This Creamy Garlic Prawns has everything we need and want! Featuring large succulent sweet prawns in the tastiest creamy garlic sauce
The most epic Creamy Garlic Prawns
The moment I’m finished cooking this Creamy Garlic Prawns, all I want to do is mop the sauce with crusty bread and pop it into my mouth. I’m an avid prawn lover, so it’s rare for me not to choose a prawn for my first bite. I have a good reason – this sauce is mind blowing good!
Here we have a rich white sauce comprising plenty of garlic, butter, white wine, thickened cream and parmesan cheese. By combining these simple ingredients, we’ve created a magical sauce that will perfectly complement juicy, large prawns.
Despite its simplicity, this one-pan Creamy Garlic Prawns dish has a touch of sophistication. A dish so worthy to share with your guests as an appetiser with crusty bread. Alternatively, you could bulk this meal up and serve it as a main with rice, pasta, veggies, or salad.
This creamy garlic sauce is beautifully rich and indulgent, but I should also add that it’s quite garlicky. Don’t worry though, because the wine gives the sauce depth, which prevents the garlic from being too strong.
Perhaps the only thing to be concerned about afterwards is having garlic breath. If you’re currently in the early stages of dating, I totally get it, but for those who are married, let’s see…….Tomi and I have been married for 9 years and having garlic breath is the least of our issues, believe me 😂
Creamy Garlic Prawns
Should I use fresh or frozen prawns?
Fresh large raw prawns with their head and shells intact are best for making Creamy Garlic Prawns. These prawns have a more pronounced ‘prawn flavour’ which combines beautifully with the rich garlicky sauce. The downside is the high price and having to shell and clean the prawns before cooking. For me, this is worth the effort when I’m expecting guests over.
However, if I’m just cooking for the family, I use large raw frozen peeled large prawns like I have done here. They come conveniently shelled, cleaned, and deveined. To prepare the prawns, I simply needed to defrost them in the fridge and then pat them dry. Trust me, using frozen prawns doesn’t diminish how superb this dish tastes!
What? 5 garlic cloves!
Correct, and we don’t just want small garlic cloves, we want FAT ones! The great thing is even with 5 garlic cloves, the garlic doesn’t overwhelm the sauce, thanks to the complexity of the wine and the richness from the cream. In saying this, if you would like a milder garlic taste, lessen the garlic to your liking.
Mince the garlic using a knife or a mini food chopper / blender. Be careful not to burn the garlic while sauteing, as it will create a bitter taste and you’ll have unsightly dark specks in your cream sauce.
What to serve with creamy garlic prawns?
My favourite way to serve my Creamy garlic prawns is as a starter for 6 people with crusty bread to mop the sauce in. For a complete meal, serve the prawns with steamed rice or pasta. You could also serve them with crisp salad and roasted vegetables.
More mouthwatering prawn recipes to try:
Ingredients for Creamy Garlic Prawns
Raw prawns – I used raw frozen peeled prawns, which were conveniently deveined and cleaned before packaging. The frozen prawns need to be thawed completely in the fridge, then drained of any excess water and patted dry before use. If you can spare the time and money, opt for fresh large raw shelled prawns, as they are more delicious and have a more pronounced prawn taste.
Dry white wine – Any inexpensive white wine will do, but if available, opt for a ‘dry’ white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio as they’re less sweet. If you want to remove the wine, replace it with equal parts of chicken stock or broth.
Thickened cream (heavy cream) has thickening agents added, such as gelatine or vegetable gum and it contains around 35% milk fat. If possible, stick with regular or full cream as the low-fat versions may make the sauce too thin.
Chicken powder – I cannot live without Knorr Chicken Powder (not sponsored). It seriously enhances the taste in many of my savoury dishes. Although I highly recommend this brand, other chicken powder, chicken stock powder, or crumbled chicken bouillon cubes would also work.
Parmesan cheese – It’s worth the effort to grate your own parmesan cheese rather than buying store-bought shredded cheese. Most pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents, which may not melt properly when heated and this may make the sauce grainy.
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How to make Creamy Garlic Prawns
Step-by-step guide with photos
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high, then cook the prawns for 1 minute on each side. You may need to do this in small batches so the prawns don’t overcrowd the pan. Transfer the seared prawns to a plate.
Using the same frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Pour in the wine and cook until the alcohol smell disappears. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add in the cream and bring it to a simmer. Stir in the parmesan cheese and cook until it’s melted.
Return the prawns to the pan along with the chicken powder and pepper, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Ensure not to overcook the prawns as they may go tough. The sauce isn’t very thick, this is ok because it will thicken slightly once it’s removed from the heat. Stir in the parsley, then give the sauce a taste; add more salt and pepper to your liking if needed.
Leftovers
Allow the prawns and sauce to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer them into a sealed container and store them in the fridge for up to 2 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
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Cheers – Cat T
Creamy Garlic Prawns in the MOST amazing sauce!
Video
Ingredients
- 500gm / 1.1lb large raw prawns (weighed without heads and shells) (NOTE 1)
- 1 tbsp (20ml / 0.7floz) light or mild olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves (minced)
- 20gm / 0.7oz unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp (60ml / 2floz) dry white wine (NOTE 2)
- 1¼ cup (310ml / 10.5floz) thickened or heavy cream (NOTE 3)
- 1 tsp chicken powder (or chicken stock powder) (NOTE 4)
- ⅓ cup (40gm / 1.4oz) freshly grated parmesan cheese (NOTE 5)
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high, then cook the prawns for 1 minute on each side. You may need to do this in small batches so the prawns don't overcrowd the pan. Transfer the seared prawns to a plate.
- Using the same frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Pour in the wine and cook until the alcohol smell disappears. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add in the cream and bring it to a simmer. Stir in the parmesan cheese and cook until it's melted.
- Return the prawns to the pan along with the chicken powder and pepper, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Ensure not to overcook the prawns as they may go tough. The sauce isn't very thick, this is ok because it will thicken slightly once it's removed from the heat. Stir in the parsley, then give the sauce a taste; add more salt and pepper to your liking if needed.
