Grilled Chimichurri Shrimp Bowls on wild whole grains with red pepper salad and arugula

square crop of a brown bowl filled with rice, veggies, and shrimp and a fork on the right side.

5 from 1 vote

Grilled Chimichurri Shrimp Bowls on wild whole grains with red pepper salad and arugula

These Chimichurri Shrimp Bowls come together easily using fresh ingredients and minimal cooking. It makes a perfect easy weeknight meal that’s especially great in the warmer summer and fall months.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword chimichurri, grains, shrimp

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Marinate time 1

Total Time 1 50

Servings servings

Calories 316kcal

Author Debi

Ingredients

Chimichurri

1 cup fresh parsley
¼ cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1/3 cup good-quality oil
2 garlic cloves crushed
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt

Shrimp

1 pound shrimp defrosted, shells and veins removed

Grain mix

1 cup uncooked whole grain wild rice mix or whole grain of choice
1 ¾ cups water more or less according to package directions

Red pepper salad

12-16 ounces roasted red peppers diced
½ cup fresh basil leaves chiffonade
2 garlic cloves minced or pressed
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To make the bowls

Handful fresh arugula

Instructions

Make Chimichurri

Place all chimichurri ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse, scraping down sides occasionally. Transfer to small serving bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature. There will be some leftover chimichurri after you make this recipe.
1 cup fresh parsley, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, 1/3 cup good-quality oil, 2 garlic cloves crushed, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon salt

Marinate shrimp

To prep the shrimp, place the defrosted shrimp in a bowl and season lightly with salt and fresh ground pepper. To marinade, spoon in some of chimichurri sauce, just enough to coat the shrimp, about ½ cup, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 hour. Remove from the fridge and let it come to room temperature before grilling.
1 pound shrimp

Cook grains

While the shrimp marinate, cook the grains. Follow the package directions for cooking grains.
1 cup uncooked whole grain wild rice mix, 1 ¾ cups water

Make red pepper salad

While the shrimp marinate and the grains cook, make the salad. In a large bowl, stir together the chopped red peppers, basil, garlic, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Season to taste.
12-16 ounces roasted red peppers, ½ cup fresh basil leaves , 2 garlic cloves , ½ teaspoon sea salt, Freshly ground black pepper

Grill the shrimp

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. Brush and oil the grill grate. When ready to cook, drain the excess marinade off the shrimp and discard the marinade. It’s ok if there are herbs attached to the shrimp.
Arrange the shrimp on the hot grate so that the shrimp are over the fire. Grill the shrimp until just starting to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp, cook another 2 minutes. When the shrimp are cooked, they’ll turn from gray and translucent to pinkish white and opaque. They’ll be firm to the touch, and the tails will curl slightly. Overcooked shrimp will have tightly curled tails. The shrimp should only take about 2-3 minutes on each side to be fully cooked. Remove them from the grill once they’re done.

Plate the bowls

Using 4 bowls, place a small handful of arugula at the bottom of each bowl. Spoon ¼ of the cooked rice mixture, ¼ of the red pepper salad, and ¼ of the cooked shrimp on top of the arugula in each bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Handful fresh arugula

Notes

If you don’t want to grill the shrimp, they can be cooked inside on the stove in a preheated hot pan or gill pan. A couple minutes on each side, and they should be done.

You can also use this chimichurri grain bowl with shrimp recipe for meal prep and eat throughout the week. I like to store the ingredients separately in the fridge: cooked grains in one airtight container, chimichurri is another container, red pepper salad in another one. Cooked shrimp can be eaten cold from the fridge.

Nutrition