When it comes to fish and seafood, it can be challenging to know whether you can microwave it or not. We all know these are foods to be careful with, so how do you microwave prawns safely and successfully?
To microwave prawns, pop the prawns onto a microwave-safe dish, cover with a paper towel and then microwave for 30 seconds. Flip them over, then microwave for a further 30 minutes. Repeat until cooked through.
How to Microwave Prawns
We would not recommend you microwave raw prawns to cook them because microwave cooking tends to heat food unevenly, and you don’t want cold spots that could be still harbouring bacteria in your prawns.
However, if you have cooked prawns or are reheating prawns, then you can heat them in a microwave as long as you are careful and ensure they are hot all the way through before eating.
To heat the prawns in a microwave, follow this method:
- Place Prawns on Dish
Find a large flat microwave dish. Spread the prawns onto the dish, so they are in a single layer. This helps them to cook more evenly and allows them to cook at a similar rate. - Cover
Cover with some microwave-safe paper towels and pop them into the microwave. - Microwave
Heat for thirty seconds and then take them out. - Flip and Microwave
Flip the prawns over and pop them back into the microwave for another thirty seconds. - Repeat
Keep heating for thirty seconds and flipping them over until the prawns are hot and ready to eat.
How to Microwave Prawns Successfully
To ensure you have complete success when microwaving prawns, make sure you follow these essential tips:
- Season – If you love a little flavour on your prawns, then you can sprinkle some spices onto them as they cook. Try a little garlic or chilli for a delicious kick.
- Reduce Cooking Time – If you find your prawns become a little overcooked, then you can reduce the time intervals that the prawns are in the microwave to ten to twenty seconds after a few rounds.
- Defrost First – You need to defrost the prawns before heating them in a microwave if they are frozen because when thawing, you also heat up the food too. Most microwaves also don’t heat food up evenly, which means you can end up with burnt spots while other parts are still frozen.
Why You Should Microwave Prawns
There are plenty of reasons why you may choose to microwave prawns, including the following:
Super Fast
Heating up prawns in the microwave is a super-fast method to cook them so if you are in a rush then you can heat them up quickly.
Clean Free
Microwaving prawns is also fantastic for reducing the amount of mess you make. It’s simple and clean without using too many tools and pans.
Low Calories
One great advantage of microwaving prawns instead of pan-frying is that you don’t need to use any oil so you can save yourself a few calories.
Why You Shouldn’t Microwave Prawns
There are 2 main disadvantages to reheating prawns in the microwave that you’ll want to consider first:
Uneven Cooking
Microwaves can be a little tricky when heating up food, and they don’t always heat food through evenly, so you have to be very careful when using this method. Always make sure they are hot all the way through the prawn before eating.
Not as Tasty
Microwaved prawns are tasty, but they are not quite as delicious as if you pan fry them with oil or butter. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage because you get fewer calories, but you have to sacrifice a little of the taste.
Microwaving Prawns FAQs
Here are a few more FAQs that you might find interesting regarding prawns in the microwave:
Using the microwave to defrost prawns is not a good idea. Instead, pop the prawns into a bowl or onto a plate and put them in the fridge to thaw out overnight or for several hours until they are completely thawed out.
No, frozen prawns should not be cooked in the microwave. You cannot cook them from frozen nor can you defrost them in the microwave.
Ross is a freelance writer with a passion for delicious food and drinks, having worked in the hospitality industry in the past. He began working with Let’s Foodie when it first launched to provide information on how to reheat, freeze and microwave different foods.
