Peruvian Shrimp Bowls

These easy Peruvian Shrimp Bowls - made with sauteed shrimp, the most delicious creamy cilantro sauce inspired by Peruvian aji verde, veggies, and rice - come together in less than 20 minutes! 

Lately, I have been looking for new ways to change up the flavors in my favorite blackened shrimp bowls. As much as I love those flavors, I wanted something different.

Then, after eating the most amazing Peruvian shrimp dish last week, I knew I needed an at-home version with perfectly cooked shrimp, aji verde (your new favorite sauce), and the most delicious Peruvian criolla made with tomatoes and red onions. 

The real star of this dish is the amazing green cilantro and mint sauce. It is inspired by Peruvian Aji Verde, a green sauce made with fresh cilantro, jalapeno, mint, garlic, and lime juice. It tastes good on everything.  Trust me, make a triple batch. 

Now when it comes to serving this dish, you can customize these bowls with all different veggies, fresh herbs, and extra lime. You can even swap out the protein (the salmon in these salmon sushi bowls would be delish) or grains. Just don't miss the sauce! 

And if you love bowl recipes as much as I do, don't miss this Asian Rice Bowl, Crispy Salmon Bowl, Thai Bowl, or Taco Bowl.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here is everything you need to make these Peruvian Shrimp Bowls.

• Shrimp: Any shrimp works in this recipe, but medium to large shrimp are recommended. Make sure to buy shelled and deveined raw shrimp for the easiest option. Frozen shrimp are fine, defrost them before cooking. If you don't love shrimp, make these bowls with chili lime chicken, salmon, or tofu.
• Spices: To ensure the shrimp is flavorful, give it a quick marinade in olive oil, lime juice, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. 
• Rice: Use any rice you like, including white rice or brown rice. The bowls can also be made with quinoa or another grain. Add fresh lime juice and cilantro to the rice for even more flavor. For a more traditional Peruvian rice, saute 4 garlic cloves in oil to start. Then toast the rice in the oil. Then add the water and cook. 
• Aji Verde: This sauce is made with a combination of Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, mint, and jalapeno. Leave out the jalapeno if you don't like things spicy. Swap in basil or parsley if you aren't a fan of cilantro.  For a more authentic sauce, use all mayonnaise and add 1/4 cup parmesan or cotija cheese. 

Build Your Peruvian Shrimp Bowls

When making any rice or grain bowl, always start with the ingredients that take the longest. While those cook, you can continue to prep everything else. 

1. Prepare the rice or grains

Start by making white rice, brown rice, quinoa, sushi rice, or another grain. You can do this on the stovetop, in an Instant Pot, or in a rice cooker. To speed up prep, consider using precooked packaged or frozen rice. 

For a lighter option, consider using a bed of greens or cauliflower rice. We love these bowls with cilantro-lime cauliflower rice. 

2. Prep the toppings and sauce

It's time to make the amazing aji verde cilantro mint sauce. It couldn't be easier! 

• Aji verde: Add Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, cilantro, mint, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor. Process the sauce until it is creamy and smooth. Taste and season as needed.  Like most sauces, this cilantro mint sauce only gets better the longer it sits in the fridge; if you can, prep it a day in advance. Want a more authentic aji verde? Use all mayonnaise and add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese or cotija cheese.
• Peruvian salsa criolla:  This is totally optional, but I highly recommend it. Combine one thinly sliced red onion, two diced tomatoes, up to one chopped jalapeño (or ají amarillo), juice of two limes, and two tablespoons chopped cilantro; mix well and let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.

3. Cook the shrimp

Shrimp is a fast-cooking protein, so don't cook it until you are almost ready to eat. Here are three easy ways to cook shrimp. 

• Sauteed: It's so easy to cook shrimp in a skillet. Once the shrimp is seasoned with the spices, heat the oil in the skillet and cook it for 2-3 minutes on each side until it is opaque, light pink, and curled into a "C" shape. Do not overcook the shrimp; the exact cooking time depends on size. 
• Grilled: Shrimp is really delicious on the grill. The easiest method is to cook it in a grill basket or on skewers, as the shrimp can fall through the grates. Cook it for 2-3 minutes on each side. 
• Baked: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 4-6 minutes until cooked through, or broil it for 3-4 minutes. 

When is the shrimp done? Shrimp is done when it is opaque and light pink in color. It will also slightly curl into a C shape but shouldn't curl into a circle. When shrimp curls too much, it is a sign it is overcooked. 

4. Assemble the bowls

Now it's time to put the bowls together! Start with the rice or grains. Layer in the shrimp and vegetables. Drizzle on the aji cilantro sauce! 

If prepping these in advance, pack the sauce and any fragile vegetables or toppings separately. I've included more on that below.

Peruvian Shrimp Bowl Variations

These delicious shrimp bowls can be customized based on what you have in your fridge, freezer, and pantry. They can be made spicy or mild, with rice or a low-carb option, with shrimp or another protein—the options are endless. 

• Make it low-carb: For a low-carb option, serve this over some cauliflower rice, greens, or zucchini noodles.
• Add vegetables: This shrimp and rice bowl is delicious with cucumbers, carrots, edamame, red cabbage, Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, or any cooked veggies you have on hand. 
• Add beans: Add extra protein and fiber with black beans, pinto beans, white beans, or chickpeas. 
• Make it less spicy: For those who don't like spice, leave the jalapenos out when making the aji verde.
• Change the protein: If shrimp isn't your favorite, this will work with chicken, pork, steak, salmon, or another fish or seafood. It also works with tofu or tempeh. 
• Tropical twist: To add a layer of flavor, make coconut rice using canned coconut milk to replace some of the cooking liquid for the rice. Add shredded coconut and a touch of sugar to bring out the sweetness of the coconut.
• Change the sauce: Make these bowls with different sauces to change the flavor. We love them with bang bang sauce (like in this Bang Bang Cauliflower), Chipotle Sauce, or Peanut Sauce.

Meal Prep Tips and Storage

These Peruvian shrimp bowls are an excellent option for meal prep since the shrimp, rice, and sauce can all be made in advance. The shrimp bowls keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days. The sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Make sure to let the shrimp and rice fully cool before packing them into individual containers. Then, pack the sauce on the side along with any vegetables or herbs so that it can be added after heating the bowls.