If you’re looking for a romantic restaurant-quality dish, try this Risotto with Prawns. Creamy risotto, succulent shrimp, and an elegant white wine sauce make this prawn risotto recipe a delicious special occasion dinner that’s also fantastic for any weekend!
If you love prawns as much as I do, you will fall head over heels in love with this creamy prawn risotto recipe!
Risotto is a rice dish that takes a little attention and care to make, but there’s no need to be intimidated by the cooking process: it’s really pretty simple. Seafood risotto recipes like this are a beautiful balance of elegance and refinement with rustic simplicity.
Make it for your next date night at home, your next dinner party, or your next Sunday Supper!
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🌟 Why this recipe works
Wow your dinner guests with this impressive yet easy to make shrimp risotto recipe!
- The prawn stock is everything. Make your own by following the directions in this Instant Pot Seafood Stock recipe. Or, you could shorten and simplify by using storebought seafood stock. It’s the flavors from the stock you use that really make this authentic seafood risotto shine.
- You’ll save money. If you were to order an authentic seafood risotto with prawns or shrimp at a restaurant, you’d likely pay between $20 and $40 for one serving. Making this dish at home saves you a lot of money!
- Leftovers reheat well. Unlike some seafood dishes, this prawns risotto dish reheats nicely the next day. See my notes below on tips for reheating.
🛒 Ingredient notes
Prawns – If you want to make the BEST risotto with prawns possible, use whole prawns with the heads, shells, and tails fully intact. You’ll use the heads, shells, and tails to make an absolutely divine, richly flavored prawn stock that will flavor the risotto.
Rice – The high starch content of Arborio rice makes it the best risotto rice. You could also use carnaroli rice or vialone nano rice. Sushi rice also has a high starch content, so if you’re in a pinch and that’s all you’ve got, use that.
Notice that there is no parmesan cheese in this risotto. You don’t need cheese to make creamy risotto! The creamy texture comes from the rice starch that’s released from the constant stirring. It’s a delicious dairy-free risotto!
✅ Step-by-step instructions
- Start by separating the heads and tails, and peeling and deveining the prawns. Place the prawn meat in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a large stockpot, add the fresh prawns – heads, shells, and tails. Add the water and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Strain the prawn stock out into a clean large pot and place on a back stove burner on low heat to keep warm. Discard the heads, shells, and tails.
4. In a large saucepan with high sides, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and celery, and stir, cooking for about 2 to 3 minutes, just until the vegetables become soft and translucent.
5. Turn the heat down to medium-low, then add the rice to the saucepan with the vegetables and stir to coat the rice.
6. Add the wine, stir, and simmer until the wine is reduced, about 2 minutes. Start a timer for 15 minutes.
7. Ladle cups of stock, one ladle at a time, into the rice, stirring constantly in-between and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding another ladle of stock. Repeat and continue until the timer goes off at 15 minutes.
8. Now add the plump juicy prawns, stir them into the rice, and continue to ladle more stock in, stirring and cooking the prawns and allowing the rice to continue absorbing the stock. Do this until the prawns are cooked. The prawns change colour as they cook: the pink parts will have turned to a bright orange.
9. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in the lemon juice and stir in gently. Drizzle olive oil over the pan and sprinkle chopped parsley.
Optional: Feel free to sprinkle some fresh lemon zest for added zing, and a hit of freshly cracked black pepper if you would like.
Serve immediately.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Yes! Technically, prawns and shrimp are two different types of seafood. Prawns are larger, have longer legs, and reproduce differently. That said, you can use shrimp instead of prawns in this recipe. Just be sure to use Jumbo Shrimp or the largest, plumpest shrimp you can find to replicate the flavors of the prawns.
You can substitute more stock (either more prawn stock, seafood stock, chicken stock, or vegetable stock) for the wine in this recipe.
This seafood risotto is best when enjoyed soon after it’s prepared, or within 24 hours. However, you can allow the risotto has cooled to room temperature, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two or three days. To reheat: place risotto and prawns in a saucepan on the stove and heat over medium-low until heated throughout. Alternatively, you can reheat leftovers in a microwave safe dish, pour about 1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon of water over the risotto, and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
🍽 Serving ideas
This is a perfect risotto to serve with a side of vegetables, a small salad, or some crusty bread.
Try Roasted Lemon Garlic Asparagus, Radish, Carrot, Arugula Salad, or a loaf of Homemade French Bread.
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
Pair this great risotto with a white wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or an unoaked Chardonnay.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you’ll need:
- Large pot – use a large stockpot to make the prawn stock.
- Strainer – you’ll need to strain out the prawn heads, shells, and tails for the stock.
- Large saute pan/skillet – use a large pan with high sides to cook the risotto
- Wooden spoon – use a large wooden spoon to stir the risotto.
More seafood recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Risotto with Prawns
Equipment
- 1 stockpot
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 pound head-on, shelled prawns
- 5 cups water
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 12 ounces arborio rice
- 3½ ounces dry white wine
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
Make the prawn stock
- Start by separating the heads and peeling and deveining the prawns. Place the prawn meat in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large stockpot, add the prawn heads, shells, and tails. Add the water and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Strain the prawn stock out into a clean large pot and place on a back stove burner on low heat to keep warm. Discard the heads, shells, and tails.
- In a large saucepan with high sides, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and celery, and stir, cooking for about 2 to 3 minutes, just until the vegetables become soft and translucent.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low heat and add the rice to the saucepan with the vegetables and stir to coat the rice.
- Add the wine, stir, and simmer until the wine is reduced, about 2 minutes.
- Start a timer for 15 minutes. Ladle prawn stock one ladle at a time into the rice, stirring constantly in-between and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding another ladle of stock. Repeat and continue until the timer goes off at 15 minutes.
- Now add the prawns, stir them into the rice, and continue to ladle more stock in, stirring and cooking the prawns and allowing the rice to continue absorbing the stock. Do this until the prawns are cooked; the pink parts will have turned to a bright orange when cooked.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in the lemon juice and stir in gently. Drizzle olive oil over the pan and sprinkle chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What a delicious and easy recipe! It came together perfectly and was decadent and delicious!
Made this for my husband and I for dinner and we really enjoyed it. This was beyond delicious!
Risotto and prawns is a wonderful combo. Thanks for the great recipe.
Loved this recipe, your instructions were easy to follow and the dish turned out great!
Love this risotto. This recipe was flawless. Can’t wait to make it again.
Risotto always goes down well in this house and this is amazing.