Sesame Prawn Toasts

It is a truth universally acknowledged that sesame prawn toast (or shrimp toast if you are in the US) is one of the most delicious Chinese foods. After all, who can resist juicy prawns sandwiched between soft white bread, coated in nutty sesame seeds, and deep fried until perfectly crispy? Despite what you might think, they are actually super simple to make at home. This recipe takes under 30 minutes and it’s perfect for a homemade fakeaway or to celebrate Chinese New Year… 

You may think homemade prawn toast is really complicated, but it really isn’t. Think of it like a toastie with a bit of frying. If you can make my grilled cheese and panko shrimp, you can make these homemade sesame prawn toasts. 

All you have to do is blitz together raw prawns with a few other ingredients to make a paste. Then spread onto slices of crustless white bread to make ‘sandwiches’. These are then dipped in an egg mix and coated in nutty sesame seeds - a bit like when you make chicken katsu but with sesame seeds instead of breadcrumbs. Finally, you fry in shimmering oil until crispy, crunchy and golden. Delicious! I like to blitz up a spicy, zesty green sauce, but this is entirely optional. You can simply serve with a sweet chilli, sriracha yoghurt/mayonnaise or sweet and sour sauce. 

For ease, I often use defrosted frozen prawns as they are much better value, but you can use fresh. The important thing is that you use raw ones. If you use cooked prawns, they will go rubbery. You can also add extra flavour to the filling by using more garlic or adding ginger paste, fresh herbs (coriander, parsley and chives are my go-tos), spring onion or a pinch of chilli flakes for heat. What’s more, you can even swap the white bread for wholemeal or use hot dogs or bao buns (microwave them first if using shop bought). It’s a very versatile recipe once you have the hang of it!

Why you will love this recipe:

• They are a quick canapé, snack, starter or part of a main course that is ready in less than 30 minutes.
• They are super simple and need just a few easy-to-follow steps.
• They are full of flavour and texture. Imagine juicy prawns, crispy, crunchy, nutty toasts, and vibrant green sauce.
• They are perfect to make as part of a fakeaway or to celebrate Chinese New Year.
• They are a great way to use up leftover bread.

Ingredients:

Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!

Prawns - you want to use raw, deveined king prawns for the best flavour and texture. You can use fresh or defrosted frozen prawn. 

Garlic clove - this adds a subtle garlic flavour to the sesame prawn toast and green sauce. You can use garlic paste or granules if you don’t have fresh.

Caster sugar - a pinch of caster sugar helps balance out the flavours in the sesame prawn toast.

Cornflour - a little cornflour helps the sesame prawn toast filling bind together.

Sesame oil - this adds a delicious nutty flavour to the sesame prawn toast. 

Eggs - I recommend large free-range eggs stamped with the British Lion mark. The egg white helps the prawn mixture bind, while the egg white and yolk help create crispy sesame prawn toast. 

White bread - you want medium-sliced white bread (about 1 cm thick). It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, a plain white loaf is ideal.

Sesame seeds - a key ingredient in sesame prawn toast! You can use white or black - I like to use a mixture.

Vegetable oil - any flavourless oil with a high smoke point works well. Rapeseed or sunflower oil are good alternatives.

Substitutions and Variations:

Prawns: you can use any raw prawns for this recipe but I find jumbo or king prawns have the best flavour. I often use defrosted frozen prawns as they are much better value.

Chicken: you don’t actually have to make sesame prawn toast. Chicken mince or blended chicken breasts/thighs works really well too. Use the same weight and follow the recipe as above. That's a tip I learnt from one of Nadiya Hussain’s books (listen to her Desert Island Dishes episode and Dream Dinner Party episode if you like!) 

Herbs: you can add extra flavour to your sesame prawn toast filling by adding roughly chopped herbs. Coriander and parsley work well. Sometimes I add finely sliced spring onions too. These all also work well as a garnish.

Spices: give your sesame prawn toast a spicy kick by adding a pinch of dried chilli flakes or a hint of ginger (either ginger paste or freshly grated). 

Bread: I like to use plain white bread for my sesame prawn toast, but you can use wholemeal brown bread if you prefer. Alternatively, you can use bao buns or even hot dog rolls! Get creative and have fun. 

Dips: I like swirling some spicy sriracha through a thick yoghurt or good quality mayonnaise or serving with a delicious sweet chilli sauce. Sweet and sour sauce is also delicious. You don’t have to be traditional though, sesame prawn toasts are also lovely with a sour cream and chive dip or garlic aioli. 

Here's how to make Sesame Prawn Toasts:

Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.

ONE:  Dab the prawns dry with kitchen paper. Finely chop or blitz the prawns until they become almost paste-like.

TWO: Scoop into a large mixing bowl and add the garlic, sugar, cornflour, sesame oil and egg white.

THREE: Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper pepper. Mix well to combine. 

FOUR: Slice the crusts off the bread. I find it quickest to stack them up and slice at once.

FIVE: Lay one piece of crustless white bread on a board. Spread with some (about ¼) of the prawn mix, then top with another piece of bread. Press down firmly to create a sandwich. Repeat with the other slices so you have 4 sandwiches.

SIX: One at a time, dunk each sandwich into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Then place in the sesame seed mixture and repeat, making sure you get a good, even coating.

SEVEN: Pour in enough oil to come 2-3 cm up the sides of a large, deep frying pan. Place over a medium-high heat until shimmering hot, but not smoking. carefully add around two of the sandwiches. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Using a spatula, gently turn over, then cook for another 1 minute, or until golden brown and crispy on both sides and the prawn paste is cooked through.

EIGHT: Slice the sandwiches in half to create 8 triangles and place onto a plate (you can cut into 16 smaller ones, if you prefer). Drizzle with the green sauce and garnish with shallot rings and freshly chopped coriander, parsley or chives.

Cooking Tips:

Frozen prawns: if using frozen prawns, make sure you defrost them in the fridge overnight then pat dry with kitchen roll (otherwise the filling will be too wet). If you are in a hurry, place the prawns into a large bowl and fill with cold water. They defrost in the water and it should take about 10 minutes. Just change the water a few times as the frozen prawns make the water really cold and you need to bring the temperature back up a little with fresh water from the tap. Once they are soft, drain well and pat dry, as above.

Fry in batches: it might be tempting to add all the sandwiches to the oil at once or the temperature will drop and you will end up with greasy sesame prawn toast. Start frying 2 or 3 at a time depending on the size of your pan and depending on the size of your bread too. I used typical sandwich bread but if your slices are bigger or smaller, you can fit more or less in the pan.

Leftover sesame seeds: you will have some leftover sesame seeds after coating the sesame prawn toast. Don’t be tempted to keep these as they have come into contact with raw egg and need to be discarded.

Making Open Faced Prawn Toasts

If you want to make more traditional sesame prawn toast, you can skip the sandwiches and make them open faced. Just make as instructed but don't put a piece of bread on top to close the sandwich.

In this case, you don’t need to dip in the beaten egg as the sesame seeds will stick to the prawn filling. With the prawn filling on the top of the bread, dunk it into a plate of sesame seeds and they will stick. Then fry as instructed, on both sides but for You can also cut into smaller triangles and serve as a canapé (scroll down to FAQs for instructions on how to make ahead).

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage & Freezing Instructions

Other recipes you might enjoy:

If you like the sound of this sesame prawn toast, you must try my Japanese shrimp tempura (ebi tempura). Also don’t miss my panko shrimp or duck bao buns. 

Made this recipe and loved it?

I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments…  I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!

Sesame Prawn Toast

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These sesame prawn toast are unbelievably easy to make and always go down a treat. After all, who can resist juicy prawns sandwiched between soft white bread, coated in nutty sesame seeds, and deep fried to gloriously golden crispy perfection? Just remember to make extra as there never seems to be enough… 

• Author: Margie Nomura
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutesq
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Makes 8 large toasts or 16 smaller toasts 1x
• Category: Sides, Seafood
• Method: Shallow Fry
• Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the prawns:

• 360g raw, deveined shelled prawns
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour 
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 large egg white
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the toasts:

• 8 slices of white bread, crusts removed
• 1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
• 100-150g sesame seeds (I like a mix of black and white)
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the green sauce: (optional)

• ½ large ripe avocado 
• 2 heaped tablespoon full-fat Greek yogurt
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• juice of ½ lime, or to taste
• 1 small handful of fresh coriander 
• 1 small handful of fresh basil
• ¼ red chilli, or to taste
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• About 2 tbsp water

To serve:

• Shallot rings
• Freshly chopped coriander, parsley and/or chives
• Sweet chilli sauce or sriracha yoghurt or mayonnaise

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Instructions

1. To prepare the prawn filling: dab the prawns dry with kitchen paper. Next, either by hand or in a food processor, finely chop or blitz the prawns until they become almost paste-like.
2. Scoop into a large mixing bowl and add the garlic, sugar, cornflour, sesame oil and egg white. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper pepper. Mix well to combine. 
3. To make the prawn toasts: lay one piece of crustless white bread on a board. Spread with some (about ¼) of the prawn mix, then top with another piece of bread. Press down firmly to create a sandwich. Repeat with the other slices so you have 4 sandwiches.
4. In a shallow bowl (wide enough to dunk each sandwich one at a time), whisk together the egg and egg yolk until combined. In another shallow bowl, add the sesame seeds. 
5. One at a time, dunk each sandwich into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Then place in the sesame seed mixture and repeat, making sure you get a good, even coating. Try to keep one hand for the ‘wet’ (e.g. the egg mixture) and one hand for the ‘dry’ (e.g. the sesame seeds). 
6. To fry the sesame prawn toast: line a large baking sheet with kitchen paper and set aside. Pour in enough oil to come 2-3 cm up the sides of a large, deep frying pan. Place over a medium-high heat until shimmering hot, but not smoking - if you have a thermometer, it should be 180C. You can test to see if it is hot enough by dropping a small piece of bread (or leftover crust) into the oil - if it floats and starts to sizzle then you are at the right temperature.
7. While the oil is heating up, make the green sauce (if using): put all the ingredients into a blender or mini food processor and blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust the flavours, adding more chilli (to make it spicier), lime juice (for tartness) or water (to loosen). Pour into a bowl and set aside. 
8. Once the oil is at the right temperature, carefully add around two of the sandwiches. It will depend on how big your sandwiches are and your pan too. Do not overcrowd the pan as the temperature will drop and that’s how you get soggy prawn toast! Fry for 1-2 minutes. Using a spatula, gently turn over, then cook for another 1 minute - or until golden brown and crispy on both sides and the prawn paste is cooked through. Remove from the pan and place onto the prepared baking sheet to drain off any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
9. Slice the sandwiches in half to create 8 triangles and place onto a plate (you can cut into 16 smaller ones, if you prefer). Drizzle with the green sauce and garnish with shallot rings and freshly chopped coriander, parsley or chives. Enjoy with sweet chilli sauce or a spicy sriracha yoghurt or mayonnaise on the side, if you like.

Notes

Scroll up for a helpful step-by-step guide on how to make these prawn toasts.

To store: If you have leftovers, cool and transfer to the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 day. 

To reheat: when ready to serve, pop onto a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper and bake at 200C/180C Fan for about 8-10 minutes - or until crispy and piping hot all the way through. The exact length of time will depend on your oven and the size you have cut your sesame prawn toast.

To freeze: you can freeze the cooked sesame prawn toast in a sealed tupperware or ziplock bag for up to 3 months (defrost fully in the fridge before reheating). 

Make ahead: These sesame prawn toasts are most delicious when served straight after frying, so my favourite way to get ahead is to make the prawn mix a few hours ahead and keep covered and chilled in the fridge. Then when ready, assemble the toasts and fry so you have them fresh. If really needed, you can also fry them off in advance, cool quickly then cover and chill in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 180c for 5-8 minutes or oven at 200c for 8-10 minutes until piping hot all the way through.

Extra flavour: I have kept the prawn filling fairly traditional. However, feel free to add extra garlic, some ginger, dried chilli flakes, fresh herbs or spring onions to increase the flavour.

Hot oil: make sure your oil is at the right temperature. To test the temperature of the oil, drop in a small breadcrumb. If it bubbles immediately and rises to the top, the oil is ready. If the temperature is too low, you will end up with greasy sesame prawn toast. However, if the temperature is too high, they will burn and the sesame seeds will become bitter. 

Overcrowding: it is really important not to overcrowd the pan when frying. Otherwise, the temperature could drop leaving you with oily, greasy sesame prawn toast. Depending on the size of your pan and size of your sandwiches, I'd say 2 fit in a pan but use your common sense.

Serving suggestion: I love serving these sesame prawn toast drizzled with the green sauce, but that is entirely optional. A pot of spicy sriracha yoghurt/mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce or sweet and sour sauce on the side is lovely too.