Shrimp Taco Bowls with Pineapple Salsa

Healthy shrimp taco bowls are overloaded with flavor and texture. Bonus – they can be made ahead for grab-and-go meals all week long! 

I’m pretty sure I could eat tacos every day and be perfectly happy. (Have you seen that Taco Cleanse book? It has my name written alllll over it!)

The problem is when I make tacos, I always end up eating too many of them. However, I’ve found that if I pile the ingredients into a bowl instead – like a taco salad – I’m satisfied with a much more reasonable portion. I think it’s because I’m forced to slow down and eat with an actual fork.

These shrimp taco bowls with fresh pineapple salsa are my jam. They’re low cal, filling, and totally delicious. They have everything you could want: smokey grilled shrimp, crisp cabbage, creamy avocado, sweet-spicy pineapple salsa, and crunchy chips. You could skip the chips if you really wanted to, but in my world some sort of crunchy taco “shell” is non-negotiable. You only need a few to make these bowls extra special.

The shrimp are just as tasty cold as they are warm, so these taco bowls are also great for making ahead if you’re into meal prep.

For me, one of the highlights of these shrimp taco bowls (besides the chips) is fresh pineapple salsa. The sweet tropical flavor goes really well with the grilled shrimp and avocado.

This pineapple salsa is a riff off of the one I used on my jerk turkey burgers. I swapped out the scallions for red onion and omitted the lime juice. You can mix and match them though, so go ahead and make a double batch for burgers if you want. It’s also really good on hot dogs with a little sriracha. Just saying.

I went back and forth over what to use as the base for these taco bowls. I didn’t want to use rice or another grain because then it would be more of a burrito bowl than a taco bowl. And lettuce seemed too salad-y. Cabbage ended up being perfect. It’s surprisingly delicious dressed with lime juice, olive oil, and salt! A whole cabbage yields a ridiculous amount of shredded cabbage, so I buy a small container of coleslaw mix. The one I used here had red cabbage, carrots, and broccoli, but you can get as fancy or as basic with it as you want.

Shrimp Taco Bowls with Pineapple Salsa

Yield: 4

 

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Ingredients

• 1 pound raw shrimp, cleaned
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chile lime seasoning (see note)
• 1 cup pineapple cubes
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 2 cups cole slaw mix or shredded cabbage
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 2 ounces corn tortilla chips
• lime slices, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Brush the shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with chile lime seasoning. Grill or sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, turning once, or until cooked through.

While the shrimp cook, prepare the salsa. Finely dice the pineapple, onion and jalapeño; chop the cilantro. Combine the salsa ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

In a second bowl, combine the cole slaw mix, lime juice, and olive oil. Mix well and season to taste with salt.

To assemble the bowls, add 1/2 cup of the cabbage to each of four bowls. Top with shrimp, pineapple salsa, beans, and avocado slices. Tuck in a few tortilla chips. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Notes

I love the chile lime seasoning from Trader Joes (also available on Amazon.) Tajin classic seasoning is also good and can be found in most major grocery stores. Of course, you can also make your own! I love using this seasoning on fish or chicken, but it's also great sprinkled into homemade salsa or on watermelon or pineapple. 

Nutrition Information

Amount Per Serving Calories 333 Total Fat 15g Saturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 183mg Sodium 211mg Fiber 7g Sugar 7g Protein 27g