Comparisons · Two cuts
Peeled king prawns or King prawns in the shell
The same animal sold two ways, and the only comparison in the catalogue where the difference is entirely the shell. It changes what reaches the fire, what sticks to the bars and what a reader is actually buying by weight — which is the part that decides how many to get.
What each one is
Peeled king prawns
Peeled prawns, usually skewered so they can be turned together. Faster than shell-on and far less forgiving.
King prawns in the shell
Prawns grilled in their shells, which insulate the flesh and hold moisture in. The FSA's cue is firm and opaque flesh rather than a temperature.
Where they overlap
- Both are king prawn.
What actually differs
| Aspect | Peeled king prawns | King prawns in the shell |
|---|---|---|
| Typical weight | 12–25 g | 20–35 g |
| Typical thickness Thickness governs timing more than weight or cut name does — Weber's own chart roughly triples the time between a one-inch and a two-inch steak. | 15–25 mm | 20–30 mm |
| Skin | No skin | Skin on |
| What tends to go wrong From BBQHQ's troubleshooting index. Choosing between two cuts is partly choosing which failure you would rather risk. | came out tough, stuck to the grate | came out tough |
Can one stand in for the other?
Not a substitute for this
BBQHQ does not treat these as substitutes. They want different methods, and swapping them without changing the cook is how one of them comes out badly.
Food safety — read this first
This swap changes the safe endpoint
These are different food forms — shell off and shell on — and form governs the safe endpoint rather than species. Do not carry a temperature across this swap; check the endpoint for the one you are actually cooking.