Chilli Garlic Prawn Rice Bowl
If you’re looking for a dinner that is fast, healthy, high in protein, and genuinely delicious enough to make you look forward to weeknight cooking, this chilli garlic prawn rice bowl is exactly that. Juicy, plump prawns marinated in chilli powder and pan-fried in butter until golden and fragrant, served over fluffy rice with fresh cucumber, shredded carrot, and edamame. It’s colourful, satisfying, and on the table in under 20 minutes.
The star of this bowl is without question the prawns. Marinating them in chilli powder, salt, and pepper before they hit the pan means every single prawn is seasoned all the way through, not just on the surface. Then they go into a pan with butter, which gives them this gorgeous golden, slightly caramelised exterior with a rich, nutty flavour that you just can’t get from cooking oil alone. A splash of water and freshly sautéed garlic gets added at the end, which creates this beautiful light pan sauce that coats the prawns in a garlicky, slightly spicy, buttery glaze. It smells absolutely incredible and tastes even better.
The bowl itself is everything you want in a weeknight dinner. The rice is the hearty, filling base. The cucumber adds coolness and crunch. The shredded carrot adds sweetness and colour. The edamame adds a satisfying pop of texture and an extra hit of plant-based protein. Together they create a bowl that is balanced, vibrant, and genuinely beautiful to look at.
This is also a brilliant high protein meal. Prawns are one of the leanest, highest protein foods you can cook with, and combined with the edamame you’ve got a seriously impressive protein count in one bowl without any heaviness or excess calories.
Ingredients
For the prawns:
- 10-15 prawns, peeled and deveined
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 20g butter
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
For the bowl:
- Steamed white rice
- Sliced cucumber
- Shredded carrot
- Edamame, cooked
To garnish:
- White sesame seeds
- Dried parsley
Instructions
1. Marinate the prawns
Start by patting your prawns dry with paper towel. Dry prawns sear beautifully in the pan and develop a gorgeous golden crust. Wet prawns steam instead of searing and won’t give you that caramelised exterior you’re looking for.
Place the dry prawns in a bowl and add 1 tbsp chilli powder, salt to taste, and black pepper to taste. Toss everything together until every prawn is evenly coated in the seasoning on all sides. Set aside for about 5 minutes while you prepare everything else. Even this short marinating time makes a real difference to how much flavour the prawns absorb.
❤️ Tip: If you’re using frozen prawns, thaw them completely in cold water before marinating and pat them very thoroughly dry with paper towel. The drier the prawns, the better the sear. Any excess moisture will cause them to steam in the pan rather than developing that beautiful golden crust.
2. Prepare the bowl ingredients
While the prawns are marinating, get all your bowl components ready so assembly is quick and easy once the prawns are done. Slice your cucumber into rounds or on the diagonal for a prettier presentation. Shred your carrot into fine shreds. If your edamame is frozen, cook it according to packet instructions and set aside.
Cook your rice if it isn’t already done. Fluffy steamed white rice is the classic base here. Jasmine rice works particularly well with the spicy buttery prawns. Have everything prepped and sitting in small separate bowls or piles on a plate so you can assemble quickly the moment the prawns come off the heat.
❤️ Tip: Start your rice before you do anything else since it takes the longest. By the time your rice is cooked, all the other components will be ready and the prawns will take less than 5 minutes to cook. Everything will be ready at the same time with no waiting around.
3. Cook the prawns in butter
Heat a wide pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 20g butter and let it melt completely. The butter will foam slightly as it heats up and this is completely normal. Once the foaming subsides and the butter looks golden and shimmering, add the marinated prawns in a single layer. Make sure there’s a little space between each prawn. If your pan is small, cook them in two batches rather than crowding them in together. Overcrowding drops the pan temperature and causes the prawns to steam rather than sear.
Cook the prawns undisturbed for about 1 to 1.5 minutes on the first side until a golden crust forms on the bottom. Then flip each prawn individually and cook for another 1 minute on the second side. The prawns are done when they’ve turned pink and opaque all the way through and curled into a loose C shape.
❤️ Tip: Watch for the C shape versus the O shape. A prawn curled into a C shape is perfectly cooked. A prawn curled all the way into a tight O shape is overcooked. Pull them off the heat a fraction before you think they’re done as the residual heat in the pan will finish the cooking.
4. Add the water and garlic
Once the prawns are just cooked, reduce the heat to medium and add 1 tbsp water directly into the pan. It will sizzle immediately and deglaze all those delicious golden bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir quickly to lift those flavourful bits into the liquid. Then immediately add 1 tbsp minced garlic and stir constantly for about 30 to 60 seconds until the garlic is fragrant and just lightly golden. The combination of butter, prawn juices, water, and garlic creates a simple but incredibly fragrant pan sauce that coats every prawn beautifully.
Remove from the heat straight away once the garlic is fragrant. Don’t let it sit on the heat any longer or the garlic will burn and turn bitter.
❤️ Tip: Don’t walk away from the pan during this step. Garlic cooks extremely quickly in the residual butter and heat of the pan and can go from perfectly golden and fragrant to burnt and bitter in under 30 seconds. Stay at the stove, keep stirring, and take the pan off the heat the moment the garlic smells amazing.
5. Assemble the bowl and serve
Spoon a generous serving of steamed rice into a bowl. Arrange the chilli garlic prawns over one section of the rice and spoon any remaining pan sauce over them. Place the sliced cucumber, shredded carrot, and edamame in separate sections around the prawns, giving each component its own little area in the bowl. Scatter white sesame seeds and a pinch of dried parsley over the entire bowl.
Serve immediately while the prawns are still hot and at their juiciest.
Extra Tips
1. Buying and preparing prawns
Fresh prawns give the best flavour and texture. Frozen prawns work just as well and are often more convenient. Buy them peeled and deveined to save prep time. If deveining yourself, use a small sharp knife to make a shallow cut along the back of the prawn and pull out the dark vein with the tip of the knife.
2. Butter vs cooking oil
Butter is what makes these prawns special. The milk solids in butter brown and caramelise as the prawns cook, creating a rich nutty flavour that cooking oil simply can’t replicate. If you want extra insurance against the butter burning, add a tiny drizzle of cooking oil to the pan along with the butter. This raises the smoke point slightly without affecting the buttery flavour.
3. Customising the bowl
This bowl is very easy to make your own. Sliced avocado adds creaminess and healthy fats that work beautifully with the spicy prawns. A soft boiled egg adds extra protein and richness. A drizzle of sriracha or sweet chilli sauce over the finished bowl adds an extra layer of flavour. Pickled ginger on the side adds a bright, sharp contrast to the rich buttery prawns.
4. Storage and leftovers
The prawns are best eaten fresh on the day they’re made. Cooked prawns don’t reheat particularly well as they can become rubbery. All the bowl components can be prepped ahead and stored separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to eat, cook a fresh batch of prawns in just 5 minutes and assemble immediately.
Chilli Garlic Prawn Rice Bowl
Ingredients
For the prawns:
- 10-15 prawns peeled and deveined
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 20 g butter
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
For the bowl:
- Steamed white rice
- Sliced cucumber
- Shredded carrot
- Edamame cooked
To garnish:
- White sesame seeds
- Dried parsley
Instructions
- Marinate the prawns: Pat 10-15 prawns thoroughly dry with paper towel. Place in a bowl and add 1 tbsp chilli powder, salt to taste and black pepper to taste. Toss until every prawn is evenly coated. Set aside for 5 minutes while you prepare everything else.
- Prepare the bowl ingredients: Slice cucumber into rounds or on the diagonal. Shred carrot into fine shreds. If edamame is frozen cook according to packet instructions and set aside. Cook rice if not already done. Have all components prepped and ready before cooking the prawns.
- Cook the prawns in butter: Heat a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add 20g butter and let it melt. Add the marinated prawns in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 1 to 1.5 minutes on the first side until golden. Flip each prawn and cook for another 1 minute until pink, opaque and curled into a loose C shape.
- Add the water and garlic: Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tbsp water to the pan and stir quickly to deglaze the golden bits from the bottom. Immediately add 1 tbsp minced garlic and stir constantly for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant and just lightly golden. Remove from heat straight away.
- Assemble the bowl and serve: Spoon steamed rice into a bowl. Arrange the chilli garlic prawns over one section of the rice and spoon any remaining pan sauce over them. Place sliced cucumber, shredded carrot and edamame in separate sections around the prawns. Scatter white sesame seeds and dried parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Buying and preparing prawns: Fresh prawns give the best flavour and texture. Frozen prawns work just as well. Buy peeled and deveined to save prep time. If deveining yourself, make a shallow cut along the back and pull out the dark vein with the tip of a knife.
- Butter vs cooking oil: Butter creates a rich nutty flavour that cooking oil can’t replicate. To prevent burning, add a tiny drizzle of cooking oil to the pan along with the butter to raise the smoke point slightly.
- Customising the bowl: Sliced avocado adds creaminess. A soft boiled egg adds extra protein. A drizzle of sriracha or sweet chilli sauce adds extra flavour. Pickled ginger adds a bright contrast to the rich buttery prawns.
- Storage and leftovers: Prawns are best eaten fresh on the day. All bowl components can be prepped ahead and stored separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cook a fresh batch of prawns when ready to serve.
