This Grilled Shrimp Bowl recipe is the perfect answer to your search for a quick, healthy, and incredibly flavorful meal. It’s a vibrant, satisfying dish packed with perfectly charred shrimp, fluffy rice, and fresh vegetables, all tied together with a zesty cilantro-lime dressing. Whether you need a simple weeknight dinner or a light lunch that doesn’t compromise on taste, this bowl is a guaranteed winner.
We’ll walk you through everything, from the simple shrimp marinade to assembly tips, so you can create a restaurant-quality meal right in your own kitchen. It’s simple, customizable, and absolutely delicious.
Customize your bowl with your favorite fresh toppings!
Why You’ll Love This Grilled Shrimp Bowl
Quick & Easy: This entire meal comes together in under 30 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights.
Healthy & Nutrient-Packed: Lean protein from the shrimp, complex carbs from rice, and tons of vitamins from fresh vegetables make this a well-balanced meal.
Highly Customizable: Swap out the veggies, grains, or sauce to suit your taste. It’s a great way to use up whatever you have in the fridge!
Perfect for Meal Prep: Prepare the components ahead of time for a grab-and-go lunch that’s far more exciting than a sad desk sandwich.
Key Ingredients
At its core, this bowl is all about fresh, simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to create the foundation of your Grilled Shrimp Bowl.
Shrimp: The star of the show! We recommend using large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on or off.
For the Marinade: A simple mix of olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, paprika, and cumin gives the shrimp a smoky, zesty flavor.
Rice: We use long-grain white rice, but brown rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice for a low-carb option work wonderfully.
Vegetables: We’re using a classic combination of corn, black beans, and creamy avocado.
Dressing/Toppings: A simple drizzle of lime juice and fresh cilantro is all you need, but a creamy cilantro-lime dressing would also be fantastic.
Fresh ingredients come together for a perfectly balanced meal.
How to Make the Perfect Grilled Shrimp Bowl
Making this grilled shrimp bowl is a simple three-step process: marinate the shrimp, grill it to perfection, and assemble your bowl. It’s that easy!
Step 1: Prepare the Shrimp Marinade
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, minced garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the peeled and deveined shrimp and toss gently to coat. Let the shrimp marinate for at least 15 minutes to absorb all those delicious flavors. Don’t marinate it for more than 30 minutes, as the lime juice can start to “cook” the shrimp.
Step 2: Grill the Shrimp
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. If you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for about 20 minutes to prevent them from burning. Thread the marinated shrimp onto the skewers. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side, or until the shrimp are pink and opaque. The key is not to overcook them, as they can become tough.
Step 3: Assemble Your Bowl
Now for the fun part! Start with a base of warm rice in each bowl. Top with the grilled shrimp, black beans, and corn. Add sliced avocado and garnish with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge for squeezing. For a similar dish with different proteins, check out this easy grilled steak bowl or our popular shrimp and avocado bowl.
Tips for the Best Results
Don’t Overcook the Shrimp: This is the most important tip! Shrimp cook very quickly. As soon as they turn pink and curl into a ‘C’ shape, they’re done.
Buy Quality Shrimp: Look for shrimp that are firm and have a translucent appearance. Frozen, raw shrimp is often a great, high-quality option.
Pat Shrimp Dry: Before adding the shrimp to the marinade, pat them dry with a paper towel. This helps the marinade adhere better and ensures a better sear on the grill.
Customizations & Variations
This recipe is a fantastic starting point. Feel free to get creative and make it your own!
Add More Veggies: Diced red onion, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, or leafy greens would be excellent additions.
Try a Different Grain: Quinoa, farro, or brown rice can be substituted for white rice.
Switch Up the Protein: This recipe works great with other proteins. If you’re a fan of chicken, this creamy cajun chicken recipe offers a different flavor profile that’s equally delicious.
Add a Creamy Sauce: A drizzle of spicy mayo, chipotle crema, or a Greek yogurt-based dressing can take this bowl to the next level.
Meal Prep & Storage
This grilled shrimp bowl is perfect for meal prep. To store, keep the components in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The rice, beans, and corn can be stored together. Store the shrimp and avocado separately. When ready to eat, you can gently reheat the rice and shrimp or enjoy the bowl cold. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
This bowl is a complete meal on its own, but you can serve it with a side of tortilla chips, a fresh garden salad, or some warm tortillas to make shrimp tacos.
Shrimp cooks very quickly, usually in just 2-3 minutes per side. You’ll know it’s perfectly cooked when it turns pink and opaque and curls into a ‘C’ shape. An overcooked shrimp will be tough and form a tight ‘O’ shape.
Absolutely! To meal prep, cook the rice and shrimp and store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Store the corn and beans together. Wait to slice the avocado until you are ready to assemble and eat to prevent browning.
A simple marinade of olive oil, an acid like lime or lemon juice, garlic, and spices like chili powder, paprika, and cumin works beautifully. It adds flavor without overpowering the natural sweetness of the shrimp.
Yes, it is a very healthy and well-balanced meal. It provides lean protein from the shrimp, healthy fats from avocado and olive oil, complex carbohydrates from rice or quinoa, and plenty of fiber and vitamins from the vegetables.
More Delicious Recipes to Try
We hope you love this easy and healthy Grilled Shrimp Bowl! It’s a recipe we come back to again and again. If you enjoyed it, be sure to leave a comment below and share your creation on Pinterest! We can’t wait to see your amazing bowls.
This easy Grilled Shrimp Bowl is your new go-to for a healthy and satisfying meal.
Grilled Shrimp Bowl Recipe
FL Recipes
Grilled Shrimp Bowl (Easy & Healthy Recipe)
This Grilled Shrimp Bowl is the perfect healthy and flavorful meal! Packed with perfectly charred cilantro-lime shrimp, fresh veggies, and rice, it's an easy and delicious recipe for a quick weeknight dinner.
In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, minced garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Let it marinate for 15-20 minutes.
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Thread the marinated shrimp onto skewers.
Grill the shrimp skewers for 2-3 minutes per side, until pink and opaque. Be careful not to overcook.
Assemble the bowls by dividing the cooked rice among four bowls. Top with the grilled shrimp, corn, and black beans. Add sliced avocado.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve immediately with a lime wedge on the side for squeezing.
Nutrition
Calories: 485kcalProtein: 35gFat: 18gFiber: 10g
Notes
Tip 1: For extra flavor, you can char the corn on the grill alongside the shrimp. Tip 2: Don't marinate the shrimp for longer than 30 minutes, as the acidity from the lime juice will begin to cook the shrimp, making it tough. Tip 3: Store leftover components separately in the fridge for up to 3 days for best results.
Hi, I’m Emily Carter, and welcome to FL Recipes! I share simple, healthy recipes that make cooking easy, fun, and delicious for everyone. more about me »
