Tandoori King Prawn Skewers (Indian Starter)

Looking for a delicious Indian starter that will amaze your guests? Look no further than Tandoori King Prawn Skewers!

These skewers are marinated in a tandoori flavoured yogurt and cooked to perfection.

You can cook them in a griddle pan, air fryer, oven or bbq grill, so they are perfect for any occasion.

With very little prep time and cooking time, the result is a succulent and flavourful dish that will please everyone at the table.

Serve tandoori prawn skewers as an appetizer or a delicious dinner; they will surely be a hit at your next event.

After the popularity of our popular tandoori chicken Indian appetizer, we adapted that delicious recipe to help make tandoori prawns.

What is Tandoori?

The history of tandoori dishes is related to being cooked in a tandoor, a clay oven fueled by charcoal or wood, and the heat is intense, so the food cooked in it has a unique smoky flavour.

Tandoori prawns are now a popular starter at Indian restaurants, served as an appetizer or main course.

Of course, in the UK, we don't have tandoor clay ovens, so this recipe has been adapted to suit the oven method, BBQ grill method, griddle/pan method and air fryer; the flavour is still similar thanks to tandoori masala powder.

Ingredients

The ingredients for tandoori king prawn skewers are simple and can be found at any supermarket.

Prawns

It is best to use peeled fresh prawns as they soak up the tandoori yogurt and are easier to eat without fiddling with the shell.

This prawn recipe can use any size prawn that can fit on the skewer. King prawns, jumbo shrimp or large tiger prawns will all work well.

You can use frozen prawns; ensure you defrost them and remove excess liquid before marinating.

Yoghurt

Anyone who's ever had tandoori prawn skewers knows that the key to the dish is in the marinade.

And while there are many different recipes, they all have one thing in common - yoghurt. Yoghurt helps to tenderize the prawns and gives them a creamy, tangy flavour that is essential to the dish.

Natural yoghurt or greek yogurt with a high-fat content will help keep the prawns moist and flavourful as they cook.

Low-fat yoghurt

Using low-fat or 0% fat yoghurt makes this prawn recipe a healthy, low-fat recipe.

The meal is low-calorie and syn-free on Slimming World, the perfect option for those watching their weight.

Tandoori Masala

A blend of spices packaged as tandoori masala powder, used in Indian cuisine and can be found at most supermarkets. If you cannot find it, you can make your own by mixing the following spices:

How to make Tandoori Masala Powder

To make a homemade tandoori masala, grind dried chilli peppers, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds in a spice grinder, pulse into a powder, garam masala, ground ginger, and ground cardamom to the mixture and stir until all the ingredients are evenly combined.

If you like spicy prawns, use dried cayenne pepper or powder, which is spicier than most red chilli powder blends. Or add more chilli powder.

I also like to add smoked paprika to help create that smoky flavor.

Garlic

Finely minced or garlic paste/puree is best, or you can also use garlic powder.

Keep in mind that the flavour of garlic powder will be more concentrated than fresh, so start with less and add more to the taste.

Lemon Juice

Lemon gives the prawns a bit of acidity, use half the lemon for the juice, then cut the other half into wedges to serve with the tandoori prawns and salad.

You could use lime juice instead to add acidity.

Red Food Colouring

Adding red food colouring to the yoghurt marinade will give the tandoori prawns a beautiful vibrant red hue that will impress your guests.

Adding colouring is optional and will not affect the taste, so feel free to skip adding colour and leave it as a natural orangey-red colour marinade.

Oil

Use spray oil to prevent the prawns from sticking to the skewers or cooking equipment.

You could use oil, such as olive oil, rapeseed oil or sunflower oil. Alternatively, use butter or ghee.

Equipment

To make tandoori king prawns, you will need the following equipment.

Bowl or Food Bag

You will need a bowl or food bag to mix & marinate the prawns in.

Skewers

Use cheap disposable wooden skewers, which you can find at any supermarket. Make sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes before use.

I also like using the wooden skewers as they are easier to snap into the right size stick for what you are cooking the prawn skewers in.

Alternatively, you can use metal skewers, which I find work better on a BBQ than wooden skewers.

Something to cook in

There are many ways to cook tandoori prawns.

You can choose a griddle pan, air fryer, oven or BBQ grill. A plain frying pan will work if you haven't got any of the above.

How to make Tandoori Yogurt Marinade

To make the yoghurt marinade for prawns, mix all the ingredients; yoghurt, tandoori masala, garlic, lemon juice, and red food colouring (optional) in a large bowl to make a red yoghurt marinade. Add the prawns and mix into the marinade ingredients until well coated.

Threading Prawns onto Skewers

You can start threading the marinated prawns onto skewers immediately; you don't want to leave them to marinate too long as the lemon juice cooks the prawns.

If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water before using them, this will stop them from burning during cooking.

To thread the prawns, start by pushing the point of the skewer through the thickest part, then the tail.

The number of prawns you fit on one stick will vary on the size of the prawn and stick used.

Cooking Prawn Skewers

Now that your skewers are threaded and ready to go, it's time to cook them.

There are several different ways you can cook this tandoori prawn recipe.

You can cook them in a pan, skillet or griddle, in the oven, on a BBQ grill or even in an air fryer.

Whichever method you choose, the key is to cook on reasonably high heat but not too long. Overcooked prawns will become tough and rubbery.

Prawns are cooked when they turn pink and are slightly firm to the touch.

Jump to the recipe card for cooking times.

Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves on top for flavour and colour.

📖 Step by Step Recipe

Serving Suggestions

These Indian prawn skewers are usually served as an Indian starter. Serve at your dinner party with lemon wedges, chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), with mint yogurt raita and mango chutney on the side.

I like to serve mine with a simple salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and red onion or make a Indian Kachumber Salad.

Indian Recipes

This tandoori prawns recipe can also be enjoyed as part of the main course with other curry dishes.

Storage

Tandoori King Prawn Skewers can be stored in the fridge and eaten the next day.

Can you reheat prawns?

The answer is yes, but there are a few things you need to know.

First, you can only reheat prawns once due to a higher risk of bacteria making them unsafe.

Secondly, you must ensure they are heated thoroughly before serving.

The best way to do this is to put them in a pan with a splash of cold water and heat them over medium heat until they are piping hot.

So there you have it: with a bit of care, you can enjoy delicious cooked shrimp even if you have leftovers.

More prawn recipes

Are you looking for more prawn recipes? We have a great selection to choose from. Our most recent is our prawn cocktail recipe. We also have a recipe for the classic prawn dip, marie rose sauce.

More Skewer Recipes

Check out our other recipes made on kebab skewers too.

We hope you enjoyed making these Tandoori King Prawn Skewers. If you have any questions or suggestions, please comment below. Happy cooking!