How To Eat Prawns: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Eat Prawns PDF download Download Article 11 Recipe Ratings Co-authored by Anne Lloyd and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: August 7, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • Using a Fork and Knife
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  • Eating with Your Hands
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  • Expert Interview
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This article was co-authored by Anne Lloyd and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Chef Anne Lloyd is a Professional Chef and the Owner of Nolavore in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chef Anne has had a career in the restaurant and food service industries for over 30 years and has traveled and cooked on both coasts of the United States as well as in Europe and Southeast Asia. She specializes in utilizing local and regional foods to create dishes featuring international flavors. She also provides full-service catering, prepared foods, gourmet packaged goods, pantry items, and kids' cooking camps and classes for all ages. She received a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her Associate of Arts, Culinary Arts degree from the California Culinary Academy. Anne is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 375,599 times.

Often confused with shrimp, prawns are a delicious and healthy addition to your diet. When served with a head, tail, and shell still attached, it can be difficult to know which part of the prawn is okay to eat. Thankfully, it only takes a few minutes to learn how to eat this shellfish.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Using a Fork and Knife

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  1. Step 1 Use the knife to remove the prawn’s head. 1 Use the knife to remove the prawn’s head. First, you will want to examine the prawn to see if the head, shell, and tail are there. If the head is still attached, spear the prawn with your fork to keep it in place on your dish. Using a back and forth motion, slice off the prawn’s head with your knife.
    • Begin setting aside the parts of the prawn that you don’t plan on eating. You can do this on the edge of the dish or on a napkin.[1]
    • The prawn’s head is a shell segment that is separate from the rest of the body.[2]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Eat Prawns 2 Insert the knife under the prawn’s shell and pull upwards. Skewer the prawn with your fork on one end to anchor it in place, and stick your knife beneath the shell. If you pull your knife up quickly, the shell should be freed from the rest of the prawn. Continue this process down the prawn’s body until you remove the entire shell.[3]
    • Keep separating the removed pieces of prawn so that they do not get mixed in with the rest of your meal.[4]
    • If you can’t find the shell at first, turn the prawn on its back. Start by inserting your knife near the head and slicing downwards to get better traction while separating the shell from the body.[5]
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Eat Prawns 3 Separate the tail from the rest of the prawn with a knife. Stick your fork into the prawn to hold it steady. This should be easier now that you have removed the shell. A quick slice should remove the prawn’s tail.[6]
  4. Step 4 Devein the prawn’s entire body. 4 Devein the prawn’s entire body. Look for the prawn’s intestinal tract, which will appear as a dark line running down its back. Stick your fork into the bulk of the prawn to hold it steady before using your knife to make a shallow cut around the length of the tract. Use the tip of your knife to coax the tract away from the rest of the prawn. At this point, you can eat the prawn.[7]
    • While the intestinal tract is not dangerous to eat, it will change the texture of a cooked prawn.[8]
    • Be sure to place the prawn’s vein among the other inedible parts.[9]
    • On their own, prawns can be paired with a variety of dishes (i.e, pasta, pizza, curry, burgers).[10]
    • If you want to serve full prawns with the shells on, you need not devein them.[11]
    • Using a microwave to defrost prawns may make them soggy or overcooked like other things.[12]
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Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Eating with Your Hands

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Eat Prawns 1 Use two hands to remove the head. If your prawn has eyes, then it still has a head. Hold the prawn in one hand to keep it secure.[13] Grab just beneath the prawn’s eyes to get a firm grip on its head. Quickly twist to separate the head from the rest of the meat.[14]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Eat Prawns 2 Insert the tip of your finger beneath the prawn’s shell and pull. If you touch the meat of the prawn and feel a hard surface, then the shell probably hasn’t been removed.[15] Don’t be discouraged if you can’t pry off the whole shell in one try.[16]
    • When cooked properly, prawn shells can be eaten.[17]
    • Prawn shells contain chitosan, a substance believed to help in lowering cholesterol. Still, most people enjoy shrimp shells for their texture alone.[18]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Eat Prawns 3 Pull the prawn’s tail quickly to remove it from the body. Check for a hard, shell-like piece at the end of the prawn to see if the tail is still attached.[19] Hold the prawn securely in one hand while using the other to grip the prawn’s tail. Use a quick, forceful movement to remove the tail.[20]
    • Once the shell has been removed, the remaining tail section will be significantly harder than the rest of the prawn. This should make it easier for you to identify and remove.[21]
  4. Step 4 Use your fingers to devein the prawn. 4 Use your fingers to devein the prawn. Look for a long, dark line going along the back of the prawn.[22] This is the intestinal tract of the prawn.[23] Glide a fingernail down the back of the prawn to cut into the meat of the prawn. Once you have located the intestinal tract, use two fingertips or fingernails to pinch and remove the tract from the rest of the body.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question Do you remove the black vein before or after boiling the shrimp? What about the black vein I see on the belly side? Do you remove that also? Community Answer Community Answer You can remove the black veins before or after boiling the prawn. (Your choice!). The vein on the belly does not need to be removed and it is harmless. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 7 Helpful 12
  • Question Is prawn skin good for you? Arrow Arrow Community Answer Prawn skin is a choking hazard and can break your teeth easily. It's not very good for you. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 29 Helpful 11
  • Question How do you know when to eat a prawn? Arrow Arrow Community Answer If it smells off, do not eat the prawn. A cooked prawn tastes better than a raw prawn. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 6 Helpful 8
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Things You'll Need

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Tips

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Warnings

  • If you are pregnant, check with your doctor to see if you should be eating prawns.[24] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about cooking, check out our in-depth interview with Anne Lloyd.

References

  1. ↑ https://youtu.be/an78zA2doDo?t=7
  2. ↑ https://youtu.be/an78zA2doDo?t=1
  3. ↑ https://youtu.be/an78zA2doDo?t=4
  4. ↑ https://youtu.be/an78zA2doDo?t=7
  5. ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/prawn-glossary
  6. ↑ https://youtu.be/an78zA2doDo?t=22
  7. ↑ https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/an-ultimate-guide-to-cook-and-eat-prawns-the-right-way-1840202
  8. ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/prawn-glossary
  9. ↑ https://youtu.be/an78zA2doDo?t=7
More References (15)
  1. ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/prawn-recipes
  2. ↑ Anne Lloyd. Professional Chef. Expert Interview
  3. ↑ Anne Lloyd. Professional Chef. Expert Interview
  4. ↑ https://youtu.be/uNtpqxAd3eU?t=11
  5. ↑ https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/an-ultimate-guide-to-cook-and-eat-prawns-the-right-way-1840202
  6. ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/prawn-glossary
  7. ↑ https://youtu.be/uNtpqxAd3eU?t=18
  8. ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/eating-shrimp-shells-recipes-tips-article
  9. ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/eating-shrimp-shells-recipes-tips-article
  10. ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/prawn-glossary
  11. ↑ https://www.thedailymeal.com/entertain/how-eat-messy-seafood-without-making-fool-yourself/
  12. ↑ https://www.thedailymeal.com/entertain/how-eat-messy-seafood-without-making-fool-yourself/
  13. ↑ https://youtu.be/uNtpqxAd3eU?t=43
  14. ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/prawn-glossary
  15. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-nutrition/art-20043844

About This Article

Anne Lloyd Co-authored by: Anne Lloyd Professional Chef This article was co-authored by Anne Lloyd and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Chef Anne Lloyd is a Professional Chef and the Owner of Nolavore in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chef Anne has had a career in the restaurant and food service industries for over 30 years and has traveled and cooked on both coasts of the United States as well as in Europe and Southeast Asia. She specializes in utilizing local and regional foods to create dishes featuring international flavors. She also provides full-service catering, prepared foods, gourmet packaged goods, pantry items, and kids' cooking camps and classes for all ages. She received a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her Associate of Arts, Culinary Arts degree from the California Culinary Academy. Anne is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit. This article has been viewed 375,599 times. 11 votes - 93% Co-authors: 7 Updated: August 7, 2025 Views: 375,599 Categories: Prawns and Shrimp In other languages Spanish Japanese
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Anne Lloyd Co-authored by: Anne Lloyd Professional Chef Co-authors: 7 Updated: August 7, 2025 Views: 375,599 93% of voters found this recipe helpful. 11 votes - 93% Click a star to add your vote

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