Shrimp fajita bowls are a fresh, balanced, and flavorful meal made with stir-fried onions and peppers and served over cilantro lime rice!

Fajita-inspired meals are a go-to in our household! Chicken, steak, and shrimp make their way into rotation as the protein selection for the meal. We love classic fajitas with tortillas, fajita salads with a bed of lettuce, and fajita bowls that feature rice as a carb source! In this article we share our shrimp fajita bowl variation using flavourful cilantro-lime rice as the base. Full of vibrant and fresh ingredients, these bowls are high in protein and fibre and make a balanced, filling, and energizing meal!

SHRIMP FAJITA BOWLS

Click here for the full nutrition breakdown.

SERVING: this recipes serves 4. Adjust the portion of each serving based on your individual needs and hunger levels. For example, dial the serving of rice up or down to meet your personal carbohydrate requirements or add more peppers and onions for filling volume!

INGREDIENTS

RICE

• 1 cup white or brown rice, dry
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• 1 lime, juiced and zested
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

FAJITA BOWL

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 3 bell peppers, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoon fajita spice mix*
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Optional toppings: avocado slices, lime wedges, jalapeños, cheese, hot sauce, and/or sour cream.

* make your own fajita spice mixture by combining 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper.

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the rice according to the package instructions and preferred cooking method (eg. stovetop or rice cooker). Immediately before serving, combine the rice with the lime juice, lime zest, and fresh cilantro.
2. While the rice cooks, heat the oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Add the sliced peppers and onions alongside half of the fajita spice mix (~ 1 tablespoon). You may need to add small splashes of water to deglaze the pan and prevent burning.
3. While the vegetables cook, toss the shrimp with the remaining fajita spice mixture (~ 1 tablespoon). When the vegetables are softened, add the shrimp. Let the shrimp cook for 2-3 minutes before turning each shrimp to cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side.
4. Assemble the bowl with a scoop of cilantro-lime rice, the vegetable and shrimp mixture, and toppings of choice. We used sliced avocado, lime wedges, and jalapeños!

DIETITIAN THOUGHTS

At Vitality Nutrition our nutritionists encourage clients to build balanced meals and snacks using the Fundamental Four model we teach inside our online course and nutrition coaching programs. The Fundamental Four includes four food groups that each offer unique benefits to blood sugar management, energy levels, sport performance and recovery, and more. Let's review a breakdown of the four food groups and how this meal stacks up!

• Protein: shrimp
• Fat: avocado
• Volume: peppers and onions
• Carbs: rice

Our dietitians teach you to build meal and snack ideas that are unique to your personal goals whether that be managing a chronic condition, changing body composition, improving energy, building a healthy relationship with food, supporting hormones, or navigating changes in the lifecycle like a pregnancy, breastfeeding, peri-menopause or menopause, and others. While these goals may be unique, a foundation that stays consistent is learning to support blood sugars by building meals and snacks that incorporate protein, fats, fibre, and carbohydrates!

MORE RECIPES!

Looking for recipes using eggs? Try our shrimp taco recipe!

If you are looking for support from a Registered Dietitian to plan balanced, nutritious, and quick meals then click here to learn more about our services. Our team of Registered Dietitians supports clients in-person in Saskatoon and Regina and virtually across Saskatchewan!