Spicy Shrimp Rice Bowls: A Bold and Flavorful Weeknight Dinner

Name: Spicy Shrimp Rice Bowls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8-10 oz fresh raw shrimp or thawed frozen shrimp; salt; pepper; 1-2 tsp light sesame oil or avocado oil; 1 ½ TBSP low-sodium soy sauce; 1 ½ TBSP sweet chili sauce; 1 TBSP Sriracha; 1 clove garlic, peeled, smashed, and minced; ½ tsp freshly grated ginger; ¼-½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes; 2 cups cooked rice; 1 english cucumber; 1 cup shelled edamame, steamed; 1 jalapeño pepper; 2 TBSP fresh cilantro leaves; 1 cup shredded carrot; ¼ cup sliced green onion; sriracha chili sauce; toasted sesame seeds; spicy mayo; ¼ cup mayo; 2-3 TBSP Sriracha chili sauce; garlic chili oil; snow peas or snap peas; bean sprouts; spicy sriracha green beans; sautéed mushrooms; bell pepper; pickled red onions; fresh pickled veggies

By:

Brandi Oshea

Published:

October 7, 2026

[grow_share_buttons]

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Spicy Shrimp Rice Bowls

Some nights you want dinner that feels like a treat without a sink full of dishes. These spicy shrimp rice bowls hit that sweet spot.

Tender shrimp get tossed in a glossy, garlicky sauce, then piled over fluffy rice with crisp cucumber, sweet shredded carrot, steamed edamame, and a few slices of jalapeño for extra zing. A generous drizzle of spicy mayo brings everything together.

The recipe comes from Peas and Crayons by Jenn Laughlin, and it has real weeknight energy. There is a poke bowl vibe here, all color and crunch and fresh toppings, yet the whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes.

That breaks down to 20 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking. One batch makes 2 meal sized bowls, which is just right for lunch or dinner, and you can double or triple the recipe when you are feeding more people.

What makes these bowls so handy? The shrimp cook in minutes, the sauce is whisked in one small bowl, and the vegetables can be prepped while the rice finishes. Heat is completely in your hands too.

More Sriracha gives you a bolder kick, while less keeps things friendly for milder palates. If you already love shrimp with a spicy edge, this bowl belongs next to my Spicy Shrimp Recipe, and it pairs well with Shrimp Fried Rice when you want those flavors in a different format.

You can find the original spicy shrimp rice bowl recipe on Peas and Crayons. Here is how it comes together, with all the little details that make it work.

Quick note: shrimp are done the moment they curl and turn opaque. That visual cue is more reliable than any timer.

Shrimp Bowl ingredients

Here is the full lineup for two bowls. The amounts come straight from the original recipe card, so you can scale up or down without guesswork.

Ingredient	Amount
Fresh raw shrimp or thawed frozen shrimp	8 to 10 oz
Salt and pepper	To taste
Light sesame oil or avocado oil	1 to 2 tsp
Low sodium soy sauce, gluten free or regular	1 1/2 TBSP
Sweet chili sauce	1 1/2 TBSP
Sriracha	1 TBSP, plus extra for topping
Garlic, peeled, smashed, and minced	1 clove
Freshly grated ginger	1/2 tsp
Crushed red pepper flakes	1/4 to 1/2 tsp, to taste
Cooked rice	2 cups
English cucumber	1
Shelled edamame, steamed	1 cup
Jalapeño pepper	1
Fresh cilantro leaves	2 TBSP
Shredded carrot	1 cup
Sliced green onion	1/4 cup
Sriracha chili sauce, toasted sesame seeds, and spicy mayo	For topping

The sauce is where most of the flavor lives. Low sodium soy sauce brings savory depth, sweet chili sauce adds a sticky sweetness, Sriracha delivers the heat, and one clove of garlic plus half a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger keep everything aromatic.

Crushed red pepper flakes go in to taste, so start with a quarter teaspoon and add more if you like things fiery.

For the shrimp, 8 to 10 ounces of fresh raw shrimp or thawed frozen shrimp is plenty for two bowls.

Frozen peeled and deveined shrimp are a real time saver, since all you need to do is defrost them, peel if needed, and pat them dry. Drying matters. Dry shrimp simmer into a better sauce instead of releasing extra water into the pan.

Season them with a little salt and pepper before they hit the skillet.

The vegetables do a lot of the heavy lifting. English cucumber brings a cool crunch that balances the heat, shredded carrot adds sweetness, steamed edamame gives the bowl some substance, and jalapeño plus fresh cilantro keep things bright.

Toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion finish the top, and Sriracha or spicy mayo can be added as generously as you like.

Rice is flexible. Cook it on the stovetop, in a rice cooker, or in a pressure cooker, or take the shortcut with leftover rice or heat and serve rice. The recipe aims for 1 cup of cooked rice per bowl.

If you want a lighter base, add about half a cup of shredded lettuce to each bowl and use a little less rice.

Once the prep is done, the shrimp take almost no time at all. Bring a pan or a high sided skillet to medium heat with a little light sesame oil or avocado oil, add the shrimp and the whisked sauce, and let everything simmer uncovered while you stir occasionally.

The sauce thickens as the shrimp cook, about 3 to 4 minutes. Smaller shrimp finish sooner and larger ones take a touch longer, so look for shrimp that are slightly curled and opaque, then check for doneness.

Here is the step by step flow:

Clean and peel the shrimp, defrosting first if needed. Pat them dry and season with a little salt and pepper.
Cook the rice however you like: stovetop, rice cooker, pressure cooker, or leftover and heat and serve rice.

Whisk the sauce in a small bowl: soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes. Set it aside.
Whisk the spicy mayo: mayo plus Sriracha chili sauce, to taste. Set it aside.
Prep the vegetables: steam the shelled edamame, thinly slice the English cucumber, slice the jalapeño, and shred the carrots or use pre shredded ones.

Bring a pan or high sided skillet to medium heat with a little light sesame oil or avocado oil. Add the shrimp and the sauce, and simmer uncovered for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the shrimp are cooked.
Assemble the bowls: rice first, then cucumber, jalapeño, carrots, edamame, and the saucy shrimp.
Top with spicy mayo, toasted sesame seeds, and sliced green onion. Add extra Sriracha if you want it hotter.

Spicy Mayo Sauce

This two ingredient sauce is the little touch that makes the bowls taste like something from a restaurant. Whisk 1/4 cup of mayo with 2 to 3 TBSP of Sriracha chili sauce, tasting as you go until you reach your preferred level of heat.

A heavier hand with the Sriracha gives you a punchier drizzle, while a lighter touch keeps the sauce creamy with just a warm hum in the background.

Spoon it over the shrimp, the rice, or both. It also works as a dipping sauce on the side if you would rather control the heat bite by bite.

Jump To

1. Shrimp Bowl ingredients
2. Additional Rice Bowl Mix Ins and Tasty Topping Options
3. Spicy Shrimp Rice Bowls
4. FAQs
5. Spicy Shrimp Rice Bowls

Additional Rice Bowl Mix Ins and Tasty Topping Options

The base recipe is already generous, but these bowls are built for swapping. If you want to change things up, these optional additions all work beautifully:

Garlic chili oil for a deeper, warmer heat
Snow peas or snap peas for extra crunch
Bean sprouts for a fresh, watery bite
Spicy Sriracha green beans
Sautéed mushrooms for an earthy note
Bell pepper strips
Pickled red onions or other fresh pickled veggies
Radish slices
Nori for a subtle ocean flavor

If you want a milder bowl, Honey Garlic Shrimp can stand in for the spicy shrimp and you still get that sweet and savory glaze. For a low carb version, cauliflower rice or shredded lettuce can replace all or part of the rice.

For more ideas on spicy shrimp bowls with vegetables, keep the same bowl formula and simply swap the vegetables you have on hand.

Spicy Shrimp Rice Bowls, Additional Rice Bowl Mix Ins And Tasty Topping Options — Spicy Shrimp Rice Bowls: A Bold And Flavorful Weeknight Dinner 16

Make it Vegetarian or Vegan

You can skip the shrimp entirely and use tofu instead, which soaks up the sauce beautifully. Swap the mayo for vegan mayo and the whole bowl becomes plant based.

If you are looking for tofu inspiration, the same site shares Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Tofu, Buffalo Tofu Bites, and Honey Garlic Tofu, all of which fit the same build a bowl format.

Spicy Shrimp Rice Bowls

One batch makes 2 meal sized bowls, so it is a comfortable fit for a couple, a lunch and dinner pair, or a solo cook who is happy with leftovers. Doubling or tripling the recipe works without any changes to the method.

Just use a larger pan or cook the shrimp in batches so they simmer and glaze instead of steaming in a crowded skillet.

Nutrition is estimated by the source, per serving:

Nutrient	Per serving, estimated
Calories	392 kcal
Carbohydrates	73 g
Protein	16 g
Fat	5 g
Saturated fat	1 g
Fiber	8 g
Sugar	14 g
Sodium	792 mg

Treat those numbers as a rough guide, since brands, rice portions, and topping amounts vary from kitchen to kitchen.

Serve the bowls right away while the shrimp are warm and the cucumber is still crisp. Set the spicy mayo, extra Sriracha, and sesame seeds on the table so everyone can finish their own bowl exactly the way they like it.

That is the whole charm of this dinner: bold flavor, plenty of color, and a table full of happy eaters.

FAQs

How do you make spicy shrimp rice bowls?

To make spicy shrimp rice bowls, first clean and season shrimp with salt and pepper. Whisk together a sauce of soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Cook the shrimp in a skillet with sesame oil and the sauce for 3-4 minutes until opaque. Assemble bowls with cooked rice, cucumber, edamame, jalapeño, shredded carrot, and the saucy shrimp, then top with spicy mayo, sesame seeds, and green onion.

What sauce goes on a spicy shrimp bowl?

The sauce on a spicy shrimp bowl has two components. First, a cooking sauce made from soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes is simmered with the shrimp. Second, a spicy mayo topping is made by whisking 1/4 cup of mayonnaise with 2 to 3 tablespoons of Sriracha chili sauce, adjusted to your preferred heat level.

Can you use frozen shrimp for rice bowls?

Yes, you can definitely use frozen shrimp for rice bowls. Thaw the shrimp first by defrosting them in the refrigerator overnight or in a sealed bag under cold running water. Once thawed, peel if needed, pat them dry, and season with salt and pepper before cooking. The recipe calls for 8 to 10 ounces of fresh raw or thawed frozen shrimp.

What rice is best for shrimp bowls?

The recipe calls for cooked rice, with 1 cup per bowl. You can use any rice you prefer, such as fluffy white rice from a stovetop, rice cooker, or pressure cooker. For a shortcut, use heat-and-serve rice or leftover rice. To reduce carbs, you can mix in shredded lettuce or use cauliflower rice as a low-carb alternative.

Spicy Shrimp Rice Bowls: A Bold and Flavorful Weeknight Dinner

Spicy Shrimp Rice Bowls