This cheerful, simple recipe turns a hot grill and a few fresh ingredients into a show-stopping plate. Ideal for people who love bold flavours without fuss, these prawn skewers come together fast and pair beautifully with blistered vegetables, a lemony basil mayo, and crispy spiced chickpeas. Whether entertaining casual friends or feeding a hungry family, this recipe sits squarely in the realm of cooking, easy recipes that taste like a treat.
What you’ll need
- Prawns – 500g to 700g, peeled or whole depending on preference
- Chickpeas – 1 can, drained and dried
- Vegetables – asparagus, spring onions, broccolini and fennel
- Fresh basil – a generous handful
- Mayonnaise – 150g plain to be transformed into basil mayo
- Olive oil, lemon, oregano, red wine vinegar, capers, chilli – pantry staples for dressing and marinades
- Skewers and a grille basket – or any tool to keep small items from falling through the grates
Equipment
- Hot grill (gas grills like a Spirit work brilliantly)
- Grill basket for chickpeas and small veg
- Pestle and mortar or a small blender for the basil paste
- Skewers (metal skewers make turning easier)
Prep and quick tips for the veg and chickpeas
Start by bringing the grill up to a high temperature so everything cooks quickly and gets a lovely char. For the chickpeas, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, a little oregano, a tiny splash of vinegar and a few capers. Spread into a deluxe grilling basket and let the direct heat blister and crisp them. Shake occasionally so they crisp evenly.
For the vegetables, keep things simple. Trim the asparagus and spring onions. If broccolini stems are thick, halve them so they cook through. Cut the fennel into delicate wedges while leaving the stalk attached so the pieces hold together on the grill. Slice a few lemons to go in with the veg for caramelised brightness.
Lemony basil mayo and a quick dressing
Make a lively basil mayo by bruising fresh basil with a little olive oil and lemon in a pestle and mortar, then stirring that into plain mayonnaise for colour and brightness. For the salad-style dressing for the grilled veg, combine red wine vinegar, good extra virgin olive oil and seasoning. Toss the broccoli first, then the fennel, and add asparagus after a quick single-sided char. A little sliced spring onion and half a red chilli adds freshness and a gentle kick.
How to marinate and grill the prawns
Keep the prawn seasoning minimal so the grill does the talking. Zest one lemon, squeeze a little juice, add olive oil and a sprinkle of oregano, and toss the prawns briefly. Thread onto skewers leaving small gaps between each to allow heat circulation. The trick is fewer turns. Use two or three long skewers rather than turning individual prawns so results are consistent.
On a hot grill with the lid down, cook prawns about two and a half minutes per side. They should open up and take on colour, with heads if left on getting slightly crispy. Squeeze more lemon over them right off the grill before serving.
Assemble and serve
- Scatter the blistered chickpeas around the grilled veg.
- Place the prawns on top or alongside and offer the lemony basil mayo for dipping.
- Finish with extra lemon wedges and a light drizzle of olive oil over the veg.
Quick flavour note
"I couldn't even get it in my mouth." — a reminder that when everything is perfectly charred and sauced, restraint becomes difficult.
Expert tips for fuss-free success
- Don’t overcrowd the skewers. Leave space so heat circulates and prawns cook evenly.
- Use a basket for chickpeas and small veg so nothing drops through the grates and everything crisps up.
- Stagger cooking times: broccolini and fennel will need a little more contact, asparagus just a quick sear.
- Make the mayo ahead to save time. It keeps well overnight and boosts the flavour of any grill night.
- Keep it simple. This is one of those cooking, easy recipes where quality ingredients and heat do most of the work.
Make-ahead, storage and serving ideas
Marinate the prawns up to an hour ahead and make the basil mayo a day in advance. Leftover grilled veg can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days and reheated briefly or served cold tossed into salads. Chickpeas keep their crispness best if kept separate until serving.
Final thoughts
Bright, speedy and full of texture, these prawn skewers are a perfect example of cooking, easy recipes done well. With a big-hearted basil mayo and crunchy chickpeas, this plate brings warmth, colour and effortless flavour to any meal.
This article was created from the video Perfect Prawn Skewers |That's the Spirit! | Jamie x Weber | 4K with the help of AI.
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