These flavorful Shrimp Fajita Bowls are a healthy vegetarian meal loaded with fresh vegetables and brown rice that can be ready in about 30 minutes.
Perfect for Meatless Monday or Fajita Friday (that's a thing right?)... okay, how about Lenten Fridays instead.
Fajita Bowls are so much fun to eat. All the flavors of fajitas served over rice instead of in a tortilla.
And this recipe is ready in about 30 minutes, which includes cooking the brown rice. Just get the rice going, then chop your veggies and start cooking. Everything should finish up about the same time.
The Fastest Way to Cook Brown Rice
I know some of you are thinking there is no way brown rice can be ready in under 30 minutes.
While steaming brown rice takes 40-50 minutes you can easily shave 20 minutes if you know the trick. Instead of steaming, cook it like pasta.
Start by boiling about 4-5 times as much water as rice (1 cup rice, 4-5 cups water). Pour in the rice, stir and simmer for 25-30 minutes. When the rice is tender to your liking, drain off the remaining water.
Steaming can sometimes leave the rice unevenly cooked with mushy on the bottom and crunchy on the top. But, this method surrounds each grain in boiling water resulting in evenly cooked, fluffy brown rice.
What Type of Shrimp to Use for Shrimp Fajita Bowls?
I would recommend either tail on or peeled shrimp for this. The size is up to you. Medium (41-50) or large (31-40) would work well.
If you go with small, they will cook faster, so watch the timing so they do not become rubbery.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (+ more, if needed)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium yellow pepper (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium orange bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 pounds shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 4 cups prepared plain brown rice or cilantro lime rice (recipe below)
- chopped cilantro and lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Start preparing the rice for the Cilantro Lime Rice (see recipe below). Then cut your vegetables and proceed with the recipe.. Everything should be done about the same time.
- Add two tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the bell peppers and red onion. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Sauté until the vegetables soften and develop a bit of color, stirring occasionally, about 7-10 minutes.
- Remove peppers and onions from skillet and add the shrimp. Sprinkle with ground cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and cook just until the shrimp turns opaque, about 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook.
- To serve, divide the rice between four serving bowls and top each bowl with the cooked vegetables and shrimp. Garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups brown rice
- 1 fresh lime
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)
- salt and black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, combine the rice with 4-5 cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium low for 25 minutes. Taste a few grains for tenderness. When rice is cooked to your preference, drain remaining water.
- While rice is cooking zest and juice the lime and chop the cilantro.
- Fluff cooked rice with a fork and stir in fresh lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Albertina
This recipe looks so delicious and the pictures of shrimp are killing me it looks so good!
Marilyn
Thank you for hosting! This is what I featured the week of 10-12-to 10-16-2020 on my blog. On Tuesday was Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Paella. Wednesday was Crock Pot Meatballs and Gravy. Thursday was Pierogi and Sausage Crock Pot. And winding up Crock Pot week was Crock pot Sausage and Sauerkraut. Enjoy!