This prawn sandwich recipe is a great rendition of a classic. This easy-to-make prawn mayo sandwich with Marie Rose sauce is soft, creamy and extremely tasty. It’s perfect for lunch or afternoon tea.
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When compiled with due care and attention, the simple prawn sandwich is a wonderful creation. Prawns themselves are a luxury delicacy, put when enveloped in a deliciously flavourful & creamy Marie Rose sauce and piled between sheets of pillowy soft bread, it’s a game changer.
This simple recipe for a prawn sandwich (alternatively called a prawn Marie Rose sandwich or prawn cocktail sandwich) is a fancy option for lunch but it’s also a bit of a classic on an afternoon tea platter.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Prawn sandwiches are always a hit – pack them in lunchboxes or remove the crusts and cut them into dainty finger sandwiches (as pictured) for part of an afternoon tea spread.
- There’s heaps of flavour – the Marie Rose sauce really is a vast improvement on wrapping those lovely prawns up in straight mayonnaise. Expect creaminess loaded up with tangy tomato and zesty citrus.
- The sauce is quick and easy to make – using just store cupboard ingredients the sauce for this prawn cocktail sandwich is a gem.
- And the sauce can be made in advance – store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours then fold the prawns into it and pile the sandwich filling onto the bread.
Talking of afternoon tea, have you seen my other tempting sandwich recipes. I’ve got cheese savoury, egg mayo and coronation chicken. Make a round of each to pair with this prawn mayo sandwich and you’ll have a heavenly platter of sarnies to pass around.
What is Marie Rose sauce?
Marie Rose sauce, also known as cocktail sauce or seafood sauce, is not just mayonnaise and tomato ketchup mixed together. It will also include Worcestershire sauce, lemon or lime juice, black pepper & sometimes a touch of Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper.
Guess what, my rendition of the prawn cocktail sandwich contains all of these ingredients, making it particularly tasty.
Ingredients notes
Prawns: this recipe is best made with medium-sized cooked prawns. I used ones that were bought frozen and defrosted them before use. If you use large prawns then you might like to chop them up. If you use raw prawns then do cook them thoroughly then allow them to cool before using them in the recipe.
Mayonnaise: this recipe has been created using regular mayonnaise not reduced fat mayo. My favourite brand is Stokes as it has a lovely consistency. You can, of course, use homemade mayonnaise if you wish to.
Tomato ketchup: only a little is required but it gives the sauce that distinctive pink colour.
Worcestershire sauce: this is one of my favourite ingredients to sneak into savoury recipes. A little really amplifies the flavour of this prawn mayo sandwich.
Lime juice: I much prefer the flavour of lime juice in my seafood sauce but you can use lemon juice if that’s what you have to hand.
Hot sauce: a dash of Tabasco or other similar sauce just boosts the overall flavour without turning up the heat.
Cayenne pepper: again, a small amount works wonders in the sauce for this prawn sandwich recipe.
Bread: I chose granary for added texture but wholemeal bread is also a great option.
Step by step instructions
This prawn sandwich recipe can be used to make typical sandwiches (serves 2) or afternoon tea-style finger sandwiches (serves 3). Here are the details:
Make the prawn sandwich filling
- If using frozen prawns defrost them for several hours before use and blot them well on several changes of kitchen paper.
- Put the sauce ingredients into a bowl and stir until mixed in.
- Stir the prawns into the sauce.
Option 1: Prawn sandwiches for afternoon tea (pictured below):
- Remove the crusts from 6 slices of bread.
- Optional: butter the bread.
- Divide the prawns between 3 slices of bread and top with cress.
- Spread any remaining sauce onto the other 3 slices of bread and place, facedown, on top of the prawns.
- Cut each sandwich into 3 finger sandwiches.
Option 2: Standard sandwiches (not pictured):
- Optional: butter 4 slices of bread.
- Divide the prawn mayo between two slices of bread and top with some cress.
- Spread any remaining sauce onto the other two slices of bread and place, facedown, on top of the prawns.
- Cut each sandwich in half (triangles or rectangles – your choice).
Expert tips
- Butter – decide whether or not you would like to spread butter on your bread. I don’t bother. Instead, I spread a little of the seafood sauce over the bread to ensure that the sandwich holds together well.
- When defrosting the prawns, cover a large plate with serval sheets of kitchen paper and lay the prawns in a single layer on top. Change the paper when it gets sodden.
- Before adding the prawns to the sauce blot them with fresh kitchen paper to remove move liquid (this helps prevent the sauce from becoming too runny).
- If your prawns are very large you may chop them if desired.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can. However, you will need to cook them thoroughly, then allow them to cool and chill before adding them to the sauce.
Although the Marie Rose sauce can be made up to 48-hours in advance I do not recommend adding the prawns until you are ready to make and eat the sandwiches. If left to sit in the sauce then the prawns may take on a much firmer texture and the sauce will loosen and separate as the prawns do contain water.
Although the sauce had been knocking around since at least the 1960s, the name Marie Rose sauce wasn’t adopted until the 1980s. So, who was Marie Rose? I’ve read that the name stems from the sunken British warship the Mary Rose. When it was being raised from the seabed in 1982, apparently, the chef feeding the Navy crew in charge of the salvage ran short of ingredients one day. However, he was able to cobble together some prawn cocktail sauce for his crew. Lucky devils.
Prawns are a low-fat source of protein teeming with nutrients such as vitamins B and E. However, the creamy mayonnaise included in this sandwich is high in fat. So, a prawn mayo sandwich made with Marie Rose sauce is not a particularly healthy option.
Reduced-fat mayonnaise can be used in place of regular mayonnaise in this recipe if desired though to help cut the fat content down.
Variations
- Posh prawn sandwich – fold some white crabmeat into the prawn cocktail mixture for the ultimate prawn mayo sandwich.
- Cucumber and prawn cocktail sandwich – thinly slice some cucumber and add a couple of layers to the sandwich to add a delicately flavoured crunch.
- Prawn and avocado sandwich – for creamy indulgence add a layer of thinly sliced avocado.
- Open prawn sandwich – lay slices of bread on a plate, butter lightly, top with crunchy salad leaves, tomato, cucumber and avocado, then spoon the prawn cocktail sandwich filling over the top. Garnish with cress and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.
- Vary the bread – try white, brown, wholemeal, granary, sourdough… the list could go on.
- Stuff the prawn sandwich filling into wraps, pitta bread, rolls or a hunk of baguette.
- Alternatively, use the filling to top a jacket potato.
Serving suggestions
It’s fine to serve this prawn sandwich just as it is, but if you are hankering after a side of something try one of the following options:
- A simple green side salad.
- Or a bowl of crudités with a little extra Marie Rose sauce for dipping.
- A few crisps (ready salted or prawn cocktail).
- A small portion of fries.
- Tomato soup.
- Crab bisque.
Have you made this prawn sandwich recipe? Let me know how you got along by leaving a comment or rating below – it would mean so much to me if you do. You can also show me your creation on Instagram by tagging me @jane_littlesugarsnaps.
📖 Recipe
Prawn Sandwich
Ingredients
- 6 Bread slices 6 slices for finger sandwichs without crusts (serves 3) or 4 slices for regular sandwiches (serves 2)
- 200 g Cooked prawns defrosted if frozen
- ½ pot Cress
- 4 tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Tomato ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Lime juice
- 6 dashes Hot sauce such as Tabasco
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
Make the prawns in Marie Rose sauce
- If using frozen prawns let the defrost at room temperature, resting on several layers of kitchen towel, for several hours. When fully defrosted, blot them well on several changes of kitchen paper to remove any lingering moisture.
- Put the sauce ingredients into a bowl and stir until mixed in.
- Dip a prawn into the sauce and taste. Adjust seasonings (salt, pepper, hot sauce, lime to your own taste preferences). When happy with the flavour, stir the prawns into the sauce.
Option 1: make finger sandwiches (ideal for afternoon tea)
- Remove the crusts from 6 slices of bread.
- Optional: butter the bread.
- Divide the prawns between 3 slices of bread and top with cress.
- Spread any remaining sauce onto the other three slices of bread and place them, face-down on the prawns.
- Cut each sandwich into 3 finger sandwiches.
Option 2: make regular sandwiches (ideal for lunchboxes)
- Optional: butter 4 slices of bread.
- Divide the prawn mayo between two slices of bread and top with some cress.
- Spread any remaining sauce onto the other two slices of bread and place them, face-down, on top of the prawns.
- Cut each sandwich in half (triangles or rectangles – your choice).
Notes
- When defrosting the prawns, cover a large plate with serval sheets of kitchen paper and lay the prawns in a single layer on top. Change the paper when it gets sodden.
- Before adding the prawns to the sauce blot them with fresh kitchen paper to remove move liquid (this helps prevent the sauce from becoming too runny.
- If your prawns are very large you may chop them if desired.
- Butter – decide whether or not you would like to spread butter on your bread. I don’t bother. Instead, I spread a little of the seafood sauce over the bread to ensure that the sandwich holds together well.
- If you use raw prawns then you will need to cook them thoroughly, then allow them to cool and chill before adding them to the sauce.
- Although the Marie Rose sauce can be made up to 48-hours in advance I do not recommend adding the prawns until you are ready to make and eat the sandwiches. If left to sit in the sauce then the prawns may take on a much firmer texture and the sauce will loosen and separate as the prawns do contain water.
Bea
I make this for my partner so frequently, and sometimes I just leave out the bread and make it into a salad with the sauce! Absolutely love this, probably the best recipe I have come across!
Jane Coupland
Hey Bea, that is so kind of you to tell me this. I’m chuffed to bit 🙂