The inspiration for Shrimp and Wild Rice Skillet comes from one of my husband’s and my favorite local restaurants.
They’ve been around for over two decades and my most memorable visit was my sophomore year of high school when my girlfriends and I ate there prior to our school’s Valentine’s Day dance. None of us had dates so we gussied ourselves up, put on matching t-shirts from The Limited Too, then had our parents drop us off for dinner where an hour later we were supposed to be picked up by a limo then driven to the dance in all our girl power glory!
Two hours later we started the long walk home with sagging curls and egos because our limo never showed up, then proceeded to eat our feelings by way of banana cream pies and buttered popcorn while watching the Spice Girls Movie on repeat.
Good times (and thank God for even better girlfriends!)
Anyway, I recently I ordered their Shrimp Charleston — aka, sauteed shrimp served over a bed of rice tossed with green onions, bacon, tomatoes, and garlic butter and was so heavenly that I had to immediately recreate at home with a bit of a healthy boost!
A brown-wild rice blend serves as the base of this easy skillet recipe that includes healthy veggies like baby spinach and chopped tomatoes, big flavors from garlic and bacon, and staying power from sauteed shrimp.
This dish is one of the most flavorful I’ve eaten in ages, and the active cooking time is like, less than 15 minutes. Super, super easy. I also love that this skillet dish is a complete meal in one – healthy whole grains and vegetables, filling protein…and of course, a little bit of bacon.
Start by cooking a wild rice blend in chicken broth. You could do this one or even two days ahead of time, or get it going on the stove while you prep the rest of the ingredients, which is what I did.
While the rice is cooking, add jumbo shrimp to brown sugar and salt stirred into cold water then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. This quick brining step will make the shrimp extra snappy and delicious once sauteed. I don’t always brine my shrimp, but it really makes a big difference in taste and texture when I do.
After the quick brine, drain then rinse the shrimp, and then pat them very dry with paper towels.
Ok – skillet time! Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add half the shrimp, season with seasoned salt and pepper, and then saute until the shrimp are cooked through, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp to a plate then repeat with another Tablespoon oil and the remaining shrimp.
Turn the heat down to medium then melt butter in the skillet. Add chopped green onions then saute until tender, 1-2 minutes, and then add minced garlic cloves and saute for 30 seconds.
Next add chopped vine-ripened tomato and baby spinach that’s been roughly chopped. Season with more seasoned salt and pepper then saute for about a minute, just until the spinach is slightly wilted.
Finally add the cooked wild rice, chopped bacon (which I cooked in the microwave to keep things easy!) and chicken broth, and then simmer until the broth has been nearly absorbed by the rice. This makes the dish nice and creamy, without having to add cream!
Last step is to drizzle in a little lemon juice which makes every flavor pop (trust me, don’t leave it out!) then scoop onto plates and top with the sauteed shrimp. Just like that, a delicious, restaurant-worthy dinner is served. Enjoy, enjoy!
More Seafood Dinner Recipes
- Shrimp and Asparagus
- Garlic Herb Butter Pasta with Roasted Shrimp
- Shrimp and Wild Rice Skillet
- Salmon Provencal
- Spicy Shrimp Soup
- Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup
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Shrimp and Wild Rice Skillet
Description
Shrimp and Wild Rice Skillet is healthy and hearty. A craveable gluten-free dinner recipe!
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cups chicken broth, divided
- 1 cup wild-brown rice blend (I like Lundberg Farms)
- 4 cups cold water
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons salt
- 1lb 16/20 count jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- seasoned salt and pepper (see notes for seasoned salt recipe)
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter or ghee
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 vine-ripened tomato, seeded then chopped
- 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 3 slices bacon, chopped
- 1/2 lemon
Directions
- Bring 1-1/2 cups chicken broth and rice to a boil in a saucepan then place a lid on top, turn heat down to low, and then simmer until rice is tender, 45-50 minutes.
- Add cold water, salt, and brown sugar to a large bowl then stir to combine. Add shrimp then let sit in brine while rice cooks. When rice has 10 minutes left, drain then rinse shrimp, and then pat very dry with paper towels.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the shrimp, season with seasoning salt and pepper, and then saute until cooked through, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove shrimp to a plate then saute remaining shrimp in remaining 1 Tablespoon oil, and then remove to plate.
- Turn heat down to medium then melt butter in skillet. Add green onions then saute until tender, 1-2 minutes. Add garlic then saute for 30 more seconds. Add tomato and spinach, season with seasoned salt and pepper, and then saute until spinach has barely wilted, 1 minute. Add cooked bacon, rice, and remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth to the skillet then simmer until chicken broth has thickened, 2-3 minutes. Drizzle lemon juice over the top, season with more seasoned salt and pepper, and then toss to combine. Serve with cooked shrimp.
Notes
- Click here for homemade seasoned salt recipe >
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Allison 04.15.2016
I love your “Currently” post and this is the dish that’s been trending in my home too! My family loves the blend of flavors and it’s a nice hearty, yet healthy meal. Last night I didn’t have enough spinach, so I threw in some kale and power greens and it had more of a greens medley feel/taste to it. Thanks Kristin!
Lucy James 03.06.2016
Yummy!!! Great photography too. I can’t express my feeling how much I love bacon in this. Thanks For Sharing wonderful recipe :)
Daphne@mobile repairing course 02.10.2016
this looks astonishing!! I am a tremendous aficionado of shrimp and rice!! WIll be experimenting with this formula!
Kathie 02.03.2016
I made this and loved it. The next time I made it I paired the rice dish with salmon. I used sun dried tomatoes because the tomatoes in the store were hard as rocks. It was a nice variation on the recipe. And a bonus that my husband also loved it!!
Becca 02.01.2016
This looks amazing! I don’t have any wild rice on hand for tonight– can I sub orzo or barley?
Renee 01.26.2016
My husband made this tonight and it was amazing! Thank you for this recipe! We’ve enjoyed this one and so many others. I’m a long time reader and fellow dsm resident but I don’t usually comment but I do appreciate your site!
Kristin 01.29.2016
Thank you so much, Renee, so kind of you to say, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! :)
Suzanne 01.25.2016
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. I have made many of your recipes in the past and they are so tasty and your directions are easy to follow. Even my husband said, “this Iowa Girl Eats sure knows what she is doing!” Thank you for your blog and I look forward to making more of your recipes in the future.
Kristin 01.25.2016
Awww, that makes me so happy to hear, Suzanne. Thanks for the great feedback!
sania@Digital marketing 01.24.2016
Made this today evening time and the spouse raved over it! Will make this once more!
Love shrimp, effectively my most loved sustenance!
Kristin 01.25.2016
Totally agree – so quick and easy!
Lauren 01.24.2016
So delicious! I subbed kale and shallots because that is what I had on hand. My husband declared that this one is a keeper. Your recipes are so tasty!
Kristin 01.25.2016
Glad to hear it, Lauren, and I love that you made it work with what was in the house!
www.davidwadsworth.co.uk 01.22.2016
Very nice colors of vegetables and stunning photo of this dish! I really love that you make photos of the cooking process! It seems to me that I can feel a smell while you fry it. I cannot wait to cook it:)
Kristi 01.20.2016
I made this tonight and it was awesome! Had to improvise on the seasoned salt because I didn’t make it beforehand- but everything turned out ok :). Thanks for all your flavorful recipes!
Kristin 01.29.2016
So glad to hear it, Kristi! Sometimes the best dishes come from a little improv!
Emily 01.19.2016
This looks so yum!!! I am looking forward to trying it. Thanks for sharing!
Taylor 01.19.2016
Oh gosh! This looks amazing!! I am a huge fan of shrimp and rice!! WIll definitely be trying out this recipe!
Trang Do 01.19.2016
Wow!! Looks so delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
Geri 01.18.2016
Oh, Kristen, thank you! This is perfect to serve when our son comes to Austin on business next week. He will love it!
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby 01.18.2016
Yum! such an easy dinner idea I’ve got to keep this one saved! Love shrimp, easily my favorite food!
Holly 01.18.2016
You are on fire lady! Hitting all my favorites, tried your fajitas last night, OMG and now this shrimp dish is so up my alley it’s not even funny. Making this next week!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious 01.18.2016
I can’t tell you how much I love that you put bacon in this. YUM
haley @cupcakes and sunshine 01.18.2016
YUUUUM! Okay, this looks beautiful!! Can’t wait to try it out!!
Shirley 01.18.2016
I snuck a taste of this on Saturday night and it was delicious!!! Will be making this for sure this week:)