Valentina's Corner
A shrimp rice bowl is a five-star recipe! White rice is topped with seasoned, protein-packed shrimp, fresh vegetables and finished with a zingy, creamy cilantro-lime dressing. It’s the perfect, filling combination of good-for-you ingredients!
Shrimp bowls join our archive of delicious bowl recipes including the taco bowl and california roll sushi bowls!
Shrimp Rice Bowl
Shrimp rice bowls are one of the easiest dinners! They are filled with grains, protein, and fresh veggies, so you don’t need to worry about making a side. Everything is served up in one bowl for mess-free eating leaving you satisfied! Make it once and it will become a regular in your household.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Build your own. Each portion can be customized to the eater’s preference. Add more or less of what you like to your bowl!
- Nutrient-dense. The bowls are packed with protein from the shrimp, important nutrients from the vegetables and carbohydrates from the rice to keep you full for hours!
- Meal prep recipe. The shrimp bowls can be prepared up to 4 days in advance for easy lunches throughout the week.
Shrimp Rice Bowl Ingredients
You likely don’t even have to shop for the shrimp and rice bowl ingredients because they’re mostly kitchen basics!
- Rice- classic white rice makes the perfect base for the shrimp bowl recipe.
- Shrimp- use high-quality, fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined.
- Vegetables- avocado, cherry tomatoes, and fresh corn add layers of texture and freshness.
- Taco seasoning- season the shrimp with our basic homemade taco seasoning made with basic spices like salt, black pepper, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and garlic powder.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.
How to Make Shrimp Rice Bowls
The rice bowl with shrimp is filling yet takes very little time to prep and combine for a complete dinner.
- Cook rice: Start by cooking the rice by following our baked rice tutorial. Or, cook rice over the stovetop, in a rice cooker, or in an instant pot.
- Prepare sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the cilantro lime sauce. Set aside.
- Season shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry, peel and devein and remove the tails. Place the raw shrimp in a large bowl and season with taco seasoning.
- Saute shrimp: Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the oil and butter. Once hot, add the shrimp and saute for 2 minutes per side. Remove and cover to keep warm.
- Saute corn: In the same skillet, saute corn with a tablespoon of butter. Skip this step if you’d like to leave the corn cold.
- Chop vegetables: Thinly slice the avocado and half the tomatoes.
- Assemble bowls: In a bowl, add rice, shrimp, desired toppings and drizzle with the sauce.
- Serve and enjoy, friends!
Cilantro Lime Dressing
The key to the best shrimp bowl with rice is the dressing. It prevents the bowl from being too dry and adds a layer of flavor and creaminess. The sauce is the perfect topping and amplifies the rest of the flavors in the bowl. Don’t skip it!
- Combine mayo and sour cream for the base.
- Add minced garlic, fresh lime juice, and fresh cilantro for a zing of flavor.
- Whisk to combine the ingredients.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations
The shrimp bowls can be customized to your liking and assembled with your desired base and toppings. Here are variation ideas for you to try.
- Different sauce: Spicy mayo or just plain sour cream can be used instead of the cilantro lime dressing.
- Different base: Cauliflower rice, brown rice, quinoa, cilantro lime rice, or packaged instant rice can all be used instead of baked white rice.
- Flavored shrimp: If you want a more unique flavor, make a portion of our bang bang shrimp to add to the bowl.
- Swap the toppings: Add beans, shredded cheese, pickled red onions, shredded carrots, chopped cucumbers, green onions, black beans, and/or chopped lettuce.
- Different protein: Chicken, air fryer salmon, or even extra-firm tofu can be used instead of shrimp.
Serving Suggestions
Because this dish is already a whole meal packed with carbs, protein, and veggies, you don’t necessarily need to make a side dish. If you would still like something extra, here are some ideas:
- Chips and guac: Just like in Chipotle or Qdoba, you can serve the bowl with a side of chips and homemade guacamole.
- Wrap them up: Prefer a burrito? Wrap the rice, shrimp, veggies, and sauce in a large tortilla for a shrimp burrito.
REcipe FAQs
This recipe is great for meal prep! Shrimp can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator for easy lunches. Pre-chop the veggies, make the rice up to 4 days in advance, and prep the dressing up to 5 days in advance. Assemble before serving!
Shrimp becomes rubbery when overcooked, so be sure not to overcook the shrimp. Shrimp is perfectly cooked when no longer gray and has pink hues and is opaque and slightly curls.
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Store leftover ingredients in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For best results, store the components of the bowl separately and assemble them just before serving.
- Reheat. Reheat the rice and shrimp in the microwave for a few minutes or over low heat on the stovetop to gently rewarm the shrimp.
More Shrimp Recipes
If you loved the shrimp bowls, be sure to also try these other family-friendly shrimp recipes:
Shrimp Rice Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
bowl:
- 1/2 lb white rice uncooked
- 1/2 lb raw shrimp
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
- 1 avocado sliced or cubed
- 1 cup corn fresh or canned
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
cilantro lime dressing:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- 1½ Tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- Stark by c9oking the rice per our baked rice instructions, or using your favorite method.
- In a bowl, add all of the ingredients for the cilantro lime sauce and whisk together until well combined.
- Pat the shrimp dry completely, devein the shrimp and remove the tail. Season the shrimp with taco seasoning.
- In a skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat until hot. Once the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes per side, until the shrimp is pink, opaque and curls.
- In a skillet, saute the corn with 1 Tbsp butter (or, skip this step and leave the corn cold if you prefer).
- In a bowl, add rice, sauteed shrimp, corn, avocado, and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the cilantro lime dressing over everything.
- Serve and enjoy, friends!