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Packed with fiber-packed brown rice and piled high with plump sautéed shrimp, sweet imitation crab and plenty of veggies, our Shrimp Poke Bowl will satisfy your sushi cravings right at home. And because no sushi roll is complete without a little sauce, we drizzle each bowl with a sweet soy glaze and an impossibly easy spicy mayo you’ll want to put on everything.
Shrimp Poke Bowl
I have a new love and it comes in the form of a Shrimp Poke Bowl. In short, we’ve curated all the ingredients of my two favorite non-raw sushi rolls – a spicy crab roll and a spicy shrimp roll and transformed it into a healthy fiber, protein and veggie-packed bowl even sushi pessimists will enjoy.
We start with a brown rice base and then pile the bowls with crunchy edamame sweet sautéed shrimp, imitation crab and creamy avocado. Of course no sushi roll is completely without sauce and here we drizzle the whole shrimp poke bowl with both a sweet soy glaze and an easy homemade spicy mayo.
Before I get hate for it, I do realize imitation crab gets a bad rap but I have a secret crush on it. As long as you aren’t using it as a replacement fo real crab (please don’t even think about swapping out the lump crab in our PERFECT crab cakes.), it’s kind of quintessential in many sushi rolls. If you’re deeply offended by it, just double up on the shrimp.
Let’s get started!
Ingredients
Rice. Again we are going the healthy route with brown rice. Because these shrimp poke bowls are meant to be a quick, easy meal I go with frozen brown rice from Trader Joe’s. It’s ready in three minutes and has the most perfect sticky texture. We love it.
Sesame oil. To give the shrimp a little bit of flavor we cook them in just a touch of sesame oil.
Shrimp. Again to save time I buy fresh shrimp already shelled and deveined. You could also buy frozen shrimp and defrost them.
Veggies. Cucumber is traditional in most rolls but I like to up the veggie factor with a handful of edamame as well.
Avocado. Creamy avocado is a must!
Soy glaze. One of my favorites parts of many sushi rolls is the eel sauce drizzle over the top. This soy glaze is VERY similar and so good. We drizzle it on salmon, chicken and pretty much anything we can.
Imitation crab. We talked about the before and I really don’t think you should skip it!
Sesame seeds. I love to finish the bowls off with a generous sprinkling of black sesame seed.
What you need for the spicy mayo.
- light mayo (Let’s not fatten this up any more than we have to.)
- srirracha
- rice vinegar
- sesame oil
- salt
Let’s make Shrimp Poke Bowls
Cook the rice. If you haven’t already cook your rice. If I’m doing frozen rice, I pop it in the microwave and let it sit there until I’m ready to assemble.
Prep! Shrimp cook FAST so I like to prep everything ahead of time. Slice the cucumber and crab into matchsticks. Slice the avocado.
Cook the shrimp. Heat a large skillet to a medium-high heat. While the pan heats, cut all the tails off the shrimp. Add the oil. Season the shrimp with plenty of salt. Swirl the pan and add the shrimp. Cook for 1-2 minutes, flip and cook another 30 seconds until bright pink and cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
Make the mayo. Add mayo, rice vinegar, sriracha, and sesame oil to a small bowl, whisk to combine. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Assemble. Spoon your spicy mayo in a small ziplock baggie. Snip the corner off with scissors. Spoon some rice in the bottom of each bowl. Top with a handful of shrimp and some crab. Fill in the with cucumber, avocado and edamame. Drizzle with soy glaze and spicy mayo.
Can I make poke bowls in advance?
Yes! You can cook and assemble everything ahead of time. These are a great option for meal prep!
Are poke bowls better warm or room temperature?
I like them both ways. I love to assemble and eat them while the shrimp and rice are warm but they are just as good at room temperature or straight out of thee fridge.
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Be sure you season the shrimp really well and don’t over cook it!
- Guys that’s it. There is no way anyone can mess these up!
Substitutions
- Swap out the shrimp for salmon or cooked lobster, Yum!
- Use quinoa, white rice or even barley or farro in place of brown rice.
- Diced mango would add a really nice sweet element.
- Sliced jalapeno would add another layer of heat – bring on the spice!
Shrimp Poke Bowls
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil, divided
- 1 1/4 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 3/4 shelled edamame
- 5 oz imitation crab
- 1/2 medium cucumber, sliced into matchsticks
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp srriracha
- 1/4 cup soy glaze
- 2 tsp black sesame seeds
Equipment
Instructions
- If you haven't already cook your rice and prep your veggies.
- Heat a large skillet to a medium-high heat. While the pan heats, cut all the tails off the shrimp if you haven't already. Add one teaspoon of sesame oil. Season the shrimp with plenty of salt. Swirl the pan to evenly distribute the oil and add the shrimp. Cook for 1-2 minutes, flip and cook another 30 seconds until bright pink and cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
- Add mayo, rice vinegar, sriracha, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil to a small bowl, whisk to combine. Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Spoon your spicy mayo in a small ziplock baggie. Snip the corner off with scissors.
- Spoon some rice in the bottom of each bowl. Top with a handful of shrimp and some crab. Fill in with the with cucumber, avocado and edamame. Drizzle with soy glaze and spicy mayo. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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