The Sunday Spoon

Blackened Shrimp Bowls

with corn salsa & avocado lime crema

This is another easy dish that’s perfect for a weeknight and can be customized with whatever additions you’d like. I love meals like this because they’re simple but still feel fresh and flavorful, and everything is cooked in steps to have it all ready by the time the rice is done cooking. This uses the same blackened seasoning as my snapper recipe, and I’ll often double or triple the batch when I make it and store the extra in an air-tight jar so it’s ready to use next time.

This meal is also great for leftovers and can be reheated quickly. You can also use any leftover toppings and rice to make chipotle-style salads, bowls, or tacos with the protein of your choice. I used my leftovers for grilled chicken tacos and a Mexican chopped salad! It’s also perfect for using up what you have in your fridge. You can throw on some shredded lettuce, pickled onions, black beans, cheese, sliced avocado, or whatever other toppings you might have on hand. The possibilities are endless!

This recipe is fresh, delicious, and totally customizable.

Ingredients

Blackened Seasoning
  • 1 ½ tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp ground dried thyme
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to spice preference) 
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
Shrimp
  • 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Blackened seasoning
Corn Salsa
  • 1 (15.25 oz) can corn, drained
  • ½ cup red onion, finely diced
  • ½ – 1 jalapeño, finely diced (optional), remove seeds for less heat
  • 4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • Juice of ½ lime (adjust to taste)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
Avocado Lime Crema

I personally like to use greek yogurt here for a slightly healthier sauce. To me, the greek yogurt doesn’t affect the taste much, but for a more traditional crema, you can use sour cream instead.

  • 1 avocado
  • 1 container greek yogurt, 5.3oz (sub sour cream)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 3-4 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
Rice

I always make my own rice, but you can definitely sub a bag of the microwavable rice they sell in stores for an even easier recipe.

  • 1 cup jasmine rice
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1–2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

Start by making the blackened seasoning: combine all the spices in a small bowl. Toss the shrimp with olive oil and a generous coating of the seasoning. Cover and set aside to marinate.

While the shrimp marinates, make the corn salsa. In a bowl, mix together the corn, red onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, and jalapeño if using. Stir and set aside to let the flavors blend.

Next, cook the jasmine rice. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then add it to a saucepan with the water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

While the rice cooks, make the avocado lime crema and cook your shrimp. In a food processor or blender, blend together the avocado, yogurt, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy. I usually add a few splashes of water to thin it out for drizzling. Then, in a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side, until pink and opaque and lightly blackened.

Once the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and let it sit covered while you finish the crema and shrimp. Then fluff it with a fork and stir in the butter, lime juice, cilantro, and a little more salt to taste.

To serve, build your bowl with jasmine rice, blackened shrimp, corn salsa, and a generous drizzle of avocado lime crema. Top with any extras you’d like and finish with a big squeeze of fresh lime juice. I like to serve this with some chips and salsa and a crisp topo chico. Enjoy!

Let me know in the comments how you liked this dish and if you added any additional fun toppings!

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