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.
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.
Top tips
- To quickly defrost shrimp, add the bag to a bowl of cold water and swap out the water every 20-30 minutes. Shrimp should be defrosted in an hour or less.
- To save time, you can use precooked rice (either frozen or ready in 90 seconds microwavable pouches). If you have pre-cooked rice, this recipe will be ready in about 10 minutes.
- Buy peeled and deveined shrimp. This will save you so much time and is the only kind of shrimp I buy.
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.
More delicious shrimp recipes
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- 1.5 cups jasmine rice
- 2.25 cups water
- 1 bag frozen roasted bell peppers and onions
- 1 pound frozen shrimp, defrosted – peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon salt – divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder – divided
- 1 teaspoon cumin – divided
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
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Rinse the rice well then add it to the instant pot. Pour water over the rice and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
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Add the peppers and onions to a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Stir well and cook 5-6 minutes.
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After 5-6 minutes, push the bell peppers and onions to the sides of the skillet and add the shrimp. Sprinkle the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Cook the shrimp 2-3 minutes, flip the shrimp and cook 1-2 more minutes.
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Turn off the heat, add the 1/2 cup of salsa verde and stir well.
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Serve the salsa verde shrimp and vegetables over the rice and enjoy.
- To quickly defrost shrimp, add the bag to a bowl of cold water and swap out the water every 20-30 minutes. Shrimp should be defrosted in an hour or less.
- To save time, you can use precooked rice (either frozen or ready in 90 seconds microwavable pouches). If you have pre-cooked rice, this recipe will be ready in about 10 minutes.
- Buy peeled and deveined shrimp. This will save you so much time and is the only kind of shrimp I buy.
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
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
