Easy homemade Crispy Salt and Pepper Prawns recipe made with light, airy, crispy coated king prawns and flavourful seasonings. Perfect as a starter or serves with steamed rice or stir fry noodles and make it a delicious meal.
Chinese salt and pepper dishes are our readers' favourite and most popular recipes on our website. Crispy Salt and Chilli Chicken and Chinese Salt and Pepper Chips are winner recipes you don't want to miss!
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What is Salt and Pepper Prawns?
This dish is one of the most popular appetizers in UK Chinese takeaways and restaurants. Crispy deep-fried coated king prawns tossed with vegetables, and Chinese salt and pepper seasoning powder.
It's quite an expensive dish and you will get only a small amount when you order from takeout and restaurants. Whenever we ordered takeout, my family never seems to have enough, so I tried to make large batches at home. I learned this recipe from my friend, who was a Chinese chef, and it becomes our family's favourite crispy prawn recipe. Hope you enjoy making it too!
Why you would love this recipe
- Tried and tested the Classic starter recipe that all family and friends approved and loved!
- Made with a choice of prawns or shrimp, simple vegetables, and cupboard-friendly spices.
- Easy to adjust and customize the seasonings to your preference.
- You can create a better than takeaway salt and pepper king prawn at home without much hassle with this easy recipe.
- A simple, budget-friendly, family-friendly recipe that all kids and adults can enjoy! Omit chili flakes if you are cooking for kids.
What do we need
Prawns - Use large or medium-size raw king prawns, tiger prawns, shrimps, or a choice of seafood. Prawns should be peeled and deveined. You can either leave the tail shell off or remove it to your preference.
Prawn marinade - Simply season the prawns with salt, white pepper, corn starch, and water. The purpose of adding corn starch and water is to achieve a light sticky texture that can stick to the corn starch coating well.
Coating - Corn starch or potato starch is the best flour to achieve the crunchy coating texture. Do not recommend using regular plain flour for this recipe.
Vegetables - Garlic, onions, bell peppers, and spring onions are ideal for this recipe. Feel free to add extra vegetables like shredded carrot, zucchini, etc.
3 ingredients seasoning powder - Chinese five spices powder, fresh ground black pepper, and fine salt are 3 classic ingredients you will need.
Chilli flakes - Add dried crushed chillies or whole dried chillies for a kick of heat.
Oil for frying - I am using sunflower oil in this recipe. Use vegetable oil, sunflower oil, canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil which are great for deep frying.
How to make it
- First season the prawns with salt, white pepper, corn starch, and water. Mix it well and set it aside. In a small bowl combine the salt, black pepper, and Chinese five-spice powder.
- Dredge the marinated prawns in the corn starch and gently toss the excess flour out before frying.
- Heat the oil to high heat at about 350 F. Fry the coated prawns in the hot oil for 2-3 minutes until the prawns are crispy golden brown.
- Remove from oil and place it over the cooling rack ( wire rack ).
- Heat the large wok/pan over medium heat, drizzle oil, and saute the onions and garlic.
- Add bell peppers, cook for a few seconds and follow with the crushed chilies.
- Place the fried prawns in the pan and sprinkle the salt and pepper seasoning powder mix. Finish with chopped spring onions.
- Toss everything well for a minute and is ready to enjoy! Serve immediately.
Variations & Ingredients Add-on
Sichuan style prawns: To make Sichuan chilli prawns, add the same amount of crushed Sichuan peppercorn to the seasoning powder mixture. Sichuan peppercorns have numbing sensation and unique sharp flavour, only a small amount needs to be used.
Takeaway style: To taste exactly like your favorite Chinese takeaway, add half a teaspoon of msg or chicken powder to the seasoning spice mixture and reduce the salt to taste.
How to make salted chilli prawns: If love salt and chilli flavour, add about half a teaspoon of dry crushed chill flakes, dried whole chilled or fresh chilli slices, after stir frying the vegtables. Adjust the chilli amount according to your taste.
Prawns substitute: Instead of prawns, you can try this recipe with fish fillets or squid.
For the vegetarian option: To make Salt and Pepper Tofu you can use firm tofu and use potato chips to create Crispy Chilli Chips .
Top Tips
- You can check the oil temperature with a food thermometer or wooden chopstick. Dip the chopstick or wooden spoon in the oil, when the bubbles are fizzing fast and steadily it's ready to fry.
- Do not overcrowd the oil, fry batches if needed. Overcrowding can drop the oil temperature down and prawn coating can get soggy.
- You can make an extra seasoning mix and keep it in an airtight container for future use. I love to add this seasoning mix to my stir-fries too.
Frequently asked questions
This dish is delicious on it's own as an appetizer or you can pair it with Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup, Easy Beef Fried Rice, Beef Ho Fun ( Beef Chow Fun ), or choice of soups and main dishes. We love to serve it over a bed of plain jasmine rice, egg fried rice or vegetable stir fry noodles.
It tastes best when freshly cooked as the prawns can get overcooked when you reheat it. If you have any leftover, you can reheat in the microve or over a stovetop just for a few seconds.
It usually take 2-4 minutes according to the size of prawns. Small prawns take about 1-2 minutes, medium prawns take 2-3 minutes and jumbo prawns take 3-4 minutes, approximately.
Vegetable oil is used to make both deep-fry and stir-fry in the Chinese takeaways and restaurants.
More fantastic Chinese prawns/shrimp recipes
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📖 Recipe
Salt and Pepper Prawns
Equipment
- 1 Medium-size frying pot
- 1 Large wok or pan
Ingredients
Prawn & Seasonings
- 500 gram King prawns About 17.6oz, peeled and deveined, ( king prawns, tiger prawns, shrimp or jumbo prawns )
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp White pepper
- 1 tbsp Corn starch
- 1 tbsp Water
Ingredient
- ½ cup Corn starch Or potato starch, About 50 gram
- 3-4 cloves Garlic Cut thin slices
- ½ Onion Cut thin slices
- 1 Red/Green bell pepper Cut thin slices
- 2-3 Spring onions Cut thin slices
- 1 tsp Dried chilli flakes Crushed chillies ( optional )
- Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper seasonings
- ½ tsp Salt Fine salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Chinese Five Spices see details in note
- ¼ tsp Chicken powder or msg Optional ( see details in note )
Instructions
- Combine the salt, black pepper, and Chinese five-spice powder in a small bowl. Mix it well and set it aside. Marinade the prawns with salt, white pepper, corn starch, and water. Mix it well and set it aside.
- Dredge and coat each marinated prawns in the corn starch and gently toss the excess flour out before frying.
- Fill the medium size frying pot with vegetable oil at least 2-3 inches high. Heat the oil to high heat about 350° F. Fry the coated prawns in the hot oil for 2-3 minutes until the prawns are crispy golden brown. Remove from oil and place it over the cooling rack.
- Heat the large wok/pan over medium heat, drizzle oil, and saute the onions and garlic.
- Next add bell peppers, cook for a few seconds and follow with the crushed chilies.
- Place the fried prawns in the pan and sprinkle the salt and pepper seasoning powder mix. Finish with spring onions.
- Toss everything well for a minute and is ready to enjoy! Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- What type of prawns to use? Use medium or large-size king prawns, tiger prawns, shrimp, or jumbo prawns. Raw prawns are ideal for this salt and pepper prawns recipe. Prawns should be peeled and deveined and pat dry with a paper towel. Do not recommend using cooked prawns.
- Prawns frying time? Prawns cooked very fast. It usually takes 2-3 minutes and frying time can be varied according to the size of the prawns.
- Fry with hot oil - Make sure to fry with hot oil to prevent the coating from being greasy.
- Chinese five spices - is usually made of cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorns. You can buy it in Chinese or Oriental Asian grocery stores.
- White pepper - Instead of white pepper, you can use regular black pepper.
- Chicken powder or msg - You can add extra chicken powder or msg if you wish to taste exactly like Chinese takeaways. Or you can avoid it to your preference.
Tracy says
Fantastic recipe, thankyou!
Easy to make, minimal mess in the kitchen (bonus!), and absolutely delicious.
Khin says
Very welcome, Tracy. So pleased that you enjoyed recipe.
Cindy says
This is delicious! My first attempt was tasty. Thank you!
Khin says
Awesome! So glad that you enjoyed it, Cindy.
Ejhay Arceo Thomas says
So deliciously recipes I ever tasted, yummy, yummy!
Joanne Chew says
Can I cook the salt and pepper prawns in air fryer, roughly how long would they take ? Thanks Joanne
Khin says
Hi Joanne, spray cooking oil on the coated prawns and fry it with a pre-heated air fryer about 400 degree F ( 200'C ) for about 10 minutes or until crispy. Flip halfway through. Hope it helps.
max spring says
Hi, a really good , simple to follow recipe , turned out very well . Thank you .