My shrimp rice bowl recipe with herby ranch comes together in minutes. It’s high in protein and fiber, flavorful, delicious, and versatile!
Rice and salad bowls are among my favorite ways to use up leftovers and random, small amounts of food. There is no right or wrong; you can add whatever you want. This shrimp rice bowl recipe combines leftover shrimp from dinner the night before with veggies from the freezer. Using ingredients you already have is one of the best ways to prevent food waste while creating delicious and healthy meals.
A sauce can bring a dish together, so once you build your bowl, you’ll need a killer sauce or dressing! Since I always have my homemade dry ranch seasoning in the pantry, I whipped up a small amount of ranch dressing and added extra parsley for color and freshness. Tatziki would be good, too, and the dill would complement the other flavors. You could also add some extra dill to the ranch.
As part of my weekly food prep, I rinsed and drained the chickpeas and shredded the carrots. Food prep is a game-changer. Instead of creating full meals and eating the same thing all week, you’re prepping a variety of protein and produce that can be used in various ways throughout the week. I have an in-depth food prep post coming soon, in which I will show you exactly what I do and go into more detail.
As mentioned in this blog post, I’ll share more recipes like this in 2025. As much as I love to cook, I’m even more passionate about food waste and showing you guys different ways to use up random ingredients. Every meal doesn’t have to be a four-course meal. Your family won’t go hungry, and the beauty of meals like this is that everyone can make their own, which is fun, especially for kids!
Shrimp Rice Bowl Recipe
Why We Love It
- Versatile. My favorite thing about this rice bowl is that it’s versatile. Use whatever you’ve got!
- High Protein. The shrimp, chickpeas, and green beans deliver XX grams of protein!
- High Fiber. Chickpeas and peas are a great source of fiber, as well as brown rice.
- Delicious. I’m a texture girl and love the combo of textures and flavors in this bowl.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Brown rice. I make a double batch of my oven-baked rice recipe every week and freeze half a batch in my favorite meal prep containers for quick meals like this. Any rice will work!
- Chickpeas. Another way to prepare meals quickly is to keep various canned beans on hand. They are nutritional powerhouses that I incorporate into my meals every day. Use what you like.
- Green peas. They’re a fantastic source of protein and fiber, adding a pop of sweetness and color to your meals. When I’m choosing ingredients for meals like this, color is one of the things I think about. This would have been a pretty beige meal without the peas and carrots lol.
- Carrots. Shredded carrots are among my favorite things to add to rice or salad bowls. Similar to peas, they add a little sweetness and color. They’re also incredibly nutritious. If you shred them in advance, cover them with a damp paper towel to prevent browning.
- Shrimp. I had some leftover shrimp from the Greek shrimp salad I made during the holidays, but any cooked shrimp will work.
- Ranch sauce. Since I keep a big batch of my homemade dry ranch dressing mix in my pantry, whipping up a batch takes minutes. For this shrimp rice bowl recipe, I used some dry mix with a quarter cup of Greek yogurt, a tablespoon of mayonnaise, a splash of fresh lemon juice, a generous amount of freshly chopped Italian parsley, and some dry ranch mix. I kept it thicker and more like a sauce than a dressing. Add the dry ranch seasoning to taste.
- Parsley. I vividly remember my Italian grandmother always having two things readily available—Italian parsley and red wine vinegar. Prepping a big batch of fresh parsley is also part of my weekly food prep, and I add it to almost everything I eat. It adds freshness, color, and nutrition. Many people don’t know that parsley is very good for you, especially if you eat the stems!
How to Make This Shrimp Rice Bowl
- I like to prep everything first so that the hot ingredients remain hot once I build my bowl.
- Defrost your peas. Add them to a small handheld strainer and run them under hot water for about 90 seconds. This is enough to defrost them while maintaining their color and texture.
- Drain the chickpeas. Add them to the same strainer I used for the peas and rinse them thoroughly.
- Shred the carrots. I like to use a handheld grater for this. Once you’ve shredded them, they can turn brown quickly, so I like to cover them with a damp paper towel.
- Make the sauce. If you don’t already have ranch dressing made up, use some of my homemade dry ranch dressing mix to make a quick sauce, or use whatever you like and have on hand!
- Heat the rice and assemble the bowl by spreading the rice in the bottom and adding the shrimp, peas, chickpeas, and carrots. Drizzle with the sauce and garnish with additional parsley, if desired.
Helpful Tips
- Spend a little time once a week prepping the ingredients you use the most. For me, that’s scallions, Italian parsley, shredded carrots, and cabbage. Doing this will help you prepare quick meals like this throughout the week.
- Since I used frozen rice I had already prepped, heating it was the last thing I did so the bowl was still warm when I ate it. To reheat frozen rice, add the desired amount to a small microwave-safe bowl, cover it with a wet paper towel, and cook on defrost, checking and stirring it every 40 to 60 seconds. Reheating things on defrost is gentler and helps prevent food from drying out, while the damp paper towel helps create steam and adds moisture.
- So many people throw away leftovers because they don’t want to eat the same thing again or don’t know what to do with them. This rice bowl is a perfect example of making something delicious from random ingredients. I hope this shrimp rice bowl recipe inspires you to raid your refrigerator and put together something delicious before it ends up in the trash!
How To Store
- If using leftover shrimp, it needs to be eaten immediately.
- If using freshly cooked or purchased shrimp, consume within three days.
If you’ve tried this shrimp rice bowl recipe or any recipe on my site, please leave a comment below!
Used In This Recipe | ||
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Shrimp Rice Bowl Recipe With Herby Ranch
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup cooked shrimp
- 1/4 cup shredded carrot (appx one small carrot)
- 1/4 cup chickpeas
- 1/4 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- Chopped Italian parsley, optional
Instructions
- Defrost your peas by running them under hot water for about 90 seconds.
- Drain the chickpeas in the same strainer you used for the peas.
- Shred the carrots with a handheld grater.
- If not using store-bought dressing, make the ranch. (linked in post)
- Heat the rice in the microwave on defrost with a damp paper towel on top.
- Assemble the bowl by spreading the rice in the bottom and adding the shrimp, peas, chickpeas, and carrots.
- Drizzle with the sauce and garnish with additional parsley, if desired.
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