Garlic & Chilli Crispy Prawns

Serves 2. Prep/Cook time: 35 minutes.

Garlic & chilli crispy prawns with sweet and sour sauce — the dish that made every British kid in the 80s think Chinese cooking was basically magic. Open that plastic box and you’d get prawns so crispy they could survive nuclear winter, drowned in a sauce red enough to make Heinz jealous. It was food as theatre: crunchy, sticky, sweet, sour, spicy — all the adjectives your nan used to avoid.

And sure, the colour was probably brighter than anything nature intended, but who cared? This was the flavour of Friday nights, Bruce Lee posters on the wall, Only Fools and Horses on the telly, and chopsticks you never quite managed to use properly. Today we fry them lighter, toss in fresh garlic and chilli, and give the sauce a bit more balance — but the heart of the dish is still the same. Loud, unapologetic, a little kitsch… like the best bits of the 80s without the dodgy perms.

The RECIPE

Garlic & Chilli Marinade

Ingredients:

  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled

  • ½ red chilli (about 10g)

  • 100ml rapeseed oil

  • 16–20 raw peeled prawns (about 350–400g)

Method:

  • Blitz garlic, chilli, and oil into a smooth mix.

  • Toss prawns in 2–3 tbsp of the marinade.

  • Set aside for 15–20 minutes.


Sweet & Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 200ml pineapple juice

  • 100g brown sugar

  • 60g tomato ketchup (about 4 tbsp)

  • 30ml soy sauce (2 tbsp)

  • 50ml white wine vinegar (3 tbsp + 1 tsp)

  • 15g cornflour (1 tbsp) mixed with 30ml water

Method:

  • Add pineapple juice, sugar, ketchup, soy, and vinegar to a pan.

  • Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

  • Whisk in the cornflour slurry.

  • Cook until glossy and slightly thickened.


Coat & Fry the Prawns

Ingredients:

  • 50g cornflour

  • 50g rice flour

Method:

  • Mix cornflour and rice flour in a shallow bowl.

  • Remove prawns from marinade and toss in the flour mix until well coated.

  • Heat oil to 180°C in a deep pan.

  • Fry prawns in batches for 2–3 minutes until golden and crispy.

  • Drain on kitchen paper.


Bring It All Together & Garnish

Ingredients:

  • Crispy fried prawns

  • Prepared sweet & sour sauce

  • 1 spring onion, finely sliced

  • 1 fresh red chilli, thinly sliced

  • Small handful coriander leaves

Method:

  • Toss crispy prawns in the sweet & sour sauce, or serve sauce on the side for dipping.

  • Garnish with sliced spring onion, red chilli, and coriander leaves.

Chef Tips

  • Dry = Crispy: Pat the prawns completely dry before marinating — moisture makes the coating fall off and the oil spit.

  • Marinade Smart: 15–20 minutes is enough to infuse flavour without “cooking” the prawns in the garlic & chilli oil.

  • Double-Dip Trick: For extra crunch, dredge in flour, dip lightly back in the marinade, then coat again before frying.

  • Oil Temperature Matters: Fry at 180°C. Too cool = soggy prawns, too hot = burnt outside and rubbery inside. Test with a pinch of flour — it should fizz steadily.

  • Batch Frying: Cook prawns in small batches so the oil stays hot and the coating stays crisp.

  • Glossy Sauce: Simmer the sweet & sour until it coats the back of a spoon. Too thin? Reduce 2–3 mins longer. Too thick? Loosen with a splash of water.

  • Timing is Key: Toss prawns in the sauce only just before serving to keep the crunch intact.

  • Protein & Fresh Produce

    • 16–20 raw peeled prawns (about 350–400g)

    • 3 cloves garlic

    • 1 fresh red chilli

    • 1 spring onion

    • Small handful fresh coriander

    Dry Goods & Seasoning

    • Cornflour

    • Rice flour

    • Salt (for rice/seasoning if needed)

    Sweeteners

    • Brown sugar

    Condiments & Sauces

    • Rapeseed oil

    • Soy sauce

    • Tomato ketchup

    • White wine vinegar

    Carbohydrates

    • Pineapple juice (for the sauce)

    • Jasmine rice or noodles (to serve, optional but recommended)

    Optional Extras

    • Extra fresh red chilli (for garnish/heat)

    • Black sesame seeds (for finish)

    • Fresh chives (for garnish)

  • Per Serving (1 of 2)

    • Calories: ~690 kcal

    • Protein: ~32 g

    • Carbohydrates: ~95 g

      • of which sugars: ~32 g

    • Fat: ~17 g

      • of which saturates: ~2.5 g

    • Fibre: ~2.5 g

    • Salt (sodium): ~4.8 g

  • Crustaceans, Soy, Gluten.
    (May contain sesame, sulphites, mustard, peanuts/tree nuts — check your product labels.)