The next time you’re scrambling to make a hearty, flavorful dinner and are low on time, please oh please give these 20-minute shrimp rice bowls a try! If you use a rice cooker to make the rice ahead of time (I love Zojirushi and use it multiple times a week!), the rice can sit for hours and be ready when you are. When it’s time to prep dinner, simply sauté raw shrimp on a stovetop, then flavor with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and lime juice.
Serve over fluffy white rice with ripe avocado, a generous drizzle of spicy mayo, and your favorite toppings, such as cilantro, sesame seeds, and thinly sliced green onions. Want to add veggies? Shredded carrots, cabbage, edamame, string beans, or broccoli are all great. These are really versatile!
Definitely my idea of comfort food. They’re fantastic with quick-broiled miso salmon, as well! Be sure to check out more of my easy seafood recipes, like this steamed Old Bay shrimp, Mexican-style shrimp ceviche with avocado, and these irresistible pan-fried shrimp toasts with sesame.
Ingredient Notes
- Large raw shrimp: The shrimp should be peeled and deveined with the tails removed. These will cook in a little neutral oil (grapeseed, avocado, or canola oil — olive oil will be too overwhelming for the delicate flavor profile) with Kosher salt, black pepper, ginger paste, garlic, soy sauce, and lime juice. Be sure to use low-sodium soy sauce to control the level of salt!
- For the rice bowl assembly: Short grain white rice, such as sushi rice, homemade spicy mayo, avocados, scallion, cilantro, sesame seeds, and seaweed squares.
Additional toppings you might like to add: roasted broccoli, sautéed baby bok choy, quick pickled red onions, shredded carrots, thinly sliced cucumber, green onions, or edamame.
It’s got a lot of the same flavors as shrimp dumplings, just in rice form. For another dumpling-inspired recipe, try this deconstructed chicken and shrimp wonton soup!
Step-by-Step Instructions
If you haven’t already, do ahead and cook white rice (or brown rice) and make spicy mayo. This is really easy to do: whisk together Kewpie mayonnaise, Sriracha, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Add more Sriracha based on your preferred level of heat.
- Cook the shrimp. Heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add raw shrimp, then season with Kosher salt and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip the shrimp over and add grated ginger (or ginger paste), garlic, soy sauce, and lime juice.
- Remove from the heat. Once the shrimp have finished cooking — this takes just another 1-2 minutes! — remove and transfer to a bowl.
- Assemble the shrimp bowl. Divide cooked rice between bowls, then top with shrimp. Add avocado, thinly sliced scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Drizzle generously with spicy mayo, then serve immediately with seaweed.
I truly make some version of these rice bowls — either with shrimp or salmon — every single week for my family!
Ari’s Best Tips!
- Be sure to rinse rice before cooking! This ensures the rice is tender and fluffy. We also highly recommend this Zojirushi rice cooker. We are very specific in which kitchen gadgets we recommend. I personally use this 3-4x a week.
- Add vegetables to the shrimp rice bowls! Shredded carrots, cabbage, edamame, or pickled red onions are a few ideas.
- Shrimp: You can use any type of shrimp for rice bowls, but I recommend large shrimp for the best flavor and texture. Please, please do not use pre-cooked shrimp!
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- To make-ahead: Be sure to cook raw shrimp within 24 hours of bringing home from the store. The spicy mayo, however, can be made a few days in advance. (It’ll keep for 1 week in a fridge).
- Leftovers and storage: Seafood has a shorter shelf-life than poultry or meat. Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in a fridge.
- To freeze: Shrimp freeze well, but we recommend keeping them separate from the rice and the spicy mayo. Allow to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe, airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, defrost overnight in a refrigerator before reheating gently in a microwave or on a stovetop.
How To Serve
When paired with a vegetable, such as tender oven-roasted broccoli, blistered string beans, or garlic shishitos peppers, these are a complete meal. You could also enjoy with a side of miso soup or seaweed salad.
To bulk up the shrimp bowl recipe, consider adding Spicy Kani Salad, which features the same homemade spicy mayo, but has the addition of tobiko (little fish eggs that pop in your mouth and add the best flavor!). We also love adding pickled ginger.
Substitutions and Variations
- Rice: While I often use sushi rice, you could substitute with Jasmine rice, basmati rice, even brown rice. Even quinoa or cauliflower rice would work!
- I do not recommend substituting Kewpie mayo with something like Hellman’s or Duke’s mayo. It’s simply not the same, as the latter are not as tangy.
- Fresh herbs: If you don’t have cilantro, consider serving with basil or mint instead.
- Instead of sesame seeds (black or white is fine!), you could sprinkle some furikake on top. This is made from chopped seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, salt, and dried fish flakes.
Man, I just love these flavors! If you make this easy Shrimp Rice Bowl recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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20-Minute Shrimp Bowls with Spicy Mayo
Equipment
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1½ lbs large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed oil
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp ginger paste or a 1-inch piece of ginger root peeled and finely grated
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 lime, juiced, plus additional lime wedges for serving
For serving
- 1½ cups short grain white rice, such as sushi rice (can substitute with brown rice)
- Spicy mayo, recipe below
- 1-2 ripe avocados, peeled and cubed
- 3 scallions 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro
- Sesame seeds
- Seaweed squares, optional, for serving
- Possible veggies and toppings: roasted broccoli, sautéed baby bok choy, pickled red onions, shredded carrots, thinly sliced cucumbers, edamame
Spicy mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup Kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp Sriracha
- 1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Instructions
- If you haven’t already, cook white rice and make spicy mayo. To make the spicy mayo, combine ⅓ cup of Kewpie mayonnaise in a small bowl with 1 Tbsp of Sriracha and 1 tsp soy sauce. Stir well, taste, then add more Sriracha if you want it spicier. Set aside.
- Cook the shrimp. Heat 2 Tbsp neutral oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When hot, add 1½ lbs peeled, deveined raw shrimp. Season with 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink. Flip the shrimp over, then add 2 tp ginger paste, 1 grated garlic clove, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and the juice from 1 lime. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring to mix together the sauce, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Assemble, then serve. Divide the rice evenly between 4 bowls, then top each with some of the cooked shrimp. Add cubed avocado, then garnish with thinly sliced scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Add any additional toppings you like, then drizzle generously with spicy mayo. Serve immediately with seaweed squares.
Notes
- Shrimp cook incredibly quickly, so be sure to have the other ingredients prepped and ready to go before you cook them.
- To save time, we recommend buying peeled, deveined shrimp. You’ll still need to remove the tails.
- You can chop the shrimp before adding to rice bowls, if preferred, but we like the presentation of whole shirmp
Nutrition
Photography by: Jo Harding.
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