Prawn paella cakes recipe

Name: Prawn paella cakes
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; ½ onion, very finely chopped; 1 large carrot, peeled, half finely chopped and half peeled into ribbons; 1 red pepper, seeded and very finely chopped; 100g frozen petit pois, defrosted; 150g frozen prawns, defrosted and finely chopped; 2 x 200g packs frozen rice; 100g panko breadcrumbs; 2 eggs, beaten; 4 tbsp plain flour, for dusting; 1 cucumber, peeled into ribbons; ½ red cabbage, finely shredded; 2 lemons, 1 zested and juiced, and 1 cut into wedges

Created by The Tesco Recipes team

We’ve transformed our favourite Spanish paella into crunchy prawn cakes, served with a fresh salad. Packed full of flavour and ready in just 30 minutes, it’s the perfect midweek meal that feels indulgent, without you having to break a sweat. The secret is a few handy freezer ingredients that you can have stashed away, ready to whip this up whenever you need an easy dinner.

See method

Serves 4
10 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook
463 calories / serving

Dairy-free
Healthy

Shop your ingredients

Tesco Olive Oil 250Ml
2 tbsp olive oil
£3.10
£12.40/litre
Tesco Brown Onions Loose
½ onion, very finely chopped
£0.11
£0.95/kg
Tesco Chantenay Carrot and Baby Parsnip 350g
£1.30 Clubcard Price
(£3.71/kg)
Offer valid for delivery from 06/10/2026 until 19/10/2026
1 large carrot, peeled, half finely chopped and half peeled into ribbons
£1.55
£4.43/kg
Tesco Red Peppers Each
This product's currently out of stock
Aldi Price Match
1 red pepper, seeded and very finely chopped
Grower's Harvest Garden Peas 900G
This product's currently out of stock
100g frozen petit pois, defrosted
Tesco Raw King Prawns 165g
STIR FRY Meal Deal for £5 Clubcard Price - Buy 1 Stir Fry Protein, 1 Noodle Or Rice, 1 Sauce & 1 Vegetable Bag
Offer valid for delivery from 29/12/2025 until 31/12/2026
150g frozen prawns, defrosted and finely chopped
£3.50
£21.21/kg
Tesco Boil In The Bag Long Grain Rice 4 X 125G
2 x 200g packs frozen rice
£1.25
£2.50/kg
Blue Dragon Panko Breadcrumbs 120G
Everyday Low Price
100g panko breadcrumbs
£1.90
£15.83/kg
Tesco British Barn Eggs 10 Pack
2 eggs, beaten
£1.70
£0.17/each
Stockwell & Co. Plain Flour 1.5Kg
Aldi Price Match
4 tbsp plain flour, for dusting
£0.70
£0.47/kg
Tesco Whole Cucumber Each
Aldi Price Match
1 cucumber, peeled into ribbons
£0.99
£0.99/each
Tesco Red Cabbage Each
Aldi Price Match
½ red cabbage, finely shredded
£0.89
£0.89/each
Tesco Lemons Each
2 lemons, 1 zested and juiced, and 1 cut into wedges
£0.37
£0.37/each

Method

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion, chopped carrot and pepper for 8-10 mins, until soft. Add the peas and prawns for the last 2-3 mins to heat through.
Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the pack instructions, then place in a large bowl, along with the cooked veg and prawn mix, breadcrumbs and eggs. Season and mix well.
Divide the mixture into 8 cakes and dust with the flour. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan and cook the cakes for 5-7 mins over a medium-high heat, flipping regularly, until golden all over.
In a serving bowl, mix the cucumber and carrot ribbons with the red cabbage and most of the lemon zest. Sprinkle the remaining lemon zest over the paella cakes. Drizzle a little lemon juice on top and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Serve with the lemon wedges and the salad.