Easy Prawn co*cktail Recipe (2024)

This quick and super easy prawn co*cktail recipe is perfect for a last minute starter for Christmas dinner, party food or a simple jacket potato topper!

This prawn co*cktail recipe is so simple, it make a great easy recipe for kids to make themselves from start to finish!

We're enjoying the summer holidays at the moment, so things have been a little quiet here on the blog recently, but today I'm sharing a really simple recipe that Small Child has made for us several times now.

This easy prawn co*cktail recipe makes a quick and easy summer meal, either served on lettuce leaves as a yummy starter or snack, or as a healthy topper for bakedpotatoes - one of our favourite family meals at the moment!

As I was reminded when hundreds of you started descending on the site for this recipe on Christmas Day a few years ago, this prawn co*cktail makes a perfect starter for Christmas dinner too! The simple Marie Rose sauce is made from easy-to-find store-cupboard ingredients, so if you're looking for a last-minute prawn co*cktail recipe, this is the one for you!

This recipe is part of my 'Easy Recipes for Kids' series, so includes a free child friendly recipe sheet at the end of the post for you to download and print - maybe your own 'small child' might like to give it a try?

Super Easy Prawn co*cktail

Ingredients:

• 75g light mayonaise
• 20g ketchup
• dash Worcestershire sauce
• 200g cooked prawns
• sprinkle paprika
• lemon slices

Method:

Measure out themayonnaise, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and mix them together in a bowl.

Add the prawns and mix with the sauce until completely coated.

To serve, place spoonfuls of the prawn co*cktail mixture ontosmall lettuce leaves or use as a healthybakedpotato topping.

Sprinkle over a little paprika and serve with fresh lemon slices on the side.

Top Tips for Making Prawn co*cktail

Are the prawns in prawn co*cktail cooked?

The prawns in a prawn co*cktail should always be cooked. You can cook your own in advance (be sure to cool completely before serving) or buy ready-cooked to save yourself some time.

What's the difference between Thousand Island and Marie Rose Sauce?

Thousand Island Dressing and Marie Rose Sauce are actually the same thing - a sauce made primarily from a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise, traditionally mixed with cooked prawns to make a prawn co*cktail.

How do you defrost frozen prawns for prawn co*cktail?

Forgot to take your prawns out of the freezer? Don't panic, they're really easy to defrost quickly and safely!

Tip the frozen prawns out of the bag into a large bowl, cover with cold water and drain. Repeat this a couple of times, then cover with cold water again and leave for 10-15 minutes.

Once defrosted, drain again and roughly pat dry with kitchen paper.

How long does prawn co*cktail keep?

If you'd like to get ahead and make your prawn co*cktail in advance, the sauce will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. If making in advance, keep the prawns separate from the sauce and mix them together just before serving.

What do you serve prawn co*cktail in?

When serving as a starter, it's traditional to serve your prawn co*cktail in a glass bowl. If you don't have glass bowls, sundae glasses, glass tumblers, co*cktail glasses or large wine glasses would work just as well, or you can bypass the serving dish altogether and serve on lettuce leaves as I have for this recipe!

What do you serve with prawn co*cktail?

It's traditional to serve prawn co*cktail on a bed of shredded lettuce. If you want to jazz it up a bit, you can add extras to your salad with sliced veggies such as cucumber, avocado, spring onion or radish. Add a wedge of lemon if wanted, and serve with small slices of brown bread or sourdough bread on the side.

As I mentioned above, I have created a free printable recipe sheet for this recipe so thatyour child can have a go at following the recipe themselves. Click on the picture below to download the PDF file.

Looking for more easy Christmas dinner recipes? Try Turkey in a Bag from My Fussy Eater or a Festive Roast Leg of Lamb from Charlotte's Lively Kitchen.

For veg on the side I've come up with some great easy Baby Friendly Side Dishes for Christmas Dinner - so the whole family can enjoy it together, or how about some ?

For pudding you can't beat my Gran's Christmas Pudding Recipe, some Easy Mince Pie Puffs or my fun Mini Christmas Cakes - baked in tin cans!

If you’d like more child friendly recipes like this one, be sure to check out the rest ofmy easy recipes for kids section, and why not pop over and follow my Cooking with Kids Pinterest board too!

Grace

Love this simple recipe? Why not save it to Pinterest so you can easily find it again!