Shrimp Burrito Bowl

This is a shrimp burrito bowl that takes all the elements of a traditional burrito but mixes it up a little with a bit of a Japanese influence and presents it in a crispy flour tortilla bowl. So rather than some handheld food on the go, this bold burrito brings all the fun and flavour to the table and with an Asian twist, there are dynamic flavour pairings that will have you wondering whether this is a Mexican dish with an Asian influence or a Japanese dish with a homage to Hispanic cuisine.

Japanese influence - Chahan

The Japanese dish in question is Chahan, a rice stir-fry which is itself a culinary import from China that first turned up in the Japanese port of Kobe in the 1860s via Chinese immigrants. It is a dry rice dish which uses already cooked grains stir-fried alongside juicy meat or shellfish with vegetables, beans and egg. It is incredibly versatile to use up much of your leftovers, and if you were to wrap it in a tortilla, you would basically be making an Asian burrito.

A popular version of Chahan uses curry powder to flavour the dish, so with this in mind, and as a traditional burrito would use similar ingredients already, why not substitute the curry spices for the warming spices of chilli, cumin, cinnamon and paprika that you would associate with Mexican cuisine? After all, they are not massively different. Add lime to that mix, and that is totally Mexican; add ginger, on the other hand, and that is very Asian. Add both lime and ginger, which already pair very nicely together, and you have a wonderful fusion of flavours perfect for creating this Japanese-inspired shrimp burrito bowl.

Traditional burrito reimagined

Looking at the ingredients crammed in a traditional burrito, you would generally find a generous mix of spiced meat (sometimes shellfish) saddled next to some rice and beans topped with a couple of salsas such as pico de gallo (onion, coriander and tomato) and guacamole and perhaps some shredded lettuce all wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. Burritos can also be served “wet” with lashings of a further sauce such as enchilada sauce on top. This optional variation also gives us the opportunity to add another texture and flavour to the dish.

Disassembling this burrito into its constituent parts before rebuilding it into an attractive plated dish with its new ingredient enhancements is also very versatile to chop and change which ingredients or embellishments you want to use.

Choosing the right shrimp for your shrimp burrito bowl

First of all, we have the meat. By all means, use a traditional beef or pork but we love shrimp, especially in tacos, which is essentially what a burrito is—a heavily stuffed taco named after a “burro”, the name for a donkey, which in Mexico is often depicted heavily burdened with goods, which is what the burrito represents. The shrimp just gives a succulent, sweet flavour to the dish and somehow adds just a little bit more decadence.

Search for large meaty shrimp such as Madagascan or Argentinian crevettes so that the texture is firm but won’t go rubbery when cooked. Make sure you remove the shells and devein them before cooking, or alternatively find already peeled shrimps, but the key is that they are raw for the shrimp to cook best.

These are simply stir-fried in butter with the heady mix of smoky, sweet and earthy spices of cumin, cinnamon and paprika plus fresh grated ginger and garlic. The butter left in the pan can be drizzled over the burrito bowl with a touch of fresh lime at the end for even more flavour.

Preparing the rice and beans for our shrimp burrito bowl

Next, we have the rice and beans constituent. For this, we use a short-grain sushi rice. Chahan will often use leftover cooked sushi rice, but if you don’t have leftover rice, it is very simple and quick to prepare. Simply combine 1 part rice with 1 part water, season and bring to the boil. Once the water has reached a boil, immediately turn the heat down low and place a lid on top. The rice will take approximately 12 minutes to cook. Once done, it needs to let steam off the heat for a few minutes before ready.

For Chahan, cold leftover rice is stir-fried with added flavours such as chicken bone stock which sizzles away until dry. To create this authentic flavour in less time, simply add a cube of chicken stock with a tablespoon extra of water to the rice before cooking. Other stocks such as kombu or a touch of soy also pair well and add more of this Japanese flavour to the rice we’re looking for.

To bulk out the rice and to add complexity to the flavour and texture, stir-fry a small chopped white onion, a small chopped carrot, a chopped capsicum pepper (of any colour you wish), half a cup of cooked black beans (yet another ingredient prevalent in both Mexican and Asian cuisine) and some sweetcorn which you will also see in burritos, tacos and stir-fried rice dishes. Once these are cooked and hot, add the cooled rice to the pan and break up the clumps and mix well with all the vegetables and beans until well combined.

How to make a crispy tortilla bowl

A big feature of this shrimp burrito bowl is the flour tortilla bowl which is very easy to make. Small shop-bought tortillas work best as they make a perfect one-portion-sized bowl. By all means, use large tortillas if you’re feeding people with bigger appetites, but once cooked, they remain crispy and in their shape, so you can prepare these in advance.

Spread some butter on one side of each tortilla and press them into ceramic ovenproof bowls with flat bottoms to bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. The butter helps crisp up the surface, and once baked, they look like cute rustic bowls—the perfect receptacle to present your spiced shrimp and rice. Also, you have literally made your own edible tortilla bowl. Other burrito bowl recipes just take the burrito ingredients minus the flour tortilla and place them in a bowl. Where’s the fun in that?

Serving your shrimp burrito bowl

To serve, fill each tortilla bowl with the stir-fried rice mix and arrange a handful of shrimps on top followed by a good drizzle of the flavoured butter used to cook them. For the garnish, you could go with any of your favourite sauces or salsas such as sriracha or a pico de gallo made with chopped tomatoes, onion and coriander with olive oil, lime and a hint of rice wine vinegar.

A touch of shredded lettuce and coriander add an element of garden-fresh crispness, and a few slices of avocado give the suggestion of guacamole which works well, or by all means, make fresh guacamole. A fresh lime wedge for everyone to squeeze over will add a zesty tang, or go a bit more Japanese with some pickled ginger or togarashi seasoning.

For a fun version of taco night and to make everything feel more inclusive and sharing, just bring everything to the table and have everyone dig in and create their own shrimp burrito bowl. Either way, these shrimp burrito bowls may just become a new favourite for a family and friends' night in.

More Mexican fusions

Indian Burrito with Pulled Duck
Spicy Mexican Shrimp Cocktail - Easy + Crowd-Pleasing
Monkfish Tacos (Indian Mexican Fusion)

Latest recipes

Shrimp burrito bowl recipe

This shrimp burrito bowl combines the classic elements of a burrito with a Japanese twist, served in a crispy flour tortilla bowl. Bold, flavorful and full of dynamic flavour pairings, this recipe blends Mexican and Asian influences for a unique, exciting meal.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Dinner Party, Lazy Lunch, Sharing plates

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup of sushi rice
• 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 300 g of raw defrosted large shrimps, deveined and shelled
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 white onion chopped
• 1 capsicum pepper any colour chopped
• ½ a cup of cooked black beans
• ¼ of a cup of sweetcorn
• 4 small flour tortillas
• 150 g of salted butter
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 2 cm peeled and grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove peeled and grated
• 1 lime cut into wedges
• 1 romaine lettuce shredded
• 1 avocado sliced
• 10 g of fresh coriander/cilantro

Instructions

 

• Wash the rice in cold water, drain and add to a pan with 1 cup of cold water. Add the chicken stock cube and rice wine vinegar or another tablespoon of water.
• Bring to the boil on a high heat. Once boiling, immediately turn the heat down low and place a lid on the pan. Cook the rice for about 12 minutes or until the water has absorbed into the rice. Leaving the lid on, set the rice aside to rest.
• Spread one side of each of the flour tortillas with some butter and place into ceramic oven proof bowls of similar size and carefully press into the edges and create a flat bottom. Place the bowls into a preheated oven at 200℃(392° F) / 180℃ fan (356° F) for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
• Using a wok or large frying pan, add the onion, carrot and capsicum pepper with a little oil and fry until soft. Add the cooked sushi rice to the pan and use a wooden spoon to break up the clumps and stir-fry until fully incorporated. Add the black beans and the sweetcorn and stir-fry for a further minute and take of the heat and set aside with a lid.
• In a separate pan, add the butter and melt on medium-high heat. Add in the cinnamon, smoked paprika, cumin, grated garlic and grated ginger. When the butter is bubbling, add the defrosted, shelled and de-veined shrimps and fry for 2-3 minutes or until cooked and firm.
• To serve, equally portion the rice mix into each flour tortilla bowl, arrange over equal numbers of shrimp and drizzle over the flavoured butter. Garnish with shredded lettuce, avocado, coriander and fresh lime.