The 15-Minute Dinner I Make All Summer Long

You only need to turn the stove on for 5 minutes.

By
Danielle Campbell
Danielle Campbell
Danielle Campbell
Danielle Campbell is a Food stylist, chef, and recipe developer in Los Angeles. After working as a private chef and caterer for about 7 years, Danielle pivoted into food styling and has since worked in the field for 8 years. Danielle developed recipes multiple cookbooks, companies, and food publications. Her recipe development landed her a cover of the Los Angeles Times, food section. She's featured on Simply Recipes.
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Published June 17, 2025
Danielle Campbell
Cajun shrimp bowl with black beans, rice, purple cabbage, and mango salsa with a lime wedge

Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

These Cajun shrimp bowls are easy, flavorful, and fast to make. They need just a few store-bought ingredients and one spicy 3-ingredient sauce that’s easy to stir together. It’s a colorful dinner that’s sure to please.

Store-bought or homemade Cajun seasoning adds tons of flavor and a little spice to your shrimp. You can also swap in any other store-bought seasoning blend that sounds good to you, like chili-lime, lemon-pepper, all-purpose, a chipotle blend, or harissa. One of my favorites with a slightly more smoky flavor is an Ethiopian spice mix called berbere.

Along with the spice, mango or pineapple salsa adds a sweet, fruity element that makes these bowls feel like summer. 

Two bowls of shrimp with rice, black beans, and vegetables

Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

Tips for Making My Cajun Shrimp Bowls

  • White or brown rice are my favorite grains to use here, but you can try black or wild rice, quinoa, or cooked lentils as the base. 
  • Don’t feel like a bowl? You could also take these ingredients and make them into tacos or burritos.
  • Check the label when choosing your spice mix. Some contain salt and some don’t, so you’ll need to adjust your seasoning accordingly.
  • The shrimp can be substituted with cooked salmon or chicken and both options would be just as delicious. 

There are a ton of other veggies and toppings you can add to these bowls to make them your own. Grilled corn, sliced bell peppers, roasted veggies, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and tortilla chips would all be nice additions.

A Cajun shrimp bowl with rice, beans, pickled cabbage, and mixed toppings, served with a lime wedge and fork

Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

Cajun Shrimp Bowls

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sour cream, crème fraîche, or Mexican crema

  • 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, minced

  • 1 lime, juiced, plus lime wedges, for serving

  • Salt, to taste

  • 1 pound medium fresh or frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen

  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 cups cooked rice (frozen rice works well here)

  • 2 cups store-bought shredded cabbage

  • 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 cup store-bought or homemade pineapple or mango salsa

  • 1/2 cup shredded cotija or queso fresco cheese, optional

Method

  1. Make the chipotle sour cream:

    In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and minced chipotle until combined. Add lime juice to taste and season with salt. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

    Simple Tip!

    If you would like a thinner sauce that’s easier to drizzle, just add about 1 tablespoon of water to thin it out.

  2. Season and cook the shrimp:

    In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, Cajun seasoning, olive oil, and salt to taste. Mix to combine and coat the shrimp.

    Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1 minute. Flip the shrimp over and cook until opaque and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.  Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Once cooled slightly, chop into smaller pieces on a cutting board, if desired.

  3. Assemble the bowls:

    Add 1/2 cup cooked rice to each of 4 serving bowls. Divide the shrimp, cabbage, black beans, salsa, and cheese, if using, evenly among the bowls.

    Drizzle each bowl with the chipotle sour cream and an extra squeeze of lime, if desired. Serve and enjoy.

    Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Leftover shrimp and the other bowl ingredients can be held in the fridge for a day or two.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
479 Calories
12g Fat
57g Carbs
37g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 479
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 256mg 85%
Sodium 2321mg 101%
Total Carbohydrate 57g 21%
Dietary Fiber 9g 34%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 60mg 301%
Calcium 213mg 16%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 816mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.