These shrimp rice bowls with homemade spicy mayo are loaded with vegetables and flavor! Plump, juicy shrimp, generously seasoned and pan-seared, then served over rice with cucumbers, edamame, and carrots; this is a satisfying meal that comes together quickly, perfect as a meal-prepped lunch or weeknight dinner! Plus tips on how to add even more veggies and how to make it kid-friendly!
Shrimp is forever my favorite protein to cook on a busy weeknight dinner. It is the easiest thing to cook when in a rush and only takes a couple of minutes! Plus, with easy veggies in this shrimp rice bowl recipe, you’ll want to keep making this regularly for easy dinners!
Why You’ll Love This Rice Bowl
- The bouncy, flavorful shrimp does not take long to cook! Even if you forget to defrost the shrimp, you can quickly thaw them in some cold water and you will have dinner ready in a flash.
- You can customize the vegetables in the rice bowls to use what you have. I personally love making shrimp rice bowls on Fridays as it’s perfect for clearing out odds and ends vegetables in the fridge before I head out to the grocery store on the weeknight.
- The homemade spicy mayo is one of my favorite components of the shrimp bowls! You can easily adjust this to be as spicy or mild as you’d like, which is perfect, as my husband prefers it spicier than I do.
Ingredients You’ll Need
spicy mayo — you’ll need mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime (optional) to make homemade spicy mayo. I prefer using Japanese mayo (Kewpie!) as the mayo uses only egg yolks, which creates a denser, richer, and more velvety texture. It also uses a different vinegar, leading it to have a mild, slightly sweet tangy flavor. Sriracha is also ideal for spicy mayo as the heat is on the sweeter side with a taste of garlic. You can also use store-bought spicy mayo to save time.
shrimp — fresh or frozen, it’s up to you. To make things easier, you can buy large or jumbo shrimp that is already peeled, deveined, and with the tail removed to save you the time of preparing the shrimp.
seasoning — I use the classic combination of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. When sharing this recipe with my baby, I omit the salt and pepper. You can also use your own seasoning blend or add some cayenne or red pepper flakes for heat.
olive oil — I use olive oil to sear my shrimp but you can use any neutral oil you like.
rice — I use fluffy jasmine rice as the base of my rice bowl but you can use any rice of your choice (such as brown rice, sushi rice, purple rice, or coconut rice). You can even use cauliflower rice for more veggies!
veggies — I use edamame, cucumber, and carrots but feel free to change it up. I love adding corn and avocado as well! I like not having to cook the carrots and cucumbers and that edamame can be quickly boiled or microwaved. This ensures the rice bowl comes together quickly. Low-effort veggies are my go-to for busy nights.
How to Make Shrimp Rice Bowls with Spicy Mayo
- In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime juice.
- Taste and add more sriracha to desired spiciness. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
- Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and toss with the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Lightly oil a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for around 2 minutes per side. The shrimp should be opaque by the end.
- During the final 30 seconds, add the lime juice to the shrimp and toss to combine. Sear in two batches if your skillet isn’t large enough to hold all the shrimp.
Carmy’s Tip
Want to prevent overcooked, rubbery shrimp?
Buy jumbo shrimp! They are the most foolproof choice for this recipe as they’ll be harder to overcook than smaller shrimp. Shrimp size is read by the number of shrimp you get per pound (called the count). The smaller the number on the bag, the larger the shrimp. For example, 16/20 shrimp means about 16 to 20 shrimp per pound, making them jumbo shrimp, while 51/60 shrimp means about 51 to 60 shrimp per pound, making them small shrimp.
- Assemble the rice bowl by dividing the rice, shrimp, cucumber, carrots, and edamame into 4 servings, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.
- Drizzle with the spicy mayo or serve on the side and serve with a lime wedge.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I always make my spicy mayo first, as the time in the fridge lets the flavors meld together!
- I avoid adding lime too early to the shrimp as I find the heat causes the bright flavors to fade and turn bitter.
- Broccoli, shredded cabbage, cauliflower, red onions, shredded lettuce, and sweet potatoes are additional vegetables that I love using in my shrimp rice bowls! Use what you have on hand! I love using a variety of textures and flavors for my bowls. Also, try my raw carrot salad if you want to change things up!
- Make sure you prepare the rice and veggies before you cook your shrimp. The shrimp cooks fast and you don’t want the shrimp to get cold while you prep the bowl ingredients.
- The timing for the shrimp will vary based on the size of your shrimp. To avoid the shrimp overcooking and turning rubbery, remove the shrimps from the skillet once they become opaque and curl into a C-shape.
- I finish off the dish with some extra lime as I love how the fresh, citrus flavor cuts through the creamy richness of the spicy mayo.
- I highly recommend using fresh lime juice. Bottled lime juice tend to have a slight bitter taste and is not as bright in flavor.
- I like to garnish my homemade shrimp rice bowls with some toasted sesame seeds and fresh green onions. Furikake and fried onions are also favorites in my household.
- For a hint of sweetness and burst of flavor, I like to add mandarin segments as well! I started doing this after trying it at a local sushi burrito restaurant. Such a delicious addition.
- When sharing with my baby, I make sure the shrimp is cut to an age-appropriate size (I always cut mine lengthwise, then chop them up, so there are no round pieces). I also like to share my edamame and cucumber with my baby (same as the shrimp, I chop them up so there are no round pieces)!
Make Ahead Tips
If I’m meal prepping this for lunch and plan to keep my cucumber and carrots cool, I pack them separately with the spicy mayo, shrimp, rice, and edamame. I combine them after microwaving. My husband doesn’t care and microwaves everything but the spicy mayo together. The quick shrimp rice bowls keep for around 4 days in the fridge.
What If I Forget To Thaw My Shrimp?
You can thaw frozen shrimp quickly by placing them under running cold water in a colander or in a bowl of cold water. Just be sure to change the water out every 20-30 minutes. Make sure you are not cooking frozen shrimp, as the seasoning won’t stick as well to them.
Veggie Packed Shrimp Rice Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
For the Spicy Mayo
- ½ cup mayonnaise, preferably Japanese
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice, optional
For the Shrimp
- 1½ pounds shrimp, large or jumbo, peeled and deveined, tails removed or left on for presentation
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons fresh lime juice
For the Rice Bowls
- 4 cups warm cooked jasmine rice
- 1 cup seedless cucumber, diced or sliced
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime juice. Taste and add more sriracha to desired spiciness. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and toss with the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Lightly oil a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for around 2 minutes per side. The shrimp should be opaque by the end. During the final 30 seconds, add the lime juice to the shrimp and toss to combine. Sear in two batches if your skillet isn’t large enough to hold all the shrimp.
- Assemble the rice bowl by dividing the rice, shrimp, cucumber, carrots, and edamame into 4 servings, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Drizzle with the spicy mayo or serve on the side and serve with a lime wedge.
Nutrition Per Serving
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
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