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Home / Recipes

Drunken Jerk Prawns

12 minutes
4.45 from 9 votes
11 Comments
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by: Joanna Cismaru
08.07.19

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Drunken Jerk Prawns – are there any other kind? These prawns will blow your mind, beautifully seared plump and juicy shrimp marinated in an easy bourbon and jerk spice marinade. Simple and succulent with a bit of a kick.

closeup of a prawn glistening with sauce in a skillet

I’m here with my drunken jerk prawns recipe that I made using some of the jerk seasoning I made the other day. Swimming in butter and sinfully spiced, these prawns are absolutely to die for.

The truth is that the prawns were super tasty even though I only marinated them for 5 minutes. I did reserve the marinade and poured some over the prawns as they were searing and because of the sugar in the jerk spice and the alcohol it created a caramelization giving the prawns that nice color and shine. Trust me, so good.

If you’d like some more info about Jerk spice, refer to my recipe for this spicy little seasoning here. I absolutely love how it pairs with these plump, succulent little shrimp. I can be the only one who loves my shrimp swimming in sauce, regardless of what the sauce may be – luckily this sauce is amazing!

prawns sitting in a glass bowl with a marinade

Ingredients

Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

  • Prawns – Jumbo prawns, properly cleaned with the tails still on. I’ve included directions for how to properly prep your shrimp below.
  • Bourbon – Use any kind you like! Have some leftovers? Try my Bourbon Pecan Pie or Bourbon Chicken
  • Lemon juice – Fresh is always best. You’re going to need quite a bit of it so pick up a few lemons.
  • Parsley – Fresh and chopped up nice and fine my friends.
  • Jerk spice – My recipe for it is perfect for this dish, if you have store bought lying around feel free to substitute – I suppose.
  • Olive oil & butter – The high smoke point of the olive oil allows our butter to brown without burning, amazing!
perfectly seared prawns in a skilled topped with parsley

How To Make Drunken Jerk Prawns

  1. Prep your shrimp: Devein the shrimp if necessary and remove the shells but leave the tails on.
  2. Marinate the shrimp: In a medium size bowl add the bourbon, lemon juice, jerk seasoning and whisk well. Add the prawns to the bowl and toss them around making sure all the prawns are covered in the marinade. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
  3. Cook the shrimp: Add the oil and butter to a skillet and melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the prawns to the skillet, reserve leftover marinade. Cook for 2 or 3 min until the prawns turn pink, then flip over.
  4. Finish the dish:  Pour about 1/4 cup of the leftover marinade over the prawns and cook for another 3 minutes and they are cooked through. You’ll notice the sauce will reduce almost right away caramelizing the prawns a bit. Remove shrimp from the skillet.
  5. Garnish your shrimp: Garnish the prawns with parsley and serve while still warm.

What To Serve With Drunken Jerk Shrimp

I personally love some great crusty bread, ideally the best French baguette you can find. Here are some of my favorite accompaniments for you to try out yourself!

  • No Knead Bread
  • Sunflower And Flax Seed Whole Wheat Skillet Bread
  • Cheddar Olive Thyme Bread
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Creamy Polenta
a prawn on a fork with a small plate of prawns, lemon wedges, and parsley in the background

Leftovers

In the fridge this recipe will keep for 3 – 4 days in an airtight container, so feel free to make ahead of time. You can freeze the shrimp from this recipe for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Just allow the dish to thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.

More Incredible Shrimp Recipes To Try:

  • Maple BBQ Glazed Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
  • Honey Soy Shrimp
  • Spicy New Orleans Shrimp
  • Garlic and Parsley Butter Shrimp
  • Coconut Shrimp Curry
  • Cajun Shrimp with Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce
  • Cajun Shrimp with Tomato Alfredo Pasta
  • Tomato Shrimp Pasta
  • Garlic Butter Shrimp

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close up shot of a drunken jerk prawn

Drunken Jerk Prawns

4.45 from 9 votes
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 7 mins
Total: 12 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 2
Print Pin Rate
Drunken Jerk Prawns – are there any other kind? These prawns will blow your mind, beautifully seared plump and juicy shrimp marinated in an easy bourbon and jerk spice marinade. Simple and succulent with a bit of a kick.

Equipment

  • 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

  • 3/4 lb jumbo prawns
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Jamaican Jerk seasoning
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Devein the shrimp if necessary and remove the shells but leave the tails on.
  • In a medium size bowl add the bourbon, lemon juice, jerk seasoning and whisk well. Add the prawns to the bowl and toss them around making sure all the prawns are covered in the marinade. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
  • Add the oil and butter to a skillet and melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the prawns to the skillet, reserve leftover marinade. Cook for 2 or 3 min until the prawns turn pink, then flip over. Pour about 1/4 cup of the leftover marinade over the prawns and cook for another 3 minutes and they are cooked through. You’ll notice the sauce will reduce almost right away caramelizing the prawns a bit. Remove shrimp from the skillet.
  • Garnish the prawns with parsley and serve while still warm.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. You can find the recipe for Jamaican Jerk seasoning here.
  2. Feel free to use and type of whiskey, rum, or brandy in place of the bourbon.
  3. If you’d like to go alcohol free, simply omit the bourbon. If you want a saucier consistency use chicken or vegetable broth.
  4. In the fridge this recipe will keep for 3 – 4 days in an airtight container, so feel free to make ahead of time. You can freeze the shrimp from this recipe for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Just allow the dish to thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.
  5. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 502kcal (25%)Carbohydrates: 6g (2%)Protein: 36g (72%)Fat: 22g (34%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Cholesterol: 459mg (153%)Sodium: 1457mg (63%)Potassium: 323mg (9%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 2887IU (58%)Vitamin C: 21mg (25%)Calcium: 273mg (27%)Iron: 5mg (28%)
Course:Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine:American
Keyword:appetizer, jerk prawns, shrimp
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. Dorothy Shull says

    May 11, 2020 at 7:59 am

    Made this last night and it was a hit. Put it over a romaine salad.

    Reply
  2. Sandra D says

    January 9, 2019 at 2:26 pm

    Why is the sodium level so high (2100 mg), when the Jerk seasoning mix is only a bit more than 500 mg for the full 1/2 cup? I’d love to make these, but don’t really want to eat 88% of my daily salt intake 🙂

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      January 9, 2019 at 2:40 pm

      Good catch! The nutrition plugin automatically grabbed info from whatever brand of Jerk spice is in their database. It’s fixed now!
      Side note- the nutrition info for the spice mix is calculated for 8 servings, so it would be 580mg of sodium per 2 tbsp. Enjoy your prawns!

      Reply
      • Sandra D says

        January 9, 2019 at 5:49 pm

        Thanks for clearing that up – we’ll enjoy them very much!

  3. Kayla says

    March 8, 2018 at 5:28 pm

    5 stars
    Mmmmm this was the best dinner ever! Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Donna says

    May 8, 2017 at 10:09 am

    Hi Jo! Just discovered your sight and as a foodie and fellow home cook who loves to entertain I loved your creative recipes! Could you substitute Jamaican rum for the bourbon in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Fenne Kieken says

      May 8, 2017 at 10:22 am

      Hey Donna. So glad you found the site and welcome! Yes you could certainly substitute Jamaican rum for the bourbon. Sounds perfect!

      Reply
  5. Cheryl says

    February 13, 2017 at 12:46 pm

    These look amazing!! I just might try these tomorrow with the sex in a pan dessert, lol! Thanks for sharing! I would have been the same way with the bourbon, lol.

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      February 13, 2017 at 1:00 pm

      Ha! Good to know I’m not alone.

      Reply
  6. Mary says

    February 10, 2017 at 11:32 am

    As always – this looks amazing!

    Reply
  7. Sara | Last Night's Feast says

    February 10, 2017 at 8:44 am

    This shrimp looks delicious! Jerk flavors are some of my favorite…reminds me of Florida =)

    Reply

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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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