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BBQ Shrimp Bowls are a healthy dinner idea for tonight or any night! With sauteed shrimp slathered in your favorite barbecue sauce and fresh broccoli piled on top of creamy, cheesy quinoa, this easy gluten free recipe becomes a kid-friendly meal!
BBQ Shrimp Bowls with Cheesy Quinoa
Quinoa bowls are a simple and versatile dinner that comes together quickly for busy weeknights. BBQ shrimp and steamed broccoli served over cheesy quinoa are a delicious dinner the whole family will love!
There is nothing plain and boring about this BBQ shrimp bowl. Yet with kid-favorite flavors and ingredients, you know they will enjoy a healthy meal. And for your peace of mind, not only will you avoid dinnertime battles, it is also super simple and perfect for crazy weeknights. Even my kids and husband who, in the past, would turn up their noses at quinoa, enjoy second helpings.
What is a quinoa bowl?
A quinoa bowl is a meal with quinoa as the primary ingredient, and of course, the meal is served in a bowl. Bowl meals are popular because they are versatile, with the ingredients easily swapped for whatever you have on hand and/or using flavors your family enjoys.
And what you need for a weekday supper is something that is not only easy, but also versatile.
Take this recipe as a starting point and change it to your preferences. A few ideas to consider:
- Don’t like shrimp? Have it with grilled chicken, or, like we did the other night, some turkey kielbasa or other sausage.
- Vegetarian? Use tofu.
- Bored with plain steamed broccoli? Roast it. Nuke a freezer bag of it.
- All out of broccoli? Toss in some snap peas or another veggie. Or don’t. I won’t tell.
Are Quinoa Bowls Gluten Free?
Quinoa is a gluten free whole grain. Therefore, provided as long as you add other gluten free components to your quinoa bowl, you will have a gluten free meal. In this recipe, the quinoa is mixed with a cheesy mixture of Greek yogurt and cheddar, and to top it all you need is:
- Shrimp
- Barbecue sauce
- Broccoli
Just be sure to choose a sauce that isn’t made with any gluten-containing ingredients and you are good to go. You’ll find my recommended sauce just above the recipe.
How long does it take to make BBQ shrimp?
Making BBQ shrimp on a grill usually takes 10-12 minutes, plus time to preheat the grill. For this stove top BBQ shrimp recipe, everything cooks up easily, in less than 30 minutes!
- Cook up the quinoa and stir in some Greek yogurt and cheese.
- While the quinoa is cooking, steam or roast a few broccoli florets. Heck, nuke a frozen steamer bag if you want to.
- Quickly saute a few shrimp in a pan on the stove top, then toss them in your favorite barbecue sauce.
- Add everything to a bowl, and voila! You’ve got a fancy shmancy BBQ shrimp quinoa bowl dinner!
What is the best barbecue sauce to make BBQ Shrimp Bowls?
My favorite BBQ Sauce is Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce. It’s just a little sweet and just a little spicy, and has the most amazing flavor. Plus there is no High Fructose Corn Syrup, but it’s still available at a reasonable price compared to some other higher end brands that are also sweetened with brown sugar or molasses, but none of the fake stuff. Plus Stubb’s states right on tha label that it is gluten free. And trust me, they are not paying me to say this. It has been my go-to for years. And if you would like that same flavor profile, but a bit more sweet or heat, they have a Sticky Sweet variety, as well as a Spicy version.
More shrimp recipes
- Chili Lime Shrimp has six ingredients, is made in one skillet, and takes ten minutes
- Homestyle Shrimp Bowls with Mashed Potatoes, corn, and just a little kick.
- Shrimp Rice Paper Rolls are simple and fresh.
- Summer Fruit Grilled Shrimp Salad with a perfect light meal for a hot day.
- Bang Bang Shrimp would be delicious served over cauliflower rice!
- Shrimp Creole would be awesome with leftover quinoa from the quinoa bowls!
- Apple Butter Bacon Wrapped Shrimp is out of this world delicious!
BBQ Shrimp Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients
For the Cheesy Quinoa:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 2 cup chicken or vegetable broth or stock
- salt & pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup (about 2 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (I use Cabot 50% Light Sharp Cheddar) – sometimes I use up to 1 c (about 4 oz. depending on how cheesy I want it)
For the Shrimp and Broccoli:
- 1 1/2 lbs shrimp peeled and deveined
- Olive oil spray or nonstick cooking spray or 1 tsp oil
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce plus additional for serving, if desired
- 1 lb broccoli cooked as desired (steamed, roasted, etc.)
Instructions
For the Cheesy Quinoa:
- Combine quinoa, broth, a pinch of salt and pepper, and dry mustard in a pot, and cook according to package directions, about 15 minutes.
- When quinoa is fully cooked, stir in Greek yogurt and cheese.
For the Shrimp and Broccoli:
- While the quinoa is cooking, prepare broccoli as desired, and heat a pan over medium heat.
- Coat with olive oil spray or nonstick cooking spray (or 1 tsp oil).
- Add the shrimp to the pan, and cook about 2 minutes per side, or until shrimp is pink and nearly cooked through.
- Pour the barbecue sauce over the shrimp and toss to coat. Cook for another minute or two, until shrimp is cooked through.
For the Bowls:
- Divide quinoa between four bowls.
- Top with broccoli and shrimp, and additional barbecue sauce, if desired.
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakesandkalechips on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
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Enjoy!
We just had this for dinner. The husband & kids loved it!! I wish I would have liked it more… but I just can’t get over my weird dislike for greek yogurt. Try as I might, I just despise it. I think I might try it with some sour cream. Not quite as healthy, but should come out similar!
Glad the family liked it. Yes, some people love Greek yogurt, some hate it. You don’t use a lot, so sour cream won’t make it terribly unhealthy.
This was surprisingly good. Wasnt too sure about the quinoa mixture but was very good. Thx for the new recipe.
So glad you liked it. I love that you can easily switch it up with veggies and proteins!
This reminds me of Shrimp & Grits… only cheesier, healthier and better 🙂
On behalf of the 1200+ farm families who own Cabot, thanks for the mention!!
Yes, that was sort of my inspiration. And I am happy to support a great company and product.
I’ve got weird texture issues with shrimp that I’m trying to get over, but these bowls have everything that I like. I’m sure I could get over it for this recipe!
That is the great thing about this recipe – it’s versatility! We hadit with turkey sausage the other night, and chicken or pork or, heck, probably tofu would be equally as tasty!
I still haven’t tried Quinoa, but this sounds amazing 🙂
Thanks! I think creamy, cheesy quinoa would be a good first introduction!
Yummy in my tummy!
Yes, we think so!
Too funny about the reactions of your kids at mealtime. I think this is one way I could get my husband to eat quinoa. Great secret about making it cheesy and creamy.
I shouldn’t complain – he does eat well! Thanks Renee!