Rice bowls are my all time favourite lunch or dinner, and these honey garlic prawn rice bowls are the perfect combination of sweet and savoury. Sticky, saucy prawns are piled over jasmine rice with fresh cucumber, carrot and pickled red onion. It’s a quick, easy dairy free dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes.
If you’re new around here, you might not yet know my secret for getting a new, delicious dinner on the table every week, even when life feels like a lot.
It’s really super simple, I just make a rice bowl. I love them because they follow a simple formula (base + protein + veg + sauce = dinner), and are so quick and easy, and so versatile you can adapt them based on what you have on hand.
For more rice bowl inspo, make sure to check out my collection of top rice bowl recipes!
I love to keep a big bag of frozen and peeled prawns (or shrimp if you’re in the US), in the freezer as they are one of my favourite quick proteins. They cook in a couple of minutes, so a bowl like this is on the table in about 20 minutes. If you love prawns, another quick favourite is my garlic prawn noodles which definitely hits the takeaway craving.
The hero of this dish though is the sticky honey garlic sauce which is pretty much the same as my popular honey garlic tofu. It’s sweet, savoury and it’s bold flavour just makes anything taste incredible. If you’re sick of the same old boring dinners, definitely give this one a try!
Key Ingredients
This honey garlic prawn bowl comes together from two simple parts, the saucy prawns which are our main event, and your optional rice bowl elements for serving.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For the honey garlic prawns:
- Prawns – also known as shrimp. Use raw prawns, peeled and deveined. Fresh or frozen and thawed both work.
- Honey – for the key sweetness and flavour of this sticky sauce.
- Soy sauce – for a salty, savoury flavour base for the sauce.
- Rice wine vinegar – balances the sweet and salty flavours.
- Garlic and ginger – adds lots of flavour to the sauce. You can use fresh or jarred depending on what you have.
- Cornflour – also known as cornstarch, this thickens the sauce into a glossy glaze.
For the bowls:
- Jasmine rice – this is what I use, but you can use any rice you prefer. Brown rice or cauliflower rice works great!
- Cucumber – you can slice it up and add it fresh, or if you have a little more time, make a quick pickled cucumber which just adds a little something extra.
- Carrot – grated or julienned for crunch and colour.
- Pickled red onion – these are the perfect addition to any rice bowl. I use my homemade pickled red onions which are super simple to make.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger, and cornflour until smooth.
Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the prawns in a single layer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until just pink and cooked through, then transfer to a plate.
Step 3: Reduce the heat to medium and pour the sauce into the same pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens. Return the prawns to the pan and toss until they’re coated and heated through.
Step 4: Divide the rice between four bowls and top with the cucumber, carrot and pickled red onion. Spoon over the honey garlic prawns, then garnish with spring onion and sesame seeds.
👉 Tip! Prawns cook really fast, so keep an eye on them. As soon as they turn pink and curl up, they’re done. Pull them out of the pan while you thicken the sauce so they don’t overcook and go rubbery, then toss them back in right at the end just to warm through and coat.
Storage Instructions
These honey garlic prawns are best assembled fresh, but you can store the components separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Keep the rice and veg separate and build your bowls just before serving so everything stays fresh.
The cooked prawns are best eaten within 1 to 2 days and only need a gentle reheat in a pan or the microwave to prevent them from going rubbery.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Just thaw them fully first and pat them dry with paper towel before cooking, so they sear rather than steam in the pan.
Of course. This honey garlic sauce is really versatile, so it’s just as good over chicken or tofu. My honey garlic tofu uses the same sauce if you’d like a vegetarian version.
Yes, use tamari or a gluten free soy sauce, and check to make sure your other sauces are gluten free.
If you’re looking for something other than rice, you can use any grain you like or serve them over noodles, or piled onto a fresh salad if you want something lighter.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More rice bowl recipes:
Teriyaki Salmon and Avocado Rice Bowls
Hot Honey Chicken Bowls
Fish Taco Bowls
Spicy Prawn Rice Bowls
20 Minute Honey Garlic Prawn Rice Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the honey garlic sauce:
- ⅓ cup honey
- 60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon cornflour/cornstarch
For the bowls:
- 500 grams (1 lb) raw prawns/shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice about 550 grams
- 1 cucumber thinly sliced
- 2 carrots grated or julienned
- 1 cup pickled red onion
- 2 spring onions/green onions finely sliced
- sesame seeds to serve
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ⅓ cup honey, 60 ml soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon cornflour/cornstarch until smooth.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the 500 grams raw prawns/shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until just pink and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Pour the sauce into the same pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens into a glossy glaze.
- Return the prawns to the pan and toss until evenly coated. Cook for another 30 seconds, just until heated through.
- Divide the 3 cups cooked jasmine rice between four bowls. Top with the 1 cucumber, 2 carrots and 1 cup pickled red onion. Spoon over the honey garlic prawns, then garnish with 2 spring onions/green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon white sugar/granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt Thinly slice the cucumber using a mandoline or a knife. In a jar or container, mix the rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt until the sugar dissolves. Add the cucumber slices and toss to coat. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Prawns: fresh or thawed frozen prawns both work. Pat frozen ones dry before cooking. Storage: best assembled fresh. Store components separately in the fridge and eat the cooked prawns within 1 to 2 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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