Fresh Shrimp and Creamy Avocado Bowls (Printable)

Grilled shrimp with creamy avocado, nutty quinoa, and bright mango salsa topped with tangy lime chili sauce for a refreshing bowl.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Shrimp

01 - 1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Quinoa and Avocado

06 - 1 cup cooked quinoa
07 - 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced

→ Mango Salsa

08 - 1 mango, peeled and diced
09 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
10 - 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
11 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
12 - Juice of 1 lime
13 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
14 - Salt to taste

→ Lime Chili Sauce

15 - 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
16 - 1 tablespoon lime juice
17 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
18 - Salt to taste

→ Garnish

19 - Lime wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine mango, red onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño, lime juice, cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and set aside.
03 - In a small bowl, stir together sour cream or Greek yogurt, lime juice, chili powder, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
04 - Heat a grill pan or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until pink and cooked through. Remove from heat.
05 - Divide cooked quinoa among four bowls. Top each with sliced avocado. Place grilled shrimp alongside the quinoa and avocado in each bowl.
06 - Spoon mango salsa generously over the shrimp. Drizzle lime chili sauce over the mango salsa and shrimp. Garnish with lime wedges and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything tastes alive and fresh, like you're eating sunshine straight from the bowl.
  • It looks restaurant gorgeous but comes together faster than most takeout orders.
  • The contrast between smoky shrimp, creamy avocado, and zingy salsa hits every craving at once.
  • You can prep the components ahead and toss them together right before eating, which saved me on more than one busy weeknight.
02 -
  • Don't skip the marinating time for the shrimp, even 15 minutes makes a huge difference in how much flavor they absorb.
  • If your avocado isn't ripe, it'll be hard and flavorless, so press gently near the stem and make sure it gives just a little.
  • The mango salsa tastes better after sitting for 10 minutes, so make it first and let the lime juice work its magic.
  • Overcooking shrimp turns them rubbery fast, so watch them closely and pull them off the heat as soon as they curl and turn opaque.
03 -
  • Pat the shrimp completely dry before tossing them in the marinade so the spices stick better and they get a nice sear instead of steaming.
  • Use a ripe but firm mango for the salsa, if it's too soft it'll turn mushy and watery instead of staying in pretty, juicy cubes.
  • Make the lime chili sauce a little thinner by adding a teaspoon of water or lime juice so it drizzles more easily and doesn't sit in a thick blob.
  • If you're grilling outdoors, thread the shrimp onto skewers so they don't fall through the grates and you can flip them all at once.
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