Salsa Verde Shrimp & Rice – Easy 15 Minute Meal

Salsa verde shrimp and rice is incredibly flavorful, easy to make (ready in just 15 minutes) and the perfect busy weeknight dinner recipe. This recipe uses simple ingredients like frozen veggies and store-bought salsa verde, helping you make an incredibly delicious meal without much effort.

If you love weeknight meals that take less than 20 minutes to make, you should try Blackened Shrimp Rice Bowls or BBQ Salmon Tacos.

Bites of Wellness was created to help you get a flavorful meal on the table with little effort. Owning my own meal prep business helped me understand how to make flavorful food in the least amount of time. Seafood, specifically shrimp, is such a quick cooking protein. Be sure to check out a few more seafood recipes.

Recipe highlights

• 15 minutes with tips on how to make it even quicker!
• 8 ingredients
• Uses pantry staples – like store bought salsa verde, frozen veggies and frozen shrimp
• Easy to make – the shrimp and veggies cook together in on pan while the rice cooks in the instant pot

Ingredients

• Shrimp – I always use defrosted frozen shrimp that was already peeled and deveined to make minimal prep work.
• Frozen peppers and onions – I highly recommend grabbing the fire-roasted frozen peppers and onions at Trader Joe’s if possible.
• Salsa verde – use your favorite jarred salsa verde or make your own.
• Rice – use whatever your favorite rice is. I highly recommend jasmine rice, as it cooks quickly in the instant pot and pairs perfectly with the slightly spicy shrimp.

How to make salsa verde shrimp bowls

Start by cooking the rice in the instant pot (rinse rice well, add rice and water to instant pot and cook 3 minutes high pressure).

While rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the frozen peppers and onions with salt, garlic powder and cumin. Cook 5-6 minutes until defrosted and most of the water is starting to cook off the veggies.

Push peppers and onions to the sides of the pan and add the defrosted shrimp. Cover shrimp with salt, garlic powder and cumin and cook 2-3 minutes on the first side and 1-2 minutes on the next side. Turn off heat.

Stir in the jarred salsa verde sauce and stir well, combining the shrimp, veggies and salsa.

Serve over rice and add your favorite toppings like avocado, cilantro, jalapeno, tomatoes, etc.

Recipe variations

• Make it spicier: Add some sriracha, crushed red pepper or jalapenos
• Use a different grain: Serve with brown rice, quinoa or even cauliflower rice depending on your preferences

How to serve salsa verde with shrimp

• In a bowl over rice with avocado and cilantro on top
• In tortillas to make salsa verde shrimp tacos
• Over tortilla chips to make a fun spin on nachos

Common questions

Can you use frozen shrimp?

I don’t recommend cooking frozen shrimp in a skillet, however you can easily defrost shrimp very quickly. If you don’t have time to defrost the shrimp, you can cook frozen shrimp in the air fryer.

Can you make this with another protein?

Yes, you could also use chicken, tofu or even cubed salmon (I recommend making air fryer salmon cubes if you choose this protein). The cooking time may vary for these other proteins.

Can you make this in advance?

As you may know, shrimp can get very rubbery if overcooked, so I don’t recommend making this in advance and later heating it up. You could make the rice in advance to save time though. If you have pre-cooked rice, the recipe will be ready in 10 minutes.

Storing leftovers

• Fridge: If you happen to have leftovers, store them in the fridge in a well sealed container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave over in a small skillet over medium low heat, covered.
• Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this, the shrimp and veggies will not reheat well after defrosting.  

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