Quick prawn stir fry
Speedy, flavour-packed prawn stir fry with garlic, ginger and crisp veg in a glossy cornflour sauce — ready in under 30 minutes.
Want a midweek winner that tastes like you’ve spent longer in the kitchen than you actually have? This quick prawn stir fry is exactly that: punchy garlic and ginger, crisp veg and a glossy cornflour-thickened sauce.
It’s ready from pan to plate in under 30 minutes and plays nicely with noodles or rice if you want something to soak up the sauce. Perfect for weeknights when you want big flavour without faff.
Ingredients
- 400 g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
- 40 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 5 ml sesame oil
- 30 ml sunflower oil
- 5 g cornflour
- 30 ml cold water
- 2 garlic cloves — crushed
- 20 g fresh root ginger — finely grated
- 3 spring onions — sliced on a diagonal
- 1 red pepper — thinly sliced
- 1 courgette — cut into 5mm half-moons
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — quartered
- 100 g sugar snap peas
- 10 g light brown sugar
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
- 10 g toasted sesame seeds
- 10 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
Instructions
Make the sauce: in a small bowl whisk together light soy sauce (30 ml), oyster sauce, light brown sugar, sesame oil, cornflour and cold water until smooth. Set to one side.
Marinate the prawns: place raw king prawns, peeled and deveined in a bowl with the remaining light soy sauce (10 ml), a pinch of sea salt and some black pepper. Toss and leave to marinate on the side of the worktop for 15 minutes.
Prep the veg and aromatics: crush the garlic cloves, grate the fresh root ginger, slice the spring onions, red pepper and courgette, quarter the chestnut mushrooms and trim the sugar snap peas.
Heat a large frying pan over the hob on high. Add the sunflower oil and when it is shimmering, tip in the garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the red pepper, courgette, chestnut mushrooms and sugar snap peas and stir-fry on high for 3 minutes, tossing constantly so the veg stays bright and crisp-tender.
Push the veg to the side of the pan, add the marinated raw king prawns, peeled and deveined and stir immediately. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the prawns turn pink and opaque.
Pour the sauce into the pan and stir through for about 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glossy coating on the prawns and veg.
Take the pan off the heat, scatter over the spring onions, toasted sesame seeds and fresh coriander and toss for 30 seconds to combine.
Serve immediately with noodles or rice (not listed in ingredients) so the sauce stays glossy and the veg stays crisp.
Tips
- Dry the prawns well on kitchen paper before marinating — moisture steams them and stops them getting a good sizzle.
- Prep every ingredient before you start cooking (mise en place). Stir-frying is fast — you won’t have time to chop mid-cook.
- If your pan gets too crowded, cook veg in two batches. High heat + space = crisp-tender veg.
- If the sauce thickens too much while standing, stir in a splash of warm water to loosen it before serving.
- Make ahead: you can slice veg and mix the sauce up to 24 hours ahead; keep prawns separate and only marinate just before cooking.
Substitutions
raw king prawns, peeled and deveined → firm tofu, drained and cut into 2cm cubes
Noticeably differentoyster sauce → hoisin sauce (same quantity)
Stays closelight soy sauce → tamari (gluten-free) same quantity
Stays closetoasted sesame seeds → finely chopped spring onions for garnish
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 465
- Calories
- 45 g
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1200 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use frozen prawns?
Yes — fully thaw them in the fridge overnight and pat very dry before marinating to avoid extra moisture.
How do I stop prawns becoming rubbery?
Cook them only until they curl and turn pink (about 2–3 minutes). Overcooking is the main cause of rubbery texture.
Can I make this ahead for lunchbox meals?
You can cook and cool, but the sauce will tighten in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of water and keep veggies slightly underdone if planning to reheat.
How do I make it gluten-free?
Use tamari in place of light soy sauce and swap oyster sauce for a gluten-free alternative or extra hoisin.
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