This is everything I love about shrimp tacos packed into a bowl, and smothered with a creamy baja sauce! It is phenomenally delicious, healthy, and perfect to meal prep! You can make all the components in advance, and then store them in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
These shrimp taco bowls contain smoky shrimp smothered in spices. I love how quickly shrimp cook, because occasionally (all the time) I get home from work and I’m tired, hungry, and need food FAST. Enter: shrimp. If you have everything prepped and ready, all you have to do is sear shrimp and you could have this on the table in five minutes!
Making the perfect bowl:
These bowls start with a layer of your favorite greens (I like to use a combo of butter lettuce and arugula). Then it’s topped with some grains and delicious creamy slaw. The creamy baja sauce that I use for the slaw contains mostly yogurt, with a little bit of avocado oil mayonnaise. It tastes like the real deal but is healthy enough to eat every day. I love when this happens.
Base layers: greens topped with quinoa and creamy slaw.
Once the base layers are ready to go, it’s time for toppings! This is where you can get creative and use all your favorites, but I’m completely in love with sweet mini tomatoes, queso fresco, avocado, diced red onion, and mango (for that bite of sweetness). So much flavor packed into one bowl!
This is how good the bowl looks before we even add the baja sauce. It’s so good it doesn’t need the sauce because we already have so much flavor, but don’t worry, sauce is coming!
Now it gets smothered in delicious sauce, and a couple squeezes of lime! AND, you can enjoy this entire bowl knowing that it’s HEALTHY! I could eat this every single day. It’s that good.
Make this bowl! Share it with your friends! You are in for such a treat!!!
Healthy California Shrimp Taco Bowls
Smoky shrimp, creamy slaw and all the fresh flavors of shrimp tacos get packed into a flavor-blasted bowl! This is perfect for healthy meal prep that will last all week!
Don't let the long ingredient list scare you! This comes together easily.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dried quinoa or your favorite grain!
- 5 cups arugula or your favorite greens!
- 1 cup small tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 medium purple onion, finely chopped
- 1-2 avocados, sliced
- 1 cup cacique or feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 mango, cubed
- 2 limes, quartered
Shrimp:
- 1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, thawed
- 3 tbsp avocado oil, divided
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Slaw and Baja Sauce:
- 3 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 2 tbsp avocado oil mayo
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp ground ancho chile powder
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
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Combine shrimp, 1 tbsp avocado oil, remaining spices and salt in a bowl to marinate. I prefer to let them marinate at least two hours, but 20 minutes is good enough in a pinch.
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Cook quinoa according to package directions. I prefer to cook mine in chicken broth.
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To make baja sauce, whisk together yogurt, avocado oil mayo, cilantro, lime juice, ancho chile powder, and salt. Mix some of the baja sauce into the shredded cabbage until it's lightly covered. Save the rest of the sauce to top each bowl.
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For shrimp: heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add avocado oil. Once the pan is hot, sear the shrimp 2-3 minutes per side. They should be completely pink.
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To assemble bowls: layer arugula on bottom of bowl. Top with quinoa and slaw. Then top with shrimp, chopped veggies, avocado, cheese, and baja sauce. Squeeze lime on top right before eating. Buen provecho!
Oh, so you like tacos? Try out these breakfast tacos next!
This recipe sings to me!!
One question; is Greek yogurt okay for the dressing?
Greek yogurt should be fine. If it seems too thick just add a splash of water. Enjoy!