These Spicy Shrimp Burrito Bowls are a great meal prep option for lunch. Filled with lean protein, lots of veggies, and a savory cilantro-lime rice, they are truly so addictive!
These burrito bowls are a delicious, budget-friendly dupe to the kind that you grab for takeout. Being able to customize the toppings to your taste, you'll be excited to assemble a bowl for lunch or dinner!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $2.95
- Total Cost (4 bowls): $11.78
- Those Other Guys: $12.49 per serving
Ingredients
- Large Shrimp - Be sure to get the raw shrimp, as we're going to marinate and sear them in a skillet. Peel and devein the seafood as well!
- Seasonings - A mix of taco seasoning and cayenne pepper give the kick and savory flavor we're looking for.
- Cilantro-Lime Rice - I have a great recipe for cilantro-lime rice on the blog! It's perfectly seasoned and makes a great base for the bowls.
- Queso Fresco - "Fresh cheese" in Spanish - this type of cheese is moist and easily crumbles to go on top of your dish. You can also use cotija cheese or shredded cheese.
- Toppings - This is where you can get creative. A nice mix of charred corn, black beans, homemade roasted salsa, and avocados pair well with our flavors.
Variations and Substitutions
Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls: Use chicken thighs marinated in chipotle peppers (like in my Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos recipe!) for a delicious protein to top these burrito bowls with.
Mexican Rice: Instead of cilantro-lime rice, try savory Mexican Red Rice as the base.
Esquites: For a fun twist, add Esquites (otherwise known as elotes, but off of the cob) to your burrito bowls!
How to Make Spicy Shrimp Burrito Bowls
Step 1: Marinate your shrimp in a blend of taco seasoning and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
Step 2: This is optional, but I recommend charring your seasoned corn a bit to develop some great flavors.
Step 3: In that same skillet, sear the marinated shrimp for a few minutes on each side until done. Be sure not to overcook your protein.
Step 4: Finally, organize all of your bowl ingredients and assemble. It's that easy!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Prep your ingredients. To time your recipe where everything is ready around the same time, prep some of your ingredients ahead of time. It won't take long to cook the shrimp at all!
- Cook the corn. You can definitely just drain and dump the canned corn into the bowl, but you'll have a much better flavor and texture if you take a couple extra minutes and char your corn on the stovetop.
- Peel and devein your shrimp. Although tail-on shrimp looks better presentation-wise, nobody wants to dirty their hands by digging into their plate! If you don't eat the tails, peel and devein the shrimp before cooking.
Recipe FAQs
I suggest no more than 5 days. Store all of your ingredients, separately, in airtight containers so they will stay fresh longer.
Use some tortilla chips to dip into the bowls, or roll the filling into a large tortilla and make a full burrito.
Other Meal Prep Recipes You'll Love!
If you tried this Spicy Shrimp Burrito Bowl Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Spicy Shrimp Burrito Bowls
Equipment
- Large Skillet with Deep Sides
- Can Opener
- Strainer
- Tongs
- Chef's Knife
Ingredients
- 24 ounces shrimp peeled & deveined
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning plus another ½ teaspoon to season the corn
- ½ tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil optional - if charring the corn
- 15.5 ounces canned sweet corn drained
- 15.5 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 6 ounces chopped lettuce chopped
- 3 cups Copycat Cilantro-Lime Rice
- 2 count avocados chopped or mashed
- 2 ounces queso fresco crumbled
- 4 ounces salsa like my 5-minute chunky salsa!
- 1 count lime quartered
Instructions
Ingredients
- Season your shrimp with the taco seasoning and cayenne pepper. Marinate for about 10 minutes.
- In a skillet on medium heat, heat up vegetable oil and then add a can of drained sweet corn and another ½ teaspoon of taco seasoning.
- Pan fry the corn until fragrant and slightly charred. Set aside.
- Drain and rinse your can of black beans; set aside.
- In the same skillet, spray some non-stick spray and then sear your marinated shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side until done. Remove from heat.
Assembly
- In your bowl, create your base of chopped lettuce and cilantro-lime rice.
- Top with the charred corn, beans, cooked shrimp, chopped avocado, queso fresco, and salsa.
- Serve alongside a quarter of lime per bowl. You can pair these bowls with tortilla or plantain chips, a heated tortilla, or just dig right in and enjoy!
Serena J says
My kids love eating these burrito bowls! It's so expensive to eat out these days that this is a great treat for everyone for way less money. We've used all types of meat on here from shredded pork to ground beef.
Shani W. says
Yum! I'm so glad to hear that Serena! Thank you for trying and commenting.