This quick and super easy prawn cocktail recipe is perfect for a last minute starter for Christmas dinner, party food or a simple jacket potato topper!
This prawn cocktail recipe is so simple, it make a great easy recipe for kids to make themselves from start to finish!
We're enjoying the summer holidays at the moment, so things have been a little quiet here on the blog recently, but today I'm sharing a really simple recipe that Small Child has made for us several times now.
This easy prawn cocktail recipe makes a quick and easy summer meal, either served on lettuce leaves as a yummy starter or snack, or as a healthy topper for baked potatoes - one of our favourite family meals at the moment!
As I was reminded when hundreds of you started descending on the site for this recipe on Christmas Day a few years ago, this prawn cocktail makes a perfect starter for Christmas dinner too! The simple Marie Rose sauce is made from easy-to-find store-cupboard ingredients, so if you're looking for a last-minute prawn cocktail recipe, this is the one for you!
This recipe is part of my 'Easy Recipes for Kids' series, so includes a free child friendly recipe sheet at the end of the post for you to download and print - maybe your own 'small child' might like to give it a try?
Super Easy Prawn Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 75g light mayonaise
- 20g ketchup
- dash Worcestershire sauce
- 200g cooked prawns
- sprinkle paprika
- lemon slices
Method:
Measure out the mayonnaise, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and mix them together in a bowl.
Add the prawns and mix with the sauce until completely coated.
To serve, place spoonfuls of the prawn cocktail mixture onto small lettuce leaves or use as a healthy baked potato topping.
Sprinkle over a little paprika and serve with fresh lemon slices on the side.
Top Tips for Making Prawn Cocktail
Are the prawns in prawn cocktail cooked?
The prawns in a prawn cocktail should always be cooked. You can cook your own in advance (be sure to cool completely before serving) or buy ready-cooked to save yourself some time.
What's the difference between Thousand Island and Marie Rose Sauce?
Thousand Island Dressing and Marie Rose Sauce are actually the same thing - a sauce made primarily from a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise, traditionally mixed with cooked prawns to make a prawn cocktail.
How do you defrost frozen prawns for prawn cocktail?
Forgot to take your prawns out of the freezer? Don't panic, they're really easy to defrost quickly and safely!
Tip the frozen prawns out of the bag into a large bowl, cover with cold water and drain. Repeat this a couple of times, then cover with cold water again and leave for 10-15 minutes.
Once defrosted, drain again and roughly pat dry with kitchen paper.
How long does prawn cocktail keep?
If you'd like to get ahead and make your prawn cocktail in advance, the sauce will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. If making in advance, keep the prawns separate from the sauce and mix them together just before serving.
What do you serve prawn cocktail in?
When serving as a starter, it's traditional to serve your prawn cocktail in a glass bowl. If you don't have glass bowls, sundae glasses, glass tumblers, cocktail glasses or large wine glasses would work just as well, or you can bypass the serving dish altogether and serve on lettuce leaves as I have for this recipe!
What do you serve with prawn cocktail?
It's traditional to serve prawn cocktail on a bed of shredded lettuce. If you want to jazz it up a bit, you can add extras to your salad with sliced veggies such as cucumber, avocado, spring onion or radish. Add a wedge of lemon if wanted, and serve with small slices of brown bread or sourdough bread on the side.
As I mentioned above, I have created a free printable recipe sheet for this recipe so that your child can have a go at following the recipe themselves. Click on the picture below to download the PDF file.
Looking for more easy Christmas dinner recipes? Try Turkey in a Bag from My Fussy Eater or a Festive Roast Leg of Lamb from Charlotte's Lively Kitchen.
For veg on the side I've come up with some great easy Baby Friendly Side Dishes for Christmas Dinner - so the whole family can enjoy it together, or how about some Rosemary & Garlic Crushed Roast Potatoes?
For pudding you can't beat my Gran's Christmas Pudding Recipe, some Easy Mince Pie Puffs or my fun Mini Christmas Cakes - baked in tin cans!
If you’d like more child friendly recipes like this one, be sure to check out the rest of my easy recipes for kids section, and why not pop over and follow my Cooking with Kids Pinterest board too!
Grace
Easy Prawn Cocktail
Ingredients
- 75 g light mayonaise
- 20 g ketchup
- dash Worcestershire sauce
- 200 g cooked prawns
- sprinkle paprika
- lemon slices
Instructions
- Measure out the mayonnaise, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and mix them together in a bowl.
- Add the prawns and mix until completely coated, then cover and pop in the fridge until ready to serve.
- To serve, place spoonfuls of the prawn cocktail mixture onto small lettuce leaves or use as a healthy baked potato topping.
- Sprinkle over a little paprika and serve with fresh lemon slices on the side.
Love this simple recipe? Why not save it to Pinterest so you can easily find it again!
Helen @ family-friends-food.com says
Great recipe - I'm sure my small person could manage this 🙂
We don't eat prawns (not kosher) but my Mum used to make something very similar using flaked cooked salmon, so I think we'll give it a go that way.
Sarah says
I love a prawn cocktail but Ive actually never had used it as a topping for baked potatoes! Going to keep this in mind. Pinned.
Camilla says
This is the sort of dish I used to order if out on a pub lunch but never think to make at home, I made mine the same as your's only with lemon juice in with the mayo but haven't tried the paprika so shall try that next time:-) Thanks for linking to my jacket potatoes;-)
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
I love prawn cocktails! They really are a favourite of mine. I must give it a go with the twins! x #whatkidseat
Mel says
That's my mum's favourite! Will have to make it for her when she next comes 🙂 x
Helene AKA Croque-Maman says
Who does not love prawn cocktail?! I love how you serve it in lettuce leaves.
Ellen says
Easy to make am doing for Christmas Day for the family