Nitrate & Nitrite Free Blackened Shrimp Bowls with Brown Rice & Mango Avocado Salsa
Smoky, citrusy, and loaded with color, this shrimp bowl is the kind of meal that looks like it came from a fast-casual restaurant but comes together entirely in your own kitchen. The blackening spice blend is built from scratch using smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and a handful of other pantry staples — no pre-mixed seasoning packets that might sneak in unwanted additives. That matters more than it sounds, because a lot of store-bought spice blends and processed proteins contain hidden preservatives that people trying to avoid nitrates and nitrites have to watch out for. Here, every single ingredient is whole and straightforward, from the shrimp to the mango avocado salsa to the creamy lime-tahini drizzle made with tahini, fresh lime juice, and raw honey. The salsa alone — bright mango, buttery avocado, crisp red bell pepper, and fresh cilantro — is worth making on its own. Searing the spice-coated shrimp in a cast iron skillet over high heat gives you that deeply charred crust without any cured or processed meat in sight. It's bold, fresh, and genuinely satisfying in a way that makes clean eating feel like anything but a compromise.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the rice
- 1 ½ cups brown rice, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
For the blackening spice
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the shrimp
- 1 ½ lb large shrimp (21–25 count), peeled and deveined, tails removed
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
For the mango avocado salsa
- 1 large mango, peeled and diced small
- 2 ripe avocados, diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper, finely diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- ¼ tsp salt
For the lime-tahini drizzle
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp raw honey
- 2–3 tbsp water, to thin
- ¼ tsp salt
For serving
- lime wedges, for serving (optional)
- sliced scallion greens, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the rinsed brown rice, 3 cups water, and ½ tsp salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and cook for 40–45 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- 2
While the rice cooks, mix the smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, ½ tsp salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl until evenly combined.
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