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Blackened Shrimp Bowls with Pineapple Salsa
The best way to cook shrimp and the best pineapple salsa on the planet, all in one delicious bowl.
These Blackened Shrimp Bowls with Pineapple Salsa are a 2-for-1 recipe. You get a delicious, 30-minute weeknight dinner recipe, plus the perfect pineapple salsa that you can put on just about anything. Pro tip: double the salsa recipe if you bring it to a party because it goes fast. This is also my all time favorite way to cook shrimp. You’ll be obsessed!
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to Make It
Storing
Tips
Reasons to Love It
Blackened Shrimp Bowl Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the Pineapple Salsa
Pineapple
I recommend using fresh pineapple instead of canned for this recipe. You call tell a pineapple is ripe when one of the inner leaves pulls out easily. This salsa recipe also works (and is amazing) with mango instead of pineapple if you want to switch things up or can’t find fresh pineapple.
Onion, Cilantro, Jalapeño
I loooove red onion in a fresh salsa like this one. You can use shallot instead. As for the jalapeño, you can remove the seeds to make it less spicy, or leave them in for extra heat. If 1 tablespoon is not enough (or too much) you can adjust the amounts according to your tolerance. Serrano is also a good substitute if you want it spicier.
Lime Juice
Use fresh squeezed lime juice instead of the bottled stuff. You can even zest the lime if you want extra lime flavor.
For the Blackened Shrimp
Shrimp
I always have a bag of frozen, peeled, deveined shrimp in my freezer for quick weeknight recipes like this. This recipe also works with chicken, beef, and pork, but just make sure you cook it for the correct amount of time as all other proteins take longer to cook than shrimp.
Spices
I make my own blend of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, dried oregano, and cayenne. Leave out the cayenne if you don’t want it spicy.
For the Taco Sauce
Sour Cream
I like to use full fat sour cream, but you can also use whole milk plain Greek yogurt or whipped/blended cottage cheese as your sauce base.
Hot Sauce
Use whatever brand of hot sauce you love most and adjust the amounts according to how spicy you want it. Keep in mind the shrimp and salsa also have spice added to them. You can substitute cayenne powder, Tajín, or the chile lime seasoning from Trader Joe’s.
For the Bowls
I serve this Blackened Shrimp and Pineapple Salsa like a classic burrito bowl with steamed white (or brown) rice. You can make it from dry or buy the precooked frozen rice packets from Trader Joe’s to save time. I also top the bowls with shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.
How to Make Blackened Shrimp Bowls
Step 1
First, make the salsa. Combine all ingredients and season to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Step 2
Next make the taco sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Feel free to add water 1 teaspoon at a time until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
Step 3
For the shrimp, heat a generous drizzle of oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat. Pat your shrimp dry then coat evenly with the listed spices. Pan fry for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through.
Step 4
Assemble your bowls with the rice, lettuce, shrimp, pineapple salsa, taco sauce, cilantro and fresh lime to serve.
Storing and Reheating Blackened Shrimp Bowls
Shrimp is best cooked and eaten the same day, but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat blackened shrimp by frying it in a pan with a little oil over medium-low heat until warmed through.
The pineapple salsa can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, but you may need to drain some of the liquid over time. You can also store the taco sauce in the fridge in a jar or other airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Store the shrimp, salsa, and sauce separately.
Tips for Making the Best Blackened Shrimp Bowls
- To thaw frozen shrimp, set it in the refrigerator at least a day before you want to cook it. For quickly thawing frozen shrimp, either rinse the shrimp under cold water for 5 to 10 minutes or submerge them in a bowl for 10 to 20 minutes before cooking. You don’t want to use warm or hot water to thaw frozen shrimp because it will cook them unevenly and make them tough.
- Mix all the blackened shrimp spices in a small bowl before adding to the shrimp. That way the spices will be evenly distributed.
- Try this 5-Minute Lime Butter Shrimp recipe as an alternative to the blackened method.
- For the taco sauce, you can add water 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches the perfect drizzly consistency.
- Patting the shrimp dry with paper towels before seasoning and cooking them is the key to getting really good blackened shrimp. By drying the shrimp first, they’ll be less likely to stick to the pan and the spices will stick to the shrimp better and blacken nicely.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The blackened shrimp can be used in most shrimp recipes, like this Shrimp and Veggie Stir Fry or these Shrimp Sesame Noodles. So once you nail this method, you can use it over and over again with other ingredients.
- You can also use the pineapple salsa on its own with chips, which is perfect for bringing to parties or when you’re hosting them yourself. You can also use this salsa in other recipes anytime a fresh salsa or tropical fruit seems appropriate. Think burrito/taco bowls, grilled meat and veggie skewers, fish tacos, and salmon.
- You can make the pineapple salsa and taco sauce ahead of time so that all you have to do when dinner time rolls around is season and cook the shrimp, which takes almost no time at all.
