Grilled Mexican Shrimp Kabob Bowls
I am betting your family will have a blast with these healthy and super-easy shrimp kabob bowls as the variations that can be created are endless. So use my “bowl additions” as your guide, choosing all of your family’s favorite proteins, veggies and fun toppings. No shrimp lovers at your house? How about making these kabobs with chicken, salmon, scallops, beef or tofu?
Yield: 4 servings
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- Taco Ranch Dressing or your favorite creamy Mexican-style dressing
- Mango Salsa or your favorite chunky salsa
Baked Tortilla Strips (or your favorite store-bought whole-grain tortilla chips)
- 4 8-inch whole-grain tortillas
- Seasonings as desired such as coarse salt, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, etc.
- Olive oil spray I use an oil sprayer such as the Misto
- Parchment paper or foil optional
Shrimp Marinade
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 2 green onions sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 to 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Hot sauce as desired
- 24 to 26 large raw shrimp about 1 pound, peeled and deveined
- 4 12-inch wooden skewers (*soak in water for 20 minutes to prevent burning)
- Oil for grill rack
Bowl Add-In’s
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved (I used red and yellow)
- 1 cup canned corn drained (without sugar or additives)
- 1 cup canned low-sodium black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 medium ripe avocado peeled, seed removed and flesh cut into chunks
- 1 lime halved
- 1 1-pound package multi-colored mini bell peppers (or 3 large bell peppers, cut into chunks)
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 cups hot cooked brown rice or quinoa
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro and/or parsley optional for stirring into rice
Garnish (optional)
- 1 lemon cut into slices
- 1 lime cut into slices
- 4 dinner-sized bowls
Instructions
Taco Ranch Dressing
- Prepare dressing as directed in recipe. Store covered and refrigerated until serving time.
Mango Salsa
- Prepare salsa as directed in recipe. Store covered and refrigerated until serving time.
Baked Tortilla Strips
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Cut tortillas into 1/2-inch strips. Cut each strip cross-wise into thirds. Arrange strips on a baking sheet. (lined with parchment paper or foil if desired)
- Lightly coat each tortilla strip with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with desired seasonings.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch carefully; do not allow to burn. Tortilla strips will crisp after cooling.
Marinating the Shrimp
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Thread shrimp evenly onto each skewer. Arrange in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Pour marinade over skewers, tossing to coat. Cover; refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning once/
Grilling the Shrimp
- Lightly oil grill rack. Preheat grill to medium-high setting. Place skewers on rack. Discard any remaining marinade.
- Grill for about 3 minutes, turning once. When shrimp are cooked through (inside should be opaque), remove skewers to a platter.
Suggested Assembly (or have everyone make their own yummy creations!)
- In a small bowl, toss corn and black beans with juice of ½ of a lime. Toss avocado with juice of remaining half of lime. (to prevent browning)
- Divide hot cooked rice into bowls. (If desired, toss hot rice with chopped cilantro and/or parsley.)
- In each bowl, arrange cherry tomatoes, black bean-corn mixture, avocado, mini bell peppers, green onions and shredded cheese as desired on top of rice.
- Lay a shrimp skewer across each bowl.
- Garnish each bowl with lemon and lime slices. (optional)
- Serve with small dishes of Taco Ranch Dressing, Mango Salsa and Baked Tortilla Strips or other tortilla chips
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: marinade may be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Store covered and refrigerated. Shrimp should be marinated no more than 30 minutes prior to grilling. Dressing may be made up to 3 days ahead; cover and refrigerate. Salsa may be made up to 2 days ahead; drain before serving. Shrimp bowls are best assembled just prior to serving.
Baked tortilla strips are a delicious crunchy topping for soups, casseroles and salads! They also make a terrific healthy “munch!” Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 month. No time to make? Store-bought whole-grain tortilla chips will be just fine.
Timesaver Tips! Meals-in-a-bowl are intended to be stress-free! So for time-crunched nights, do swap my homemade Taco Ranch Dressing, Mango Salsa and baked tortilla chips with healthy store-bought favorites as needed. And for even quicker prep, have all your ingredients assembled prior to grilling shrimp. This way, these bowls come together in just minutes!
Go kabob crazy! Switch up your skewers by trying any combination of chicken, scallops, fish, beef or tofu. Other kabob dishes you may enjoy are: Chicken ‘n Veggie Souvlaki, Easiest Veggie Kabobs, Beef Kefta Kabobs and Herbed Salmon ‘n Tomato Kabobs.
