Today we are making my delicious Crispy Prawn Balls! Fresh green prawn meat is mixed with Asian seasonings and spring onions then haphazardly wrapped in shredded spring roll pastry and deep-fried to a golden perfection. They are juicy and flavoursome in the middle and delicious and crunchy on the outside. Perfect for entertaining and they will definitely impress your guests!
These Crispy Prawn Balls are often discovered at yum cha restaurants and are a popular choice among diners. They boast the perfect blend of textures – crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside. These crunchy golden gems will have your guests coming back for more, so I suggest making a double batch!! One is never enough!
How to make
- Prepare Prawns:
- Chop prawns into small pieces; you can use a food processor, but chopping gives a chunkier texture which I prefer.
- Place prawns in a bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix until thickened.
- Refrigerate while working on wrappers.
- Spring Roll Wrappers:
- Gently separate wrappers, roll into a cylinder shape, and slice into preferred width (about 0.5cm).
- Cut ribbons in half, place in a bowl.
- Assembly:
- Divide prawn mixture into 12 equal portions and shape each portion into a rough ball.
- Scoop ribbons around the prawn mixture, shaping into a ball as you go and pressing on gently to secure the ribbons. Transfer to a lined baking tray and chill until ready to cook.
- Cooking:
- Heat enough oil in a wok or saucepan to one-third up the sides until 180°C.
- Cook prawn balls, in batches, for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and filling is cooked through.
- Drain on paper towel and transfer to a wire rack.
- Serve hot with desired dipping sauces.
- Tip for Leftovers:
- Save leftover wrapper ribbons to deep fry after cooking all the prawn balls for a crunchy snack.
Serving suggestions
- Dipping Sauces – Serve with a variety of dipping sauces such as sweet and sour sauce, sweet chilli sauce, hot chilli sauce or soy sauce.
- Citrus Zing: Squeeze the juice of a lemon or lime over the prawn balls before serving for a citrus kick.
- Garnish Galore: Sprinkle chopped spring onions or coriander on top for a fresh and colourful finish.
- Yum-Cha Platter: Serve these balls alongside other yum cha favourites such as: spring rolls, prawn toast, dumplings, san choy bow or dim sims for a true Asian inspired party.
❄️ Storage
FRIDGE:
Allow any leftover prawn balls to cool to room temperature (I don’t think you will have any left though😂). Transfer them to an airtight container or plate covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Use within 1-2 days.
FREEZE:
These prawn balls can be made and cooked ahead of time and are a great option for having in the freezer for when guests or family pop in. Make as directed then allow to cool completely. Place the cooled prawn balls in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Label, date and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat before serving.
REHEAT:
I like to reheat these in the air fryer on 180C until throughly heated through. You could also reheat them on a lined baking tray and pop them into your oven at 180C. Cook for 15 minutes or so until piping hot. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.
Crispy Prawn Balls
Ingredients
PRAWN MIXTURE
- 500g fresh green banana prawns, peeled and deveined (See Notes)
- ⅓ cup finely sliced spring/green onions
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced or grated
- ½ teaspon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
TO ASSEMBLE
- 10 sheets frozen spring roll pastry, thawed (See Notes)
TO SERVE
- Your choice of dipping sauce (Sweet and Sour, Sweet chilli, Soy etc)
Instructions
PRAWN MIXTURE
- Roughly chop the prawns into small pieces then place into a bowl. (You could also do this in a food processor but I much prefer the texture of roughly chopped prawns. You get lots of nice chunks rather than a paste).
- Add all the remaining ingredients and stir really well for about 1 minute or so until you get a thickish mixture. Transfer to the fridge whilst preparing the wrappers.
SPRING ROLL WRAPPERS
- Gently pull the wrappers apart then roll up in a cylinder shape, and slice them into the width you prefer. I sliced mine about .5cm thickness. Then slice the ribbons in half to make shorter lengths.
- Place the wrapper ribbons into a bowl.
TO ASSEMBLE
- Roughly divide the prawn mixture into 12 portions. Shape each portion into a rough shaped ball and place into the wrapper ribbons.
- Scoop the ribbons around the prawn mixture and shape into a ball, squeezing lightly with your hands to secure the ribbons on the outside. (You can trim overhanging ribbons off and return them to the bowl to use again).
- Place onto a lined baking tray. Repeat with remaining prawn mixture and wrapper ribbons. Cover and chill until ready to cook.
- TIP: Save any leftover 'ribbons' to quickly deep fry after cooking the prawn balls. They are lovely and crunchy and nice to snack on. Discard though if preferred.
TO COOK
- Pour enough oil into a wok or saucepan to come one-third up the sides. Heat over a medium-high heat until oil reaches 180°C (when oil is ready, a cube of bread turns golden in 15 secs).
- Cook the prawn balls, in batches, for 3-4 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and prawns are cooked through. Drain on paper towel quickly then transfer to a wire rack. Serve hot with your desired dipping sauce or sauces.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - PRAWNS
I used 500g fresh green banana prawns in their shells. If you do not have access or would prefer to use frozen green prawns that is also fine. I would use approximately 300g frozen prawn meat and thaw in the fridge or until cool running water till defrosted. Make sure to pat them well dry with paper towel before using. - SPRING ROLL WRAPPERS
I purchase my wrappers from the freezer section in Coles – don’t use the brand Woolworths sell – they are terrible. They stick together and are hard too separate. You may need more or less than specified depending on how much you wrap around each prawn ball.
To Thaw: Pop the frozen wrappers into the fridge an hour or so before slicing into strips to allow them to thaw. It helps with less condensation on the wrappers therefore less tears. - IF MIXTURE IS A LITTLE WET
Depending on the prawns you use, if the mixture is still a little wet to form into rough balls (they do not need to be firm and perfect), simply add a little more cornflour to the prawn mixture to thicken slightly.
You may also enjoy
- Sweet and Sour Sauce (Just like a restaurant)
- The Best Dumpling Sauce (4 Ingredients)
- Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Cha Gio)
- Prawn Toast (Shrimp Toast)
- Pork & Prawn Wontons with Snow Peas
- Chicken & Ham Spring Rolls
- Thai Pork & Prawn Spring Rolls
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