Sesame ponzu shrimp rice bowls are so refreshing. It starts with the ponzu marinated shrimp. A bit of chili garlic sauce, a dash of honey, toasted sesame oil, and freshly squeezed orange juice round it out. We’ll cook shrimp in a hot skillet, so the sugar in the marinade caramelizes and gives them that instant glisten. Then there’s a fantastic orange and grapefruit (or pomelo) salad with minced serranos, green onions, mint, and fresh cilantro. Best part – that ponzu marinade doubles as the dressing. I like to drizzle the last of the dressing over buttery avocado slices, and the sauce makes everything perfecto! We’ll serve it all over a bowl of rice, and it’s honestly a flavor experience. I love combining seafood with fresh fruit. It’s such an unexpected food combination that works. Have you tried my Thai sweet chili salmon bowls yet? They’re topped with a mango and edamame salad that is to die for!
Ingredients for glowing shrimp rice bowls:
Fresh Citrus Fruit: You’ll need orange juice or any other citrus juice for the marinade. And you’ll also need freshly-segmented fruit for the salad. If you’re new to segmenting fruit, you might want to look up how to do so on youtube or something. It’s pretty easy once you’ve watched someone else do it. You’ll also want to use a paring knife to make the job easier. Feel free to practice on the orange you plan to use for the orange juice! Then squeeze the center to get the juice out of it!Chili Garlic Sauce: I like to use the one from Huy Fong. It’s similar to sambal, but it also has garlic in it.Honey: This recipe is versatile; you can use honey, agave, or any other sweetener of your choice.Rice Vinegar: Adds an acidic pop to the marinade and the dressing.Ponzu sauce: If readily available in most grocery stores these days. It’s usually next to the soy sauce in the international aisle. Feel free to use low-sodium soy sauce if you can’t find it.Ginger paste + Garlic powder: I use garlic powder and ginger paste in the dressing/marinade. These ingredients make prep work much easier since you don’t have to peel and chop fresh ginger and garlic.Sesame Oil + Seeds: You’ll need sesame oil for the marinade. The toasted sesame oil pair so well with the citrusy ponzu. You’ll also need sesame seeds for topping the bowls.Shrimp: You’ll want to peel and devein the shrimp beforehand. Then, pat them dry before marinating them in the sauce. We’ll cook them in a large skillet right before searing in batches.Avocados: Are for topping, feel free to omit them from the shrimp bowl recipe if you aren’t a fan.Cucumbers: I like to use Persian cucumbers because they have the best crunch. You can use hothouse or even regular cucumbers if you’d like. Dice them up about the same side and the segmented citrus so you get a bit in each bite.Serranos: Serranos add just a touch of heat and pair beautifully with the fresh herbs and vegetables in the salad. Feel free to omit the pepper if you’re cooking for littles or don’t like heat.Scallions: Or green onions adds freshness to the salad. Feel free to leave them out, the salad works well with the serranos and fresh herbs too.Fresh Herbs: Use cilantro or mint – whatever you like! We’ll stir the herbs in right at the ends so they’re nice and fresh for the bowls.Rice to serve: I like to serve this recipe over short-grain brown or white rice, but homemade coconut rice would be equally delicious!
How to make shrimp rice bowls
If you like this recipe you might also like:
30-Minute Spicy Shrimp MasalaSpicy Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes and GarlicBlackened Shrimp Tacos with Smashed Avos and SlawMiso Salmon with Sauteed Zucchini and OnionsCreamy Paprika Chicken Pasta
Oranges: Feel free to use a variety of oranges. Cara cara, navel, satsumas, mandarin, raspberry oranges, and blood oranges are just a few ideas!Ponzu sauce: feel free to use low-sodium soy sauce in place of ponzu if you can’t find it.
