A Grateful Meal

Dinner

Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos

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These bang bang shrimp tacos are simply the best combination – crunchy, salty, sweet, spicy, and creamy all-in-one taco! The shrimp are oven-fried, drizzled with sweet and spicy bang bang sauce, and then topped with crunchy broccoli slaw.

There’s this local restaurant in Charleston called the Angel Oak, which is off the beaten path in outer West Ashley, and they make bang bang shrimp bao buns. Whenever I eat something at a restaurant I love, I immediately begin to theorize how I might be able to recreate it at home. I decided to make them into tacos since tortillas are more readily available to me. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to nail the bang bang shrimp tacos on the first try! Also, this recipe is for tacos and not bao buns, but you certainly could steam up some bao buns and substitute for the flour tortillas.

Four flour tortillas laying flat on a white background with broccoli slaw and crispy shrimp on top with bang bang sauce in the middle in a ramekin cup.

Ingredients

Slaw: For the slaw, you’ll need broccoli slaw or your favorite slaw mix. Thinly sliced bell peppers also get added into the slaw, but if you’re pressed for time, you could skip them. The slaw dressing is made from lime juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, honey, and cilantro.

Shrimp: The crispy shrimp are dredged in flour, eggs, and crushed cornflakes. Crushed cornflakes are my favorite way to make oven-baked breaded meat or seafood super crispy!

Bang bang sauce: It’s simply made from mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha. You can adjust the sriracha depending on how spicy (or not spicy) you like it.

Tortillas: My preference will always be flour tortillas, but my husband always prefers corn tortillas. My ultimate favorite is to use my homemade yogurt flatbreads to sub in for the tortillas.

Close up of the bang bang shrimp tacos with a ramekin cup of bang bang sauce on the side.

How to Make Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos

I like to start making bang bang shrimp tacos by making the slaw first so that the slaw can marinate while the shrimp are cooking. For the dressing, you’ll simply whisk together the lime juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, honey, and cilantro. Then pour the dressing on the slaw and thinly sliced bell peppers.

To cook the shrimp, you’ll use the oven for baking the shrimp in the cornflake crust. When you bread the shrimp, you’ll put the flour, eggs, and crushed cornflakes in three separate bowls. I like to use just one hand to bread because it can make your hands really messy, and you’ll have the other hand free and clean. You’ll dredge the shrimp in the flour first, then eggs, and lastly, the crushed cornflakes. You use flour so that the eggs have something to stick to, and then the crushed cornflakes will stick to the eggs. I like to spray the shrimp with a bit of cooking spray or brush with some oil before baking.

While the shrimp cook, you’ll mix together the mayo, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha for the bang bang sauce. When the shrimp are done, you’ll layer the shrimp, slaw, and bang bang sauce in the tortillas.

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Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos

Four bang bang shrimp tacos with bang bang sauce drizzled on top on a white background. Cilantro is scattered and there is a metal ramekin of bang bang sauce on the side.
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  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 12 tacos 1x
  • Category: tacos
  • Method: oven, baking

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 bag (12 oz.) bag of broccoli slaw or another favorite slaw mix
  • 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 2 tbsp. lime juice (or the juice of 1 lime)
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. honey or sugar
  • 2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped 
  • Cooking spray or other oil for brushing
  • 1 lb. large shrimp, deveined and shelled
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3 1/2 cups of crushed cornflakes
  • 4 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp. sweet chili sauce
  • 2 tsp. sriracha (or to taste for desired spiciness)
  • 12 tortillas (corn or flour), warmed

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Place slaw mixture and bell pepper slices (if using) in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together lime juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, honey, and cilantro. Pour mixture over slaw and toss. Set aside.
  3. Spray sheet pan with cooking spray or line with silicone baking mat.
  4. Place flour, eggs, and crushed cornflakes in 3 separate bowls.
  5. Working in batches, dip shrimp in the flour, then the egg, then the crushed cornflakes, coating the shrimp all over. Place shrimp on the sheet pan, evenly spaced apart.
  6. Once all shrimp are placed on a sheet pan, spray shrimp with cooking spray or brush with oil, place pan in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, flip shrimp, spray with cooking spray or brush with more oil, and place back in the oven for 5 minutes or until shrimp are opaque when pierced with a knife. Remove from oven.
  7. While shrimp are cooking, mix together mayo, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha in a small bowl for the bang bang sauce.
  8. Assemble tacos by layering warm tortilla shell with slaw, then crispy shrimp, followed by a drizzle of the bang bang sauce. Serve extra slaw on the side. Serve immediately.

Keywords: bang bang shrimp tacos

Yogurt Flatbread Recipe

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This yogurt flatbread recipe has two ingredients and can be used for everything from flatbread pizzas to your favorite tacos.

It’s no secret around here that I love quick breads. I’ve used yeast in recipes, but I’m not well-practiced, so it can be a bit of a gamble as to whether it’ll turn out. So my go-to when baking breads is to use self-rising flour. I’ve done it before with my 3 Ingredient Beer Bread and my Pepperoni Rolls. This yogurt flatbread is no exception – it has just two ingredients and can be used for anything from flatbread pizzas to your favorite tacos.

Yogurt flatbread stacked vertically wrapped in a white tea towel and a jar of plain yogurt on the side with white subway tile in the background..

Ingredients for Yogurt Flatbread

Self-rising flour: You can buy self-rising flour in the grocery store, but rather than keep another bag of flour around, I like to make my own. To make your own, simply mix 1 ½ c flour (all-purpose or whole wheat), 2 tsp. baking powder, ¼ tsp. salt and you’ve just saved yourself an extra trip to the grocery store.

Plain yogurt: You definitely don’t want to get flavored yogurt; make sure it is plain. This recipe uses regular yogurt, which is more fluid than Greek yogurt.

Close up of yogurt flatbread wrapped in a white tea towel and a jar of plain yogurt on the side.

How to Make Flatbread with Yogurt and Flour

Simply mix the yogurt and self-rising flour using a paddle attachment on a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can do this with a large spoon, and once it comes together, you can knead it by hand. Obviously, making it by hand will take longer. Once you’ve formed a dough ball, it may be a bit sticky. Lightly dust the dough with more flour and knead it a few times until it’s no longer sticky.

Divide the dough into 4-6 equal balls, depending on how you’re using the flatbread. I usually will divide it into four equal balls if I’m going to make personal flatbread pizzas. If I’m going more towards tacos, I’ll divide it into six equal balls. You’ll roll these balls out to their desired thickness or size.

Then you’ll heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook each tortilla one at a time in the dry skillet for about 1-2 minutes on each side. You’ll know when to flip the yogurt flatbreads when bubbles form all over the dough. If you’re using them for tacos, I like to serve immediately or keep them warm by wrapping them in aluminum foil until ready to serve.

If you’re making these for meal prep, then keep in mind it will only keep for about 2-3 days before they start to go stale. You can freeze the flatbreads, but freezing can alter the texture. If you want to try freezing, wrap the cooled flatbreads in aluminum foil and store them in a freezer bag for about one month in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then use as usual when making flatbread pizza. If you’re using them for tacos, then I would heat them in a dry skillet for a few minutes on each side, just like you did when you initially made them.

Yogurt flatbread wrapped in a white tea towel on a white background with plain yogurt on the side.

How to Serve Yogurt Flatbreads

You can certainly make this to eat alongside food as a carb source like a dinner roll. Plus flatbread pizzas, tacos, wraps, etc. are all super tasty ways to enjoy them – the sky is the limit!

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Yogurt Flatbread Recipe

Close up of yogurt flatbread wrapped in a white tea towel and a jar of plain yogurt on the side.
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This yogurt flatbread recipe has two ingredients and can be used for everything from flatbread pizzas to your favorite tacos.

  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 flatbreads 1x
  • Category: quick bread

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cup self-rising flour
  • ¾ cup plain yogurt (not Greek)

Instructions

  1. In a stand-mixer bowl, add the self-rising flour (or flour, baking soda, and salt). Add the yogurt and mix with a paddle attachment until dough comes together into a sticky ball. 
  2. Lightly dust flour on a work surface and turn the dough out on the surface; knead the dough until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, using more flour as needed to make dough smooth. 
  3. Divide dough into 4-6 equal balls. Roll each ball out flat to desired thickness or size. 
  4. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is preheated, cook tortillas one at a time for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned on each side. Tip: when the flatbread begins to get air bubbles, it’s a good time to flip.

Keywords: yogurt flatbread

Air Fryer Steak Bites

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These Air Fryer Steak Bites are quickly marinaded and then air fried for an easy weeknight meal idea that you can make in just 30 minutes.

It’s no secret around here that I’m a fan of air fryers.  As I’ve mentioned in most of my posts, an air fryer is just a counter-top convection oven that is super handy and cooks food much faster and efficiently thanks to the hot air circulating rapidly in the air fryer. It allows the steak bites to get a good sear and cook up quickly. The cooking time is less than 10 minutes, and the steak bites come out perfectly seared, tender, and flavorful.

Ingredients

Soy sauce: I always use the reduced-sodium soy sauce to have better control over the sodium in a dish. You can always add salt, but you can’t take it away salt when cooking.

Worcestershire sauce: This is a classic umami flavor that pairs perfectly with the steak.

Garlic cloves: I love lots of garlic in steak marinades, so I used three minced cloves. Feel free to adjust based on your garlic desires (or proximity to vampires!)

Lemon juice: While there is some acid to the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, a little lemon juice helps tenderize the meat faster, which is vital since it’s a quick marinade.

Olive oil: Fat gives flavor and texture to recipes. Sirloin steak is leaner, so it needs a little fat added. If the steak bites are coated in a bit of oil before going into the air fryer, it’ll help give a quick sear to the meat, which locks in the juices and prevents it from drying out the steak bites.

Italian seasoning: Most Italian seasonings are made from herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary, etc., which go great in this marinade. If you want to mix it up a bit, feel free to use your favorite all-purpose seasoning blend instead.

Raw steak bites in a single layer in a black air fryer basket.

How to Make Air Fryer Steak Bites

First, you’ll start by making the marinade by whisking together all of the ingredients except for the sirloin pieces. Then, you’ll put the steak bite pieces in the mixture to marinate about 20 minutes. You can do this in a shallow container or a Ziplock bag.

After, you’ll preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees. Put the air fryer bites into the air fryer (you’ll hear a nice sizzle) and make sure that they are in a single layer. If you double the recipe, you may have to cook in batches as you don’t want to overcrowd the air fryer. If you overcrowd the air fryer, you won’t get as good of a sear on the steak.  You’ll cook them for about 4 minutes. Depending on the size of your steak bites, this may give you a medium or a medium-rare cook to the steak. Cook for an additional 1-3 minutes for medium-well to well-done.

Close-up of air fryer steak bites with parsley garnished on top.

What to Serve with Steak Bites

You can certainly serve these bites with toothpicks and a dip like horseradish sauce as an appetizer, but if you’d like to serve them with some side dishes, here are a few to consider:

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Air Fryer Steak Bites

Close-up of air fryer steak bites with parsley garnished on top.
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These Air Fryer Steak Bites are quickly marinaded and then air fried for an easy weeknight meal idea that you can make in just 30 minutes.

  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 27 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: air fryer, steak
  • Method: air fryer

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice (or juice of ½ lemon)
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 lb. of sirloin steak, cut into bite-size pieces (or pre-cut beef tips)

Instructions

  1. Mix together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, and Italian seasoning in a shallow dish or ziplock bag. Add steak bites and marinate for 20 minutes.
  2. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Once steak bites are done marinating, arrange steak bites in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 4 minutes (for about medium doneness – depending on size). Flip steak bites and then cook for additional 1-3 minutes depending on the desired doneness. 

Keywords: air fryer, steak

24 Best Valentine’s Day Recipes

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With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, here are 24 of the Best Valentine’s Day Recipes that I could find. Whether you like to celebrate with your Valentine or Galentine, I’ve got your food (and drink!) covered.

The Best Valentine’s Day Recipe Round-up

Dinner Options:

Bowl of brown butter seared scallops with pasta and mushrooms on a white background.

Scallops in Brown Butter Sage Sauce via Meals with Maggie

One-Pan Beef Tenderloin & Roasted Vegetables via The Nutrition Adventure

Mussels Fra Diavolo via Nutrition Starring You

Pan Seared Salmon with Caramelized Grapes via Live Best

One of the best valentine's day recipes with a white plate of beef, cranberries, green beans, and mashed potatoes.

Beef Tenderloin with Cranberry Balsamic Compote via The Gourmet RD

Mushroom Ravioli and Squash via Live Best

Lemon Garlic Chicken in a White Wine Sauce via Hoorah to Health

One Pan Maple Mustard Glazed Pork Chops via Hungry Hobby

Homemade Ravioli with White Beans and Sun-Dried Tomatoes via Grateful Meal Nutrition

Dessert and Snack Options:

Chocolate brownies with strawberries inside.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies via Colleen Christensen Nutrition

Salted Tahini Brownies via Leanne Ray

Chocolate Coconut Cream Pudding via Bucket List Tummy

No Bake Sugar Cookie Bites via Meals with Maggie

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies via fANNEtasticfood

Chocolate Mousse Filled Strawberries via Nutrition Starring You

The White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake on a cooling rack sliced with a small bowl of raspberries on the side.

White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake via Grateful Meal Nutrition

No Bake Chocolate Raspberry Freezer Brownies va Steps 2 Nutrition

Yogurt Covered Strawberry Hearts via Cheerful Choices

No Bake Mini Heart Tarts via Root Nutrition

Winter Citrus and Pomegranate Mascarpone Cups via The Gourmet RD

Vegan Fudgy Chocolate Protein Brownies via Hungry Hobby

Brunch Options:

One of the best valentine's day recipes of a DIY waffle bar with waffles, fruit, syrup on white plates on a white background.

Easy DIY Waffle Bar via Nourish Nutrition

Flower Power Spritzer via Grateful Meal Nutriton

Balsamic Strawberry Chia Jam via Grateful Meal Nutrition

Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup

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This Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup is the perfect creamy comfort food to warm you up on a cold, blustery day.

One of my all-time favorite meals is potato soup. Creamy and rich, it’s comfort food in a bowl. This recipe uses golden potatoes, leeks, and kale for a super creamy and comforting bowl of soup on a cold, blustery day. Let me walk you through how to make it!

Close up of potato, leek, and kale soup with sour cream, bacon, and chives on top.

Ingredients for Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup

Bacon: The bacon is used as a topping, and some of the bacon fat is used for sauteing the vegetables.

Onion:I used a medium yellow onion for this soup.

Leeks: As leeks grow, they can get a lot of sand and dirt stuck inside. I give them a good wash before chopping, and I also rewash them in a strainer after chopping to get any remaining bits of dirt cleaned off.

Garlic cloves: You can use fresh garlic from either the garlic bulb or buy the pre-minced variety.

Golden potatoes: Gold potatoes have a lot more flavor and a creamier texture than some other types of potatoes. Their skin is pretty tender as well, so I don’t bother peeling these. The skins get pureed into the soup anyway, so it’s also easier.

Stock: I prefer chicken stock myself, but feel free to use vegetable stock if you prefer. One of my favorites is Kitchen Basics.

Milk: I’ve only tested this with cow’s milk, so 1%, 2%, or whole would be best. If you’re feeling extra, you can use half and half or heavy cream. Skim milk won’t give any creaminess because it has no fat. I have not tested it with any plant-based milk, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work as long as it’s unflavored.

Kale: I usually buy kale pre-chopped, but you can chop it yourself too. If I chop it myself, I usually got with a fine chop so that the kale cooks and wilts faster.

Extra toppings: The sky is the limit, but the go-tos would be crumbled bacon, minced chives, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and cheese – specifically cheddar cheese works well.

Two bowls of potato, leek, and kale soup on a white background and a blue and white napkin on the side. There is also a pot of the soup next to the bowls.

How to Make Potato Leek Soup

First, you’ll cook the bacon until super crispy (so it can be crumbled later) in a large stockpot and save about 2 tbsp. of bacon fat to saute the vegetables: onions, leeks, garlic, and potatoes.

After sauteing the vegetables, you’ll add the stock and allow the potatoes to thoroughly cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.

You’ll add the milk and use an immersion stick blender to puree the soup. If you don’t have an immersion stick blender, you can transfer the soup into a regular blender to puree. You may have to work in batches, and you’ll need to transfer the soup back into the stockpot.

Once the soup is pureed, you’ll turn the heat to low if you haven’t already and add in the chopped kale. Let the soup cook with the kale in the stockpot for about 5-10 minutes or until the kale is cooked and wilted.

When you serve the soup, serve with your favorite potato soup toppings. As I mentioned above, I like bacon, minced chives, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

Can You Freeze Potato Soup?

Unfortunately, potato soup and dairy containing soups don’t freeze that great. When they defrost, it may be separated, or the texture may be off. I don’t recommend it, but if you want to make this soup in advance and freeze it for later. You can make the soup up to step 3 and puree the soup without the milk and the kale. Then, freeze for up to 3 months. When you rewarm the soup, you can add the milk, cook until slightly thickened, add the kale, and cook for additional 5-10 minutes.

Overview of a bowl of potato, leek, and kale soup with sour cream, bacon, and chives on top on a white background.
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Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup

Two bowls of potato, leek, and kale soup on a white background and a blue and white napkin on the side.
Print Recipe
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
  • Total Time: 45-50 minutes
  • Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
  • Category: soup
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 slices of bacon
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 large leek, cleaned and chopped
  • 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 lbs. golden potatoes (about 4 larger golden potatoes), chopped
  • 4 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 4–6 cups of fresh kale, chopped
  • Salt + pepper
  • Extra toppings: chives, sour cream or Greek yogurt, cheese (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in a large stockpot until crispy. Drain bacon on towels and set aside. Leave about 2 tbsp. of bacon fat in the stockpot. Add onion and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Saute 3-5 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and golden potatoes and saute for an additional minute. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium to simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
  3. Reduce heat to low, add milk, and puree using an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender to blend in batches if needed.
  4. Stir chopped kale into to pureed soup in the stockpot and keep warm on low heat for additional 5-10 minutes or until kale is wilted.
  5. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Notes

To freeze this soup:

You can make the soup up to step 3 and puree the soup without the milk and the kale. Then, freeze for up to 3 months. When you rewarm the soup, you can add the milk, cook until slightly thickened, add the kale, and cook for additional 5-10 minutes.

Keywords: potato soup

Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls

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These Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls are the perfect crowd-pleasing dinner and are super easy to meal prep for the week.

This recipe for hibachi-style shrimp rice bowls is based on American Japanese steakhouse restaurant-style food. This recipe certainly isn’t authentic Japanese food, but I do enjoy it.  Shrimp and vegetables sautéed in soy sauce with fried rice and creamy yum yum sauce? Yes, please.

Three white bowls side-by-side filled with fried rice, yum yum sauce, and hibachi shrimp and vegetables

Ingredients

Butter: The butter is divided up to cook the shrimp, vegetables, and rice separately. Given how salty soy sauce is, I would recommend unsalted butter as to have more control over the salty flavor.

Shrimp: I usually will get the EZ peel raw shrimp. It’s a reasonable price, and as the name implies, it’s very easy to peel. Plus, all of the shrimp are already deveined.

Soy sauce: I don’t find much taste difference between regular soy sauce and reduced sodium. In an effort for gentle nutrition that doesn’t compromise on taste, I usually go for the reduced-sodium version.

Vegetables: You’ll need a medium zucchini and onion. You’ll also need frozen peas and carrots too. You don’t need to thaw the frozen vegetables first – they’re small, so they cook quickly from frozen.

Egg: The egg is used for frying the rice.

Rice: Use any rice you prefer, but I like to use the microwave rice packets for a quick hack. After I cook it in the microwave, I pop it in the freezer while I work on the rest of the dish. Cold rice fries up better than hot or warm rice. You don’t want to spend 30+ minutes cooking rice and then have to allow time for it to cool down. Go for the 90-second packets; you’ll thank me.

Sauce ingredients: Mayo, ketchup, garlic powder, paprika, and a few dashes of hot sauce are all you need to make an easy yum yum sauce. If you don’t want to bother, you can totally just use the store-bought yum yum sauce.

Close up of the hibachi shrimp and vegetables in a white bowl.

How to Make Hibachi Shrimp and Vegetables

Hibachi shrimp is very easy to make. Ensure that the shrimp are patted dry with paper towels, so they get a nice sear in the skillet. The pan should be quite hot over medium-high heat. You first melt the butter, then add the shrimp in a single layer, preferably. After a minute or so, you’ll flip the shrimp and add 2 tbsp. of soy sauce. Allow the soy sauce to evaporate mostly. The shrimp are done when they are mostly pink, and their tail and head have coiled towards each other. You’ll set aside the shrimp and wipe the pan if necessary, then repeat the same process for the onion and zucchini. You don’t want to pile everything on at the same time in the skillet as the vegetables sweat out moisture that would affect the shrimp’s sear.

Close up of a hibachi shrimp rice bowl with yum yum sauce on top and a gray napkin and fork on the side.

How to Make Hibachi Fried Rice

In the same large skillet, you’ll add more butter and fry an egg, breaking the yolk and scrambling. You’ll then add the cooled rice along with the frozen peas and carrots, followed by 2 tbsp. of soy sauce. Keep moving the food around the skillet until everything is hot.

How to Make Yum Yum Sauce

You simply need to mix all of the ingredients and set the sauce aside. If you’re working ahead, I would make this in advance and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. The flavors will have more time to marinate and create a better flavor.

How to Prepare Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls for Meal Prep

After you prepare each component (shrimp, vegetables, rice, and sauce), keep everything in separate containers until you’re ready to use. If you’re going to pack the shrimp bowls for a to-go meal or lunch, then I would combine the vegetables and rice together in the same container to reheat in the microwave. I would keep the shrimp in a separate container and put the cold shrimp on top (shrimp don’t taste or smell great microwaved) after the vegetables and rice are reheated. Lastly, keep the yum yum sauce in a separate container and pour on top right before eating.  

Two hibachi shrimp rice bowls on a white background and in white bowls. On the side there is a pan of shrimp and vegetables as well as yum yum sauce with a white spoon.
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Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls

Close up of hibachi shrimp rice bowl and other bowls in the background.
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  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner, lunch, meal prep, seafood
  • Method: stir-fry
  • Cuisine: Japanese-American

Ingredients

Scale

Yum yum sauce

  • ½ cup mayo
  • 2 tbsp. ketchup
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. paprika
  • Few dashes of hot sauce or to taste (optional)

Shrimp and vegetables

  • 3 tbsp. of unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 lb. of raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted dry
  • 4 tbsp. soy sauce, divided
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced
  • 1 small-medium onion, chopped

Fried rice

  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups of frozen peas and carrots, unthawed
  • 4 cups of cooked rice, cooled
  • 2 tbsp. of soy sauce

Instructions

  1. Make yum yum sauce by mixing together the mayo, ketchup, garlic powder, paprika, and hot sauce (if using) in a bowl. Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp. of butter. Cook shrimp in butter for about 1 minute on each side. Add 2 tbsp. of soy sauce and cook until the soy sauce is mostly evaporated. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
  3. Dry out the large skillet with a paper towel if necessary. Heat another 1 tbsp. of butter in the same skillet and add the onion and zucchini. Saute for about 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the zucchini is softened. Add another 2 tbsp. of soy sauce and cook until the sauce is mostly evaporated. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  4. Dry out the large skillet if necessary again. Heat another 1 tbsp. of butter in skillet.  Add egg, breaking the yolk and scrambling it. Add cooled rice and frozen vegetables. Saute for about 2-3 minutes and add 2 tbsp. soy sauce. Stir fry for additional 2-3 minutes or until warmed throughout.
  5. Assemble the bowl by layering the fried rice, vegetables, and shrimp and drizzling the yum yum sauce on top.

Notes

How to Prepare Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls for Meal Prep

After you prepare each component (shrimp, vegetables, rice, and sauce), keep everything in separate containers until you’re ready to use. If you’re going to pack the shrimp bowls for a to-go meal or lunch, then I would combine the vegetables and rice together in the same container to reheat in the microwave. I would keep the shrimp in a separate container and put the cold shrimp on top (shrimp don’t taste or smell great microwaved) after the vegetables and rice are reheated. Lastly, keep the yum yum sauce in a separate container and pour on top right before eating.  

Keywords: hibachi shrimp, rice bowl