King Prawn Butterfly

King Prawn Butterfly is a simple yet impressive appetizer, featuring succulent prawns coated in crispy breadcrumbs and fried to perfection. It’s a fantastic starter for any seafood lover. For more delicious appetizer ideas, explore my collection of starters.

This king prawn butterfly combines beautiful prawns with a pinch of Indian spices. Even better, you can spin this recipe in any direction you want.

For example, you can add chilli powder, paprika powder, garlic, you name it. In addition, you can also interchange king prawns with regular prawns (as a cheaper alternative).

However, I recommend sticking to the king prawns. They are much fleshier and are more suitable for deep frying. Enjoy and let me know how it works out for you.

king prawn butterfly recipe

I love cooking with seafood, especially with prawns, which are a highly versatile ingredient. You can find them in practically any cuisine (of a country that has a coastline).

Hence, this king prawn butterfly can turn in any direction. Although, this recipe has a subtle Indian vibe due to the addition of the spices.

If you fall in love with this king prawn butterfly, then you can inspire yourself with these additional prawn recipes:

• pan-fried garlic butter prawns - a classic combination best served with lemon juice
• ginger prawn with soy sauce - prawns with a punch of flavour (you can also add soy sauce for extra umami flavour to this king prawn butterfly)
• grilled chilli and soy marinated prawns - you can also omit the chilli and serve this to your children
• peri-peri prawns - excellent with a side salad or a rice dish
• grilled apricot and hoisin glazed prawns - this is a gourmet-style prawn dish

All of these prawn recipes are really easy to master. Have I tempted you to add one of these on your weekly menu?

how to fry butterfly prawns

First and foremost, I highly recommend using king prawns. Although, prawns work equally well in the king prawn butterfly recipe. Nevertheless, the king prawns have better flesh and they are larger.

Of course, the best type of king prawns are purchased at your local fishmonger. Tip: You can ask your fishmonger to give you de-veined clean king prawns. This will speed up the preparation process by many minutes.

Otherwise you are going to have to complete this process yourself, in which case make sure you have a good knife handy.

Tip: Don't let the oil in the deep-fryer overheat. Otherwise, you'll burn your king prawn butterfly in an instant. Make sure your oil is just the right temperature. Also, you don't want to make your king prawn flesh dry and rubbery. 

tandoori king prawn

If you would like to expand on the Indian flavours, you can also add an extra touch of tandoori spice – just add as much spice as you desire. Mix it in with the panko crumbs and you've got a whooping batter for your king prawn butterfly.

healthy king prawn butterfly

If you are not such a huge fan of deep-frying, you don't need to be put off by this recipe. There are methods to deep fry ingredients in a way that doesn't involve the use of unhealthy fats.

Just substitute regular frying oil with coconut oil. I know it's not the cheapest solution, but it is the healthiest. Coconut oil contains anti-fungal properties and anti-inflammatory properties, making it excellent for digestion. So, when in doubt, use coconut oil instead.

If you are worried about the coconut oil adding an extra flavour to the king prawn butterfly, you can always use unscented coconut oil. On the other hand, I would use the coconut flavour to add an extra flavour.

This way, you can turn the prawn recipe in an Asian direction. Add shredded coconut into the batter (and omit the Indian spices). Pair it with a sweet chilli dipping sauce and you've got one of the best Asian starters ever!

what to serve fried king prawns with

There is nothing better than pairing a piece of fried king prawn butterfly into a dip! In fact, I wouldn't consider this dish to be complete if it was served without a dip.

Although, the fried prawns are delicious - don't get me wrong. However, there is just something very satisfying when it comes to dipping the prawn into the sauce and then licking the residue from your fingers.

That being said, since this king prawn recipe has an Indian twist to it, I highly recommend pairing it with these dips:

• pakora sauce - this sauce is also an excellent choice for mushroom pakoras, potato bhajis or mushroom bhajis
• chilli and lime yoghurt dip - a very cooling dip that also has a bit of a kick
• harissa aioli - perfect with harissa prawns or if you make a second batch of prawns with jerk spice and make jerk prawns

If you feel rather lazy, you can also dip the king prawn butterfly in a sweet chilli sauce or ketchup.

If you like canapés, you would adore these stuffed cherry tomatoes! For a posh smoked salmon starter, check out salmon terrine. If you want something that you can whip together in 5 minutes, try my Edamame Salad recipe for a fresh, vibrant dish that is packed with protein, full of flavor and looks wonderful in your salad bowl.

How would you like to make this king prawn butterfly recipe? Do you have a favourite dip or sauce in mind? Let me know in the comments section below.

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