Name: Ancho Chili Lime Shrimp Bowls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; Juice of 1 lime (divided); 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided); 2 tablespoons ancho chili crunch (plus a few teaspoons extra for garnish (see note)); 1 pound jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined); 16 ounces cherry tomatoes (halved); 1 large avocado (diced); 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (divided); 4 cups cooked rice

These ancho chili lime shrimp bowls are an easy 30-minute dinner recipe. The shrimp are coated in smoky ancho chili crunch and spices, cooked until tender and juicy, and served over rice with fresh tomatoes and creamy avocado.

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Chili lime shrimp is an easy dinner, and my version amps up the flavor with smoky ancho chili crunch. The shrimp cook right in the sauce, so they soak up all that smoky heat and zingy lime flavor. I like to drizzle a little extra ancho chili crunch over the top before serving for even more flavor and texture.

Pile the shrimp over rice with a fresh tomato avocado salad on the side, and you have a light, flavorful dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Shrimp: I like to use jumbo shrimp for this recipe, but you can use any size you like as long as you have one pound of shrimp.
Ancho chili crunch: This is a prepared condiment that is a mix of ancho chilis, onions, and crunchy garlic in oil.
Spices: Paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
Cooked rice
Olive oil
Lime juice
Avocado
Cherry tomatoes

How to Make It

Prepare the shrimp. Mix the spices, lime juice, ancho chili crunch, and olive oil in large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat them evenly. Set them aside.
Make the avocado salad: Mix the tomatoes, avocado, lime juice, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Set the salad aside.
Cook the shrimp: Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook them for seven to eight minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time.
Assemble the bowls. Divide the rice among four bowls. Top it with the shrimp and avocado salad. Garnish with cilantro.

Recipe Tips

This is a fast recipe, so I like to prep all of the ingredients before the shrimp goes into the pan to cook. They don’t take much time, so have your tomatoes and avocados halved and diced so it’s easy to assemble the bowls once the shrimp are done cooking.
I’ve paired these shrimp with the slaw I use in my shrimp taco bowls, and it’s delicious.
The chili lime shrimp also work great in tacos – skip the bowls and wrap the shrimp in tortillas with your favorite taco toppings to switch it up.
I usually use plain instant rice for these bowls – the ancho chili sauce adds a lot of flavor – cilantro-lime rice would not be wrong either.

ancho chili lime shrimp in a bowl with rice and avocado tomatao salad.

More Easy Bowl Recipes

Chicken Fajita Bowls – seasoned chicken, fresh peppers, ready in no time!
Ground Turkey Taco Bowls – taco bowls with all the toppings.
Shrimp Fajita Bowls – fajitas but with shrimp served up bowl-style
Chicken Taco Bowls – ground chicken taco meat with rice and toppings

Ancho Chili Lime Shrimp Bowls

Easy ancho chili lime shrimp bowls with smoky chili crunch, rice, and fresh tomato avocado salad. A flavorful 30-minute dinner recipe perfect for weeknights dinners.

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Author: April Anderson

Servings: servings

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 30

Ingredients

½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Juice of 1 lime divided
2 tablespoons olive oil divided
2 tablespoons ancho chili crunch plus a few teaspoons extra for garnish (see note)
1 pound jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
16 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
1 large avocado diced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro divided
4 cups cooked rice

Instructions

Mix paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, juice from ½ a lime, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the ancho chili crunch in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat them evenly.
Mix the tomatoes, avocado, and 1 tablespoon of cilantro in a medium bowl. Add juice from ½ a lime and toss to combine. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Adjust the heat to medium, add the shrimp, and cook them on each side for three to four minutes.
Place the cooked rice in bowls. Top the rice with the cooked shrimp. Place some tomato avocado salad alongside. Drizzle the top of the shrimp with some ancho chili crunch. Sprinkle the rest of the cilantro over the top.

Notes

I use Kinder’s ancho chili crunch for this recipe. It’s a blend of ancho chilis, onions, and crunchy garlic that you can use for all kinds of things, but I love it for this shrimp recipe. I’ve seen it at most grocery stores, and it’s available on Amazon, too.