Prawns Piri-piri Recipe
Turn up the heat with our Prawns Piri Piri. Plump and succulent prawns, grilled to perfection and generously coated in our signature Piri Piri sauce.
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Ingredients
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Piri-Piri Marinade & Sauce
Prawns & Finish
Method
Piri-Piri Marinade & Sauce
Prepare dried chillies
If using whole dried bird's eye chillies, remove stems and shake out seeds as desired (leave seeds for more heat). Place chillies in a small heatproof bowl and cover with 60 ml hot water. Let soak 10 minutes until softened, then drain, reserving a tablespoon of soaking liquid.
Blend the sauce
In a blender or food processor combine the softened chillies, garlic cloves, smoked paprika, ground cumin, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey (or sugar), coarse sea salt and black pepper. Pulse to a coarse paste. With the motor running, stream in 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of the olive oil until the mixture forms a glossy, slightly coarse sauce. If it's too thick, add 1 tablespoon of the reserved soaking liquid or an extra teaspoon of olive oil to loosen slightly.
Adjust seasoning and reserve
Taste carefully and adjust salt, acid or sweetness to balance (add up to 1/2 tsp more salt or 1 tsp more honey if needed). Stir in the chopped parsley. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the sauce for finishing/serving; the rest will be used to marinate the prawns and baste while grilling.
Marinating & Grilling Prawns
Prep prawns
Pat the prawns dry with paper towels. Place in a bowl or shallow dish, sprinkle with 1 tsp coarse sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper and toss gently.
Marinate
Add approximately 4 tablespoons of the prepared piri-piri sauce to the prawns and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes (no longer than 1 hour) to allow flavors to penetrate. Remove prawns from fridge 10 minutes before grilling to come toward room temperature.
Grill prawns
Thread prawns onto skewers (if using) or place directly on the hot grill/pan in a single layer. Grill for 1.5–2 minutes per side, turning once, until opaque and just cooked through (total 3–4 minutes depending on size). While grilling, brush occasionally with remaining piri-piri sauce to build a glaze—reserve the 3 tablespoons set aside earlier for serving.
Finish with butter (optional)
During the final 30 seconds on the grill or in the pan, brush prawns with the optional 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted into 1 tablespoon warm sauce for extra shine and richness. Remove prawns immediately to prevent overcooking.