Blackened Shrimp Bowl

Blackened Shrimp is easy to make and delicious when paired with coconut rice and honey lime dressing in these scrumptious, gluten free bowls!

Once I perfected this Blackened Chicken Salad, I had to get more of that perfectly charred and spicy taste in my life! The perfect way to do this? Expand my list of recipes to include blackened shrimp!

You can use this blackened shrimp recipe in so many ways! Fold the shrimp into corn tortillas with avocado for blackened shrimp tacos, toss with gluten free spaghetti and butter for shrimp pasta, or add the blackened shrimp to lettuce leaves to create healthy lettuce wraps.

Of course my favorite way to serve blackened shrimp is loaded into a bowl! Paired with coconut rice, sweet pineapple, creamy avocado, pickled onions and the best honey lime dressing, this bowl is perfect for prepping ahead for busy weeknights or take-to-work lunches.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Make it vegan
• Make it low carb
• Meal prep it
• Frequently asked questions
• More shrimp recipes
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Shrimp - already peeled and deveined shrimp are ideal since they are ready to go with less work, saving you time and effort. If you choose to buy whole shrimp, make sure you peel and devein the shrimp before preparing. For this recipe, I used 41-50 count shrimp size, this a medium shrimp size. What this means is you get 41-50 pieces of shrimp per pound. You can also use a 31-35 which is a large shrimp size, or a 21-25 which is a jumbo shrimp size.
• Olive oil - extra virgin olive oil is great for its mild flavor, but you can use any oil you have on hand. Other neutral tasting oils such as avocado oil or vegetable oil are also good options.
• Blackened seasoning <-- click the link to learn how to make your own homemade blackened seasoning blend with paprika, cayenne pepper, and other herbs and spices. You can also use a store bought mix or use cajun seasoning as a substitution.
• Coconut rice <-- having the rice already prepared will cut down on the hands on time for this recipe. Use an Instant Pot or your stove top to easily make the rice. The coconut flavor is amazing with the blackened shrimp and pineapple, but if you prefer you can use White Rice or Brown Rice instead.
• Pineapple - freshly diced pineapple will give you the best results. However, canned pineapple can be used as well.
• Cilantro - pluck the cilantro leaves off of the stems to use as a garnish for a burst of fresh flavor.
• Avocado - thinly sliced avocado is a wonderful cool and creamy addition to this bowl.
• Pickled red onion <--  make your own with the quick pickle recipe linked above, or simply use thinly sliced raw red onion in it's place.
• Honey lime dressing <-- this sweet and tangy salad dressing is the perfect balance for the spicy flavors in the blackened shrimp. And it's easy to make in just 5 minutes!

Instructions

1. Season the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl, coat with olive oil, dust with the blackened seasoning and mix to combine.
2. Cook the shrimp. Preheat a grill to medium high heat. Place the shrimp directly on the grill grates and cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes on each side.
   • Quick tip! If your shrimp are on the smaller side and you're concerned about them falling through the grill grates, you can also skewer the shrimp before grilling.
3. Build the bowls. Split the coconut rice between four bowls. Add the seasoned and cooked shrimp, pineapple, cilantro, avocado and pickled red onion. Drizzle with the honey lime dressing for an amazing finish!

Make it vegan

To make these bowls vegan, substitute a plant based protein, like tofu or tempeh, for the shrimp. Also, use agave nectar instead of honey to make the honey lime dressing.

• To substitute tempeh for the shrimp:
  • Coat the tempeh in the blackened seasoning.
  • Sear in a skillet over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side.
  • Cut the blackened tempeh into bite sized pieces and add to the salad.
• To swap out the shrimp for tofu:
  • Dice the tofu and press out the excess moisture.
  • Coat with the blackened seasoning.
  • Cook the seasoned tofu in a pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the tofu is crispy.

Make it low carb

Replace the coconut rice with cauliflower rice to make these bowls low carb. This will reduce the total carbs from 42 grams to 20 grams per serving and lower the net carbs down to 14 grams per serving.

Meal prep it

• For storage:
  • Prepare the blackened shrimp as described.
  • Divide the prepared coconut rice between four storage containers and top with the blackened shrimp.
  • In separate smaller containers place the pineapple, cilantro, and pickled red onion.
  • Split the honey lime dressing between four small containers. 
  • Place the toppings and dressing in the large containers with the rice and shrimp.
  • Wrap ¼ avocado in plastic wrap and add to each container.
  • Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• To reheat and eat:
  • Remove the lid, the avocado, salad dressing and smaller container of fruits and veggies. Microwave the coconut rice and shrimp for 90 seconds.
  • Add the toppings, drizzle with the dressing, top with the avocado and enjoy!
  • Alternatively, you can eat these bowls cold if you'd like!

Frequently asked questions

• What does blackened mean? Blackened refers to the preparation method of cooking over high heat to create an almost charred finish. In addition to the high heat, cajun seasoning blends are used to add flavor to the crust.
• Is blackened shrimp spicy? Yes, but you can cut down on the spice level by reducing the amount of cayenne pepper in the blackened seasoning.
• Can you make this recipe with frozen shrimp? Yes, but I recommend running the frozen shrimp under cold water in a colander in the sink first. This will quickly thaw the shrimp and make them perfect for blackening.
• Can you cook the shrimp on the stove instead of a grill? Yes, I recommend using a cast iron skillet, or the heaviest skillet you have on hand. Heat the skillet on the stove over high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan, so that the shrimp can cook evenly.
• Is this recipe gluten free? Yes. All of the ingredients in this bowl are naturally gluten free. If you purchase blackened seasoning, instead of making your own, always check the label to make sure it doesn't have any ingredients that contain gluten.
• Can I use this blackened shrimp in other recipes? Yes, in addition to bowls you can serve the blackened shrimp in tacos, fajitas, on top of salads or with pasta.

More shrimp recipes

Try these other popular shrimp bowls and delicious shrimp salads!

• Shrimp Taco Bowl
• Harissa Shrimp Bowl
• Caribbean Salad with Jerk Shrimp
• Mediterranean Shrimp and Rice Bowl
• Shrimp Bruschetta Zoodle Bowls

Recipe