FridgeToTable

What to Make With Shrimp and Rice: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners

Shrimp and rice is a fast bowl because the shrimp are done when they turn pink, which is sooner than the rice. Cook the rice first, or use cold rice, and put the shrimp in at the end. These three are a garlic skillet, a fried rice, and a quick tomato rice. Overcooked shrimp is the only way this dinner fails. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.

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Quick picks: 3 dinners with shrimp and rice in 30 minutes or less

Fastest option: a 15-minute dinner

15 min

Garlic shrimp and rice

Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Shrimp sear with garlic and lemon and spoon over warm rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb shrimp
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Steps

  1. Warm the rice. Pat the shrimp dry and salt them.
  2. Sear the shrimp in oil in one layer until pink. Don't pile them.
  3. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the lemon juice.
  4. Spoon the shrimp and the pan juices over the rice. The rice should taste like the pan, not like a plain side.

Keeps: Best tonight. Shrimp the next day are fine and not as sweet.

One-pan option

Garlic shrimp and rice is already one skillet. There is no second pan to wash.

The other dinners

18 min

Shrimp fried rice

Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Cold rice fries, then shrimp go in for the last two minutes so they stay tender.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb shrimp
  • 3 cups cold cooked rice
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic

Steps

  1. Pat the shrimp dry. Salt them.
  2. Fry the cold rice in a hot skillet until it crackles. Push it aside.
  3. Cook the shrimp in the empty space until they turn pink, a minute or two a side.
  4. Add the eggs, garlic, and soy sauce and toss everything just until the eggs set.

Keeps: Fridge for 1 day. Reheat gently. Shrimp toughen if you blast them.

25 min

Tomato shrimp rice

Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Rice simmers in tomato, and shrimp cook on top for the last few minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb shrimp
  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cloves garlic

Steps

  1. Stir the tomato paste and garlic into a pot with a little oil until the paste darkens.
  2. Add the rice, water, and salt. Cover and cook 12 minutes.
  3. Lay the shrimp on top. Cover 4 more minutes, until the shrimp are pink and the rice is tender.
  4. Rest 3 minutes. Don't stir the shrimp into bits.

Keeps: Fridge for 1 day.

Make it with leftovers

Cold rice is what the fried rice wants. Cooked shrimp should only be warmed, a minute at most, or they go rubbery. Raw shrimp belong in the garlic skillet and the tomato pot for the last few minutes, not the whole simmer.

More dinners from leftovers

Pantry staples you'll need

  • Oil
  • Salt
  • Garlic
  • Lemon
  • Soy sauce
  • Tomato paste

No rice: the garlic shrimp is a pasta dinner. See shrimp and pasta. No shrimp: the rice cards on the egg and rice page are the pantry fallback.

When there is nothing in the fridge

Picky-eater and healthy tweaks

Plain garlic shrimp and white rice, lemon on the side, is the calm plate. Skip soy sauce and tomato for a child who wants it to look like shrimp and rice and nothing else.

Shrimp don't need a butter bath. Oil, garlic, and lemon are enough. A cup of rice per person is plenty. Peas can go in the fried rice.

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Related dinners

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Questions

What can I make with shrimp and rice in 20 minutes?

Garlic shrimp and rice takes 15 minutes, start to plate. Shrimp sear with garlic and lemon and spoon over warm rice.

What's the easiest dinner with shrimp and rice?

Shrimp fried rice is the low-fuss one: one skillet, 18 minutes. Cold rice fries, then shrimp go in for the last two minutes so they stay tender.

Can I make this with leftover or cooked shrimp?

Cold rice is what the fried rice wants. Cooked shrimp should only be warmed, a minute at most, or they go rubbery. Raw shrimp belong in the garlic skillet and the tomato pot for the last few minutes, not the whole simmer.

What else can I add to shrimp and rice for a full meal?

The cards already use shrimp, cold cooked rice, eggs. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.

Is shrimp and rice a healthy dinner?

Shrimp don't need a butter bath. Oil, garlic, and lemon are enough. A cup of rice per person is plenty. Peas can go in the fried rice.

How do I make shrimp and rice kid-friendly?

Plain garlic shrimp and white rice, lemon on the side, is the calm plate. Skip soy sauce and tomato for a child who wants it to look like shrimp and rice and nothing else.

Can I make shrimp and rice in one pan or a sheet pan?

Garlic shrimp and rice uses one skillet and takes 15 minutes. Shrimp sear with garlic and lemon and spoon over warm rice.

What if I don't have rice?

No rice: the garlic shrimp is a pasta dinner. See shrimp and pasta. No shrimp: the rice cards on the egg and rice page are the pantry fallback.