Chili Lime Shrimp Rice Bowl

Shrimp is one of those proteins I’ve been trying to work into my meal rotation more often lately. The funny thing is, I’ve always liked shrimp…just usually deep fried. And while crispy fried shrimp is delicious, I really don’t love the process of deep frying at home. Plus, it’s probably not something my arteries need on a weekly basis.

I had a dish similar to this at a restaurant a while back and it really stuck with me. So when I came across this recipe from The Wooden Skillet, I knew I wanted to give it a shot. Even better, I already had a bag of shrimp sitting in the freezer waiting to be used. Yes, I’m still on my mission to cook my way through the freezer stash.

This turned out to be a really solid recipe. Of course, I made a few little changes along the way because apparently I’m incapable of following a recipe exactly as written. I think of them as guidelines.

First, I skipped the mango salsa entirely. I could not find a mango that looked good enough to justify the price tag, and I just wasn’t willing to spend that kind of money on disappointing fruit. So out it went.

Second, I ended up pan-cooking the shrimp instead of grilling them. I had already heated up the skillet and poured in the olive oil before I realized the recipe called for grilling. Honestly, that’s a shame because these would have been amazing on the new grill. I’ll definitely try that next time.

And yes, there will absolutely be a next time.

I served the shrimp with simple basmati rice and the sweet chili cucumbers from the recipe, and let me just say…the cucumbers completely stole the show. Those were unbelievably good and will absolutely be making repeat appearances at my table.

Don’t let the long ingredient list scare you away. A lot of the ingredients overlap between the different components, so it’s really not as complicated as it first looks. In the end, it came together into a fresh, flavorful dinner that felt a little special without being difficult.

Chili Lime Shrimp Rice Bowl

Recipe from The Wooden Skillet

Serves 4

Chili Lime Shrimp:

• 1 pound raw shrimp, 16-20 per bag
• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• zest of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sub Tamari for gluten-free
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Mango Salsa:

• 1 ½ cups mango, diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup avocado, diced
• 1 small jalapeño, minced
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Cilantro Lime Sauce:

• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• zest of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Sweet Chili Cucumbers:

• 1 cup mini cucumbers, sliced (sub English cucumber)
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoon honey, more if desired

Other Bowl Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked rice of your choice
• red onion, thinly sliced (as desired)

Prep Chili Lime Shrimp: Ensure 1 pound raw shrimp is thawed and remove shell (leave tail on, if you prefer). Place shrimp in a large bowl or reusable silicone bag. In a small bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup fresh lime juice, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, zest of 2 limes, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Pour marinade over the shrimp. Cover and let marinate 30 minutes.

Mango Salsa: Meanwhile, combine the salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and add additional lime juice, cilantro, etc. as desired.

Cilantro Lime Sauce: Combine in a small bowl. Taste and add additional lime juice as desired. Cover and place in fridge.

Sweet Chili Cucumbers: Combine in a small bowl. Taste and add additional chili powder or honey, as desired.

Grill Chili Lime Shrimp: Ensure grill grates are clean. Bring grill to medium-high heat. Shake off excess marinade from shrimp and grill directly on the grates for a total of 2-4 minutes (total cook time will depend upon how large your shrimp are) or until shrimp are no long translucent. Transfer to plate.

Build Bowls: Divide rice between bowls along with the shrimp. Add as much Mango Salsa, Cilantro Lime Sauce, and Sweet Chili Cucumbers, as desired, as well as some extra red onion slices. Enjoy!