This easy peasy Prawn Tikka Masala is packed full of flavour and ready in just 20 minutes – perfect for busy evenings, when you don’t have much time to cook but still want to eat well!
A prawn version of a curry house favourite
Chicken Tikka Masala might be the nation’s favourite curry, but those delicious tikka masala flavours work just as well with prawns! (Maybe even better?) There’s just something about those spicy, smoky flavours that goes brilliantly with sweet, juicy prawns. Better still, this easy peasy prawn curry is ready in just 20 minutes – that’s faster than a takeaway where I live!
Super easy to make…
And this prawn version of a tikka masala is super easy to make. All you need to do is fry up some onions and red pepper. Then add the spices, passata (or chopped tinned tomatoes) and coconut milk, and simmer. Finally add the prawns, lime juice and chopped fresh coriander. Easy Peasy!
(See below for the full recipe card.)
Make it your own
This easy peasy prawn tikka masala is really easy to adapt! Here are some ideas:
- Use leftover roast chicken or pre-cooked chicken breast instead of the prawns
- Use chunks of firm white fish instead of the prawns
- Add chopped fresh tomatoes at the same time as the onions and peppers
- Use yellow, orange or green peppers instead of red ones
- Add fresh spinach or frozen peas at the same time as the prawns
- Swap the prawns with tinned chickpeas to make this vegan
- Use fresh chilli instead of dried chilli flakes
What to serve with prawn tikka masala
Serve this prawn curry with plain basmati rice and/or shop bought naans for a really easy peasy midweek meal. If you have more time you could serve it with homemade pilau rice and homemade naans.
And if you are watching the calories or looking to reduce your carbs, why not serve this with plain cauliflower rice or pilau cauliflower rice?
What to drink with prawn tikka masala
This prawn curry works well with dry fruity rosés, such as those from the South of France, Spain and Chile. Another good option would be a zesty Sauvignon Blanc from somewhere like New Zealand, Chile or South Africa.
Red wine definitely wouldn’t be my first choice here, but you could probably just about get away with a fruity Grenache/Garnacha or Merlot.
Can you reheat prawn tikka masala?
Sadly no, because this curry uses ready-cooked prawns and it’s not advisable to reheat food more than once. If however you swap the cooked prawns for raw ones then it would be fine to reheat this curry.
In this case, make sure you get the prawn curry into the fridge as soon as it’s cooled down (and within 2 hours of cooking). It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a saucepan with a splash of water until piping hot all the way through.
Alternatively reheat in the microwave until piping hot all the way through.
Can you freeze prawn tikka masala?
Again, because this recipe uses pre-cooked prawns, freezing and reheating is not advisable. Again, however, if you were to swap the cooked prawns for raw ones then it would be fine to freeze and reheat this curry.
In this case, make sure you get the prawn curry into the freezer as soon as it’s cooled down (and within 2 hours of cooking). It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
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Easy Prawn Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 red pepper chopped into bitesize pieces
- 3 cloves garlic grated or crushed
- 1 cm ginger grated
- 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (or to taste)
- 200 ml passata (or chopped tinned tomatoes)
- 200 ml light coconut milk (or full fat if you prefer)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 450 g cooked jumbo king prawns
- Juice of ½ a lime plus extra for garnish
- Handful fresh coriander (AKA cilantro) chopped (plus extra for garnish)
Instructions
- Put the oil in a frying pan and add the diced onions and chopped red pepper. Cook on a low heat with the lid on for about 5 minutes until softened but not brown. Stir occasionally.
- Add the garlic, ginger, spices and chilli flakes. Fry for 1 minute with the lid off, stirring frequently. (Add a splash of water if it gets too dry.)
- Add the passata (or chopped tinned tomatoes) and coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil, then turn down low and simmer with the lid off for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes add the prawns, lime juice and chopped fresh coriander. Cook for a couple of minutes until the prawns are hot and the sauce is bubbling gently.
- Garnish with the remaining coriander, and serve with rice, naans and lime quarters.
Notes
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Lia Saunders says
Hi When would you add raw prawns instead??
Eb Gargano says
You can add raw prawns in at the same time as you would add in pre-cooked prawns – then just cook until they are pink all over and starting to curl – approximately 3 minutes.