Prawn Toast Caesar Salad

This prawn toast caesar salad is a brilliant mashup of two beloved classics — the crispy golden prawn toast and the timeless Caesar salad. Homemade prawn toasts made from blended prawn meat, garlic and shallot are shallow-fried until golden on wholegrain bread, then arranged over baby cos lettuce and spinach with crispy bacon, Caesar dressing and generous shavings of parmesan.

It’s the kind of dish that surprises and delights at every bite — familiar yet completely fresh, impressive enough for entertaining yet simple enough for a weeknight dinner. At around $11.50 per serve, it’s a genuinely exciting meal that punches well above its weight.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• A clever fusion of two beloved classics
• Crispy homemade prawn toasts on wholegrain bread
• Ready in under 30 minutes
• Great value at around $11.50 per serve
• Crispy bacon, cos lettuce and shaved parmesan round it all out
• Impressive enough for a dinner party starter or light main

Why make prawn toast caesar salad?

Prawn toasts are one of those restaurant-style favourites that are surprisingly easy to make at home — and far more delicious than the frozen versions. Using fresh prawn meat blended with garlic, shallot and egg creates a paste that cooks up light, flavourful and perfectly crispy on the outside when shallow-fried.

Placing them on a Caesar salad rather than serving them as a standalone snack transforms the dish into something more substantial and far more interesting. The creamy Caesar dressing coats the lettuce beautifully, the bacon adds a salty crunch, and the prawn toasts bring a seafood richness that takes the whole salad to another level entirely.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Servings4

Prawn toasts

• 300 g uncooked prawn meat
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 green shallot, coarsely chopped
• 1 egg
• 4 large slices wholegrain bread
• olive oil, for shallow-frying

Caesar salad

• 4 streaky bacon rashers, finely chopped
• 2 baby cos lettuce, leaves separated
• 30 g baby spinach
• 80 ml store-bought Caesar salad dressing
• shaved parmesan, to serve

Use it up: Leftover Caesar dressing makes a great marinade for chicken before pan-frying, or adds a flavour boost to your next burger.

How to make prawn toast caesar salad

Step 1: Make the prawn toasts

Place prawn meat, garlic, shallot and egg in the bowl of a small food processor. Process until finely chopped and combined into a paste.

Spread the prawn mixture evenly over the bread slices. Trim the crusts and cut each slice into 4 triangles — you will have 16 prawn toast triangles in total.

Step 2: Fry the prawn toasts

Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook the prawn toasts prawn-side down in batches for 1 to 2 minutes until golden and cooked through. Turn and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes until golden on the bread side. Drain on paper towel.

Step 3: Cook the bacon

Add the finely chopped bacon to the same pan and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towel.

Step 4: Assemble and serve

Arrange the cos lettuce leaves and baby spinach on a large serving plate. Top with the warm prawn toasts. Drizzle with Caesar dressing and scatter with crispy bacon and shaved parmesan. Serve immediately.

Tips for best results

• Process the prawn mixture until finely chopped but not completely smooth — a little texture gives the toasts better bite
• Spread the prawn mixture right to the edges of the bread so every bite has a good prawn-to-bread ratio
• Fry prawn-side down first to set the mixture and get a good golden crust before flipping
• Drain well on paper towel after frying to keep the toasts crisp
• Use the same pan for the bacon to pick up all the prawn flavour left behind
• Assemble and serve immediately — the prawn toasts are best eaten hot and crispy

Serving suggestions

This prawn toast caesar salad pairs beautifully with:

• Extra lemon wedges for squeezing over
• A light chilled glass of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
• Extra Caesar dressing on the side
• Crusty bread or garlic bread for a more substantial meal
• A simple tomato and cucumber salad as a side

Nutrition per serving

Based on 4 servings

Energy

2520 kJ

Calories

602 cal

Protein

33 g

Total fat

45 g

Saturated fat

11 g

Carbohydrate

15 g

Final thoughts

This prawn toast caesar salad is one of those happy accidents of culinary creativity — two classics that were always meant to be together. The crispy, golden homemade prawn toasts on a bed of fresh cos lettuce with creamy Caesar dressing, salty bacon and rich parmesan is a combination that works on every level, delivering flavour, texture and visual appeal all in one dish.

Whether you’re serving it as a starter, a light lunch or a relaxed weekend dinner, this recipe is guaranteed to impress. Once you’ve tried homemade prawn toasts, you’ll never go back to the store-bought version — and you’ll find yourself putting them on everything.