The jacaranda trees are flowering here in Brisbane so you know what that means – it’s finally starting to get warmer! And with the weather heating up, these fajita shrimp rice bowls are the perfect fresh lunch recipe. Fluffy rice topped with grilled corn, cherry tomatoes, spicy shrimp and a creamy and zesty avocado dressing. My favourite lunches to make at the moment are rice bowls. They’re quick, easy, and you can add whatever ingredients you have in your fridge. Another one of my favourites is to top the rice with a salmon steak, cucumber and carrot. A perfect fresh and tasty summer meal. I made these shrimp bowls for my parents and my dad said it was his favourite thing I’ve ever made him… which is saying a lot because he can be difficult to please!
So I’ve only recently started eating shrimp but now I add it to everything. Pasta, Thai curries, salads… it’s so versatile! These bowls are a recent addition to my repertoire and one of my favourites.
The process is super easy but involves a bit of multi-tasking.
First, get the shrimp marinating. They don’t need to marinate for long, 5-10 minutes is fine while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Next, get the rice cooking, I cook mine in a pot on the stove as I don’t have a rice cooker. This is also a good time to grill the corn if you choose to. I just spray the cob with some olive oil and cook in a pan, being sure to rotate so it cooks evenly on all sides. This is totally optional but it gives the corn a nice flavour.
The avocado crema is so easy it only takes a couple of minutes. Simply blend everything together and add water to get it to your desired consistency. I like mine on the runnier side so I can drizzle it over the shrimp.
Finally, once everything else is ready we fry off the shrimp. I leave it to the last minute to give it more marinating time and because it cooks really quickly so you have to focus. Just a couple of minutes on each side until they’re opaque. Serve up the bowls with some pickled jalapenos (depending on how spicy you like it), drizzle over the avocado dressing and some fresh coriander to top it off.
More healthy lunch options:
- Citrus Salmon Tacos with Pineapple and Corn Salsa
- Summer Vegan Pasta Salad with Grilled Corn
- Crispy Katsu Chicken Sushi Bowls
- Folded Pesto Chicken Tortilla Wraps
If you give these spicy fajita shrimp rice bowls a try, let me know in the comments!
SPICY FAJITA SHRIMP RICE BOWLS
Course: LunchDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes15
minutes30
minutesA healthy rice bowl that is great for lunch on a summer day.
Ingredients
1 cup white rice
frozen shrimp
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of half a lime
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp cumin
2 tsps smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 cob corn
1 punnet cherry tomatoes roughly chopped
1/2 red onion finely diced
pickled jalapenos to taste
fresh coriander for garnish
- Avocado crema
1 avocado
juice of 1/2 lime
a handful of fresh coriander
1 tbsp sour cream
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp cumin
splash of olive oil
Directions
- Defrost the shrimp and place in a bowl with olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, onion powder, chipotle chili powder, some coriander, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Leave to marinate while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook the rice per package directions.
- Optional step: While the rice is cooking, in a separate pan grill the corn until it turns golden on all sides.
- Blend together the avocado crema ingredients and add water as needed.
- Fry the shrimp in a large pan on medium-high heat. No need to put any oil in the pan as there’s some in the marinade. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side until they turn opaque.
- To assemble the bowls, place a big spoonful of rice, some corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos (as many as you like), shrimp and fresh coriander. Drizzle with the avocado crema.
