A sesame garlic shrimp stir fry packed with Swiss chard, edamame, and spinach is served over brown rice to make healthy bowls for a fast weeknight dinner!
Eating Your Greens Never Tasted This Good
You’re right there with me, aren’t you? Please say yes.
All the new year resolutions are in full swing. Exercise more. Be kind. Take 10,000 steps. Drink less wine. Drink more water. Get organized. Have better life balance. And of course, eat better — and healthier.
But will those (re)solutions turn into actual habits? Yes. Yes they can.
Let’s do this together, okay?
Starting with this insanely good (and good for you) Asian shrimp bowl that’s loaded with greens galore and flavored with a savory sesame ginger sauce that doubles as the both the marinade for the shrimp and the dressing for the greens.
This recipe is a meal prepper’s dream and it’s easy to customize with your favorite bowl base and vegetables. Healthy eating never tasted this good.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Mix and match the veggies. Leafy spinach and rainbow chard wilt down fast and are nutritional powerhouses, making them my top choice for this recipe. You can sub in pretty much any vegetable though, noting that most anything else will take longer to cook.
Don’t over marinate the shrimp. Yep, that’s a thing. Shrimp is already very tender, so the point of the marinade is simply to infuse it with flavor. If you let the shrimp soak in the acidic marinade for more than an hour, it will make the shrimp tough and grainy rather than succulent and juicy.
If making this for meal prep, have your rice cooked ahead of time, and buy your shrimp already shelled, cleaned, and deveined to make the prep even easier.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Shrimp — Wild-caught shrimp will deliver the sweetest flavor, and I prefer purchasing big 21/25 shrimp because they tend to stay juicier and are harder to overcook.
- Sesame ginger sauce — This doubles as the shrimp marinade and the stir-fry sauce. It’s a mixture of ponzu sauce (kind of like a citrusy soy sauce), fresh ginger, sesame oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Greens — My combo of choice is spinach, rainbow chard, and green onions. You can also use kale, bok choy, turnip greens, or another favorite leafy green veg.
- Edamame — Add a hefty dose of plant-based protein, which will help keep you fuller for longer. My grocery store usually only has frozen edamame; if that’s the case for you too, be sure to thaw it beforehand.
- Rice — I prefer making these Asian shrimp bowls with brown rice, but steamed white rice or cauliflower rice may also be used.
How to Make Asian Shrimp Bowls
- Marinate the shrimp. Just 30 minutes is all the shrimp needs to soak up the sesame sauce.
- Stir-fry the shrimp. I suggest doing this in batches (even if your skillet is very large) to prevent the shrimp from steaming.
- Stir-fry the veggies. In the now-empty pan, add whatever’s left of the marinade and stir-fry the greens just until wilted. Then, add the shrimp back to the pan.
- Assemble your bowls. Divide the rice between the bowls, then top with the shrimp and greens. I like to sprinkle some sesame seeds on top as garnish.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Sesame Shrimp Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
Sesame Ginger Marinade
- ½ cup ponzu sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
- ¼ teaspoon red chile flakes
Bowls
- 1 pound large shrimp , shelled and deveined with tails removed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 5 cups rainbow swiss chard , chopped with hearty stems removed
- 6 green onions , chopped
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 4 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Marinate the shrimp. In a medium size bowl, whisk the ponzu sauce, grated ginger, sesame oil, garlic, and red chile flakes. Add the shrimp to the sauce and toss to coat. Set aside the shrimp to marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator (or up to 1 hour).
- Cook the shrimp. Set a large pan or a wok over high heat and add the oil to the pan. Add half of the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked on one side then stir the shrimp quickly with a wooden spoon or tongs for another minute until the shrimp is browned on each side. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and add a bit more oil of needed. Then add the rest of the shrimp to the pan, repeating the cooking process, and transfer to the bowl when cooked.
- Cook the veggies. Pour the remaining marinade in the pan and bring to a boil then scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the green onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the swiss chard, spinach, and edamame and cook, tossing often like stir fry for 1-2 minutes or until slightly wilted.
- Add the shrimp back to the greens. Stir to combine. Garnish with more green onions and sesame seeds.
- Serve. Divide the brown rice to serving bowls and top with the shrimp and greens. Serve immediately with Sriracha sauce if you like it spicy.
Recipe Variations
- Swap the shrimp for 1-inch cubes of chicken and increase the cook time to about 5 to 7 minutes total.
- Swap in crispy baked tofu to keep these bowls plant-based.
- Stir-fry extra veggies for the bowls, like bell pepper, mushrooms, or zucchini.
- Use toasted sesame oil for a richer flavor.
- Replace the brown rice with couscous, bulgur, cauliflower rice, or quinoa.
- Add shredded carrot or pickled radishes for freshness and crunch.
- Drizzle with spicy mayo for added oomph.
More Healthy Bowl Recipes
- Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowls
- How to Make Buddha Bowls
- Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash And Guacamole Rice Bowls
- Korean Beef Bulgogi Bowls Recipe
- Sesame Shrimp With Asian Greens Rice Bowl
- Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls
- Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls
- Orange Chicken Bowls
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sandy fornear
I found your recipe when searching under “31 Healthy Shrimp Recipes to Make”. While it does seem healthy, it would be very nice to have the nutritional values posted…maybe in future?
Hi Sandy, yes, I’m slowly going through all the recipes posts on the site and updating them with nutritional info. Stay tuned!
Angela
Do you think you could make this with chicke? Also, what is ponzu sauce, and where can I find it? Thanks!
Hi Angela, yes you can definitely make it with chicken. Ponzu is a citrus-flavored soy sauce that isn’t quite as salty. You can find it in the Asian aisle of most any grocery store. Enjoy!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Hi Angela! Ponzu is a soy sauce based sauce that you could either find in the asian food isle or make your own. Enjoy!
Alisa
Today is really amazing day, I just found Amazing recipe for this special day, Thank You Admin
Jess
I just realized, I am working from home tomorrow and I don’t have any leftovers to eat….but I do have frozen shrimp and some fresh spinach!
In the spirit of your post I’ll adapt the recipe to what I have on hand. Maybe teriyaki for the sauce because I don’t have ponzu? I’m looking forward to a delish lunch!!
Laura | Tutti Dolci
Such a gorgeous Asian-inspired bowl!
Beth
Wow that looks amazing!
Please see my stroganoff video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qdQZ7JuuPg
marcie
It’s easy to eat healthy with a dish as flavorful and gorgeous as this!
Patricia Gillogly
Hi, is ponzu sauce readily available in the Asian section of my market? I don’t recall ever seeing it….I will look.
Kari
Yum! This looks so healthy AND delicious!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/antioxidant-smoothie-post-raisin-bran/
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps
What a beautiful start to my Monday!
Sara @ Last Night's Feast
This looks so delicious!
Recipes and Cooking Guide
Hmm … super yummy! Thank you for submitting this delicious recipe.