high heat for 1 minute then flip and cook the other side for 1 minute (note 2). Remove prawns into a bowl and aside.

Make creamy sauce

  • In the same pan (no need to wash), add olive oil and garlic. Saute over medium-low heat for 30 seconds then add tomato paste. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly (note 3). Stir in stock and cream and bring up to a simmer.

Finish off and serve

  • Add prawns back into the pan and simmer for 1 minute over medium heat. Turn the heat off, taste the sauce and adjust with salt and black pepper if desired.
  • To serve, top with fresh parsley.

Notes

1. Defrosting prawns - there are 2 methods:
  • Take the prawns out of the freezer the night before into the fridge, covered. It'll be defrosted the next day.
  • With cold tap water (for a spontaneous meal). Submerge frozen prawns in cold tap water for a couple of minutes then drain and refill with cold tap water. Soak for a further 5 to 10 minutes and it'll be ready to go.  
2. Do not overcook prawns or it'll become tough. Overcooking will change the texture of the prawns, turning them tough and rubbery (which we don't want). Pan searing 1 minute per side over high heat then simmering for 1 to 2 minutes in the sauce is enough. Note: cooking time will be longer if cooking prawns with shells like my butter garlic prawns.
3. 'Cook out' the raw, undesired tartness of the tomato paste by cooking for 1 minute with garlic in the pan. This also adds depth of flavour, complexity and a well-rounded acidity to the overall dish.
Drain out as much water as possible from the prawns for maximum flavour. If there's excess water when pan-searing, the prawns will become cooked before any browning/caramelisation can occur. We want a little browning on the prawns as colour = flavour!
Use large prawns as they're more forgiving. Large prawns take a little longer to cook than small ones thus there's a lower chance of overcooking.
If you've got the time, peel and devein prawns yourself as they're always more flavoursome than the peeled versions.
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, stored in an airtight container. However, it is best to just finish it on the day like all seafood recipes for the best result.
Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1mg