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    Home ยป Easy Dinner Recipes

    30 Minute Prawn Rice

    Published: Apr 2, 2021 ยท Modified: Nov 16, 2023 by Deborah Rainford ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 25 Comments

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    prawns in tomato rice using Aldi ingredients

    This easy prawn rice only takes 30 minutes to make and is a gorgeous Spanish style dinner that uses one pot. Plump juicy prawns, ripe tomatoes and sweet peppers all come together to make this simple dish perfect for a weeknight, but fancy enough for a date night.

    Frozen prawns can be a true lifesaver to have in the freezer for a busy night. They're amazing in pasta like this Spinach Prawn Pasta or with an Asian twist like this Prawn Curry. They only take about 30 minutes to defrost or you can speed that up by running the bag under cold water. I always buy prawn with the tail on, but you can buy the peeled prawns that have had the tail removed. They will make absolutely no difference to how amazing this recipe is. 


    30 Minute Prawn Rice
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    Jump to:
    • Why you're going to love this prawn and rice recipe
    • Ingredients needed
    • Step by step directions
    • Defrosting & peeling prawns
    • Storage
    • More prawn recipes
    • Tools used
    • 30 Minute Prawn Rice

    Why you're going to love this prawn and rice recipe

    • It only takes 30 minutes to make.
    • Uses just one pot.
    • Prawn and rice recipes are healthy and easy to make.
    • The rice is cooked in a tomato sauce that infuses so much flavour. 
    • You can add in some chilli pepper or chilli flakes to make this spicy prawns and rice!

    Ingredients needed

    • Frozen or fresh prawns- the difference between prawns and shrimp is usually the most notable when it comes to size. Prawns tend to be larger than shrimp, although not always. In most cases the two are interchangeable and certainly, for this recipe, it will make no difference. The true difference between the two comes down to their anatomy as crustaceans. You can read more here if that's your thing.
    • Basmati rice- long-grain white or even brown rice works for this recipe too. I prefer the flavour and aroma of basmati, having almost a nutty taste. You may need to adjust your cooking times, as brown rice typically takes longer to cook. 
    • Onion and garlic- this helps to form the flavour base of the rice dish. If you haven't picked up on it yet, this recipe is very much like a short cut paella!
    • Tomatoes & red pepper- giving us our much-needed vegetables and adding that Mediterranean flavour that marries so perfectly with seafood, especially shellfish.
    • Vegetable stock- made with a stock cube to add extra flavour. But you can also use water if you prefer.
    • Peas- frozen of fresh. This recipe is very forgiving and is a great way to add extra veggies to your meals.
    • Basil & lemon slices- the perfect way to finish this recipe. Fresh basil and lemon and some garlic bread are all you need to serve with this one-pot rice!

    Step by step directions

    Step 1 & 2

    • Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. (I've used a cast-iron casserole pan) but any high sided skillet will work. You want to use something with a large surface area so that making the tomato sauce is quick and easy.
    • Saute the onions and garlic until they are soft and fragrant. This will only take about 5-6 minutes. Add in the chopped fresh tomatoes and the chopped red pepper. The tomatoes will break down in the hot pan and create a sauce and the peppers will soften. If your tomatoes seem a little bit dry, add in 2-3 tablespoons of water to get everything going. 

    Step 3 & 4

    • Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it in the tomato sauce. Pour in the vegetable stock and add in the prawn and peas. Bring up to a simmer and cover with a lid. Continue to simmer on low heat for about 12-15 minutes until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender and cooked. 
    • Once the rice is cooked the prawns will definitely be cooked. They only take a few minutes and they essentially steam in the rice, meaning that they will be so tender and juicy. Top everything with fresh basil and some lemon slices. The beauty of this rice dish is that you can just pop it in the middle of the table with a spoon and let everyone help themselves.

    Defrosting & peeling prawns

    The best way to defrost them is to simply place them in the fridge overnight. But let's face it, many (me) are not that organised and sometimes things like that get missed in everyday life. To speed up the process, you can place the bag of frozen prawns under cold running water for about 10 minutes. Most shellfish defrosts very quickly and prawns are no exception, making them perfect for when you forget to plan anything for dinner. 

    Watch this quick video for the quickest and easiest way to peel prawns. 

    Storage

    This prawn rice is perfect for leftovers for about a day or 2 at the most. Normally I'm not a fan of reheating fish, but prawns are the one exception. They don't suffer any loss of quality overnight in the fridge or with being reheated. To reheat, just a minute or two in the microwave is all you need. 

    More prawn recipes

    • Tomato Spinach Prawn Pasta
    • Quick & Easy Prawn Curry

    Tools used

    1. Cast iron pan
    2. Silicone spoon
    Prawn rice in tomato sauce

    30 Minute Prawn Rice

    This One-pot prawn and rice recipe is a one-pot wonder full of flavorful prawns and rice with a Spanish style tomato sauce that the entire family will enjoy! 
    4.93 from 26 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
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    Author: Deborah Rainford

    Ingredients

    • 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) olive oil
    • 3 cloves (3 cloves) garlic
    • 1 (1) yellow/ brown onion
    • 1 (1) red pepper, chopped
    • 8 (8) medium vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
    • 200 g (1 ⅓ cups) frozen peas
    • 275 g (1 cups) frozen prawns, peeled and defrosted
    • ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) paprika
    • ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) chilli powder
    • 245 g (1 ¼ cups) rice
    • 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock made with a stock cube

    Instructions

    • Start by making your stock with boiling water and set it aside while you make the tomato sauce and peel the prawns. 
    • Heat the oil in a high sided skillet or pan over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic until they are soft and fragrant. This will only take about 5-6 minutes. Add in the chopped fresh tomatoes, and the chopped red pepper. The tomatoes will break down in the hot pan and create a sauce and the peppers will soften. If your tomatoes seem a little bit dry, add in 2-3 tablespoons of water to get everything going.
    • Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it in the tomato sauce. Pour in the vegetable stock, paprika and chilli powder. Add in the prawn and peas. Bring up to a simmer and cover with a lid. Continue to simmer on low heat for about 12-15 minutes until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender and cooked.
    • Once the rice is cooked the prawns will definitely be cooked. They only take a few minutes and they essentially steam in the rice, meaning that they will be so tender and juicy.
    • Top everything with fresh basil and some lemon slices. The beauty of this rice dish is that you can just pop it in the middle of the table with a spoon and let everyone help themselves.

    Notes

    Note 1- If you want golden seared prawns then you can saute the prawns in the pan at the start of the recipe, transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm until the end, then stir into rice and serve.
    Note 2- You can use already peeled prawns for this recipe. They get added the exact same way.
    Note 3- Prawns and shrimp are interchangeable in this recipe.
    Note 4- Add extra chilli powder or chilli flakes to add extra spice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 604mg | Potassium: 1072mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3678IU | Vitamin C: 95mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag Me @savvybites or tag #savvybites!

    THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND COOKING ALONG WITH ME! IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE A QUESTION, I’D LOVE IT IF YOU LEFT A COMMENT AND A RATING. YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ALONG ON PINTEREST, FACEBOOK AND  INSTAGRAM TO SEE WHAT WE’RE EATING, PINNING AND A LITTLE BEHIND THE SCENES TOO!

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tania Hendricks

      May 07, 2025 at 3:32 pm

      4 stars
      I made this for supper tonight (fishy Wednesday), very quick and easy. This is so perfect for a quick midweek meal.

      Reply
      • Deborah Rainford

        May 10, 2025 at 10:17 pm

        So happy you loved this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It's very appreciated! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. RF

      October 19, 2024 at 3:52 pm

      5 stars
      Love this shortcut paella. All the classic flavors of the traditional version but on the table in only 30 minutes!

      Reply
      • Deborah Rainford

        October 28, 2024 at 6:39 pm

        So happy you loved this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It's so appreciated! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    3. Richard Reynolds

      September 28, 2024 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is absolutely brilliant. Served this with some crusty bread and olive oil and it was the perfect dinner.

      Reply
    4. Tony Heath

      February 04, 2024 at 10:24 am

      5 stars
      Prawn stock, made with the shells is even better than vegetable.

      Reply
    5. Sarah

      November 03, 2023 at 12:54 am

      5 stars
      VERY tasty and easy to make recipe!

      Reply
      • Deborah Rainford

        November 04, 2023 at 12:33 pm

        So happy you loved it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a review! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
      • Brian

        March 19, 2024 at 7:40 pm

        4 stars
        Super simple one pot recipe. Loved it.

        Reply
    6. Taniele

      February 12, 2023 at 7:33 pm

      Definitely going to make this for Valentineโ€™s Day!! Thank you for this!! Is it ok to use Jasmine rice instead of basmati?

      Reply
      • Deborah Rainford

        February 12, 2023 at 8:26 pm

        Hi Taniele! Absolutely you can use jamsmine rice instead. Just use a little bit less water/stock when cooking it. Jasmine rice is softer than basmati so requires less water when cooking to achieve a fluffy rather than sticky/ gummy texture. Let me know how it goes. And happy Valentine's Day! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    7. Lucy

      January 26, 2023 at 3:20 am

      5 stars
      So good! Simple but really tasty. Iโ€™m making this for the second time as as soon as weโ€™d finished it the first time my husband asked when can we have it again! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    8. Sylivia

      January 21, 2023 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      Really easy to pit together, tasty as well

      Reply
      • Deborah Rainford

        March 15, 2023 at 9:54 am

        Thanks so much, Sylvia. So happy you loved it! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    9. Dua

      May 30, 2022 at 7:36 pm

      5 stars
      The 15 year old made it to perfection, even the 3 children who apparently don't like prawns loved it!!

      Reply
    10. Scott

      May 18, 2022 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      Loved this recipe! Added some leftover chorizo and it was amazing!

      Reply
      • Deborah Rainford

        May 19, 2022 at 9:27 am

        Thanks so much Scott.

        Reply
    11. Janey

      May 18, 2022 at 4:26 pm

      5 stars
      Quick, easy and delicious recipe. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Deborah Rainford

        May 19, 2022 at 9:28 am

        Thanks so much Janey!

        Reply
        • Joane

          November 17, 2023 at 12:53 am

          5 stars
          Great recipe quick and simple, I added celery and mushrooms and roasted the vegetables also put in a little bit of roasted paprika,the recipe is very adaptable.
          Thank you it will be amongst my favourites

          Reply
          • Deborah Rainford

            November 17, 2023 at 9:10 am

            So happy you loved this one, Joane! And I love the additions you make. perfect for making this recipe go even further! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a review. It's so helpful! ๐Ÿ™‚

            Reply
          • GM

            December 08, 2023 at 10:35 pm

            5 stars
            This recipe is absolutely amazing. My husband who doesn't go near anything that comes out of water ate it successfully!! Thank you!!

            There's a thing on the recipe that I think no one noticed maybe. When you choose x2 or x4, the quantity of stock changes, but it is still mentioned "by using 1 cube of stock". So for double, we should use 2 and so on, right?

            Thank you again!!

            Reply
            • Deborah Rainford

              December 12, 2023 at 12:08 pm

              Amazing! So happy this recipe was a hit! Duly noted for the increase in portions to up the number of stock cubes. I'll make a note of that. And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. It's so appreciated! ๐Ÿ™‚

      • Thuli

        July 28, 2024 at 10:48 am

        5 stars
        Easy and quick added paprika, very tasty and easy to make ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ

        Reply
        • Deborah Rainford

          August 13, 2024 at 4:19 pm

          So happy you loved it! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
    4.93 from 26 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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    prawns in tomato rice using Aldi ingredients

    Hi, I'm Deborah! A Cordon Bleu graduate with more than 10 years of restaurant cooking experience. I now focus on helping you create easy, delicious and healthy(ish) budget recipes from scratch using only Aldi ingredients. Welcome to my virtual kitchen!

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