Teriyaki Grilled Prawns 海老の照り焼き

Ingredients

• 500 gprawns (shrimp)
• 80 ml (⅓ cup)basic teriyaki sauce
• ½ tbspcrushed garlic
• ½ tbspgrated ginger
• to tasteshallots and lime, for garnish

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the prawns

   Wash and prepare the prawns.

2. 2

   Mix the marinade

   Put the teriyaki sauce, garlic and ginger into a resealable bag.

3. 3

   Marinate the prawns

   Add the prawns to the bag and coat them thoroughly in the sauce. Seal the bag and leave it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Brown the prawns

   Heat some olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Once hot, add the marinated prawns and cook until browned.

5. 5

   Remove the prawns

   Lift the prawns out of the pan and add the marinade from the bag.

6. 6

   Reduce the sauce

   Cook the sauce for a few minutes, until it has reduced a little, then turn off the heat.

7. 7

   Serve with sauce

   Serve the prawns over rice and spoon the teriyaki sauce over the top.

What are teriyaki grilled prawns?

Teriyaki is a Japanese cooking style in which food is grilled or cooked with a glossy, savoury-sweet sauce. Here, prawns take on the flavour of teriyaki, garlic and ginger before being browned in a pan.

The method keeps the cooking straightforward: marinate briefly, cook the prawns, then reduce the leftover marinade separately. That final reduction gives you sauce to spoon over the prawns and rice.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 297 calories, 54g protein, 8g carbs, 3g fat.

The prawns provide most of the protein, while the teriyaki sauce contributes most of the carbohydrates and the small amount of fat comes mainly from the olive oil used for cooking. Rice adds further carbohydrates, so serve it alongside vegetables such as greens for a more varied plate.

Why the marinade works

Teriyaki sauce: it provides the main savoury-sweet flavour and coats the prawns. The recipe uses prepared basic teriyaki sauce, so no separate sauce-making step is needed.

Garlic and ginger: these add pungent, aromatic notes to the marinade. Grating the ginger helps it mix evenly through the sauce.

Marinating and handling

Even coating: turn or gently move the prawns in the sealed bag so the marinade reaches their surfaces. The stated marinating time is 20 minutes in the fridge.

Keep it chilled: marinate the prawns in the fridge, not on the worktop. The used marinade is cooked in the pan before serving as a sauce.

Getting a good sear

Hot pan: heat the olive oil over high heat before adding the prawns. A properly heated pan helps them brown rather than simply warm through in the sauce.

Watch closely: prawns cook quickly, so look for browned surfaces and an opaque centre. The recipe does not give a precise frying time, so use those visual cues.

Reducing the sauce

After removing the prawns, add the marinade to the frying pan and cook it for a few minutes. Stop when it has reduced slightly; it should be concentrated enough to spoon over the prawns.

Avoid reducing it for too long, as the sauce can become overly thick. Turn off the heat as soon as it has reduced a little.

Serving the prawns

Rice: serve the prawns over rice so it catches the teriyaki sauce. The rice is mentioned in the method but does not have a quantity specified.

Garnish: finish with shallots and lime to taste. Their fresh, sharp flavours complement the sweet-savoury sauce.

Recipe notes & tips

• Pat the prawns dry after washing so excess water does not hinder browning.
• Use a resealable bag that leaves enough room to move the prawns around in the marinade.
• Keep the pan hot when adding the prawns, but stay nearby as they cook quickly.
• Brown the prawns in batches if they crowd the pan.
• Reduce the marinade only until it has thickened slightly, then turn off the heat.
• Add the lime and shallots just before serving for a fresh finish.

Variations

• Add chilli: mix a little chopped chilli into the marinade for heat.
• Use lemon: serve with lemon wedges if you do not have lime.
• Add spring onion: scatter sliced spring onion over the prawns with the shallots.
• Serve with noodles: swap the rice for noodles to carry the sauce.
• Add vegetables: serve with steamed greens or stir-fried vegetables alongside.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Crowding the pan: the prawns may steam instead of browning; cook them in batches.
• Skipping the chill: marinate the prawns in the fridge for the stated 20 minutes.
• Using a cool pan: wait until the oil is hot before adding the prawns.
• Overcooking the prawns: remove them once browned and opaque rather than leaving them in the pan.
• Reducing the sauce too far: stop when it has reduced a little so it remains spoonable.
• Serving raw marinade: cook the marinade in the pan for a few minutes before using it as sauce.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan until piping hot, adding a splash of water if the sauce has become too thick; avoid prolonged heating, which can toughen the prawns.

Frequently asked questions