Full of fresh, healthy ingredients, this shrimp poke bowl is a feast for the eyes and your stomach. It's a satisfying meal filled with lean protein, whole grain brown rice, fresh crunchy veggies, and a Sriracha mayo that packs a spicy punch!
My family enjoys this recipe on busy weeknights or on hot summer days when I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It requires very little prep time (under 30 minutes!), making it a convenient healthy meal. Everyone loves homemade poke bowls!
What Is A Poke Bowl
If you've never had a poke bowl, it's like a deconstructed sushi roll. Sometimes, poke bowls contain raw fish, like sashimi-grade salmon or Hawaiian poke, but this poke bowl recipe contains beautifully cooked shrimp.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Flavorful and Fresh Ingredients- This shrimp poke bowl recipe consists of fresh, high-quality ingredients like shrimp, rice, vegetables, and spicy mayo. Combining these ingredients creates a delicious and satisfying flavor profile.
- Customizability- Poke bowls offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to customization. You can choose your preferred type of rice (white, brown, black) and various toppings and sauces, allowing you to create a bowl that suits your specific taste preferences and dietary needs.
- Healthy and Nutritious- This easy shrimp poke bowl recipe includes nutrient-rich ingredients like shrimp, crisp vegetables, and whole grains. The shrimp provides lean protein, while fresh veggies contribute vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.
- Visual Appeal- Poke bowls are visually appealing and beautifully presented. The vibrant colors make the bowl visually enticing because we eat with our eyes and stomachs!
Ingredients and Notes
- Rice– While this shrimp poke bowl recipe calls for brown rice, you can use whatever type you have on hand: white rice (jasmine rice or sushi rice) or black rice. Quinoa or cauliflower rice would also be excellent substitutions, depending on dietary preferences.
- Shelled Edamame (Soybeans) Or Black Beans– Soybeans are nutritious and protein-rich, but if you have none available in your area, cooked black beans or adzuki beans are a great option!
- Cabbage– For visual appeal, I prefer to use red cabbage (also known as purple cabbage), but you can also use green cabbage, Napa cabbage, or savoy.
- Other Veggies– Carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, etc. Poke bowls are a wonderful way to use those leftover veggies lurking in your refrigerator.
- Shrimp– I prefer wild-caught, small to medium-sized frozen shrimp in this recipe, but any size (even prawns) will be delicious. Other substitute suggestions would be crab meat, leftover cooked salmon or tuna (or raw sashimi grade), or tofu for a vegan/vegetarian option!
- Mayo– Lite, full fat, avocado, homemade, or vegan mayo all work well in this recipe.
- Sriracha- This hot sauce gives the spicy mayo dressing its kick! Add to taste, as little or as much as you like.
How To Make A Shrimp Poke Bowl
- Cook The Brown Rice- I use a rice cooker to cook our rice, but if you don't have one, rinse 1 cup of brown rice using a strainer. Place the brown rice and 1 ¾ cup water in a saucepan and bring to a soft boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes or until the moisture is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for another 10 minutes. Fluff and serve. Makes about 2 ⅔ cups cooked.
- Cook The Shrimp- My favorite way to cook raw shrimp is by boiling them. Bring several cups of water to a rolling boil. Carefully place the raw shrimp in the hot water. Stir, and keep occasionally stirring until the shrimp are opaque and the tails have curled in on themselves. It only takes a few minutes to cook, so don't leave your pot! Strain the shrimp using a colander. Alternatively, if you prefer, you can fry the shrimp in a frying pan or large skillet instead.
- Make The Spicy Mayonnaise- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and Sriracha, and then add a teaspoon of cool water to thin out the mixture. Whisk until smooth. If the Sriracha mayo is still too thick, use more water to thin it out until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Prepare The Remaining Ingredients- Chop the desired veggies; this is a wonderful way to use up vegetables you already have on hand.
- Assemble Your Bowl- Assemble your shrimp poke bowl with the different elements to balance flavors and textures. Start with a bed of rice in the bottom of each bowl, and then add cabbage and edamame. Add the shrimp on top, then include a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and sauce, like cucumbers, carrots, avocado, and Sriracha mayo.
- Add Optional Toppings- Add as many additional toppings or dressings as desired (see list below for suggestions).
Optional Ingredients
- Bragg's Liquid Aminos, Gluten-Free Tamari, Soy Sauce, or Coconut Aminos– I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos because it's what I prefer. It has a more robust flavor profile than tamari. But please use whatever your preference is.
- Sesame Oil– Sesame Oil has such a wonderful toasted and nutty flavor. A tiny bit of it goes a long way, so make sure you use it sparingly.
- Sesame Seeds (white or black)– Sprinkle on as many as you like!
- Avocado– Full of healthy fats, creamy avocado goes perfectly with the flavor profiles in this bowl, so add several slices if you have it available!
- Jalapeño– Spice it up as hot as you like; pile on jalapeño slices!
- Seaweed Salad- You can find this at most Asian stores or even Costco!
- Furikake Seasoning- Make sure it's gluten-free!
Important Recipe Tips and Questions
What Size Bowl Should I Use
I like to use a shallow pasta bowl or a salad bowl. To give you an idea of size, the blue bowl you see in my pictures has a diameter of 7.5″ and is about 2.25″ tall.
Do I Serve The Rice and Shrimp Hot or Cold
The right answer to this question comes down to personal preference. I prefer to serve the rice and shrimp at room temperature, with the other ingredients cold, but you can serve it any way you like.
Do I Mix Everything Together Before Eating It
That's actually up to you! I like to leave my ingredients separated so I can mix and match each bite, but I'm a very visual person. Pretty food makes me happy.
How To Store
Poke bowls are meant to be served immediately after making them. Store the shrimp, rice, veggies, Sriracha sauce, etc., separately in airtight containers. Then, assemble a fresh poke bowl when desired.
How To Reheat Leftover Rice
Add rice to the bottom of a bowl, add a few drops of water to it, and then heat in the microwave. The water will keep the rice humid, softening it.
VEGAN POKE BOWL OR VEGETARIAN POKE BOWL
For a vegan or vegetarian take on this meal, opt for tofu instead of shrimp, or omit the shrimp altogether and increase the amount of vegetables used.
Other Easy Gluten-Free Dinners
- Flanken Ribs with Gluten-Free Pasta Salad, Gluten-Free Macaroni Salad or Beet Apple Salad
- Asian Chicken Salad
- Gluten-Free Enchilada Casserole
- Gluten-Free Lasagna Soup (also dairy-free!)
- Prawn and Avocado Salad
This recipe was originally published in February 2021. The blog post and recipe card were updated to include better instructions and notes in January 2024.
Did you make this recipe? If you did, please give it a star rating and leave a review or comment below! And remember to take a pic and share it on social! Tag @allergyfreeak or #allergyfreealaska on Instagram!
Shrimp Poke Bowl
Full of fresh, healthy ingredients, this shrimp poke bowl is a feast for the eyes and your stomach. It's a satisfying meal filled with lean protein, whole-grain brown rice, fresh veggies, and a spicy mayo that packs a spicy punch!
Ingredients
For the Sriracha mayo:
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha (or more to taste)
- 1-2 teaspoons cool water
For the shrimp poke bowl:
- ⅓-1/2 cup cooked brown rice
- ½ cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
- ¼ cup shelled edamame (or cooked, rinsed & drained black beans)
- ¼ cup julienne carrots
- ¼ cup sliced cucumber
- ½ cup cooked shrimp
- 1 green onion, sliced
Optional toppings & seasonings:
- sesame oil
- Braggs Liquid Aminos (or gluten-free tamari, or coconut aminos)
- sliced avocado
- sliced radish
- diced cherry tomatoes
- sesame seeds (either black or white)
Instructions
To make the rice:
- Rinse 1 cup of brown rice using a strainer.
- Place the brown rice and 1 ¾ cup water in a saucepan and bring to a soft boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes or until the moisture is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let stand for another 10 minutes. Fluff and serve. Makes about 2 ⅔ cups cooked.
To make the shrimp:
- Bring 8 to 10 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large pot.
- Carefully place the raw shrimp in the hot water (see recipe notes*). Stir, and keep occasionally stirring until the shrimp are opaque and the tails have curled in on themselves. It only takes a few minutes to cook, so don't leave your pot!
- Strain the shrimp using a colander.
To make the Sriracha mayo:
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise and Sriracha, and then add a teaspoon of cool water to thin out the mixture. Whisk until smooth. If the Sriracha mayo is still too thick, use more water to thin it out until it reaches the desired consistency.
To assemble the shrimp poke bowl:
- Place the brown rice, purple cabbage, and shelled edamame in a shallow pasta or salad bowl.
- Top with the carrots, cucumber, shrimp, and green onion.
- Drizzle on the spicy mayo (whatever amount is desired), then top with any additional desired toppings or seasonings.
Notes
*This recipe is for 1 poke bowl. I cook at least 1-2 pounds of shrimp at a time to feed a family of 4 (and to have some leftovers the next day).
What Size Bowl Should I Use- I like to use a shallow pasta bowl or a salad bowl. To give you an idea of size, the blue bowl you see in my pictures has a diameter of 7.5″ and is about 2.25″ tall.
Do I Serve The Rice and Shrimp Hot or Cold- The right answer to this question comes down to personal preference. I prefer to serve the rice and shrimp at room temperature, with the other ingredients cold, but you can serve it any way you like.
Do I Mix Everything Together Before Eating It- That's actually up to you! I like to leave my ingredients separated so I can mix and match each bite, but I'm a very visual person. Pretty food makes me happy.
How To Store- Poke bowls are meant to be served immediately after making them. Store the shrimp, rice, veggies, Sriracha sauce, etc., separately in airtight containers. Then, assemble a fresh poke bowl when desired.
How To Reheat Leftover Rice- Add rice to the bottom of a bowl, add a few drops of water to it, and then heat in the microwave. The water will keep the rice humid, softening it.
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