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Airlie Beach Prawn Roll — traditional dish from Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia
Snack Fish & Seafood

Food Flavour DNA

Nutritional Values

🔥560kcal
💪31gProtein
🌾48gCarbs
🥑27gFat
🌿4gFibre
⚖️300 gServing

* Per serving · 300 g. May vary.

Allergens

🌾 Gluten 🥚 Eggs 🦐 Shellfish

Airlie Beach Prawn Roll

How to order / say it
Say it Prawn Roll — [prawn rohl]
Order Can I get a tropical prawn roll, please?
Say locally

Chilled prawns in a soft roll with lemon mayonnaise and crisp tropical salad.

Why try it?

The prawn roll captures Airlie Beach’s casual marina culture in a portable, sea-focused meal. It is the kind of unfussy lunch suited to wandering the foreshore between boats and swimming spots.

How it tastes

Prawns are sweet and springy, balanced by creamy mayonnaise and lemon. The roll is soft inside with a lightly toasted edge, while lettuce adds cool crunch.

Origin & History — first documented: 1990

Prawn rolls became popular in Airlie Beach cafés and marina eateries during the town’s rapid visitor growth in the 1980s and 1990s. They adapted Australian seafood-sandwich traditions to abundant Queensland prawns and tropical produce. The format suited takeaway service around the port and lagoon. Although not an ancient dish, it became a recognizable local café expression of Airlie Beach’s coastal lifestyle.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 🦐 300 g cooked prawns
  • 🌾 2 soft bread rolls
  • 🥚 80 g mayonnaise
  • 🍋 1 lemon
  • 🥕 80 g cos lettuce
  • 🥕 100 g cucumber
  • 🌿 10 g chives
  • 🥛 15 g butter

Method

  1. 1 Peel and chop the prawns, leaving several whole for garnish.
  2. 2 Mix prawns with mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, and black pepper.
  3. 3 Split the rolls, butter them, and toast the cut sides.
  4. 4 Fill with lettuce, cucumber, and prawn salad, then serve chilled.

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