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Home Seafood

Creamy Garlic Prawns (Shrimp) & Cheesy Potato Foil Packet!

By:Nagi
Published:26 Jun '17Updated:28 Sep '20
81 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Creamy Garlic Prawns in a foil packet dinner! Prawns (shrimp) bathed in a creamy garlic sauce piled on top of cheesy potatoes with a side of asparagus, all cooked inside a foil packet. This recipe isn’t even about less washing up. It’s about the prawn juices dripping down onto the potatoes, basting them in the best ever broth!

Grill it, bake it or even cook these on the stove!

Creamy Garlic Shrimp, Cheesy Potatoes and asparagus - serious contender for the BEST foil packet recipe ever! recipetineats.com

Prawn / Shrimp Foil Packets WITH Cheesy Potatoes!

This is my prawn (shrimp) version of Fish en Pappillote, which sounds super fancy but actually just means “fish in a bag” (it’s French).

Finely sliced potato, vegetables, topped with fish, some basic seasonings, herbage of some sort, then baked inside a paper parcel. This method of cooking seals in the moisture and flavour inside the bag, and has the added benefit of less washing up.

I recall it being a regular in my mother’s meal rotation when I was a kid. And I hated it.  I always thought it was so bland. I had no appreciation for the delicate flavour of the fish, and the fragrant herby aroma that wafted out of the parcel when it was opened. Even as a kid, I was all about the kapow! flavours that I still love today.

I’m going to be honest – it is still not my favourite and I never make it. At least, not the traditional way.

Enter – Prawn en Pappillote. My way! 🙂

Creamy Garlic Shrimp, Cheesy Potatoes and asparagus - serious contender for the BEST foil packet recipe ever! recipetineats.com

Based on the same principal as en Pappillote, this foil packet recipe is comprised of creamy cheesy potatoes that are topped with prawns in a creamy garlic sauce, and a token side of steamed asparagus to round out the meal.

There’s nothing tricky about this – not even the forming the parcel (watch the video below the recipe to see how to fold it, it’s super simple). And truly, it is amazing when you open the foil packet, you are greeted with the sight of perfectly cooked prawns piled on top of creamy cheesy potatoes and you just know this is light years away from any memory you may have of bland steamed foil packet meals! (Wait – or is it just me??)

This recipe is like the foil packet version of Creamy Prawn Pasta – with potatoes instead of spaghetti!

Creamy Garlic Shrimp, Cheesy Potatoes and asparagus - serious contender for the BEST foil packet recipe ever! recipetineats.com

And I truly do mean it when I say this isn’t just about less washing up. In fact, that is a side benefit.

This foil packet recipe is truly about retaining all those flavours and juices inside the packet, so not a single drop of flavour is wasted. Every single time you sear something in a pan, you are leaving flavour behind. Every time you bake something, flavour drips and evaporates on the baking tray. Every time you grill something on your BBQ, flavour is left on those grills.

But not with this!!! Every drop of flavour is captured and retained in that foil packet – your dinner!

My favourite way to cook this is in the oven – just 10 minutes – but it can also be grilled or even cooked on the stove, though when cooked on the stove it is a wee bit less saucier because even inside the foil packet, the direct contact with the heat causes the sauce to cook out faster. Hope you enjoy! – Nagi xx

PS Feel free to add more veggies, just as long as they are chopped to size so they will steam in 10 – 12 minutes. 🙂

Creamy Garlic Shrimp, Cheesy Potatoes and asparagus - serious contender for the BEST foil packet recipe ever! recipetineats.com

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Creamy Garlic Prawns and Cheesy Potatoes Foil Packet recipe video!

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Creamy Garlic Shrimp, Cheesy Potatoes and asparagus - serious contender for the BEST foil packet recipe ever! recipetineats.com

Creamy Garlic Prawns / Shrimp and Cheesy Potatoes Foil Packet Recipe

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Dinner
Western
4.95 from 17 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
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Recipe video above. Juicy, perfectly cooked prawns/shrimp bathed in a creamy garlic sauce piled on top of cheesy potatoes with a side of steamed asparagus, all cooked in a foil packet! Grill these on the BBQ, bake them in the oven or even cook these on the stove!

Ingredients

  • 600 g / 1.2 lb potatoes , peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes
  • 1 tsp dried thyme leaves (optional)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3/4 cup thickened / heavy cream
  • 30 - 50 g / 2 - 3 tbsp butter (more = richer!)
  • 1 garlic clove , minced
  • 20 - 24 prawns/shrimp , peeled and deveined, tail on or off
  • 3/4 - 1 cup mozzarella or other melting cheese of choice
  • 2 - 3 bunches asparagus , trimmed then cut in half, fat ones vertically cut in half (Note 1)
  • Finely chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until just cooked.
  • Drain potatoes, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Toss to coat.
  • Meanwhile, place the cream, butter and garlic in a heatproof bowl. Microwave 30 - 40 seconds on high, until butter melts when stirred. If time permits, cool (place in fridge to speed up). (Note 1)
  • Preheat oven to 200C/390F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan/convection) or BBQ on medium high with hood down.
  • Tear 4 x 45cm/18" pieces of heavy duty foil (Note 2).
  • Divide potatoes among foil sheets. Top with cheese, then prawns and asparagus, then drizzle over cream sauce.
  • Sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley.
  • Bring the long ends of the foil together over the prawns, then fold down to seal, then fold in the sides (watch video, it's easy!)
  • Place on a baking tray or BBQ and cook for 10 minutes (small prawns) - 12 minutes (medium prawns). (Note 4)
  • Serve immediately - do not leave them sitting around inside the unopened packet, the prawns and asparagus will overcook and leech water, making the sauce watery.

Recipe Notes:

1. Asparagus - Break or cut woody ends off asparagus (woody ends will break of naturally), then cut in half.
2. Cooling the sauce thickens it (because of the butter) so when you pour it over the prawns, it coats it more thickly. That way when you open the packet, there is cream sauce on the prawns. But it is fine to skip the cooling because you will want to squidge the prawns in the cream sauce pooled at the bottom of the foil packet anyway!
3. Heavy duty foil is available at supermarkets and it is slightly thicker than normal foil. It is insurance to avoid the foil packet from leaking. You could use paper inside the foil if baking, or a double layer of foil. Or live dangerously and risk it with a single piece of normal foil! Do not use paper if cooking this on the BBQ - it will burn.
4. Raw prawns hang straight, cooked prawns form a "C" shape, overcooked prawns curl tightly into an "O" shape. Take a peek to ensure prawns are cooked - they should not be translucent, they should be opaque.
5. OTHER VEGGIE IDEAS: Anything that will cook in 10 minutes inside the foil. Thinly sliced carrots, frozen corn or peas (thaw them so they don't bring down the temp of the packet), broccoli (split in half lengthwise), finely sliced fennel, onion, baby or normal spinach (bunch them up on one side), pumpkin or sweet potato instead of normal potato (cook them per recipe), green beans, quartered brussel sprouts.
6. Nutrition assuming 2 tbsp butter and 3/4 cup cheese is used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 282gCalories: 464cal (23%)
Keywords: Prawns and potatoes, Shrimp foil packet
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81 Comments

  1. Aika says

    January 15, 2022 at 11:24 am

    Hi, Nagi! You mentioned that this could be cooked on the stove. How do I go about doing that? 😊

    Reply
  2. Lollipop says

    October 26, 2021 at 2:22 pm

    I have not tried with chicken yet, but what I envision is using cooked breasts since chicken takes so much longer to cook than veggies. We grill year round so I usually throw lots of different meats (including marinated chicken breasts) on the grill for future meals. Once cooked and cooled, I freeze them, so I would adapt Nagi’s delicious recipe to accommodate a precooked chicken breast. You could make it cordon bleuish by adding thin ham or prosciutto slices and being extra generous with gruyere, Swiss or provolone.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 27, 2021 at 4:54 pm

      Nice ideas! Let me know how it turns out! N x

      Reply
  3. Leah says

    May 1, 2021 at 11:36 am

    Hello! I am looking for easy recipes for a weekend of camping. Can the packs be made ahead and then I could throw them on the camping grill? This is a new adventure for me haha.

    Reply
  4. Lollipop says

    February 15, 2021 at 6:23 am

    5 stars
    Nagi, I’ve been making this for a few years and figured rating the recipe was way overdue. Unbelievably delicious as is, but also super flexible. Green beans out of our garden are my go-to veggie for this, but asparagus or broccoli are lovely too. I’ve played around with cheeses and nearly lost my mind when I tried it with gruyere, so now I can’t make it with any other cheese! I’ve not tried this recipe with a protein other than shrimp, but I can’t wait to try cod fillets or even cubed chicken breast.

    This recipe is perfect for make ahead. I work long hours during the week, so prepping these packets on Sunday and then popping them in the oven after work is terrific.

    Easy, fast, make ahead, and best of all muy sabroso!!

    Thank you Nagi for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Beenish says

      October 24, 2021 at 10:47 pm

      Did you try it with chicken breast?

      Reply
      • Lollipop says

        October 28, 2021 at 2:06 am

        Beenish…I replied to you but I did something wrong and a new post was created in error instead. I’m a much better cook than computer operator!

        Reply
  5. Jamie says

    July 15, 2020 at 12:08 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe a few times now and I absolutely love it! This last time I had all of the ingredients except butter. I remembered a recipe from Nagi that I have made no less than 25 times- her creamy cheesy and super easy potatoes. In it she uses mayo, cream and cheese. I subbed the butter for mayo and it came out just as delicious. You are a wealth of foodie knowledge Nagi! Thanks so much for inspiring me to make and eat good food at home.

    Reply
  6. Nao says

    May 19, 2020 at 3:31 pm

    Hi Nagi, will i be able to sub evaporated milk for the heavy cream? thank you!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 19, 2020 at 7:43 pm

      Hi Nao, sure can! N x

      Reply
  7. Ron J says

    November 24, 2018 at 7:56 am

    What kind of potatoes did you use?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 24, 2018 at 10:37 am

      Sebago, the dirty brushed ones. This will be fine with any all rounder potato, just not waxy ones used for potato salad 🙂 N x

      Reply
    • Bonnie says

      June 27, 2019 at 11:49 pm

      5 stars
      I maded this however I changed it up & used gnocchi this was so delicious we all were licking the tin foil. Thanks Nagi for yet again another wonderful recipe! ;D

      Reply
  8. Stefanie says

    June 28, 2018 at 10:40 pm

    4 stars
    Hi Nagi, I’ve tried this recipe last Sunday, it was a real hit 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 29, 2018 at 8:57 pm

      That’s terrific Stefanie! I’m so glad you enjoyed this one – thanks for letting me know! N x

      Reply
  9. Lynn says

    February 23, 2018 at 10:36 am

    5 stars
    This is delicious…I’ve made it for the family 4 times. I did add a little cornstarch to the microwave cream mixture the last time. It’s been a bit of a looong wait for it to cool and thicken! Will be looking at your site more often for recipes. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 26, 2018 at 9:00 pm

      So glad you enjoyed this Lynn! Thanks for letting me know 🙂 N x

      Reply
  10. Chris says

    November 8, 2017 at 2:17 am

    Hi Nagi! I love look of this recipe and wanted to give it a go, but I am not a fan of asparagus.. what could I possibly swap it out for?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 12, 2017 at 2:14 pm

      Sliced carrots or how about green beans? 🙂

      Reply
  11. Tj says

    October 2, 2017 at 10:27 am

    Do you have to use shrimp still in the shell? Could you shell them beforehand?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 2, 2017 at 7:22 pm

      They’re shelled! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Carol says

    September 30, 2017 at 4:18 pm

    If I make the parcels ahead and put in fridge do I need to increase the cook time I will be cooking in oven

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 1, 2017 at 8:36 am

      Hi Carol! Maybe just a few minutes, does take long for heat to get through the foil. 👍🏻

      Reply
  13. jane cook says

    August 22, 2017 at 8:00 pm

    Could freeze this prawn recipe

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 23, 2017 at 7:37 pm

      Sorry Jane I don’t recommend that 🙂 N x

      Reply
  14. Christina says

    August 21, 2017 at 5:04 pm

    HI Nagi,

    Would it be doable with fish?

    What fish substitutes would you recommend?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 21, 2017 at 7:50 pm

      Gosh yes! Any fillet about 150g / 5 oz, a white fish fillet. Not a thick one like salmon. 🙂 N xx

      Reply
  15. Heidi says

    August 18, 2017 at 8:12 am

    5 stars
    I have to say your recipes never fail me! They are all so good. I hate seafood, but my hubby loves it. Happens that shrimp went on sale the next day. I decided to try this recipe as a special treat! And boy was it a treat! I loved the shrimp!! I wished I hadn’t been so skimpy in my packets and started stealing shrimp from his! Thanks for such great yummyness. With love from,UTAH!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 18, 2017 at 6:44 pm

      That’s great to hear Heidi! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback! N xx

      Reply
  16. margret says

    August 10, 2017 at 1:10 am

    5 stars
    i loved this recipe,made it last night

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 11, 2017 at 6:26 pm

      I’m so pleased to hear that Margret! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this recipe 🙂 N xx

      Reply
  17. Paige says

    August 7, 2017 at 12:57 pm

    5 stars
    Wow, this was so delicious and I prepared it exactly as written.
    Love your recipes!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 8, 2017 at 3:04 pm

      That’s great Paige! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for letting me know! N xx

      Reply
  18. Kimberley says

    July 11, 2017 at 4:55 am

    5 stars
    Made the Creamy Garlic Prawns. Great recipe. Only change I made was to slice the potatoes as if you were making scalloped potatoes and added sliced onions. Turned out fantastic. Thank you for a simply great recipe

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 11, 2017 at 2:43 pm

      I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this Kimberly! Thanks so much for letting me know – N x

      Reply
  19. Maggie says

    July 7, 2017 at 9:11 am

    I forgot fresh garlic at the store! And thyme, can I sub with garlic powder somehow?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 8, 2017 at 5:05 am

      Hi Maggie! Powder will add great flavour 🙂 If you have onion powder, add that too! Say 1/4 tsp of each or 1/2 tsp of just garlic powder 🙂 N x

      Reply
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