Sesame prawn toast makes a delightful appetizer with juicy prawns sandwiched between crispy bread and crunchy sesame seeds then fried to golden perfection.
I recently discovered sesame prawn toast (shrimp toast) via Suzie Lee’s cookbook Simply Chinese. Even though we’ve been to a lot of Chinese restaurants, somehow we must have missed the sesame prawn toast on the menu. The origin of sesame prawn toast is ambiguous with some believing it came from Guangzhou (the largest Cantonese-speaking region in China) while others vouching for Hong Kong. Regardless of where it came from, prawn toast is a fun snack with a layer of prawn paste spread over white bread, coated with sesame seeds, then fried to golden perfection. I love the seasoned, juicy prawns sandwiched between crispy bread and crunchy sesame seeds dipped in a sweet, tangy chili sauce.
Ingredient Notes
- Bread: for the toast, I use a day-old shokupan but you can use any white bread. I like to leave the crust on but feel free to cut the crust off if you’re not into the crust.
- Prawns: use king prawns or tiger prawns for this recipe. You will need about 12 ounces of peeled and deveined prawns. They tend to have a sweet flavor and firmer texture compared to other prawns.
- Sesame: for the sesame crust, I like using a combination of black and white sesame seeds. Either one would work.
How to Make Prawn Toast
- Make the prawn paste by adding prawns, green scallion, cornstarch, garlic, grated ginger, sugar, salt, pepper, and sesame oil in a food processor and blend until smooth. It doesn’t need to be super smooth. Slightly chunky is perfect.
- Divide the prawn paste mixture into 4. Spread the prawn paste mixture evenly over one side of each bread slice.
- In a large, shallow bowl, combine the sesame seeds. Press bread, prawn-side down, into sesame seeds to coat.
- Add oil to a large frying pan or Dutch oven over medium heat to 325 degrees F. In batches, add the toast sesame side down and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden, or until the prawns have turned pink and are cooked through. Flip the toast and fry for 2 minutes until the bread is golden and crisp.
- Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, then cut toasts in triangles.
- Serve the sesame prawn toasts immediately with chili sauce.
Make Ahead and Storage
The prawn paste can be made 48 hours ahead and stored in a lidded container. Coated bread can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Enjoy the sesame prawn toast the day of for the best flavor.
For more appetizer inspiration:
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
Prawn Paste
- 12 ounces peeled and deveined prawns
- ¼ cup green scallion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Toast
- 4 slices white bread (more than a day old)
- ¼ cup black sesame seeds
- ¼ cup white sesame seeds
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
- chili sauce for serving
Instructions
- Add prawns, green scallion, cornstarch, garlic, grated ginger, sugar, salt, pepper, and sesame oil in a food processor and blend until it resembles a paste but slightly chunky.
- Divide the prawn paste mixture into 4. Spread the prawn paste mixture evenly over one side of each bread slice.
- In a large, shallow bowl, combine the sesame seeds. Press bread, prawn-side down, into sesame seeds to coat.
- Add oil to a large frying pan or Dutch oven over medium heat to 325 degrees F. In batches, add the toast with sesame side down and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden, or until the prawns have turned pink and are cooked through.
- Flip the toast and fry for 2 minutes until the bread is golden and crisp.
- Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, then cut toasts in triangles.
- Serve the sesame prawn toast immediately with chili sauce.
Bri
Easy and delicious! My grandma used to make this. I don't see it offered at Chinese restaurants anymore
Unhappy
What a crock. This is a BS recipe. I made this to exact and set for 350 air fry for 10 minutes. 5 minutes later the bread is Black as night and the shrimp was raw like just out if the shell.
Vy Tran
No where in the recipe does it say to air fry. Did you read the instructions? The recipe was made for deep frying.